The Bible and Homosexuality

by Dr. Phil Stringer (Florida)

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15-16)

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Until the Culture War began in earnest in the late 1960's, homosexuality was clearly seen as contrary to America’s Christian culture. Homosexual acts were illegal in all 50 states. Churches were virtually unanimous in their condemnation of homosexuality as sin. The medical and psychiatric communities debated whether homosexuality was a "mental" or "emotional" illness, but no one was openly promoting homosexuality as positive. The following quote is from The Modern Medical Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, 1965:

SEXUAL DEVIATION: An emotional illness that is expressed in a form of sexual behavior of an abnormal sort; also known as sexual perversion. The sexual deviate is compelled by his inner drives to seek satisfaction through specific forms of abnormal behavior -- sadism, homosexuality, masochism, exhibitionism, nymphomania, and many other variations. Sexual deviation is considered an illness with roots in deep emotional conflicts.

There are many complex factors which can lead to a sexual attitude not acceptable to society as a whole; not all of these are fully understood. In general, however, children who have a full and happy family life and whose parents are an example of a normal and healthy relationship are far less likely to develop emotional conflicts of the sort that can lead to sexual deviation.

Sexual deviation may cause legal as well as personal difficulties. Most types of deviant activity are illegal and punishable by imprisonment. However, an increasing number of judges recognize that deviation is more an illness than a crime and they refer offenders to psychiatrists for treatment of the condition. Pronounced sexual deviation is treated by psychotherapy, which attempts to uncover and resolve the unconscious sources of the deviation.

There are some today who claim that the Bible has nothing to say about homosexuality. When President Bill Clinton was asked to reconcile his professed belief that the Bible is to be the Word of God with his pro-homosexual position, he replied "The Ten Commandments don’t mention homosexuality." The Ten Commandments do not, but the subject is mentioned often in the Scriptures.

The most famous passage is Romans 1:18-32 [including the followin verses . . .]

27 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:

27 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 recompenses of their error which was meet.

Other passages include:

• Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

• Leviticus 20:13, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

• Deuteronomy 23:17, "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel."

Since some homosexual advocates claim that the Old Testament prohibitions against homosexuality were done away with in the New Testament, it is good to look there as well. Besides Romans 1, some other New Testament passages include:

• 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 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."

• 1 Timothy 1:9-10, "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."

• Jude 7, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

There are several other passages throughout the Bible.

The Lord records two particular stories to indicate his attitude towards homosexuality. The first is the famous story of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 19:1-15:

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

3. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, bold old and young, all the people from every quarter:

5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and they sons, and they daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

A less famous but equally important story is found in Judges, chapters 19 and 20. Gibeah was a little Benjaminite town in the days of the Judges. A Levite and his concubine stopped there to stay the night. There were taken in by a resident of Gibeah. A group of angry homosexuals demanded that the Levite surrender himself to them. When he refused, they took his concubine and abused her all night resulting in her death. They were angry because they could not have the Levite himself.

When the Levite awoke he found the dead body of his concubine dumped on the doorstep. The Levite cut the woman’s ravaged body into 12 pieces and sent a piece to each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The message was, "Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel before." The men of Israel gathered to punish the wicked men of Gibeah, but their kinsmen, the Benjaminites, decided to defend them. Forty thousand Israelites died in the resulting civil war, and Benjamin was almost destroyed. Even though the vast majority of the Benjaminites were not homosexuals, they were willing to overlook the violence of the homosexual movement and fight a civil war for "gay rights."

Centuries later God rebuked Ephraim for the same mistake -- tolerating homosexuality. Hosea 9:9-10, "They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved."

Several truths are clear in the Scripture:

• God considers homosexuality an abomination.

• Homosexuality is an act of rebellion against God.

• Homosexuality is an act of rebellion against nature.

• Homosexuality involves a whole different set of values. It is more than just a different sexual orientation. These values often involve recruitment, violence, and pressure on society.

• God judges homosexuality.

• God judges the society that tolerates homosexuality.

When America’s culture was distinctively Christian there was no public debate about homosexuality. Occasionally an individual adopted homosexual behavior but never with the approval of society. Local communities very carefully protected children from homosexual influence. All states had laws against homosexual acts recognizing them as both health hazards and moral hazards.

The Culture War has changed all that. Powerful forces in politics, education, and the media promote homosexuality as good, normal, and natural. America is reaping the whirlwind.

Dr. Phil Stringer is Executive Vice President of Landmark Baptist College, Haines City, Florida.