BIBLICAL APPROACH TO HOMOSEXUALITY

Atty. Lal Varghese, MTC of Dallas, Farmers Branch, Dallas

Pope John Paul II celebrated his 25th anniversary as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, which is Christianity's largest denomination. The process began to declare Mother Theresa as a Saint by the Pope. It has been a quarter century of enormous changes, and few have been more significant, for the church and mainstream Protestant denominations, than the withering of the Christian faith all over the world from its basic beliefs about marriage and procreation. The preamble of a new, unfinished constitution for the new European Union omits any mention of Christianity or even God among the cultural forces that shaped Europe, although the Pope and other Christian leaders raised vehement objections.

Europeans are moving well ahead of Americans, and more aggressively challenging traditional Christian teachings by providing civil recognition for same-sex couples. Despite stern opposition from the Vatican, the French, Belgian, Dutch and German governments have granted same-sex couples legal entitlements and protections, and Britain is considering it, too. We are seeing such trends in United States also, where legal actions are being fought against separation of Church and State, to omit the use of the word God in the pledge of allegiance, and removal of the carved monument of the ten commandments from the rotunda of Alabama Supreme Court, and such other biblical monuments to be removed from public places, and  are forced to find safe and secure places in churches, and monasteries. Legislations were passed by different states to recognize homosexual marriages and families, and most states accept the civil union between the same sex people with all privileges of married couples. Finally Episcopal Church has appointed a homosexual as its Bishop, which has created much protest and even possible split in the American Anglican Episcopal Church.

The continued tension between contemporary attitudes and traditional church teachings has forced the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion to debate the acceptability of openly gay bishops in their church. Representatives from congregations in the developing world have threatened to break the church in two if their Anglican Church authorities move to that permissive direction.  The arguments in favor and against homosexuality have caused a lot of confusion in the minds of our young generation as to the true biblical approach to this subject, and about our stand towards this issue. So let us examine what the Bible says about homosexuality and traditional concept about marriage and procreation.

God had a purpose in creating human being as revealed in Genesis 1:27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the seas and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move upon the earth”. After the great flood, God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, which also shows God’s real intention that man should unite with woman and multiply in order to replenish the earth.  The LORD said to Abram, Get out of thy country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So God intended Abraham and his kindred to multiply so that a great nation is born, to be blessed by God. God wanted man and women unite together to become families of the earth to blessed by Him.  If one thinks sensibly, it is easy to see that God created male AND female for a reason. The rationale behind God’s creation should be to populate the earth, and to rule the earth, and over every living things in earth.

Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men who came in to your house this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. So by lying with those men who came to Lot’s house the people of Sodom sinned against God. The LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. So it is clear that God does not like the wickedness of the man, and thereby destroying the city of Sodom and Gomorrah.

  Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 (Leviticus Laws), I Corinthians 6:9, Romans 1:26-27, and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in old testament - and none address loving, consenting homosexual acts as we know them today.  But those passages should be taken in its original meaning and spirit to deal with the issue of homosexuality in church – whether to have homosexual priests and bishops to lead and serve God’s chosen people, and to teach and guide them from sinful human nature. Leviticus 18:22 states the principle: "You [masculine] shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination". Leviticus 20:13 adds the penalty: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them." Even though in I Corinthians 6: 9 Paul does not refer to homosexuality directly. The original Greek word often quoted as sexual immorality, Paul used was "porneia" which means "a harlot for hire". In Corinth in the temples of Venus, the principal deity of Corinth, where Christians went to worship, a thousand public prostitutes were kept at public expense to glorify and act as surrogates for the fertility Gods. Paul in unequivocal terms contempt the practice of sexual immorality during his time.

  Romans 1:26-27 mentions homosexual acts performed by people who are clearly described as heterosexual. The men in the NT patriarchal culture exerted dominance not only over women, but over younger males as well. Such an act was regarded as an "abomination" for several reasons during that time, and is still relevant now. There are many verses in the old testament regarding this sin, but one that is very timely is that which is found in the first chapter of Romans: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

Whatever the rationale for those who supports homosexuals, the texts leave no room for much maneuvering for such people. Bible says persons committing homosexual acts are to be executed, and this is the unambiguous command of Scripture. The meaning is clear: anyone who wishes to base his or her beliefs on the witness of the Old Testament must be completely consistent and demand the death penalty for everyone who performs homosexual acts. It is unlikely that any American court will ever again condemn a homosexual to death, even though Scripture clearly commands it. Old Testament texts have to be weighed against the New Testament texts. Consequently, Paul's unambiguous condemnation of homosexual behavior in Rom. 1:26-27 must be the centerpiece of any discussion on this subject. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

In Romans 1: 26 - 32 it says: for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

 So also in Romans 12: 12 - 14 it says: the night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. In 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 10 it says: Know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 7: 2 says: Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

 Again Genesis 5: 19 - 21 says: the works of the flesh are manifest, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In Ephesians 5: 3 says but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; and verse 5 – 8 it reads as for this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. You should not be therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes in darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

 Colossians 3: 5 – 6 says mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience: 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 also says for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. 1 Peter 1: 14 – 16 reminds us “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he who has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be you holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 2: 11 -12 say “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 4: 2 – 3 asks that we no longer should live the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God,  for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.

A homosexual Episcopalian group estimates over 100 gay men and lesbians have been ordained as priests and deacons in the US Episcopal Church. Canon Gene Robinson, a homosexual in a committed relationship, was elected bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 by the American Episcopal Church, who is a member of World Council of Churches (WCC) in which Mar Thoma Church is also a member. We the Mar Thoma Christians, who claim to be descendants of St. Thomas, and who claims the eastern tradition, culture, and values should wake up and strongly protest about the trends in the Episcopal Churches and other churches in United States. Probably God might have sent us here in this land to stand against these unbiblical teachings and interpretations so that U. S may not be another Sodom. So let us teach ourselves and others that the true biblical approach is to live as God wanted us to live in His text, and not to follow the modern trends of this culture. May the God guide the universal Church in the right directions so that His name may be glorified.