Homosexuality and the Bible

RESPONSE TO MEL WHITE

This is written partially in response to Mel White’s “What the Bible Says – And Doesn’t Say – About Homosexuality”. Mel White was a ghost-writer for a number of big-wig Christian evangelists. He had problems with same-sex attraction, and after years of failed attempts to “exterminate his homosexuality” he accepted that he will always be a homosexual and that sexual identity is acceptable in God’s eyes. He has since gone on to organize and lead openly homosexual churches.

Mel White begins his paper by stating his credentials. He says that he has more than 50 years of experience in reading, studying, memorizing, preaching, and teaching from the sacred texts. He’s got a master’s and doctoral degrees from a conservative biblical seminary. He’s learned Hebrew and Greek for working with the original texts of the Bible. One wonders how he can miss the obvious context surrounding some of the passages that he interprets incorrectly.

He has not arrived at the conviction that homosexuality is okay by studying the Bible. He has decided that since he has the feelings and desires of a homosexual man – those feelings and desires, in part at least, define him as a person. But he was a Christian first, and has no desire to abandon that part of himself. So he has decided to twist and re-interpret the Bible to fit his feelings, desires and actions.

White therefore attempts to explain away Bible testimony. He does this in numerous of ways. Here are a few of the ways White attempts to explain away the passages condemning homosexual practice.

· The Bible’s prohibitions against homosexual activity are outdated “holiness rules” that apply only to other people (like Old Testament priests), and not to regular people.

· God’s judgment on homosexual people was actually because of OTHER sins they committed, not because of their sexual actions.

· Mysterious customs from the ancient world underlie the actual words of the Bible passages concerning homosexual activity. These customs make it possible to re-interpret passages in a way that points the guilt away from homosexual activity.

But some of the passages are so clear that he cannot explain them away. White reveals the true origin of his conclusions by saying that the Holy Spirit sometimes speaks through modern science and personal experience to show us which things from the Old Testament are outdated and no longer applicable to us. He states,

“There is a growing body of evidence from science, psychology, history, psychiatry, medicine, and personal experience that leads to a clear verdict: Homosexuality is neither a sickness nor a sin. Unfortunately, the church has always been slow, if not the last institution on earth , to accept new truth” (“What the Bible Says – and Doesn’t Say – about Homosexuality”, Mel White).

Mel White says that the sinful world has known the truth for years and years, but this truth from God has remained a mystery to most of God’s people.

So, is Mel White right? Has the church just got it wrong all this time? What does the Bible really say when allowed to speak for itself? Let’s find out.

GOD SPEAKS ABOUT SEXUALITY

When God speaks about sexual relationships acceptable to Him, he doesn’t ever talk about men with men and women with women. If homosexuality is really acceptable to God, this is puzzling, because He certainly speaks about sexuality between men and women.

“1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Cor. 7:1-9 NIV).

In the Greek the word “aner” is used both for “man” and husband “husband”. Like a woman might say today, “He’s my man”. The word “gunae” is used both for “woman” and “wife”.

While the Bible is not primarily about human sexuality, God does speak about human sexuality in the Bible. He talks about misuses of sex like adultery, fornication and bestiality. He talks about temptation to sexual sin and how having a spouse helps to avoid sexual sin. Sex is rightfully enjoyed only in the marriage bed. It is God’s MARRIAGE gift.

“4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4 NIV).

God also speaks directly about homosexual relations.

Genesis 19:1-14 (NKJV) Sodom and Gomorrah

1Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
3But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
6So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
9And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.
▬
Mel White declares that the sin which brought judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah was primarily a greedy, selfish and uncaring attitude toward others. He bases this on the following passage from Ezekiel.

“48“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:48-49 NKJV).

Certainly this passage speaks of the people of Sodom as selfish. But that wasn’t their only sin. White ignores Jude 1:7 which says,

“7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7 NIV).

He also fails to mention 2 Peter 2 which says,

“4For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—9then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord” (2 Peter 2:4-10 NKJV).

Amazingly, White attempts to redefine “sodomy” as “selfishness”. Look up “sodomy” in a dictionary and see what it has meant in language after language ever since the actual city of Sodom was destroyed. The term “sodomy” does not refer to “selfishness” but primarily to anal sexual intercourse between men.

Lastly, look at the passage which comes directly after the passage White quotes. It has a very important word in it.

“50And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit” (Ezekiel 16:50 NKJV).

This is the same Hebrew word that is found in the next two references. White speaks some about this word saying that homosexual activity was an “abomination” to the Jews, but that’s not who is talking here. This is God speaking. What the men of Sodom did was an abomination to God.

This brings up the question, what does White believe about the Bible? He says that he takes it seriously, but what I’d like to know is, does he believe that it is God’s Word, authored by the Holy Spirit and written down by man? Does he believe that it is inerrant and inspired? Or does he believe that it is man’s word, containing pious, but human opinion that may change and evolve?

Leviticus 18:22 (NKJV) God’s Moral Law

22You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

Leviticus 20:13 (NKJV)

13If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

White wants to say that these passages are part of a “holiness covenant” applicable only to Old Testament priests. First of all, back up and read the full chapter. Verses 1-5 tell us that this chapter is a message from God for the people of Israel, not just for the priests.

“1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. 5You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:1-5 NKJV).

White draws attention to the fact that not all laws in the Old Testament are still in effect. This is true. God chose the Israelite people to be His special people. The Messiah would be born from their nation. He gave them three types of Law to follow. Moral Law, which stands for all people for all time. Ceremonial Law, which was how God wanted Israel to worship Him. Civic Law, which was God’s laws for Israel, that, though chosen by Him, was made up of believers and non-believers, wicked and righteous people.

The New Testament tells us which Laws are still in effect for us – those which fall into the category of Moral Law. We don’t have to follow all the Jewish worship laws. Nor are we obligated to follow the Civic Laws meant specifically for Israel.

“13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:13-17 NIV).

Secondly, look at the stuff around the verse about homosexuality.

“20Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her. 21And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. 23Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion” (Lev 18:20-23 NIV).

If these were merely “holiness covenant” than it stands to reason that it would be alright for non-priests to have sex with their neighbor’s wives, sacrifice their children to Molech, and mate themselves with animals.

Also, there weren’t any female priests in ancient Israel, yet the end of verse 23 speaks directly to females. Clearly, White is wrong in teaching that this is a holiness covenant meant only for Old Testament priests.

Furthermore, God explains that these things were not just wicked if Israelites did them, they were wicked if any people did them.

“24“‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. 25Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you” (Lev 18:24-28 NIV).

Romans 1:26-27 Men with Men, Women with Women

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1:26-27 NIV)

All you have to do is read the actual words of the Bible here. Mel White doesn’t really address them. He relies completely on importing meaning into the text. He claims that this section refers to people who made sex their God in pagan temples, and that’s why their actions were bad. But the sentences above are clear enough. Lust and indecent acts - men with men, women with women.

At the end of White’s interpretation of these passages in Romans, white says,

“Even after he describes the disturbing practices he has seen, Paul warns us that judging others is God’s business, not ours”

Truly, God doesn’t want us to judge with outward and shallow perception. But to say that God rules out all judging done by man is just ridiculous.

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24 NKJV)

Is it sinfully judging a person to say, “Your having sex with your father’s wife. That’s not right in God’s eyes”?

Is it sinfully judging a person to say, “You’re blaspheming God with your words. That’s not right in God’s eyes”?

Yes this is judgment. But not sinful judgment. And really, not judgment that originates with Christians either. When we hold up God’s Word and judge human lives according to it, God is pronouncing the judgment. Right judgment is made by God’s standard, not by man’s. We are COMMANDED by God to judge those among us who claim to follow Christ, but live opposed to what His Word says.

“9I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
12For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”” (1 Cor. 5:9-13 NKJV).

“18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:18-20 NIV).

White says science and experience prove that same sex sexual relations are quite natural. White’s statement here is really, “Man knows better than God.”

The problem is, we live in a broken world. Our natural inclination isn’t necessarily right. Sinners are drawn to all sorts of emotions, desires and behaviors that are not right. Lies, gossip, stealing, hating, lusting – you name it!

Sinners like me and you are naturally inclined to sins – but that doesn’t make them right. We’re naturally inclined to these because we’ve been born in the image of Adam – Sinful. Not knowing God’s will perfectly any longer. We need to look to the Bible for guidance. We walk unstable ground when we allow our feelings and experiences to define what is right instead of relying on God’s Word.

1 Corinthians 6:9 (NIV) Mysterious Words?

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
▬
White claims that the two words underlined above are mysterious words which have been assigned the meaning “homosexual” but really nobody knows for sure what they mean. Really?

The first word is translated “male prostitutes” in the NIV. This word is used to refer both to things and people. When used of things it means, “soft”. For example, it is used in Luke 7:25 by Jesus.

“25But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts” (Luke 7:25 NKJV).

But this adjective is also used of people. What does it mean to be a “soft” person? Well, look at the context first of all. It’s a sinful thing, whatever it is. And it comes sandwiched between terms for sexual sin: sexual immorality, adultery and homosexual acts.

It is true that sometimes a word is difficult to define because it is seldom used in ancient literature. However, the most trustworthy lexicon of Koine Greek has the following entry for this word,

“Soft. 1) of things: clothes 2) of pers. Soft, effeminate, esp. of catamites, men and boys who allow themselves to be misused homosexually” (“malakos” entry in “A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature” Bauer, Gingrich and Danker)

Other lexicons support this definition. It’s also important to remember here that many if not most of the men and women who specialize in Biblical languages are NOT Christians. The study of Bible languages is a job for them, not a conviction. They come to these definitions primarily on the basis of researching words and uses of words in the literature of the period in which it was written and surrounding periods.

White admits the above meaning, but points only to the sexual abuse of children as being the sin – minimizing the fact that this word refers to same sex relations.

The second word which is translated “homosexual offenders” is even clearer. It is a word made by sandwiching two words together. One meaning “male” and one meaning “bed”. The lexicon entry here is,

“a male who practices homosexuality, pederast, sodomite” (“arsenokoitai” entry in “A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature” Bauer, Gingrich and Danker)

Both roles in a homosexual act are spoken of here, both the receiver and the giver.

BUT HOW CAN LOVE BE WRONG?

Love is not wrong. Sex outside of marriage is.

Love is not wrong. Sexual thoughts outside of marriage are.

Love for a person of your same sex is not wrong. Same gender sex acts are.

Christ came to set us free from sin by suffering our punishment for sin on the cross and dying in our place. Faith in Christ means freedom from the fear that God is going to punish us when we fail to keep His Moral Law. Christ means freedom from guilt when we fail to keep His Law. Christ mean freedom FROM sins which enslave and control us, not freedom TO sin.

By faith in Jesus we are placed above the Law. Christ took suffered our punishment on the cross. Our sentence for sin has already been served. But that doesn’t mean we lie and steal and murder and rape and gossip etc. No way! We walk in step with the Holy Spirit – walking according to God’s Moral Law.

Does this mean that we won’t have sexual feelings for inappropriate people? No. We still have Original Sin, the inner traitor, living inside us. He causes all sorts of sinful thoughts and emotions to come from inside. But we also have the New Man inside, created by the Holy Spirit and still assisted by God the Spirit. The New Man fights against the Old Man.

Maybe you believe that you were born a homosexual. That’s fine. Maybe you were. But that doesn’t change God’s Moral Law as expressed in His Word. I was born a sinner. If you knew the things that my mind thinks sometimes you’d be disgusted. Violent things. Perverted things. Petty things. Lustful things. Utterly selfish things. God’s Word tells me these things are not right, even though they come naturally to me, and are sometimes accompanied with intense emotions.

There is help. But there is no “solution” for same sex attraction apart from continued repentance and prayer to God. Continued looking to Jesus for forgiveness and asking God’s Spirit for help. Help to cleanse your thoughts of sexual sin. Help to not put yourself in positions of sexual temptation. Help to align your life according to Jesus’ will and the Holy Spirit’s guiding with His Word.

Can a homosexual be a Christian? Yes. Just as a sinner can be a Christian. But no unrepentant sinner will ever enter heaven. You can’t be cleansed of the sin you clutch in your hand and refuse to let go of. If a homosexual continues to refuse to acknowledge homosexual thoughts and actions are sin, than they have chosen sin over the Savior and God and His Word have no place in their life.

“5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives” (1 John 1:5-10 NIV).

Caleb Schaller
Pastor, Redemption Lutheran
Lynnwood, WA