Homosexuality: What Does the Bible Teach?
Rev. Angus Stewart
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Introduction
Jesus Christ our Saviour taught us that our duty to God and man is, first, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind; and, second, to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). Loving the Triune God with heart, soul and mind includes knowing His truth—the whole truth as set forth in the Scriptures, including regarding homosexuality—believing it, witnessing to it and, where necessary, suffering for it.
Loving our neighbours, and especially in this instance our homosexual neighbours, obviously includes not assaulting them or stalking them or making nasty phone calls to them or sending hateful mail to them or destroying their property or such like. Instead, we are called to do good to them, to pray for them and, especially, to bring them the gospel of the forgiveness of sins in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Him results not only in the pardon of all transgressions but also deliverance from the dominion of sin, including homosexuality. The cross is the only good news for sinners, including those ensnared in this wicked vice.
Homosexual Propoganda
In our day, there is widespread rejection of and/or confusion about the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality. On the one hand, there are some homosexuals who openly declare their hatred for the Scriptures because they know God’s Word is opposed to their sin. Thus we hear of homosexuals ripping out pages from the Bibles in their hotel rooms or pressing for the prosecution of those who pay for space in the press to quote Scriptures opposing this sin. On the other hand, there are some homosexuals who claim that God’s Word has little or nothing to say about homosexuality, or even that the Bible affirms and supports it. Some even claim that it is only relatively recently that the Christian church has spoken against homosexuality. But this too is palpably false.
Homosexuals refer to themselves as “gays,” as if their sexual inclinations and activities are especially happy and blessed, just good clean fun. Much of the media is on a pro-homosexual crusade. They teach that homosexuality is an attractive and wholesome lifestyle. They promote the idea that any and all opposition to homosexuality is “homophobia,” which is, according to them, a particularly heinous offence. This propaganda is churned out, for example, in films, books, magazines, newspapers, soap operas and the news, as well as on-line. It is even taught to children in state schools in the decadent West.
The civil governments of most Western countries are more and more pro-homosexual. They are passing and increasingly enforcing so-called “hate laws.” Civil partnerships between homosexuals have been brought in and sexual orientation regulations adopted. “Homosexual marriage” is now legal in a few dozen countries. Some civil governments see their task as that of defending “minority rights” and “freedom of choice,” even if this means mothers murdering their unborn babies or men “marrying” men.
Propaganda and pressure from the homosexuals, the politically-correct media and ungodly legislation—part of what the Bible calls the ungodly “world”—has lead to a change in the thinking of some sections of the professing church and those who claim to be Christians. Many believe that impenitent homosexuals can be Christians and church members. Indeed, such people must be appointed as the church’s office-bearers. The church, they maintain, ought to bless same sex unions. The church should preach the full liberation of homosexuals—so that they are free to indulge their sins without any guilt—as a vital part of the gospel of God. The church, so it is said, should take the front line in the battle against the gross wickedness of “homophobia” because, it is argued, Jesus Christ loves absolutely everybody, and embraces the homosexuals just the way they are and without their conversion. The church should pursue “diversity” which, to them, means that everyone should be included in the church, irrespective of “sexual orientation” or impenitence.
What are we to believe regarding homosexuality? For the child of God, this is the same question as, What does the Bible—not the world!—teach regarding homosexuality? Here, of course, right at the start, we need to be aware of the crippling fear of man. Intimidation, brow beating, harassment, threats, sanctions and ostracism are the lot of those who stand for the scriptural teaching regarding homosexuality. The leftist intelligentsia, which supposedly prides itself on tolerance, is very intolerant of the Word of God and the God of the Word, especially on this subject. Those who stand with Scripture and say that homosexuality is sinful are “bigoted,” “narrow-minded” and “hateful” individuals, if not worse. That is sad, because the gospel of the crucified and risen Christ is the only message of hope, salvation and deliverance for those who are enslaved by this degrading sin (as well as all other iniquities).
We may soon suffer greater persecution because we maintain the Bible’s teaching regarding homosexuality. We must remember that Jesus commanded, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.” Instead, we must “fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Galatians 1:10 declares that we must seek to please God and not men, because if we seek to please men we are not the servants of Christ.
Archery Target
The Bible’s teaching on homosexuality can be likened to an archery target. First, there is the inmost circle, the bull’s-eye, which consists of those passages which specifically address this subject, such as Genesis 19 on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and later commentary on that event which also refers to the abomination of sodomy: Ezekiel 16:49-50, II Peter 2:6-8 and Jude 7.1 Then there is the outrage at Gibeah with all of its terrible consequences (Judg. 19-21), which began with the attempted homosexual gang rape of the Levite, and turned into the heterosexual gang rape and murder of his concubine by these bisexuals (Judg. 19:22-26).2 There are the various laws against sodomy in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. There are references to homosexual cult prostitution, which arose in Israel when it apostatized: Deuteronomy 23:17-18; I Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; II Kings 23:7; Job 36:14. Sodomy, under various names, is included in the sin lists of I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:10 and Revelation 22:15. Plus there is the locus classicus, Romans 1:26-27, about which we will have a lot to say later, DV. All of these passages constitute the bull’s-eye.
Second, the ring around this inmost circle consists of Scripture’s teaching on human sexuality. God created mankind male and female (Gen. 1:27; 5:2; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6). Marriage is a one-flesh union between one man and one woman for life, in which loving relationship alone sexual intercourse is to be enjoyed (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5-6; Mark 10:7-9; I Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31). Then, of course, there is the whole range of sins against the seventh commandment, including pornography, lasciviousness, fornication, adultery, polygamy, prostitution, rape, paedophilia, incest, bestiality, etc., that is, any and all sexual lusts and activity outside the lifelong bond of marriage between one man and one woman (cf. Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. & A. 139).
Third, the next circle deals with sin in general within the biblical framework of the fall of the human race, and original sin and total depravity. Sin is man’s “want [or lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God,” as summed in the Ten Commandments (Westminster Shorter Catechism, A. 14).
Fourth and finally, the outer ring on our archery target includes all scriptural doctrines, because homosexuality must be seen within the whole biblical framework. This includes the inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency and clarity of sacred Scripture; the absolute sovereignty and perfect righteousness of God; the creation of all things in six days; the upholding and governing of the entire universe by Jehovah’s providential power and wisdom, the incarnation and cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of the righteousness of God by faith alone; the regeneration and sanctification of God’s elect by the gracious Holy Spirit; the apostolicity and holiness of Christ’s church, including ecclesiastical discipline and the qualifications for special offices; and the final judgment, the new heavens and the new earth, and the lake of fire—all of which truths are historic, creedal, Christian teaching.
1 Besides the earlier references to the wickedness of Sodom in Genesis 13, 14 and 18, there are a lot of verses in the Old Testament and the New Testament that explicitly mention “Sodom” in connection with its sin and/or judgment. These texts are to be understood in the light of Genesis 19, Scripture’s first reference to homosexuality (Deut. 29:23; 32:32; Isa. 1:9, 10; 3:9; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; 49:18; 50:40; Lam. 4:6; Eze. 16:46, 48, 49, 53, 55, 56; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9; Matt. 10:15; 11:23, 24; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12; 17:29; Rom. 9:29; Rev. 11:8).
2 Hosea refers to Gibeah’s wickedness twice (9:9; 10:9).
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For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And 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).
Key Scriptural Text
Within the inner circle or bull's-eye of texts on homosexuality, Romans 1:26-27 is rightly accorded centre spot. First, it is in the New Testament, so it is more difficult to dismiss than verses in the Old Testament. Second, Romans 1:26-27 is the Bible's most explicit, comprehensive and detailed text on homosexuality, so it is tougher to “wrest” or torture it so as to get it to say what the ungodly want it to say (II Pet. 3:15), though many have tried long and hard.
Let us begin by identifying the sin that is spoken of in Romans 1:26-27. First, this iniquity is committed by women (v. 26) and by men, i.e., males (Greek arseen; v. 27). Second, this transgression is in the sexual sphere, with “vile affections” (v. 26) and “lusts” (v. 27) involving “men with men” (v. 27) and women with women (v. 26). Indeed, Romans 1:26-27 is evinced by the Holy Spirit as an awful instance of the divine punishment upon idolaters (vv. 21-23, 25): “God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves” (v. 24).
In other words, Romans 1:26-27 speaks of both lesbianism, the homosexuality of females (“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature”), and sodomy, the homosexuality of males (“And 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”).
This highlights another important feature of Romans 1:26-27: it specifically addresses lesbianism (and not only sodomy). This is the only passage in the Bible that directly speaks about female homosexuality. A significant factor in the rarity of Scripture's explicit references to lesbianism is the fact that, in the ancient world and even today, lesbianism occurs less frequently than sodomy. Thus Romans 1 underscores the depravity of idolaters who suppress or hold down the truth of God the Creator (vv. 18f.) in that “even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature” (v. 26).
“Against Nature”
Romans 1:26-27 is emphatic that homosexuality (both lesbianism and sodomy) is not natural. As opposed to the “natural use” between a man and a woman (vv. 26, 27), lesbianism is “against nature” (v. 26), as is sodomy or “men with men” (v. 27).
What does “nature” mean here? “Nature” in Romans 1:26-27 especially speaks of the male or female sexual anatomy or genitals. The male phallus and the female vagina are functionally compatible in terms of size and shape, etc. This complementarity between the male and female sex organs is physical, and mutually and pleasurably stimulating, for sex in marriage is a good gift from God (I Cor. 7:3-5).
Nature” in Romans 1:26-27 also includes the fact that the male sex organ produces sperm (seed) and the female sex organ produces the ovum (egg) so that together they constitute the two parts needed for procreation, the producing of children.
Thus “nature” here refers to the way God created us as humans: as male and female, with sexually compatible genitals and thus the capacity for procreation (Gen. 1:27-28; 5:2-4; Ps. 128:3; Mal. 2:15; Matt. 19:4-5; Mark 10:6-8). All this occurs, of course, within the framework of a man and a woman in marriage with all their complementarity: emotionally and socially, with the husband as the loving head and the wife as the submissive help, and both fitted or designed for each other under the living God (Prov. 5:18-19; I Cor. 11:11-12; Eph. 5:22-33; I Tim. 2:15; Titus 2:4-5).
Homosexuality, on the other hand, is “against nature.” The sexual anatomy of two lesbians is not functionally compatible and they cannot procreate together. Likewise, the sexual anatomy of two sodomites is not functionally compatible and they cannot procreate together.
Holy Scripture includes both the “active partner” and the “passive partner” in male homosexual intercourse in the vice lists of I Corinthians 6:9-10 and I Timothy 1:9-10. The active partner (Greek arseenokoitees) is spoken of in I Corinthians 6:9 (“abusers of themselves with mankind”) and I Timothy 1:10 (“them that defile themselves with mankind”). The “passive partner” (Greek malakos) is referred to in I Corinthians 6:9 (“effeminate”).
The receptacle for the phallus in sodomy is especially the rectum, which is designed for the excretion of faeces. This unnatural act of sodomy is intrinsically unhygienic and biologically dangerous, as well as sinful.
In explaining how the intercourse of sodomy is “against nature,” David Chilton cannot avoid describing how disgusting is this unnatural vice:
The rectum is neither elastic nor lubricated [unlike a female's vagina]; consequently, anal intercourse routinely tears the lining of the rectum and causes the anus to split and crack into bleeding fissures. These tears and fissures in turn become channels for HIV to pass into the bloodstream … Repeated anal intercourse commonly results in other harmful conditions, such as colitis (or colonitis), an extremely painful inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon; mucosal ulcers in the rectum; and Kobner's phenomenon, a psoriasis of the rectum, penis, and scrotum. Anal intercourse also weakens the sphincter, causing—to put it delicately—“fecal incontinence.” The damaged muscle is just unable to hold it in, and the rectum dribbles with bloody feces ... Further, anal intercourse has been found—even apart from AIDS—to damage the body's immune system. large quantities of sperm cells enter the bloodstream of the passive partner. (The thick walls, elasticity, and lubrication of the vagina prevent this from being a problem in normal sexual intercourse.) After repeated instances of sodomy, the body develops antibodies to fight off the invading sperm. These antibodies then circulate throughout the bloodstream, suppressing the immune system itself.1
Does the “active partner” in homosexual acts escape all repulsive biological consequences? Chilton continues,
The passive partner is not the only one at risk of disease. Over time, the penis of the active partner can become chafed; various diseases may also cause sores to erupt on the penis. Infected blood and other fluids from the rectum can then enter the body through these abrasions, as well as through the urethra.2
This is not all, however. Chilton adds, “But there is much more to homosexuality than anal intercourse. The practice of 'fisting' is also common: the active partner shoves his hand and forearm up the other man's rectum and into the colon.”3
None of this is pleasant; indeed, it is disgusting. But so too are pictures of aborted babies or photos of Jews gassed during World War II. More repulsive material on homosexuality could be mentioned. But this should be enough to demonstrate the fact that homosexuality and its sexual activity is not a wholesome lifestyle or even an amoral issue, like one's favourite foods that are merely a matter of personal preference. Homosexuality is not only against God's Word but against one's very nature as male or female.
According to research, the average male homosexual lifespan is significantly shorter than the average male non-homosexual.4 This was proverbial even in the ancient world: “They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean,” the “unclean” being a reference to ritual homosexual prostitutes (Job 36:14).
Much as it is denied today, the fact that homosexuality is “against nature” surfaces even in the names that homosexuals use for themselves (“queer” or unnatural) and for non-homosexuals (“straight” or those whose sexual orientation is not bent or deformed).
The truth of the
natural attraction and intercourse between a man and a woman
is taught not only in Scripture but is also manifest in
general revelation. Romans 1:19-21 states that the creation
declares the eternal power and wisdom of the one Creator
God. The visible differences between, and the
complementarity of, male and female in sexual intercourse
declare it to be natural: “the
natural use” between a man
and a woman (vv. 26, 27). God's general revelation in the
human body proclaims homosexual attraction and intercourse
to be “against nature” (v. 26). Much as some desperately
seek to deny it, deep down everybody knows it; not only
Christians but also non-Christians, including people who are
wretchedly enslaved to the lusts of sodomy and lesbianism.
1 David Chilton, Power in the Blood, p. 33. Chilton is especially describing sodomy without artificial lubrication or a condom.
2 Chilton, Power in the Blood, p. 34.
3 Chilton, Power in the Blood, p. 34.
4 Robert A. J. Gagnon cites studies which place the figure at about 8-20 years (by a team of pro-gay researchers in 1997) or 25-30 years (1998), adding, “By contrast, smoking is estimated to reduce lifespan by two years” (The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics [Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2001], p. 472, n. 208). However, these two studies were conducted near the height of the HIV epidemic, as was the publication of Gagnon's book. With developments in medicine, the gap in lifespan between homosexuals and non-homosexuals is not as large as it was. It is accepted by parties on all side of this debate that homosexuals have disproportionately high levels of depression, self-harm, binge drinking, drug abuse and suicide.
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For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And 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).
Having introduced the subject of homosexuality and explained that it is “against nature” in the last two articles, we now continue our exposition of Romans 1:26-27, the key biblical text on this subject.
Condemnatory Biblical Words
Let us consider the Most High's moral evaluation of lesbianism and sodomy in Scripture. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever say that homosexuality is good, wholesome, holy or pure, as if it were something to be endorsed or celebrated or practised as an “alternative lifestyle.” God's Word is not even mildly positive as regards sodomy or lesbianism. Nor is it neutral or merely mildly critical. Kevin DeYoung is correct: “Even many revisionist scholars acknowledge that the Bible is uniformly negative toward same-sex activity.”1
The consistent testimony of Holy Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments, is strongly and emphatically condemnatory, for homosexuality is an “abomination” (Lev. 18:22) before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we saw in the last instalment, Romans 1:26-27 repeatedly states that it is unnatural. This passage further describes homosexuality in terms of “vile affections” (26), which the Greek lexica explain using such words as “dishonourable,” “disgraceful,” “shameful” and “degrading.”
These sodomites “burned in their lust one toward another” (27), meaning that they were sexually “inflamed” or “consumed” with their impure affections.2 That homosexuality is “unseemly” (27) teaches that it is “indecent,” “obscene,” “disgraceful” and “shameful.” Yet the ungodly revel in gay pride parades! In this too, twenty-first-century sexual immorality is in step with the proverbial arrogance of ancient Sodom: “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves” (Isa. 3:9). Romans 1:27 speaks of the “error” of homosexuality, for it is a deliberate “wandering,” “roaming” or “going astray” from God's truth through deception and delusion.
This is not merely the language of a Victorian moralist or a populist politician or a right-wing activist. These are the words of the Holy Spirit Himself in the inspired book of Romans, the most systematic presentation of the gospel of salvation (from sin) through Jesus Christ alone!
Acts and Desires
It is important also to note that Romans 1:26-27 deals with homosexual acts and desires. The Almighty judges that both are unnatural and vile.
This needs to be pointed out because some argue that, whereas the Bible condemns homosexual acts, it does not oppose homosexual desires. However, this is a very strange argument. If X is sin, it is sinful to desire X! Thus the Lord Jesus argues regarding adultery: “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:27). Stealing is a sin, murder is a sin, bestiality is a sin and idolatry is a sin; so it is sinful to desire to do any of these things.
Our Heidelberg Catechism faithfully sets forth the meaning of “Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17):
Q. 113. What doth the tenth commandment require of us?
A. That even the smallest inclination or thought contrary to any of God’s commandments never rise in our hearts; but that at all times we hate all sin with our whole heart, and delight in all righteousness.
Clearly, it is the “heart” (with its “inclination[s]” or “thought[s]” or desires) that is the chief thing in the tenth commandment, the previous nine and all of ethics. Later, the Catechism points out that we need to “learn more and more to know our sinful nature” (A. 115) and not think only about external acts.
One senses in the argument that homosexual desires, though perhaps not homosexual acts, are OK, a desperate, though ill-fated, attempt somehow or other to justify sodomy and lesbianism, at least in some sense. But this view betrays a total ignorance or denial of the sin of concupiscence or one's sinful (internal) desires. It is thoroughly Pelagian to claim that only actions can be sinful but to deny the evil of the heart and its desires or yearnings. Thus the Triune God speaks of the “vile affections” of homosexuality (Rom. 1:26), that is, its “passions” or “desires” that are “dishonourable,” “disgraceful,” “shameful” and “degrading.”
Lust Not Love
When the apostle Paul writes that “the men ... burned in their lust one toward another” (27), he is describing mutual desires. So Romans 1:26-27 cannot be dismissed as if it merely opposed homosexual rape or pederasty or master-slave “encounters.” Our text opposes consensual homosexuality, whether long-term or short-term, “committed” or casual.
In that sodomites “[burn] in their lust one toward another” (27), it is inaccurate, misleading and downright false to speak of “gay love.” Instead, it is biblical and, therefore, accurate and true to label it “gay lust.” It is an attack upon the God of love falsely to dignify what He calls a sinful, burning “lust” with the honourable name of “love.”
Scripture's infallible teaching regarding the burning lust of homosexual men accords well with the standard results of surveys.3 Here are three typical conclusions:
Homosexual men are more promiscuous with other men than (ungodly) heterosexual men with women.
Homosexual men more frequently engage in intercourse with male strangers than (ungodly) heterosexual men with female strangers.
Homosexual men are more given to unrestrained sex or sexual “experimentation” than (ungodly) heterosexual men.4
This is not to say that in all of the above areas every homosexual is worse than every heterosexual. Nor are we denying that many heterosexuals perform sinful, obscene and disgusting sexual acts. Rather, given that homosexual intercourse is, by God's own explicit declaration, intrinsically depraved and shameful, and that sodomites “[burn] in their lust one toward another” (27), it is not surprising that they have significantly higher incidences of promiscuity, including with strangers, and perverse “experimentation” than heterosexuals.
Nor is it strange that many homosexuals boast of their perverse sexual activities and want to promote them in the general populace. After all, the homosexual ethic cannot, by definition, endorse or practise marital faithfulness between one man and one woman for life. It neither honours nor recognizes any transcendent, God-given laws. Nor does it value scriptural sexual ethics or even traditional, conventional morality, which homosexuals often view as stifling or “bourgeois.” In any conflict between biblical “boundaries” on the one hand and “freedom” or “self-expression” in promiscuity on the other, the latter will win out in homosexual ideology.