Homosexuality

Doctrine of Anthropology

Warning – Some Material May Be

Inappropriate For Children Under 17
Agenda
• Changing attitudes among Evangelical
• What does the Bible teach?
• How should we respond?
Changing attitudes among Evangelical
Agenda
• Changing attitudes among Evangelical
• What does the Bible teach?
• How should we respond?
Genesis 1:27; 2:18-25
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper
fit for him." 19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and
every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And
whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all
livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was
not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man,
and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the
LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then
the man said,

"This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man."
24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall
become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen
2:18-25)
Genesis 1:27; 2:18-25
REVISIONIST VIEW
• Problem was aloneness, NOT incompleteness → Eve
was created to be a companion to Adam
• The Genesis text focuses only on what Adam and Eve
have in common
• Compared to animals, Eve was ideal because she was
similar to Adam, not different
Genesis 1:27; 2:18-25
TRADITIONAL VIEW
• Eve was created as a complement (equal but opposite)
NOT just a companion.
• Because the way she was created. (Gen 2:21-22)
– Adam (adam) from dust of the ground (adamah) [v.7]
– called Woman (ishshah), taken out of Man (ish) [v.23]
• Because the meaning of "one-flesh" union (Gen 2:24, 1
Cor. 6:15–16)
• Because the procreative purposes of marriage
• Because the complementarity of the rest of creation (e.g.
heavens/earth, sun/moon, light/darkness, etc.)
• Jesus confirmed it (Mat 19:4-6, Mark 10:6-9)
Romans 1:24-27
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and

worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who
is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up
to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural
relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men
likewise gave up natural relations with women and were
consumed with passion for one another, men committing
shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due
penalty for their error. (Romans 1:24-27)
Romans 1:24-27
REVISIONIST VIEW
• "contrary to nature" = acting opposite to one’s
orientation.
• "dishonorable passions" = exploitive same sex
relationships and excessive lust
• Does not include monogamous, consensual, same-sex
oriented relationships
Romans 1:24-27
TRADITIONAL VIEW
• Natural "relations" (kresis) = state of design NOT
state of desire. "natural use" (KJV), "natural
function." (NASB)
• They were "consumed with passion for one another"
• "Contrary to nature" (para physin) = contrary to
proper function
• Lesbianism was not exploitive
• Paul’s reference to Genesis
Romans 1:24-27

Paul’s Reference to Genesis in Romans 1

Genesis 1 (LXX) Romans 1 (ESV)
"creation of the world" (Rom 1:20), "the Creator" (Rom 1:25)
God’s Likeness and Image in Humans
"man" anthrōpos (1:26) "mortal man" anthrōpos (1:23)
"image" eikōn (1:26) "images" eikōn (1:23)
"likeness" homoiōma (1:26) "resembling" homoiōma (1:23)
Dominion over the Animal Kingdom
"birds" peteinon (1:26) "birds" peteinon (1:23)
"livestock" ktēnos (1:26) "animals" tetrapous (1:23)
"creeping thing" herpeton (1:26) "creeping things" herpeton (1:23)
Male Female Differentiation and Complementarity
"male" arsēn (1:27) "men" arsenes (1:27)
"female" thelus (1:27) "women" theleiai (1:26)
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an
abomination.
(Leviticus 18:22)
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have
committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death;
their blood is upon them.
(Leviticus 20:13)
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
REVISIONIST VIEW
• Only refers to pagan temple male prostitutes.
• Abomination = impurity (eagles, lobsters) [Lev 11:9-13]
• Holiness Code does not apply to Christians
The West Wing (2000)
https://youtu.be/vg6Jrsjq7zw

https://youtu.be/vg6Jrsjq7zw
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
TRADITIONAL VIEW
• Pagan temple male prostitutes = qedeshim
• Inconsistent with context of Lev 18-20
• To‘evah refers to immorality (Pro 6:16-19) ≠ sheqetz
refers to dietary laws (eagle, lobster)
• The issue is clearly gender. Two of the same gender
are not to be involved sexually.
• Both men are held responsible (20:13)
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
DO WE FOLLOW OLD TESTAMENT LAWS?
• There is nothing in the New Testament that indicates the
moral laws of the Old Testament no longer apply to us.
• Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Mat
5:17)
• Jesus quoted Lev 19:18 as part of the Greatest
Commandments (Mar 12:29-31)
• Paul and James repeated Levitical moral laws that apply
to us. (e.g. 1 Cor 5:1 and Lev 18:7-8)
• The laws of homosexual behavior are repeated in the
New Testament.
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
WHICH OT LAWS SHOULD CHRISTIANS FOLLOW?
• Is it repeated in the NT?
• Is the law regarding food? All food has been declared
clean (Mar 7:18-19, Act 10:15)
• Is it a ceremony or related to sacrifice (Col 2:16-17,
Heb 10:1)
• Is it a civil law for the nation of Israel?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor
the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the
kingdom of God. 11 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 6:9-11)
8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and
profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10
the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars,
perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in
accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I
have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:8-11)
1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11
REVISIONIST VIEW
• Paul did NOT know of loving, committed same sex
relationships
• Arsenokoitai = sexual exploitation (pederasty,
prostitution), NOT loving, faithful relationships.
• Malakoi = the passive male partner (e.g. master-
slave), NOT relationships between equal same sex
partners.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11
TRADITIONAL VIEW
• Loving, committed same sex relationships did exist
during the 1st century
• Arsenokoitai = arsenos (man) and koiten (bed) Lev
20:13 (LXX)
• arsenos koiten (woman who bed with men) Num
31:17-18, Judg 21:11-12
• Paiderastēs vs Arsenokoites
Agenda
• Trends
• What does the Bible teach?
• How should we respond?
How Should We Respond
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to
be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil
of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show
perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were
once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy,
hated by others and hating one another. (Tit 3:1-3)

 Reflection upon our own former condition makes it

easier for us to be mild and kind toward others.
How Should We Respond
HOW YOU SAY WHAT YOU SAY IS AS IMPORTANT AS
WHAT YOU SAY.
• It’s wrong to be rude - even in the name of biblical
morality.
• Approach trumps content every time.
• You can’t win an argument on social media but you
sure can lose one.
How Should We Respond
WE MUST MODEL JESUS
• Jesus was "full of grace and truth" (Joh 1:14)
• Feeding of the 5,000 in "And they all ate and were
satisfied [full] (Mat 14:20)
• If we are full of truth but lack grace, truth get
distorted and grace gets lost
• If we are full of grace but lack truth, grace get
distorted and truth gets lost
How Should We Respond
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
• Am I focused more on how I am being treated (Matt
5:12) than how I am treating others?
• Am I committed to suffering well? (1 Pet 2:18-23)
• Am I targeting less common forms of sin while
ignoring more popular categories (e.g. divorce) of
sin?
• Am I expecting people to obey Christ who aren't
committed to following Him?
How Should We Respond
AM I HOMOPHOBIC?
• Am I responding to this homosexual sin the same
way I would respond to a heterosexual sin?
• Would you react the same if your child had a teacher
who was homosexual vs. one in an illicit heterosexual
relationship?
• What if a homosexual couple vs non-married
heterosexual couple moved in next to you?
How Should We Respond
IS CHURCH A SAFE PLACE FOR HOMOSEXUALS (OR ANY
SINNER)?
• Do they feel they can share temptations and confess sin?
If not, we may be complicit in their sin.
• Do they feel they could ask us to pray for them and hold
them accountable? (James 5:16)
• Our first response must be compassion not
condemnation.
• The church should be seen as "gay-friendly" since Jesus
was called a friend of sinners.
• Avoid LGBT jokes, even in private.
• Same-sex attractions ≠ same-sex action
How Should We Respond
AVOID COMMON STATEMENTS THAT LOSE CREDIBILITY.
• "God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve."
• "Your homosexuality is a choice."
• "Homosexual sin leads to other sexual sins."
• "If you repent, God will take your homosexual desires
away." (Pray the gay away)
• "God loves the sinner but hates the sin."
How Should We Respond
WE MUST TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE:
• With a vital awareness of our own sinfulness
• With biblical clarity
• With a deep compassion for people
ALSO
• Church is a hospital for sick people, not a job interview.
• Let’s be hard to hate because of how we treat those
whom we disagree
• The gospel isn’t the problem, the way we as gospel
bearers talk about this problem are often the problem.
Resources for Further Study
Books
• What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung
• Is God anti-gay? by Sam Allberry
• The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics by Robert A.
J. Gagnon

Free Books
• A Short Study of the Bible, Homosexuality & Culture
• 15 Affirming Arguments: And 15 Responses
• God and the Gay Christian Response to Matthew Vine
• The Bible, the Church, and Homosexuality Exposing the Gay Theology
• How Should We Respond? An Exhortation to the Church on Loving
Homosexuals
Questions?