Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20060326.htm

PROFITABLY UNDERSTANDING TRAGICALLY MISINTERPRETED BIBLE PASSAGES
Part IV: Understanding Scripture's Teaching On Homosexual Acts And Orientations
(Leviticus 18:22 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. In the "battle of the cultural wars," the "rightness" or "wrongness" of homosexual acts and orientations is hotly debated, and efforts have been made to reinterpret Bible passages to condone homosexual activity.
    2. We view key verses used in this debate to understand Scripture's teaching on homosexuality (as follows):
  2. Understanding Scripture's Teaching On Homosexual Acts And Orientations, Leviticus 18:22 et al.
    1. Understanding Leviticus 18:22.
      1. This verse clearly forbids gay sexual activity (men with men).
      2. Yet, some claim this verse applies only to the dispensation of the Law; since the believer in the Church era is free from the Law according to Colossians 2:13-17, they suggest that gay activity is sanctioned in the Church era, Bob Davies, "What Does The Bible Say?" Moody Monthly, May 1994, p. 19.
      3. Yet, Paul named vices in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, two of which are homosexual, that he noted were done by those who do not enter God's kingdom. Gay sexual activity is thus clearly sin in the Church era.
    2. Understanding Genesis 19:5, 7.
      1. Some have tried to claim that Genesis 19:5 KJV teaches the men of Sodom only socially wanted "to get acquainted with'" God's angels, not to have relations with them, Ibid. This explanation is given to claim this passage did not condemn as sin gay or homosexual sexual activity!
      2. However, Lot responded in Genesis 19:7 NIV, "Don't do this wicked thing," a "most puzzling" reaction unless "know" is used as the typical Hebrew euphemism for sexual contact (as in Genesis 4:1).
      3. Besides, Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:7 "link Sodom with sexual immorality and perversion," Ibid.
    3. Understanding Romans 1:26-27.
      1. In the Church era, Paul here calls homosexual and lesbian acts sin, but some argue "Paul's statements are culturally bound,' addressed to first-century believers and therefore not applicable today." (Ibid.)
      2. Yet, even were gay and lesbian actions a part of one's culture, they would still be evil acts, for (a) homosexual activity violates the pattern set by God before man's cultures developed, for God made one woman for the first one man, and she came from his body, Gen. 2:20-25. (b) Besides, before the Law in a pre-Jewish culture (Gen. 19:5, 7), then, under the Law in a Jewish culture (Lev. 18:22) and after the Law in a mix of Jewish-and-Gentile cultures (1 Cor. 6:9-11), God condemned gay [and lesbian via Romans 1:36-27] acts, (c) so any culture condoning homosexual acts is evil at that point!
    4. Understanding Whether Just The Act Or The Orientation Of Homosexuality Is Sin:
      1. A nationally known Evangelical in 1993 claimed that Christian organizations should hire homosexuals if they did not perform homosexual acts, for he claimed that the homosexual orientation is not sin!
      2. However, in 1 Cor. 6:9-11 where Paul included a list of ten words to describe people who do not inherit the kingdom of God, one such word in verse 9, the noun ['arsenokoitai ], means "hermaphrodites", and refers to parties of the male role in homosexuality (as a pederast or sodomite), U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1963 ed., p. 589; Arndt & Ging ., A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., p. 109.
      3. Two other words in Paul's list there are adjectives, but they are treated as substantives [words that syntactically function like nouns in a sentence] by credible translations (KJV, NIV, ESV), so we translate them respectively with the nouns, "catamites (lit. effeminate) [malakoi]" and "robbers [harpages]," Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T. ; Ibid., Arndt & Ging., p. 489-490, 108.
      4. Well, since Paul used the noun "hermaphrodites" in that list, and since the related vice described by the substantive is reputably translated "catamites" in that same list, He referred there to those who hold to the male [hermaphrodite] or female [catamite] roles in homosexual orientations!
      5. We found that Paul condemned lesbian and gay activity in Romans 1:26-27, so, his list of sinners in 1 Cor. 6:9-11 shows that male and female orientations of gay and lesbian homosexuality are also sin!
Lesson: Scripture reveals that in act and in orientation, gay and lesbian homosexuality are always sin!

Application: (1) May we hold to the Bible's truth on these matters, (2) and, in God's holy love, present the Gospel of salvation to homosexuals that they may be washed and justified by faith in Jesus Christ!