Is Jesus anti-gay?
This question is hard to talk about for several reasons. First, because it can hit some very deep psychological issues, making it hard to discuss calmly. Second, because we live in such a sexualized society that we’re forgetting it’s possible to have a really good friend (of whatever gender) without having sex. What we lose is friendship, of course.
But what do you say if we’re asked (or ask ourselves) this question? Three key starting-points:
God certainly does not hate homosexuals! He loves and values them so much he died in colossal agony for them, just the same as for straight people. We love gay people too; there are people of gay orientation in our church, and we pray that there will be many more.
God does say clearly in the Bible that homosexual practice, equally with any other kind of sex outside marriage, is wrong. That doesn’t make it an absolutely uniquely terrible sin! But following Jesus is ultimately about trusting (and obeying) him; and in this case that means faith that he knows best about our sexuality.
We are very aware that these are very difficult and painful issues for many gay people, as for many heterosexual singles, and we pray that anyone gay will continue to feel welcome in our church (where there may well also be gay people upfront), whether they agree or disagree with our church’s position.
And then: the Christian life is about living by faith in Jesus, and Jesus our Lord says the Bible is 100% trustworthy. So what does God in the Bible say about this? That has to be the foundation for our lives as disciples.
First, read John 3:16. This means that homophobia is absolutely wrong! All people, including practising homosexuals, are loved and valued by God as much as anyone else – meaning, Jesus loved gay people (like straight people) so much he died in agony for them. Christians should love like Jesus did! And homosexual orientation is not a sin; I and all of us have orientations toward things God does not want us to practise.
However, the Bible does make clear that homosexual practice is a sin (though not a uniquely serious sin). (And if it’s persisted in – or even ritualized for the longterm- that doesn’t alter things, any more than with any other sin.)
As with many other issues the starting–point is, What was God’s `natural’ creation order before everything was messed up by the first human beings’ rebellion (so that what we might think of as `natural` now is not at all `natural` as God intended and intends)? Look at Genesis 1:27 and 2:18-24 (reaffirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6 for the present time). Here we find what our basic bodily shape teaches also, that the mating of two different sexes was what God chose (after all he need not have invented gender for humans), as the way he designed our needs for sex and complementarity to be met. Only a partner of the opposite sex would do.
Then on how becoming a Christian starts us moving out of the mess we have since our rebellion in the Fall and back out into God’s ideal, read 2 Corinthians 5:15-17.
Then narrowing down to more specific statements about homosexual practice, see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – ` Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men` [arseno-koitai, literally `men-shaggers`; quoting the Greek (LXX) of Lev 20:13] `nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God`. That is obviously very, very serious indeed. And 1 Timothy 1:10 – `for the sexually immoral, for those practising homosexuality` [arseno-koitais again], `for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.`
And in the old testament the really challenging ones, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:7-13. These verses raise lots of questions. First, we aren’t called to obey the old testament law today; but in the new testament God makes clear parts of the old testament law that are still God’s vital will for us. Thus 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 6:18 and Acts 15 emphasize the importance of avoiding porneia, sexual sin; so does Jesus (eg on porneia in Matt 5:32, 19:9); and Jews absorbing God’s Word there would look to Leviticus 18 and 20 as the main definitions of what sexual sin is, and Leviticus clearly includes both times – among other things – homosexual practice.
The really challenging thing is that in Leviticus death is the penalty for adultery (20:10), sex with animals (18:23/20:15-16), incest (18:6-18/20:11-12), and sex with one’s own gender (20:13). This penalty may well never have been enforced, and (as for adultery or incest) is in no way something God would wish enacted in practice today; obviously (as with adultery and incest) the legal enforcement and legal penalties here belonged to a very temporary situation in which God instituted a theocratic state. Nonetheless the sheer strength of this is a very clear indication of both how unnatural these sins are, and how serious they are in God’s sight. This is doubly clear since these things weren’t merely ritually prohibited for Israel alone but were also major issues for God in the surrounding non-Jewish nations, and led to their judgment and destruction (18:24-30). So these passages do make very clear which way, and how very strongly, God feels about them.
Then finally as a very important summary of how turning to homosexual practice is something `shameful` and `unnatural` that took place as a direct result of our rejecting God’s creation order and then God himself, read Romans 1:18-27 (particularly v26-27).
But equally important: God always forgives us no matter what if we repent; look at 1 John 1:7-2:2, Luke 15:11-24. And vitally, we have all the power of God we need for keeping his commands: look at 1 Corinthians 6:11, 10:13, 2 Corinthians 5:15-17, John 8:36, 1 Peter 5:6-10, Romans 6:14, Jude 24-25.
These issues of chastity are not at all easy either for gay people, nor indeed for straight people especially single women for whom no spouse or potential co-parent appears. And yet we seek to live by faith, knowing whether our orientation is gay or straight that Jesus loves us enormously, knows what will make us flourish longterm, and (because he loves us) will never let us endure any pain that does not have a massive payoff in the millions of years of eternal life ahead of us…
Footnote: There is a limit to how significant the story of Sodom in Genesis 19 can be on this issue, because the people of Sodom were committing the additional sins of denying hospitality and particularly gang rape. However, the fact is that what Jude 7 (as distinct from Ezekiel 16) singles out as a key factor in bringing God’s judgment on Sodom is `perversion`. And that concept there would surely seem to be describing Sodom’s homosexual practice.
RESOURCES: www.livingout.org – a site partly for celibate gay Christians; truefreedomtrust.co.uk is another.
Is God Anti-Gay?, Sam Allberry – brief, biblical, by a celibate same sex attracted Christian
Born Again This Way, Rachel Gilson, A War of Loves, David Bennett, and Gay Girl Good God, Jackie Hill Perry: three fine, personal books by same sex attracted people who have `been there done that`
The Plausibility Problem, Ed Shaw – again, excellent and by a celibate same sex attracted Christian
The Bible and Homosexual Practice, Robert Gagnon: Gagnon is not totally an evangelical but this is a superb, courageous and very thorough scholarly study of the Bible passages on this matter and the related issues.
(Note: This post was originally written as a handout for church use. In Calibri 11pt it fits on two sides A4.)
