Adam, Eve...and Steve?
Is homosexuality a sin?
This is such a heated topic. I think that it has been dealt with in a very unloving way throughout the modern era of the church. The Bible says to hate sin but not to hate sinners. If homosexuality is a sin, that does not give the church (i.e. Christians) the right to treat homosexuals (a person) with hate.
I want to first say that no one should rely on opinions but on the truth of the Bible. Lets see what the Bible says about homosexuality. The Bible talks about homosexuality in three aspects:
Directly: Uses the word homosexuality or homosexual
Semi-directly: Uses a synonym or talks about the act of homosexuality
Indirectly: Talks about heterosexual relationships as intended plan.
Directly
There are only 2 verses I could find that actually use the word homosexuality or homosexual:
The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching. (1 Timothy 1:10)
Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, (1 Corinthians 6:9)
The greek word in which homosexual and homosexuality comes from is arsenokoites and arsenokoitai. These words come from a combo of two words that mean "dominant male" and "cohabiting" or "in bed with". I would have to admit that this definition isn't conclusive. Most people consider mankind as getting more "civilized" but this is just the opposite of how mankind is going. Romans 1:30 says,
They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.
It could be that the term "homosexual" hadn't been coined yet. The act perhaps wasn't prevalent enough or thought worthy of having a term for it yet. I think we can agree that whatever the term used in the first 2 verses have a bad connotation to it.
Semi-directly
Next, lets look at occasions where the Bible talks about homosexual acts but does not use a word meaning homosexual or homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22 says,
'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
Also in Leviticus 20:13 the Bible says,
If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
This seems pretty clear that a man having sex with a man is wrong according to these two verses. Lets look at another such occurrence in Genesis 19:3-8:
But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.
At first some might say "well it is wicked because they are not married, not because it is men with men." However in verse 9 it says,
Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them.
It would seem that men having sex with men was what Lot was calling wicked, not the fact that they were unmarried. It seemed so wicked to Lot that he thought it better to give his own daughters to the mob, a pretty drastic measure.
Indirectly
Still not convinced? Lets take a look at some indirect things mention in the Bible. Lets start at the beginning in Genesis 2:18-25:
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
This is before sin ever entered into the world and into mankind. God's perfect plan was a man and a woman joined together, husband and wife. I guess this is where the cliche "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" comes from. It really is true though. God made a woman for Adam as a perfect and suitable helper.
Numerous other times the bible talks about husbands and wives, where those words refer to a man and a woman.
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her (Ephesians 5:25)
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over (1 Peter 3:1)
Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. (Colossians 3:19)
When this decree is published throughout the king's vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!"
(Esther 1:20)
The list could go on...Each time the term husband is used it refers to a man and every time the word wives is used it refers to a woman.
Since we are talking about relationships, the most important relationship is that with God. To learn more about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, check out What must I do to be saved? or CHAT with one of our friendly counselors.
Okay, lets summarize:
Directly: Term translated to homosexual a little shaky, but perhaps they didn't coin a term yet for homosexuality.
Semi-directly: The act of men having sex with men called detestable and wicked in the Bible.
Indirectly: God's perfect plan was for a man to be with a woman as husband and wife.
Did I answer this questions fully or is there some aspect I didn't cover or a question you still have? Ask a clarifying question.
