This is an interesting question and one that proponents of those who are “Christian” homosexuals, and their supporters, will use. But is it in line with Scripture?
In one American television drama, a person, who was a wedding organiser, was asserting her right as a business person to refuse to serve a homosexual couple because of her Christian faith. She was told that nowhere is Jesus quoted as even mentioning the subject and yet He mentioned marriage on three occasions. She couldn’t answer this clever ploy! If we are asked the same sort of question, we need to be able to answer this correctly and with conviction!
Society has been actively promoting homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle for many years and even many mainstream churches have fallen into line with this approach, ignoring the biblical teaching on this matter, which should be the foundation for their teachings. When this happens, secular and religious views combine, thus giving this biblically condemned behaviour an approval which cannot be sustained or upheld by the Word of God.
It would seem that the biblical injunctions on this issue are rarely reviewed, and when they are, they are usually dismissed by some clever arguments that seem, on the face of it, to allow such sinful behaviour. Isaiah sums up such behaviour and “understanding” as: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
In the Old Testament, we read that homosexuality is condemned (please see Genesis 18:16-33; 19:1-29; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17; 1 Kings 14:24; 1 Kings 15:12; 1 Kings 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7). This is also true in the New Testament (Romans 1:26-27, 32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Revelation 21:8). For a full explanation, please see our Q&A on the issue of homosexuality in the Bible.
Now back to the question asked which was “Christ Himself didn’t condemn homosexuality, is the practice acceptable for a Christian?” The assumption here is that if Jesus did not specifically denounce the lifestyle, it can be interpreted to mean that He in fact approved of it.
There are many issues that the Bible doesn’t mention that Jesus Christ specifically commented on. There is no mention that Jesus commented on abortion but we know that this is sinful (For further information, please read our free booklet, “Are You already Born Again?”.) Christ didn’t specifically comment on racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, drug abuse, terrorism, bestiality, polygamy, paedophilia, Sunday worship, Christmas or Easter celebrations or a range of other issues, but does this mean that these are neither important nor covered by the Bible itself in other places?
In our Statements of Beliefs, under the heading “The Holy Bible,” we state:
“Our doctrines and practices are based upon a literal understanding of the teachings revealed in the entire Bible. We believe that the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation of His Will to man, inspired in thought and word, and infallible in the original writings; that said Scriptures are the supreme and final authority in faith and life, the source of Truth and the foundation of all knowledge.”
We do not “pick and mix” selecting parts of the Bible that we feel comfortable with and ignore those passages that we may not agree with or feel that they are not applicable today.
In John 16:12-13 we read that Jesus said: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when [it], the Spirit of truth, has come, [it] will guide you into all truth; for [it] will not speak on [its] own authority, but whatever [it] hears [it] will speak; and [it] will tell you things to come.”
First of all, please note that we have substituted the word “it” for “He” as the use of the term is strictly a grammatical issue, and the Holy Spirit is the power of God, both of the Father and of the Son, given by God to a truly repentant person at the time of baptism (See our Statement of Beliefs under the heading “The Holy Spirit of God”, as well as our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?” ). For further insight into this matter, please watch Norbert Link’s recent video-recorded sermon, “The Mystery of the Holy Spirit.”
Secondly, Jesus said that then was not the time to tell them many things they needed to know, and in John 14:26 we read: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, [which] the Father will send in My name, [it] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you,” which is obviously how the Bible was written with the Holy Spirit, the mind of God, guiding that which was written.
We read in John 21:25: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” To expect that everything that Jesus spoke about and did is answered by this verse, is obviously not correct.
There are Scriptures that clearly tell us that the whole of God’s Word is applicable. In Deuteronomy 8:3 we read: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.”
Psalm 119:160 reads: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
Proverbs 30:5 reads: “Every word of God is pure….”
Matthew 4:4 reads: “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Please also see Luke 4:4)
Romans 15:4 reads: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
1 Corinthians 10:11 reads: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”
But, is it even true that the Bible does not record that Jesus spoke about homosexuality? Consider the following: In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus spoke about marriage: “And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.’”
Here Jesus was endorsing marriage but he condemned sexual activity outside the confines of the marital union. When asked by the rich young ruler which commandments to keep, Jesus said: “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness’…” (Matthew 19:18). Jesus here condemned adultery and He also condemned fornication (please see Matthew 15:19).
We see that Jesus only approved of sexual intercourse for those who were married and condemned such sexual activity outside the confines of marriage [a union between a man and a woman], which would include homosexuality and all other wrong arrangements. The only conclusion that we can arrive at is marriage between a man and woman is the only approved and authorised estate that God allows.
We ought to consider further that “the WORD”–the Logos or Spokesman, the God of the Old Testament–became Jesus Christ in the flesh. Therefore, He inspired all the Old and New Testament passages which we quoted above regarding homosexuality; and it was He who stated in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Jesus Christ was and is the Word of God in Person (compare John 1:1; Revelation 19:13); and the entire Bible is the Word of God in writing. The Scriptures are clear on what, sexually, is right and wrong. It is true that in Old Testament times, some practiced polygamy, but this was never in accordance with the Will of God; compare our Q&A on that issue.
We conclude that with all of this information, the Scriptures were inspired by God through the Holy Spirit, and homosexuality is roundly condemned. Jesus Christ, by approving the estate of marriage only, backed up the writings of the Old Testament and this included the condemnation of homosexuality as we have seen.
The spiritual pyrotechnics and mental gymnastics that the mind of man comes up with can confuse and disorientate Christians if they are not close to God and fully understand His Way of Life. We must not let such clever arguments mislead us as we know that Satan is behind all of the confusion that abounds in the world. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:33: “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints,” showing the exact opposite approach to that of our adversary.
As a final note, we would make the point that reformed or non-practicing homosexuals can still be true Christians. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that some Church members in the early Corinthian Church had been homosexual prior to their conversion, but had repented of that wrong lifestyle. The same is true for others who had engaged in wrong conduct, including, but not limited to, fornication, adultery, idolatry, theft, covetousness, drunkenness, revelry and extortion. There is hope for all of those who are prepared to turn from their wrong ways and follow the true way of God.
Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)
