Paul new testament homosexuality
The Bible on Homosexual Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to listen to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules like the disallow on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Vintage Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its permanent moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to help understand this distinction.
I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: hold her hand when I cross the road and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I acquire to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to shield me. In fact, it would now do me more impair than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding command. The rea
The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article
Tim Keller,
Vines, Matthew, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books,
Wilson, Ken,A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media,
The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. In the fall of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s original resourceful intention for humanity and therefore that homosexual exercise goes against God’s state will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.”
There are a number of other books that seize the opposite view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) own been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. The two most peruse volumes taking this position seem to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. The review of these
What the New Testament Says about Homosexuality
The Fourth R Volume May-June
Mainline Christian denominations in this country are bitterly divided over the question of homosexuality. For this reason it is significant to ask what light, if any, the New Testament sheds on this controversial issue. Most people apparently consider that the Brand-new Testament expresses powerful opposition to homosexuality, but this simply is not the case. The six propositions that pursue, considered cumulatively, head to the finding that the Fresh Testament does not provide any straightforward guidance for comprehending and making assessments about homosexuality in the modern nature.
Proposition 1: Strictly speaking, the Modern Testament says nothing at all about homosexuality.
There is not a single Greek word or statement in the entire New Testament that should be translated into English as “homosexual” or “homosexuality.” In fact, the very notion of “homosexuality”—like that of “heterosexuality,” “bisexuality,” and even “sexual orientation”—is essentially a new concept that would simply have been unintelligible to
Paul&#;s Understanding of Sexuality
μαλακοὶ and ἀρσενοκοῖται in 1 Cor
Introduction
Paul uses two words in 1 Cor , “μαλακοὶ” (malakoi) and “ἀρσενοκοῖται” (arsenokoitai), that are as important to Paul’s understanding of sexuality as they are complex to understand. Consider how differently leading English translations render this part of the verse.
“men who perform homosexuality” (ESV; a marginal note reads, “The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts”)
“men who have sex with men” (NIV []; a marginal note reads, “The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that mention to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts”)
“male prostitutes … homosexual offenders” (NIV []
“effeminate … homosexuals” (NASB ; a marginal note to the first word reads, “i.e. effeminate by perversion”
“effeminate … sodomites” (NKJV)
“effeminate … abusers of themselves with mankind” (AV)
These translations appear to agree that the individuals in view are men who are engaged in some caring