The Bible and Homosexuality
Rev. Angus Stewart
Jesus Christ taught that marriage is an one flesh union between one man and one woman for life: "Have ye not read [in Genesis 1:27 and 2:24], that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Matt. 19:4-6). Thus sex between a man and a woman before marriage (fornication) or between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse (adultery) or between a man or woman and an animal (bestiality) or between two men (sodomy) or between two women (lesbianism) is sinful. If Christ even declared that "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28), two men lying together is also evil.
After His atoning death and resurrection, the glorified Christ commissioned His apostles to declare His Word to the nations and to write inspired Scripture. Paul, "a servant of Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:1), speaks of the "vile affections" of lesbianism ("even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature") and sodomy ("likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet") (Rom. 1:26-27). "Be not deceived," writes the apostle, "abusers of themselves with mankind" (sodomites) shall not "inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6:9-10). These were not merely Paul’s own speculations, for he declares, "the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (I Cor. 14:37).
All sins not atoned for by the blood of Christ and not repented of bring everlasting punishment in Hell, but homosexuality is an especially grievous transgression. First, it is "against nature" as it is contrary to God’s creation of us as male and female (Rom. 1:26-27). Second, it is itself a judgement of God upon men and women for their idolatry (Rom. 1:18-25): "For this cause God gave them up unto [the] vile affections" of lesbianism and sodomy (Rom. 1:26-27). God’s giving someone over to homosexuality is an instance of "the wrath of God … revealed from heaven" in this world (Rom. 1:18). Third, sodomy is the central sin which brought down fire from heaven: "Sodom and Gomorrah … going after strange flesh [cf. Gen. 19:4-5], are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7). God’s raining down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24) pictures the Hell fire that awaits impenitent homosexuals, and, indeed, all impenitent sinners (II Peter 2:6). Fourth, homosexuality, once it gains societal approval (as in our day), is paraded brazenly: "they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not" (Isa. 3:9). Thus they "glory ... in their shame" (Phil. 3:19) with all the debaucheries of their Gay Pride parades.
However, homosexuality is not the unpardonable sin. After listing various iniquities, including sodomy ("abusers of themselves with mankind"), the apostle declares to the Corinthian believers, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Cor. 6:9-11). This is the way of deliverance for the homosexual, the only way of deliverance for us all.
See also
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Sodomy.
Listen to a
special lecture:
Homosexuality: What Does the Bible Teach?