Gays & Jesus
Written by Christian Rutherford
I first would like to note that my understanding on this issue is something that has developed over 10 years of studying Scripture, theology, getting to truly know the LGBT community, wrestling with God, and ultimately being led by the Holy Spirit to this conclusion. I was once extremely conservative on this issue and did not arrive here simply because I wanted to.
When approaching the New Testament writings, we must immerse ourselves into the story line and understand the cultural context in order to find the Truth and apply it into our world that is vastly different from the world this text was written in.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is a famous clobber passage used against the LGBT community. But did you read that list? Go and read it again but this time remove the reference to homosexuality and compare it to your own life. I can guarantee you’ve done most if not all of these things that are wrong (I know I have) and therefore are undeserving of inheriting the Kingdom of God. But that’s not Paul’s point. His point is made in verse 11 when he says, “And such were some of you. 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.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
All of us have been washed, justified, and sanctified through Christ on the cross the moment that he said “it is finished” (John 19:30). We are free from condemnation and the Law (Romans 8:1, Galatians 5:1).
What’s more is the translation of the word “homosexuality” in this verse is a mis-translation that has lead to this misunderstanding and the mishandling of the issue. In the English Standard Version (a popular Bible translation) and other translations that translate the word “homosexuality” here, take two Greek words with two different meanings and combine them together to make “homosexuality.” In Greek, Aresenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται) and Malakia (μαλακία) are the two words that are used to make the modern mis-translation of homosexuality. Aresenokoitai is better translated as a dominating sexual abuser, pervert, or pedophile. Basically a rapist or someone who sexually assaulted another person or child. Malakia is often translated as person or child. Malakia is often translated as effeminate which means a soft person, not a feminine person. Looking at other Greek writings Malakia is often used to say someone is soft meaning that they are easily wavered and not strong in t heir faith, decisions, etc. Therefore, when we look at the original Greek, we can easily conclude that this verse does not talk about a loving, monogamous, same-sex marriage as we understand them today.
When it is argued that God designed marriage solely between a man and a woman and that homsexuality is sexual immorality, there are a few assumptions being made:
That homosexuality is sexual immorality when we can’t prove that with Scripture;
God’s Design;
Which plays into God’s design, our understanding of marriage.
In the creation account we do find that God creates a male and a female and tasks them with populating the earth. However, we do not find in Scripture a mandate for sexual activity to only be for creation purposes nor do we find the prohibition of same gender relationships. While God certainly designed the male and female reproductive systems to work together for the creation of life, that does not mean that is what they are required to be used for. That’s like saying every time I am intimate with my wife it should only be for the purpose of bearing a child. God created sexual intimacy to be pleasurable and desirable for far more than just child bearing.
Our modern understanding of marriage is incomprehensible for the writers of the Bible because they did not understand marriage the way that we do today. Marriage was not something that two parties entered into willingly out of love for one another. Marriage was something that was appointed. A young woman, really a young girl, was traded/sold off to be given in marriage to someone. Falling “in love” and entering into a monogamous and committed relationship as we see it today was not a thing. Love may have eventually happened but it was not the norm. Culturally, it was OK for the men to have sex with whomever they pleased and to even take on multiple wives and even concubines (side chicks). “Homosexual sex” was seen as OK in the cultures that Paul was writing to as long as you were the penetrator you were still seen as a straight male. This type of sex was a power move. Upper class male citizens would have sex with lower class males (usually boys) to show power and status. Army’s would have their way with their captive enemy’s as a means of demeaning them and celebrating a victory.
These are the sexually immoral things that Paul is talking about. He wouldn’t have had the slightest clue in his culture of what a loving and monogamous same-sex relationship looked like.
So here is the bottom line, the Church needs to own up to the mistreatment of LGBT people and begin standing up for them, supporting them, accepting them, and loving them for who they are. What it boils down to , for each of us, is the two commandments that Jesus calls us to live under. We are to love God and love people. That’s the only message we need to be preaching. The thing about preaching is we must back it up with action, otherwise it’s worthless.
