- Genesis 13:1 tells us that Abram (he was not yet renamed Abraham) and his family, including his nephew Lot, left Egypt and went into the Ne'gev. As time passed both men became very successful. In time, Abram's servants and Lot's servants began having arguments over the ownership of their respective master's cattle (13:7). In order to resolve this growing conflict, the two men separated (13:5-13). Lot chose the Jordan Valley while Abram and his company settled in the Land of Canaan.
- The description of the people of the Jordan Valley as "wicked," ra' in Hebrew, tells us nothing more than our English equivalent. The word translated as "sinners" is chatta' and more accurately translated as "criminals." In either case, these were bad people whose towns were populated by outlaws and gangsters.
- Thus far nothing in the text suggests the presence of homosexuality. People who use this account as a proof-text to condemn the homosexual orientation usually refer to "the men of Sodom" as if it were the males who were evil. One must ask however, what about the females of the towns? No one ever mentions them. Please note for now that it was the 'enowsh or "mortals" of Sodom who were criminals or sinners; gender is not specified but we can correctly imagine a place of equal opportunity sin. In other words, the abominable actions of the people of the towns, not just the men but the women also, are being discussed. Enowsh includes men, women and even children. It is only logical then to try and understand what it was about these people was so sinful and how they came to be this way. This will be made clear shortly.
- So it was among these wicked outlaws that Lot "pitched his tent." He did so because the land was fertile "like the Garden of Eden" before the cities of the plain were destroyed. Shortly after Lot and Abram separated, God instituted the Abrahamic Covenant (by which Jews throughout history have claimed their rightful possession of the Jewish homeland known as Palestine or Israel). After this, Abram moved his company to the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. (13:10).
- Some indefinite time later, a bitter war broke out in the plains (14:1-). This was a long and bloody series of attacks and counterattacks. When it was over, Sodom had been overthrown and Lot, among others, was taken prisoner. One of Lot's servants managed to escape however and fled to Abram seeking military aid.
- Abram was outraged by the report and quickly gathered an army and went to Lot's rescue. Note what happened next!
- As Abram was approaching Sodom after winning the war, Sodom's king came out to meet him. This was an act of showing respect and gratitude for the aid. It was the least he could have done. This is not surprising, but along with the king went Melchizedek, the high priest of God (El Elyon). I must resist the urge to go into a study of Melchizedek here, but suffice it to say that he is one of the most mysterious and spiritually powerful figures in the Bible (consider Ps. 110:4; Heb 5:5,6; Heb 6:20; Heb 7:23,24 etc). What is of note here, is that he came out of Sodom along with the king to greet the hero. Now please consider this: If Sodom was such an evil place at this point, its hard to understand why this great personage would have gone there from (Jeru)salem to welcome Abram and his victorious troops. It would seem obvious that Melchizedek did not consider Sodom such a horrid den of iniquity. Doesn't prove anything, but it is an interesting question. I think we can infer from this that Sodom and the other towns of the plains were not, at this point, evil places.
- Indeed, the holy master Melchizedek says at Genesis 14:20 that it was God who delivered the enemies into Abram's hands.
- See this? God destroyed the enemies of Sodom and even restored everything they had lost! Where in Holy Scripture do we find God defending people who are deemed an "abomination"? God not only defeated Sodom's enemies, through Abram and his armies, and restored what they had lost, but even sent High Priest Melchizedek to sanctify the event! Whatever it was that turned the folks of Sodom into people so evil that God Himself felt the need to personally intervene and destroy them is not yet clear as we make our through the text. That they were not such criminals prior to this event is however certain, and so we look to later events for the source of their evil ways.
- After his victory, Abram returned home and God promised to give him children (15:1-6). In context it is clear that one of the reasons why God gave this blessing to Abram (which resulted in the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam), was because of his willingness to fight the enemies of Sodom. At 15:1 God specifically says "fear not... I am thy shield and thy exceedingly great reward."
- Chapters 15-17 deals with the births of Isaac and Ishmael and does not directly concern our current interests, so I'll leave these important chapters for another study.
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - Beginning with 18:1 the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah begins. Abram was still living in Hebron (by the great oaks of Mamre), when the "Lord" (YHVH) appeared to him. Again, I will resist the urge to delve into how it was that "the Lord" (singular) appeared and Abram saw "three men" (difficult is the work of a biblical expositor!). The important point for our current purposes is what happened next.
- After welcoming the "men" and acknowledging his unworthiness for their visit, Abram gives them water to drink, offers to wash their feet and invites the mysteriously holy guests to rest under his shade tree (18:4). Abram himself then rushes off to get them a bite to eat (18:5, 6). Now, a person in Abram's position had plenty of servants, but he showed his respect to these important visitors by personally getting them some food; he even "rushed" to do so. He gave Sarah his wife detailed instructions on preparing the best possible cakes for their guests. He next "ran" into the herds and took the best calf he could find and had it killed and dressed (18:7,8). When all was ready, he took some butter and milk and served the calf to his honored guests. As a humble servant, this powerful man stood by them as they ate in case they should want something more (18:8). It was partially a result of this hospitality that they informed Abram that Sarah his wife would have a child even though she was very old and believed to be incapable of it conceiving. This promise of course led to the births of Ishmael (by Sara's maid Hagar) and Issac (by Sara), both fathered by Abram, and gave rise to the three great religions (Judaism through Sara and later Moses, Christianity through Issac and later Jesus, and Islam through Hagar and later Muhammad).
- Later in the day, the "angels" revealed their mission of destroying the towns of the valley, including Sodom and Gomorrah, to Abram saying it would happen "because their sin is very grievous." The word translated here as "sin" is chatta'ah and simply means "offense." Chatta'ah refers to anything which is offensive. Again, no reference to homosexuality is even implied in this word. There is however the first hint of why the cities were destroyed and the events that led to their abominable ways.
- At 18:19 the "Lord" says:
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"For I know him [Abraham], that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
- The word translated as "justice" is tsedaqah and it means more specifically "righteousness." This righteousness is more concerned with inner goodness than outer behavior, though of course they are two sides of the same coin, righteousness being recognized through external conduct. The "Lord" is saying that unlike the people of the towns in the valley, Abraham is a righteous person who acts from that quality. This is a trait the Holy One approves of.
- Note that the word translated as "judgment" ( mishpat -- Scofield #4941 --) however does refer to outward deeds and 38 times specifically to manners and customs. What does this tell us? A lot! What did Father Abraham do that demonstrated to the "men" or "angels" that he was a righteous person who would do justice? This question is the key to understanding what happened next!
The Law of Hospitality or Good Manners Exodus 22:
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21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.Deuteronomy 10:
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18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.- There are scores of such commands. I've taken two at random. In the first quote above, note the phrase: "I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword..." Now consider the amount of sacred writ devoted to showing how Abram offered hospitality to his divine guests. God heard the cries of Sodom's victims and responded accordingly. These victims were not locals of the city however, but strangers. The sins of Sodom were not activities carried out among themselves such as homosexuality but sins done against "strangers." Which strangers? Let's continue with the story.
Entering Sodom - After Abraham's unsuccessful attempt at negotiating an amnesty for the people of the cities, two of the three "men" go on down into the city where they met Lot.
- The two remaining "angels" arrived in Sodom about sunset. Scripture says that Lot "sat in the gate" as they entered. This doesn't mean he was hanging out around some literal gate, but that he had become a person of some importance in the town (compare Dt. 21:19-21). Lot's friendship with Abraham had saved the town and everyone knew that Lot was a very wealthy and powerful individual. He had become at the very least a city elder, perhaps something more.
- Recall how Abraham greeted the "men" when they arrived at his home. Now consider Lot's attitude. When Lot first saw the "strangers" he also offered his respects to them by bowing low before them and welcoming them to his city. This was the proper form of showing respect and was commanded by the God of Abraham and Lot as we saw in the above cited verses (i.e. Exodus 22 and Deuteronomy 10).
- As an elder of the city, Lot would be responsible for offering the noble visitors an official welcome. Under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed them in the name of the city, washed their feet, fed them, introduced them to the leading citizens and politicians etc. He did not do this however. Rather, Lot immediately warned them of the peril of their situation and urged them to enter his own home, stay the night, and leave early the next morning, presumably before anyone caught wind of their presence. Why should they "...rise up early, and go on [their] ways"? Because from the instant Lot saw them, he knew there would be trouble, but if he could quickly get them indoors and then rush them out of Sodom by daybreak, maybe no one would discover their presence. Lot would thus have performed his duty as an elder of the city under the laws of God. Now we are beginning to understand the underlying sin of the cities of the plains!
The Plot Thickens! - Little does Lot know however that trouble has only just begun! He had no idea at this point of the "angel's" mission to bring judgment upon the wicked city. He does know however that because of this wickedness the two "men" will not be safe until they are far away from Sodom!
- The "angels" reject his proposal, explaining that they would prefer to sleep in the streets! Now, doesn't this sound a bit odd? Not when you consider why they had come. Lot's city had broken the Hebrew laws of hospitality:
- Deuteronomy 23:7:
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"Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land
Deuteronomy 24:17:
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"Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge."
II Chronicles 6:
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32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;
33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.- This biblically required custom, this law of hospitality, was not observed in Sodom! The inhabitants of the Jordan Valley in these days utterly violated the judgment or Mishpat of God. By so doing they slandered God's reputation. The penalty for such offenses was death and Sodom and Gomorrah paid this sin dearly (Exodus 22:21-24).
- Lot insisted that the two "men" spend the night in his house. As an elder of the city and a righteous man it may be safely assumed that he knew the hospitality laws of God and feared that Sodom might be judged and punished for the way its people treated their guests with foolish secrecy and paranoid isolationism. The two strangers reluctantly agreed, and went into his house where they were fed and shown proper courtesies according to custom. But again, this honor should have been shown by the entire city, not just one of its elders in the secrecy of his own home.
- Before they were ready for sleep the people of Sodom surrounded Lot's house.
Why is this important? - As there is no indication that it was only the men of the city out side the house, it seems quite likely that the mob would have included many of the town's women as well. Surely these women would not have supported their husband's sexual frenzy (if indeed that is what this was), be it homo or hetero sexual. Also, if the women of Sodom were also demanding to "know these men" sexually we would have to assume that the so-called sin of Sodom was bisexuality or perhaps sexual hedonism rather than homosexuality (an idea I am NOT suggesting!). That it was not only the men who surrounded the house is said directly in this verse, "...both old and young, all the people from every quarter." Some people argue that the offenders were from a homosexual district or ghetto and not necessarily representative of the entire populous. Were this the case, then the strangers could surely have found more than the required ten righteous persons which, they promised Abraham, would have caused them to spare the city (18:23-33). And besides, this verse says specifically that they were a broad cross section of the populous.
- So then, what was this angry mob shouting? Did they yell, "You've got a couple of hot studs in there, let us join your party?" No, they cried out: "Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them." They were asking to interrogate the strangers that Lot had sought to hide from them.
- The single phrase "that we may know them" is were the entire argument is based. The word translated "to know" is yada. Its primary meaning is "to ascertain some information," just as we use it today. There is a very rare usage of the word where it refers to "knowing someone in the Biblical sense" as the saying goes, but of the approximately 953 times this word is used in the Bible, less that a half dozen uses refers to sexual congress. In virtually every instance it simply means "to know something." As there is no evidence that it means anything else here, there is no justification for reading anything else into this account.
- We discussed the war that had recently decimated Sodom above (chapter 14 of Genesis). Taken in its literal biblical context, we see here that two strangers arrived in war scarred Sodom under the cover of night. Lot, a person who was a town elder but who himself was not a native of Sodom, hurried them into his house attempting to conceal their presence from the local authorities. Given the paranoid nature of locals following such a war, the people of Sodom were understandably concerned about who these men might be. Were they spies? They didn't know. When the context is considered, it makes far more sense to take the word yada in its normal and almost universal application. They wanted to know who these two men were and whether or not the posed a threat to their town.
- Someone had obviously seen Lot sneaking the strangers into his house, reported it to the authorities, and the people of the town, suspecting the worst, demanded to question the strangers: "to know them." Lot, knowing the townfolk, knew that the strangers would not receive a fair hearing and so sought to rescue them from certain death. This was a righteous thing for Lot to do, one that was in keeping with what we know about him as a person. This literal interpretation of the story makes far more contextual sense than assuming, with no scriptural support, that the entire Jordan Valley had been overrun by homosexual rapists who, men, women and children, could not bear the thought of missing the opportunity to rape these two men who had taken shelter of the town elder! It is also what the vast majority of Church authorities throughout the ages have taught.
- This also makes the most sense when considering that Lot, the moment he first saw the strangers, executed a plan to save their lives. In such an air of paranoia there would be no hope of the strangers convincing the city folk of their innocence. Lot had doubtless seen other visitors to Sodom in this situation before and determined to rescue the "men." Their questioning would be comparable to a modern day Jewish pilot showing up unannounced in Mecca! Hence, due to his innate sense of justice, Lot sought to conceal their presence, thus making himself suspect.
- Lot next seeks to bribe the citizens for their freedom. He offers his own daughters in exchange for the safety of the strangers. If this mob had gathered out of a 'male homosexual frenzy' this would have been stupid! Why would sexually crazed gay men want to have sex with two women they already knew when a pair of such handsome studs were there? The offer of Lot's daughters itself tells us that this story has nothing to do with homosexuality. It does, however, have interesting reflection elsewhere in scripture. See the account at Judges 19:17-30
- Judges 19:17-30 describes an oddly similar account. Here a stranger arrives in need of help, but the law of hospitality is again broken. An old man invites the stranger into his home (Judges 19:20). The kindly man offers him food, fodder for his animals, washes his feet and so on. In other words, he observes the laws of hospitality.
- As the two men sat speaking with one another, drinking and having a nice time, the people of the town came and began beating on the door and shouting: "Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him."
- As in the Sodom account, the good householder goes out to the crowd and beseeches them: "Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly." But the town folk would not accept it. So the house holder says: "Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing."
- There is a vital point to be made here. Note that it says, "...and humble ye them ..."
- This matter of "humbling" is essential to understanding both these passages. Even if one insists on translating "to know" as to have sex with, still there is no indication of homosexuality. It was common practice in ancient times, and still is in jails and prisons worldwide, to anally rape someone in order to establish dominance. It is indeed possible that this would be part or all of the punishment inflicted on someone suspected of spying. If this is the case here, and I see no indication that it is, then it is still not about sex but about power and dominance, as in the case of all rapes. But again, nothing in the context of the Genesis account even suggests what the mob proposed to do to the strangers. It is certain however that they did not intend to engage in mutually consensual sex!
Unlike the Sodom account, in this case, while the people of the town again refuse to accept the trade, they took the concubine and brutally raped her. When the householder and his guest awoke the next morning they opened the door to find the poor woman badly abused, bleeding, on her hands and knees on the porch.
- The traveler took the unfortunate woman back to his home and:
Judges 19:29:
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"...when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her remains into all the coasts of Israel."
- Now, to my knowledge no one has ever suggested that these attackers were homosexuals. Are we to therefore understand that God condemns heterosexuality because a group of straight men did this almost identical crime? Of course not! Nor does the Sodom account imply anything about homosexuals, even if there were some present!
- How could such horrible crimes happen? In both instances it was because of the fear which the people of these cities lived with due to the brutal nature of war and the harsh realities of their daily lives. In Sodom it appears this paranoia had gotten so far out of hand that God decided to intervene. Another difference in the Sodom account is that the cities and towns of the Jordan Valley had be the recipients of divine protection and blessings. When they therefore gave in to their paranoia and began abusing those in need of their help, their crimes were all the more abhorrent. Consider Jesus' parable of the king that forgave his servant's debt (Matt 18:21-30). Sodom had been greatly blessed by God's servant Abram, but failed to bless others in need. In Sodom anyone could be a spy and so no one was trusted, especially strangers. As scripture teaches, its easy to love those who love us, but loving people we don't know, showing kindness to "angels unawares" is one of the marks of true spirituality. This quality was utterly lacking in Sodom.
- Using this account to further our understanding of the sin of Sodom, it is obvious that in both cases the people in question failed to demonstrate godly compassion and to show hospitality to those in need. They wanted to harshly interrogate the "others" rather than give aid and comfort. This interrogation process, the householder in both accounts believed, would be the death or at least torture of their guests. As godly people they could not accept this.
Back to Sodom - As explained above, Genesis 19 tells us that the people of Sodom distrusted Lot's loyalty. They said: "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door."
- "...now we will deal worse with thee..." We now suspect you of being a spy also and will give you the same punishment, and then some! If the sin here is understood as homosexuality, what does this verse even mean? No, the clear meaning is that the sin of Sodom was their habitual violation of the hospitality laws of God.
- The "angels" then pulled Lot back into the relative safety of the house and explained their mission and their willingness to spare Lot and his family. Understanding this passage to be referring to homosexuality simply makes no sense in context.
This Isn't What My Pastor Says! - Too bad, then your pastor is mistaken! We have this interpretation from no less an authority than Jesus of Nazareth himself. As Jesus was explaining to his disciples how they were to live as they preached the Gospel throughout Israel, we read the following:
- Matthew 10:
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11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.- According to both the context of the Torah and to Jesus himself, Sodom and Gomorrah failed to offer hospitality to strangers to an extreme degree. So great was their offense that they were used as examples of how not to treat strangers. Their hard-hearted paranoia was in clear violation of the laws of hospitality and for this they were destroyed.
Exodus 22:
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21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.- This was precisely the penalty paid by the cities of the plains of the Jordan Valley. God's wrath waxed hot and they were utterly destroyed.
The Prophet Isaiah sheds even more light on the sin of Sodom:
Isaiah 1:
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9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
[note: Had God not left a remnant the Israelites would have become homosexuals?]
10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
[note: The sin of Sodom was failure to show compassion to those who needed it, including strangers, orphans and widows.]- And again, we read at:
- Ezekiel:16:49:
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"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
- Could it possibly any clearer? "This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom..." Moses says it, Isaiah says it, Jesus says it... but seemingly some people are so filled with prejudice that they don't care. If they can twist such verses to their malicious intents that's good enough for them!
This Has Been Done Before! Genesis 4:15:
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"And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
- Not so many years ago this verse was widely interpreted by many Caucasian Christians as "proof" that the skin tones of Africans was the 'mark of Cain'. As a child I well remember our Missionary Baptist preacher teaching this from his pulpit. Based upon this faulty interpretation such Christians (including the Southern Baptist Convention) justified slavery and the denial of civil rights to African Americans. When this verse was interpreted in conjunction with verses like I Corinthians 7:21-24 it was firmly believed that God blessed the institution of slavery. In view of their interpretation of Genesis 4:11-15, the African race seemed like the ideal people to enslave. Indeed, among such people being a slave owner was often deemed to a righteous act, a visible symbol of God's blessings!
- This misinterpretation of Scripture based on social prejudice and greed is what gave birth to the Southern Baptist Convention, the second largest religious body in the United States!
I Corinthians 7:21-24:-
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.- Is this what these verses mean? Of course not! One would be hard pressed to find any Christian who still supports slavery or believes the Bible does (at least one hopes!), but for hundreds of years this was viewed as the correct scriptural understanding by a large segment of the Christian Church. To have denied the Scriptural basis of slavery would have been considered liberal bias. It is for this reason, though this is not the best place to go into it, that the literalistic interpretation of Scripture must be tempered by the overall flow of the Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit (compare Acts 10:9-21).
And again:
I Timothy 2:
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11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.- Are modern Christian women really supposed to view themselves as subordinate to men? Is it really sinful for women to hold positions of authority over men? To be pastors and teachers? Does any Christian literally accept the Genesis 3:16 statement that the only reason childbirth is painful is because of the "Fall" and/or this verse which promises women who submit to their husband's authority will have pain free deliveries?
- Friend, it just doesn't happen!
- How many Christians believe that women can not be ministers? Several still do! That one is on its way out but still has a ways to go. But wait! Notice that according to scriptures like these, women are not even allowed to speak in church, let alone preach! Before casting stones ask yourself whether your church requires women to maintain total silence in the church! I seriously doubt it does! Often women like Beverley Lahey of Concerned Women for America are among the most vocal in condemning gays and lesbians, and yet they "shamelessly" violate verses like I Timothy 2:12-15 regularly! To people like Beverley Lahey I say in love: What Jesus did condemn, and in the strongest of terms, was religious hypocrisy! Don't condemn other people for not obeying your interpretation of a handful of verses when you do not obey far clearer commands! That is called hypocrisy.
Or how about this one?
Mark 10:11:
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And he [Jesus] saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
- Well yeah, but that doesn't mean... hmm?
- According to this very clear scripture over half of all Christians are living in an adulterous relationships with their wives! Welcome to the club! How does it feel to be shown from the Bible that your so-called marriage is illegitimate and that your children are bastards!
- "Yeah, but that's different...."
- I've heard remarriage justified by using Matt. 5:32, however this verse merely says that the only justifiable reason to divorce is adultery. It doesn't discuss remarriage. Where Jesus does discuss it, he says, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her" (Mark 10:11). That's it. For the cause of adultery one is allowed to divorce, but not to remarry.
- Now, I'm not judging my adulterous sisters and brothers here, but talk about twisting Scripture and hypocrisy! A generation ago this was the almost universal understanding among Christians. "Divorcees" were considered fallen Christians and generally avoided by the more devout. Now that most Christians have been divorced and remarried at least once, the biblical teachings are being re-interpreted!
- I've had Christians respond to this point by saying that they knew I was right, that the Bible does condemn remarriage, but that they and their second (third, fourth...) spouse had prayed and repented of the sin so it was alright! By this logic, a gay couple can marry, repent, and stay together as a legitimate couple right?
- To this blatant hypocrisy Jesus cries out loud and clear: "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5).
- "Well, yeah, but that's different...."
- Of course it is, this time its you!
- The description of the people of the Jordan Valley as "wicked," ra' in Hebrew, tells us nothing more than our English equivalent. The word translated as "sinners" is chatta' and more accurately translated as "criminals." In either case, these were bad people whose towns were populated by outlaws and gangsters.
- In love I say to you,
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Why beholdest thou the mote that is NOT in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that IS in thine own eye?
- Christian friend, when you tell lesbians and gay men that they are an abomination to God, when you tell them that they are destined for eternal damnation due to what is an integral part of their basic natures, as innately a part of who they are as your own heterosexuality is of who you are, you are placing a huge stumbling block in their path and pushing precious souls farther farther away from the One who said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
- Some gay and lesbian Christians know the Bible well. They know that such accusations are unscriptural lies out of the pits of Hell and they reject them. However most gays, Christian or not, as most heterosexuals, Christians or not, do not know the Bible very well at all. They have never discovered the depths of its loving assurances, the profound nature of its soul refreshing teachings. What they know is that "everybody says God hates me, so forget God! If I'm going to Hell anyway I might as well enjoy my time here!"
- Dear Christian sister or brother, I know this is not what you intend to do. The vast majority of Christians who believe this lie do so in all sincerity not knowing the Bible, but merely taking the word of others. They don't know any lesbians or gay men, or at least don't know that they do, and their understandings come from news clips of leather clad men dancing down San Francisco's Market street during the Gay Pride parades, from the hype used by hate groups like Concerned Women for America, the Christian Coalition, the American Family Association, GodHatesFags.com and so on to raise millions of dollars on the backs of the oppressed. Again, nothing new with this! Most Christians don't know that the largest gay organization on earth is the Christian denomination the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. They don't realize that there are hundreds of mainly LGBT churches and ministries working tirelessly to reach this battered community with God's love and that hurtful words make it ever more difficult for these people to come to Jesus. They don't know that the vast majority of lesbians and gay men hold down regular jobs where they pay, on average, higher taxes than anyone else due the rejection of GLBT marriages and family units. Most don't understand that it is a contradiction to criticize gays and lesbians for being promiscuous, and then block them from the important legal protections of marriage. Most people don't know that even a couple who have been together for many many years, and there are many more of these than most would expect, when illness strikes are often told that the most important person in their life can not enter their hospital rooms as they are not "next of kin" while blood relatives who have rejected them since they "came out" walk freely in and out, making life and death medical decisions.
- Most people don't seem to understand that by far the vast majority of child molesters and pedophiles are heterosexual males. They don't know what its like to be stared at, ridiculed, and at times beaten severely or even to death because of a good bye kiss at an airport, a simple holding of the hands at a theater. Most people just don't know that one can not be "converted" to homosexuality. Sure, one could be seduced into an act, if the proclivity is already there, but being gay in the straight world is hard work! Gays must constantly come out to people unless they are content to remain in the closet. They must always keep in mind that they are second class citizens due to who they are as individuals. At the office, when co-workers talk about their families, vacations, etc. lesbians and gays often must be careful to remain silent or speak in gender neutral terms lest they be discovered and hence fired, excluded or worse.
- My Christian friend, I urge you to seek God in this matter. God does not condemn gays and lesbians and as Christians we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. If you insist on maintaining your unbiblical prejudice against this community, at least turn down the hateful rhetoric!
- Matthew 23:
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23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?- 1 John 4:
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7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. - Some gay and lesbian Christians know the Bible well. They know that such accusations are unscriptural lies out of the pits of Hell and they reject them. However most gays, Christian or not, as most heterosexuals, Christians or not, do not know the Bible very well at all. They have never discovered the depths of its loving assurances, the profound nature of its soul refreshing teachings. What they know is that "everybody says God hates me, so forget God! If I'm going to Hell anyway I might as well enjoy my time here!"
Its time we stop using the Bible as a weapon of hate! 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Jude 7 and 8:
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"Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vegence of eternal fire.
- The word translated as "fornication" here is ekporneuo, which comes from the root,
ex or ek referring to the place from whence a thing comes, i.e. the motivation for the act; and porneuo which refers to any type of unlawful lust, sexual or otherwise.
- Not all lust is sexual of course. People lust for good food, for more money, etc. The word is also often used in scripture for the act of idolatry, the lustful passions invoked in Pagan rites (as Strong's Greek Dictionary - entry 4203 - confirms). This would include the lusts that comes from mistrust and the refusal to show hospitality based thereon, as was the case in Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Moreover, the Exegeses Ready Research Bible, a very conservative source, translates the word as "whoring" and explains that the term includes the concept of physical or spiritual infidelity (Lexicon).
- The Hebrews were strictly required by the Law of Moses (the Torah) to show hospitality to strangers. Failure to do so would be spiritual and legal infidelity to God's Law, habitually failing to do so would in fact be spiritual whoring since throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the command is that the Hebrews are not to "follow the ways of the nations." Their security and indeed very existence was to be due solely to the divine protection of God. They were to live by faith and not by sight.
- The refusal of the people of Sodom to show the biblically mandated hospitality to the visiting "strangers" arose from - "ek" - their lustful fear of strangers. This word, "ekporneuo" only occurs in the Bible in this single verse. Understanding the word as I have shared here is fully in harmony with the account in Genesis. The people of the cities of the Jordan Plains had been recently involved in a bitter war and had even been enslaved by the neighboring warrior tribes. Paranoia was thus understandable from a human point of view, their lustfully hateful reaction to the "men" who came to them by night was not arising from a spiritual perspective based on trusting God. It demonstrated a lack of faith in God and was a violation of the hospitality codes.
- That this understanding is correct is supported by Jesus of Nazareth, who clearly said the cities were destroyed due to their inhospitably to strangers:
Mark 6:11:
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"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city."
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"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city"- Scripture tells us that had the Hebrews not historically found refuge in times of trouble they would have been wiped out, "like Sodom and Gomorrah" were. Are we to understand from this that the Jews would all have become homosexuals? Obviously not. The meaning is clear. Had they received the same inhospitable treatment manifested by the peoples of the Jordan Plains, the Hebrews could not have survived. Such treatment therefore was reprehensible, as confirmed by our Master Jesus.
- God chastised Israel, comparing them to Sodom. Why? Because of their sexual sins? No! Because of their hypocritical religious piety and their failure to observe the more important things, love, compassion, the showing of hospitality to strangers
Isaiah 1:10-27:
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9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.- Deuteronomy 29:25 says the cities were destroyed because they failed to honor the covenant they had made when leaving Egypt. The laws of hospitality were an important part of these codes - Compare Genesis 15:13, with "Thou shalt not vex the strangers - Exodus 22:21. At Sodom the people were intent on vexing the strangers! This would be so even if there were a sexual component to the assaults, thus it was the motivation behind the assaults (ek) which was sinful, not the act itself.
- The code also condemned worshiping other gods and taking part in their traditions, which is the reason for the two Levitical Laws which are often pointed to as condemning homosexuality and which was doubtless going on in Sodom as well.
- Furthermore, this passage says the people of the city "went after strange flesh." Again, even if one insists on seeing Sodom's sin as their sexuality, there is nothing "strange" about human flesh, it's common to every one of us. The "strange flesh" here is the same flesh referred to with the Nephilim in Genesis. These persons were angelic beings, angelic flesh is strange to us and they refused to these beings hospitality as the Torah demands.
- This however is not the topic of discussion here. The guests were "strange flesh" in that they were strangers and the people of Sodom sought to abuse them for this reason only.
- As I have pointed out elsewhere, offering one's daughters to a pack of raving homosexual rapists makes no sense (even if we allow for such a reprehensible act on a cultural basis). If the issue at hand were homosexuality surely Lot would have offered his sons-in-law, not his daughters.
- One simply can not make a sound biblical case for condemning committed homosexual Christian relationships or homosexual Christian people based on such passages. What can be shown, and that quite clearly, is what Jesus thinks of those who, in God's name, keep others from receiving salvation.
Matthew 18:
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6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
- Jesus clearly warns here that any Christian who offends someone coming to God in faith is in serious trouble! Millions of gays and lesbians want to know God and yet millions of Christians, most with the best of intentions, are telling these people for whom Jesus died that God will not accept them 'just as they are'; that unless they can change the very core of their beings and begin having sex with members of the opposite gender, they can not be saved. Clearly this heresy is adding to the scriptural requirements for salvation and pushing millions of people away grace for whom Jesus died.
- Assuming for a moment that you, dear reader, are heterosexual, if you were told that unless you become a homosexual you could not be saved, would you receive Jesus? Could you for the love of God deny something so intrinsic to your nature as your sexual orientation? Could you reject your spouse of many years based on someone else's dubious interpretation of the Bible? Not to be course or put too fine a line on this, but could you force yourself to feel sexual desires towards persons stimulating no such passions within you simply because someone said you were supposed to? Probably not. It would violate the very core of your being. It is the same with homosexuals.
- Praise be the God, this herculean task is not required. Even heterosexuals can come to Jesus! * smile *
- Whoever you are, whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, straight... I urge you to come to Jesus right now! Jesus says in scripture: "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away" - John 6:37 and again, "For God sent not the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved" - John 3:17.
- Wont you come to Jesus right now, just as you? Scripture assures us that "...If you will confess with your mouth the Master Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved" - Romans 10:9. Period.
- Please pray this prayer with me:
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Dear Jesus,
I know that I sin and that in myself I can never deserve your mercy and pardon. But I also believe that you died on the cross to make a way out for me and I gratefully receive what you have done. I place my trust in you and ask you to be my deliver.
Dear Jesus, I don't know how to follow you or become your disciple, but I'm trusting in you. Please lead me. I give my life to you.
Amen.- Pray this prayer in your own words. Invite Jesus into your life right now! If you do, he will accept you and will give you freedom from fear and doubt.
- Once you have invited Jesus into your life, you will want to find a Bible believing Christian congregation in your area where you can worship God and fellowship with the other Believers. You'll want to ask them to baptize you "in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit," to begin reading the Bible to learn more about Jesus and this new life and so on. There is much to learn and experience as you joyfully grow in Jesus' love.
- It breaks my heart that I have to tell you this, but if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered you must be especially careful when seeking a Christian fellowship. Many Christians who appear to love and walk with God have major blind spots in this area, as you already know. Going to a congregation where you will be condemned and rejected or where you must remain closeted is worse than not going to church at all!
Friend, Jesus loves YOU
Just as YOU are!
Give him a chance to prove it to you!
I Corinthians 6:9:
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"Know ye not 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."
1 Timothy 1:10
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"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."
- At issue here are two words: malakee (found only in 1 Corinthians) and arsenokeeteh which is used in both verses. Some people assume a homosexual meaning of these words without finding out what they actually mean:
II Tim 2:15,16:
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"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."- Such people accept the opinions of others, the "profane and vain babblings" of prejudice and biblical illiteracy, rather than taking the time to understand what the Bible actually teaches... and doesn't teach.
- If we wish to "rightly divide the Word of Truth" as the Bible commands, we must invest the time to carefully consider the root meanings of significant terms, the cultures in which the passages were written and, most importantly, the biblical context in which they appear. How readily some Christians deride the "cults" for ignoring scriptural context only to do the same! Context is king when it comes to understanding the Bible.
- In its use here, malakee refers to a "morally weak" person. It specifically implies that this morally weak person seeks to live in luxury while refusing to do what is needful to maintain such luxuries. In other words, it bespeaks the idea of laziness and sloth, what we today might think of as a hard-core 'couch potato.'
- The translation of malakee as "effeminate" in the King James Version was an accurate one in 1611, however as with other archaic words, the word effeminate no longer conveys precisely the same meaning it did in 1611, i.e. one who is morally weak.
- In any case, malakee in no way refers to homosexuality in the Greek (nor to the "limp wristed" 'effeminate' stereotype that sometimes comes to mind with this word), and modern paraphrases that so present it are guilty of adding to the Scriptures and hence polluting the Word of God. To use an old fashioned word, this is heresy.
- An example of such poor biblical scholarship may be found in the New Age NIV paraphrase. This paraphrase -- the NIV is not a translation like KJV but the setting forth of its editor's personal beliefs, opinions and prejudices -- has removed scores of sacred verses from its Bible versions and altered the meanings of dozens of key texts it chose to retain. For reasons I can not fathom, otherwise loyal and intelligent Christians use this heretical book instead of the far superior and historical accepted King James Version. I Corinthians 6:9 is a good case in point. The New International Version has this verse as follows:
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"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders"
Compare this with the KJV:
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"Know ye not 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"
- Translating arsenokeeteh as "male prostitutes" is closer, but still incorrect. It is typically males seeking out these temple prostitutes (kudos to the NIV for recognizing the temple prostitution issue here), but the temple prostitutes themselves need not be (and were not) always male, only the devotees who approach these 'incarnations' of the Pagan gods and goddesses with their "seed" to worship. More about arsenokeeteh below.
- Notice the blatant addition of "homosexual offenders" in this verse! There are words in Greek for "homosexual" but none of them are in the Bible. In one of countless acts of heresy, the Big Business publishers and copyright holders of the NIV added this word without ANY manuscript justification at all! Presumably they don't like gay people and since the Bible doesn't condemn homosexuality they decided to add their own words to the Bible to support their prejudices! Were this the 1800's these heretics would have been publicly condemned, their altered paraphrases rejected as the Church almost unanimously rejected the Watchtower Society's New World Translation (which the NIV is amazingly similar to)! For the Laodecian End Time Christians however, the wide acceptance of this corrupt version is just par for the course! (Compare Rev. 3:14-19).
- Oh, speaking of heresy, since the NIV writers believe they have the right to own and manage the use of the Bible, I need to include the following copyright material so they won't sue me for copyright infringement for quoting the Bible!:
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"Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society NIV at IBS International Bible Society NIV at Zondervan Zondervan"
- What they hold is the copyright to the Not Inspired Version!
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For solid evidence about the inferiority of this popular paraphrase, click the running men below and follow their example:
- The views of these two resources do not always reflect my own, just so you know, but they do offer good information on the ongoing King James Only debate
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(Note: If the two "men" are not running, hit reload. This is a cute animated graphic).
- I could easily do the same thing the NIV and other New Age paraphrases do of course. What do you think? Could I make millions of dollars on this?:
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"Do you not know that the oil company executives will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the Bush Administration, nor American Idol voters, nor corporate big shots, nor Zondervan Press, nor heterosexuals..."
- But of course I would never do such a thing because I love the Word of God!
- Back to our study...
- But of course I would never do such a thing because I love the Word of God!
The King James Version Defended:
Sojourners' of the Lord:
- Arsenokeeteh is from arsen meaning to "seek strength as though to lift a burden" and koite, meaning to "share a couch or bed sexually" generally and more specifically it conveys the idea of utilizing the male seed while doing so, so as to conceive or attain something desirable (note that children are not conceived in homosexual relations). Arsenokeeteh therefore refers to one who engages in sexual practices in order to receive power or strength in some area. The meaning is clear therefore that the prohibition is directed at those who seek strength, wealth, power etc. by engaging in sex rites with the idolatrous Pagan temple prostitutes, both heterosexually and homosexually. Such practices were common in Rome (where Paul discusses it), Corinth, Ephesus (where Timothy was), and throughout the Roman Empire. The idea that the phrase could possibly refer to contemporary homosexuality is simply groundless, both textually and culturally.
- The concern being addressed here is sex-based idolatry, which Paul adds in Romans 1 was resulting in a plethora of sexually transmitted diseases (Rom 1:27): "... and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet [justified]..."
- It is nothing short of a heretical tragedy to find these new paraphrases like the NIV, the Living Bible, the Good News for Modern Man, etc. yielding to bigoted political pressures from those with little or no knowledge of the New Testament languages and culture and inserting words like "homosexual" or "sodomite" into their paraphrases and selling them to the public as legitimate biblical scholarship! A simple glance into Strong's Dictionary or similar resources will make this point clear in every single case.
A more accurate translation of this part of I Corinthians would be as follows, though I still love the KJV:
6:9 Know ye not that those who deal fraudulently with others shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither temple prostitutes*, nor worshipers of false gods, nor adulterers, nor the morally weak*, nor those who seek temple prostitutes*,
6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not beneficial: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. - Not all lust is sexual of course. People lust for good food, for more money, etc. The word is also often used in scripture for the act of idolatry, the lustful passions invoked in Pagan rites (as Strong's Greek Dictionary - entry 4203 - confirms). This would include the lusts that comes from mistrust and the refusal to show hospitality based thereon, as was the case in Sodom and Gomorrah.
In like manner also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities" - King James Version.- And 1 Timothy 1:10:
- pornos: male prostitutes
- malakee: morally weak
- arsenokeeteh: those who seek temple prostitutes
- These verses are found within the "Holiness Code" which emphasized to the Israelites that they were to be set apart to God from the rest of the nations. The CONTEXT is God's prohibition that the Israelites must not engage in the practices found in the nearby fertility cult of Molech and Ashteroth. Look at the beginning of the chapter and you will see this clearly:
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.- As religious cults tend to ignore the Scriptural context in order to justify their doctrines, so too well meaning Christians sometimes take a verse here or there without considering its context when it appears, at first glance, that the verse supports their position. Such is the case here.
- The God of Israel never directed the people to engage in ritual sexual magic as the Pagan religions around them did, and yet certain of God's people were practicing these rites. Such was unacceptable to God because: "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God."
- The word "Abomination" used here is a translation of the Hebrew word to-ay-baw which specifically refers to idolatrous practices that are displeasing to God. This word has nothing to do with sexuality, neither homo nor heterosexual, unless that sexuality is directly involved in the worship of other gods. Hence, this prohibition is the same as Paul's concern in Romans 1 and I Corinthians 6:9. The reference here is to the fertility worship, i.e. sex rites, which the Israelites were to shun. They were to only walk in paths directed by their God. In the following verses (6 on), many of these forbidden activities are specifically listed.
- Note the verse just before the one we are considering here (verse 19):
"And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD:
- Allowing ones semen to be used in Pagan rites to fertility gods etc., and moreover the worship in any manner of those gods, is what is being discussed here, not homosexuality. Notice what the incorporation of sexuality into Pagan rites does, it 'profanes the name of thy God,' hence God commands the Jews that He alone is their God. And so we read in context:
"...And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
- What exactly is Moses forbidding here? In context he is forbidding the people from worshiping Molech and the other local gods in any way, including through the popular sex rites.
- That this is what is being forbidden is even clearer in Leviticus 20! Note how this chapter begins:
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.- Then certain abuses are innumerated and we come to verse 13, again specifically concerning the use of semen and sex magic.
- Throughout their history the Israelites had a weakness for idolatry according to the Bible. This is simply another example of God seeking to control that weakness. These two verses say nothing about homosexuality.
God's best,
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~Pastor John
God loves YOU
Just as YOU are!
Sodomites and Sinners
By John of AllFaith (© Oct. 2006)- I've discussed the events that took place at Sodom and Gomorrah elsewhere. That study should be read before this one, as this study is somewhat based on it.
- The translators of the Authorized King James Version, like the rest of us, had their personal biases. Their biases are not nearly as evident in their biblical works as those of the new paraphrasers are in theirs, but they are still to be found in this grandest of all English Bibles. A case in point is their translation of the Hebrew words Qadeshah and Qadesh. According Strong's this word means female and male temple prostitutes respectively."
- As I have pointed in so many of these studies, temple prostitution was a grave concern of the biblical authors. Despite this, notice the following verses in the KJV:
Deut. 23:17: "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel..."
Actually, this reads: "There shall be no Qadeshah of the daughters of Israel, nor a Qadesh of the sons of Israel..."
Which is to say: "There shall be no female temple prostitutes of the daughters of Israel, nor male temple prostitutes of the sons of Israel..."
Likewise:
I Kings:14:24: "And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."
What do "sodomites" have to do with the 'abominations of the nations'? The word "abomination" or "Tow'ebah" specifically refers to idolatrous activities. When read without bias, this verse makes complete sense:
"And there were also male temple prostitutes in the land: and they [these temple prostitutes] did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."
Again,
I Kings 15:12: "And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made"
Once again, note the connection between the "sodomites" and idols.
"And he took away the male temple prostitutes out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." Much more sense in context.
And again,
- I Kings: 22:46: "And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land."
"And the remnant of the male prostitutes, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land."
We again find the presence of idol worship. As we read at the Wikipedia: "Immediately after his [Asa's] accession to the throne, he deprived his idolatrous grandmother Maachah of the title of Queen Mother (2 Chr. 15:16-18)." Of Queen Maachah we read, "...She is also called "Michaiah". She married king Rehoboam and is mentioned as his most beloved wife. She became the mother of Abijah, the next king. She lived after her grandson Asa became king, and was removed from her titulation of "lady" because she was worshipping idols." As for Jehoshaphat, "He devoted his life to destroying idols and restoring the worship of God." As we read in I Kings, Jehoshaphat still had to deal with the remaining idol worshipping sex cults and this is what's being discussed here.
Also,
- II Kings: 23:7: "And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove"
Once again, these "sodomites" practiced their arts adjacent to the Temple, the House of Lord. Why would homosexuals do this? The Qadesh would do this because they believed their religious practices were the correct way to worship God and wanted their services to be readily available. Note too that where the Qadesh did their working "the women" were weaving hangings for the Grove. That Pagan worshipped in Sacred Graves is obvious. Of this, Strong's informs us:
"asherah (ash-ay-raw');
Word Origin: Hebrew, Proper Name Feminine
from (0833)
Ashera(h) = "groves (for idol worship)"
1. a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images
a. the goddess, goddesses
b. her images
c. sacred trees or poles set up near an altarTherefore: "And he brake down the houses of the male temple prostitutes, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the [Pagan][G]rove".
No friends, the Bible does not condemn committed same gender marriages among Jews or Christians. Don't believe the hate, God loves YOU, just as you are!
What then is a Sodomite? From a strictly biblical sense, Sodomists are people who fail to show hospitality to strangers. All other meanings stem from homophobia! For more on this, refer to my study Return to Sodom
Still have doubts or question? Let me know! I'm here to help.
Who cares, I'm glad YOU'RE here!
Jonathon and David
A Biblical Account of a Same Gender Marriage
A Sermon by Pastor John © June 1998 updated 8-5-2006- Welcome to Lavender Road Metropolitan Community Church!
- Through scriptures, synagogues, churches, books and movies the fame of King David has been widely proclaimed. And rightly so! David was a passionate and powerful person whose zeal for life was only surpassed by his devotion to God and his unmistakable humanity. In David we see how a fallen human being with obvious imperfections can become one of God's most useful and respected servants. If David can do it, so can we!
- Because of his love for God and country, David boldly slew the giant Philistine Goliath and performed many other Herculean acts. He spared the life of King Saul, despite Saul's intent to destroy him. He valiantly led the armies of Israel against all her enemies.
- David was also the most famous ancestor of Jesus the Christ. Our Savior isn't called the Child of Abraham or the Child of Moses, but is universally celebrated as the Son or Child of David:
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"And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased" (Matt. 21:15).
- More than any other Biblical character, David fully typifies the extremes of human nature and divine potential. II Sam. 11:1-15 tells us that in order to marry Uriah the Hittite's wife Bathsheba, David had Uriah sent to the front lines to die! Such unscrupulous actions stand in sharp contrast to his beautiful Psalms by which one's soul is lifted into the ecstasies of pure love of God. Through his varied and colorful experiences Jews, Christians and Muslims all find in David a macho image of what a man should be. He was, in modern parlance, a man's man, a true macho man.
- But, how about us? Is there anything in this powerful servant of God's varied experiences that would recommend him to lesbian and gay Christians as an example? What would you say if I told you that David was, at the very least, bisexual and that the love of his life was another man? What if the man traditional Judeo/Christian/Islamic religion promotes as the epitome of godliness, the standard to be emulated by all godly people, was among the five to fifteen percent of any given population whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual? Absurd? Blasphemous? Well, lets see.
- If you would like to follow along in your Bibles, please turn to the Book of I Samuel.
- After killing Goliath, the Gath Philistine, David went to King Saul for an honorific ceremony. Following that meeting, it appears, David met Saul's gay son Jonathan. It was, if we take the Scripture literally, love at first sight. I Samuel 18:1, in the Authorized King James Version, tells us that: "... the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him [David] as his own soul."
- Jonathan loved (Hebrew: 'ahab which includes both family and sexual love) David at first sight. Their souls were knit together (Hebrew:Qashar which is to tie, physically or mentally in love, league). Their feelings were very strong, love at first sight, however at this point their love could be interpreted as platonic, although platonic love is almost never refered to as love at first sight.
- At Saul's insistence, David moved into the royal household and things quickly heated up between Jonathan and David. I Samuel 18:3,4, in the Byington Translation, says that they: "pledged themselves to each other, in the love that he had for him ..." and "Jonathan stripped off the robe he had on and gave it to David..." This ritualistically represented the establishment of a love covenant relationship between the two men: What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine. From this point on there is no question about their relationship being platonic. This sharing of garments, covering the other, shows it was more than that in context of their culture.
- Shortly after Jonathan and David consummated their love, Jonathan's father Saul arranged for David to marry his daughter (Jonathan's sister) Merab. Could it be that Saul knew about their love and was trying to intervene by offering David his daughter instead? The Jewish people, at this time, were still as homophobic as anyone else (though it was due to their desire for offspring, not over any alleged moral concerns). The only condition Saul set for the marriage was that David be "valiant" for him (I Samuel 18:17).
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"And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him."
- Why did Saul give his daughter to David in marriage? This was before the real problems we know about arose between the two men. Marrying the king's daughter elevated a person and was considered an honor, however in this case, Merab was given to David to bribe him into going off to battle the Philistines believing that in such a battle David would be killed. Why would Saul, at this point, want David killed? We only know of one reason from the text, his relationship with Jonathan. AND why would Saul first marry David to Merab? As king, Saul could have ordered David to join the war without giving up his daughter to David. There's only one reason, to explain the closeness between Jonathan and David. "Sure they were close, David was his brother-in-law!" There's no other logical explanation for this turn of events.
- The idea of being "valiant" here in the Hebrew is two-fold. First, to be valiant David was to be bën, (a father to children); and secondly, he must be chayil (a good fighter). Now, one might expect the condition of loyalty to the king as a good soldier, but why would Saul also make David promise to father children? The obvious contextual answer, in light of the preceding verses, is that this was Saul's way of saying: "Hey look, your a good fighter, the people love and respect you, but this thing with my son has got to stop. You just need a good woman" (which is still a common misconception by those who view homosexuality as anything other than a natural orientation).
- Granted, these verses are insufficient by themselves to establish conclusively that Jonathan and David were lovers, although I think its pretty clear already. A more orthodox assessment of the situation might be that Jonathan accepted David as a compatriot and that the act of exchanging clothing with him would indicate Jonathan's bestowal of his royalty on David as a political commitment. After all, these texts do not specifically state that they were lovers. Among the problems with this view is that as the prince Jonathan had no such authority to confer the equvilent of knighthood on another, such would have been treason.
- However this is only the beginning.
- At 19:2 the plot thickens. Due to reasons not revealed in the text, Saul wanted David killed. While the text, as it has come down to us, does not specifically say so, it is quite feasible that David and Jonathan's continuing relationship may have been largely responsible for Saul's determination to do away with David. Saul obviously intended for Jonathan to succeed him to the throne and for this Jonathan needed to "valliant" himself. In such a homophobic culture, an openly gay king would have been unheard of. Jonathan's homosexuality, in Saul's mind, would have constituted a threat to Saul's continuing lineage. Nothing in the text contradicts this idea and it would explain the passion with which Saul sought David's death. Looked at objectively, this is by far the most likely cause of Saul's determination to have David killed and his giving his own daughter to him.
- When Jonathan learned of Saul's plans to kill David, he quickly warned him, as a lover would. The reason for this warning is quite interesting. The Authorized King James Version (the textus receptus), the Masoretic Text (the Hebrew Bible), and The Revised Standard Version all agree that Jonathan quote, "delighted much in David." The Byington translation says that "Jonathan liked David very much," The Jerusalem Bible says "Jonathan held David in great affection," while the NIV paraphrase says "but Jonathan was very fond of David," and so sought to divert Saul's wrath.
- Was Jonathan's fondness for David simply platonic? The Hebrew text says literally that Jonathan desired (châphèts) David. This is the same word used in verses such as Genesis 34:19 where Shechem sexually desired Dinah.
- At I Samuel 20:24-30 the homosexual aspect of their relationship becomes undeniable:
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24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?- Here Jonathan desperately attempts to defend David from his father's wrath. Saul's response is unmistakable, and for too many of us quite familiar! The Authorized King James Version is surprisingly candid here: "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?" In The New King James Version Saul becomes angry with Jonathan for lying to him about David's whereabouts, and so shouts: "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse [David] to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?"
- What could be more clear? Saul here calls Jonathan a shameful pervert ('âvâh). Depending on where the English translations place the comma (ancient Hebrew didn't use them), before or after the words perverse and woman, he may even be calling his son a perverse woman, in other words, a homosexual, directly. Different versions handle it variously. But regardless, Saul here accuses Jonathan directly: "Don't lie to me, I know about you and David, you're a couple of sexual perverts who shame both me and your mother!"
- After this emotional event, Jonathan and David met secretly in the woods. The biblical record of their rendezvous at 20:41 is charged with love and sexual passion as they intimately kiss and embrace.
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"And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded."
- "...until David exceeded." What does this mean? The Hebrew word used here is Gadal and is an interesting word to use. It literally means "to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things." Now, this was one of the low points in David's life. His mentor, King Saul, was seeking his death, Jonathan had just come into the woods where he was hiding to tell David he needed to flee for his life. As in English, the context in which a word is used can alter its meaning. In this case, David obviously didn't remain hidden in the woods until becoming the great leader he eventually became. The only other possible meaning for this phrase is they enbraced and kissed until David had "grown" or become erect, until he, and obviously Jonathan, became "great" or "swollen" and had made physical love. This is the only concievable meaning.
- After this touching scene, David fled from Saul's wrath, kissing his lover good-bye.
- At 23:16-18 Jonathan again meets David in the woods and the two re-swear their undying love and devotion:
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16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.- If this was a heterosexual couple there would be no doubt about how the episode should be understood: David was again living in the forest. Jonathan went to him, encouraged him in God and the two men made a "covenant" to one another before God. What was this covenant? The text clearly tells us with yet another unmistakable confirmation about their marriage: "thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee." In other words, You David will be the king and I will be, so to speak, your queen!
- You recall how I interpreted Saul's accusation that Jonathan and David were "sexual perverts who shame both me and your mother!" Here Jonathan confirms this understanding. Not only does he promise loyalty to David, to be his "queen," he also says, "I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth." Saul knows what? It is obvious!
- II Samuel 1:26 tells us that after Saul and Jonathan's death, David remembered his lover fondly and lamented: "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
With the possible exception of certian of his Psalms to God, one seeks in vain for any description of love more profound or heartfelt from David than this. He had sex with women, many of them, but these relationships seem to have been little more than sexual conquests of political expediency, with the possible exception of his relationship with Bathsheba. But clearly Jonathan was the love of David's life. He loved him with a love surpassing all others. Jonathan was David's husband and one true love, the others meant nothing by comparison.
- Such a profound love is a wonderful example for all gay and lesbian people. Despite what we are told by the homophobic culture in which live, and as many of us have discovered on our own, like David and Jonathan, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people can indeed find lasting love, both with God and with one another.
- David and Jonathan are not alone in the Biblical record. The potential depths of lavender love was perhaps never expressed more beautifully than as the Bible presents the commitment of two great Biblical women, Naomi and Ruth:
Wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
Yahveh do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.
- Rejoice in the Love of God and the sexual orientation you have been given by our Creator! May the endless and matchless blessings of our Heavenly Lover and God be with you all.
Good night.
You are visitor number...
Who cares, I'm glad YOU'RE here! - As religious cults tend to ignore the Scriptural context in order to justify their doctrines, so too well meaning Christians sometimes take a verse here or there without considering its context when it appears, at first glance, that the verse supports their position. Such is the case here.
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"For temple prostitutes, for those who seek temple prostitutes, for those who enslave others, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."
As always, I invite your inquiries and comments,
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~Pastor John
"Is Gay Christian an Oxymoron" Page where each verse is briefly discussed by the UFMCC.
God love YOU
Just as YOU are!
Leviticus 20:13
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"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Leviticus 18:22
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"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
- Christian friend, when you tell lesbians and gay men that they are an abomination to God, when you tell them that they are destined for eternal damnation due to what is an integral part of their basic natures, as innately a part of who they are as your own heterosexuality is of who you are, you are placing a huge stumbling block in their path and pushing precious souls farther farther away from the One who said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Questioner: Karen
Subject: Hated for who I amQuestion:
- Hi, I'm a girl and I'm currently dating another girl, I like her alot and from what I can tell, she likes me alot too. But, there's a problem. I've been on the verge of crying alot, I haven't been eating, I've been over sleeping, and just... well, really depressed. The reason is this. I'm convinced God hates me for loving the girl I'm with. I'm convinced when I die, I won't be saved and I'll go to Hell because this girl means alot to me. I'm really confused, I heard alot of people saying God loves you no matter who you love, then another person will tell me, ''God hates Homosexuals, it's in the Bible, you'll go to Hell.''
My family both support me on my sexuality, and couldn't be happier for me, but I'm really, really scared about when I die... I want to know the truth about where I'll go, I don't want to just hear, ''You'll go to Heaven.'' or ''You'll go to Hell.'' I want a detailed answer about why and how God loves or hates me, something to convince me. In the bible
it says, ''A man shouldn't lie with man kind as he would with a woman, it is an abomination.'' Then there's this part, ''Go forth and multiply.'' You can't multiply in a same sex relationship. Then there's this retarded saying people use. Which could be true... ''God made Adam and
Eve, not Adam and Steve.'' I feel like I know I'm sinning, but don't care.
HELP. I need advice on my sexuality.
John of AllFaith's reply
Hi Karen,Thanks for writing.
You asked for a detail response and you will have it :-)
To begin with:
Eph. 2:7: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not by works, lest any man should boast.
We are saved SOLELY by God's Grace, NOT BY WORKS LEST WE MIGHT BOAST
Answer me this: If you leave this woman, force yourself to live a lie in a faux heterosexual relationship where you are never fulfilled as a person, would that be work?
Yes! Hard work!
If you did live your life in such a repressed way could you boast, "Look at me! I successfully denied my innermost feelings and needs and lived a loveless life in order to be saved!
Yes you could!
But what does the Bible say: "Not by works, lest anyone should boast."
And what does Jesus say:
Matt.11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and all of you shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Would renouncing your natural sexual orientation not be a heavy yoke to bear? Very heavy! Yet Jesus' is light bear.
Jesus comes to lift and lighten our burdens, not add to them.
Again:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Do you believe in Jesus? Have you accepting him as your Savior (Rom 10:9)? If so, what did Jesus give you? ETERNAL LIFE. What does "eternal" mean? it means it does not end. If you get it, its yours... eternally.
Some Christians disagree with this and if you have questions about it write back.
So then, first, if you have received Jesus you are saved for all eternity... period. Salvation is not of works and it is eternal.
You may be interested in join one or both of my LGBT lists:
For prayer and support:
- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gay_Christian_Prayer
For the Bible and Homosexuality discussions:
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glbtchristians
Now... Does the Bible condemn homosexuality? The answer is an emphatic no!
Before going into this, there is a major debate going on these days that anyone wishing to understand the Bible must consider.
The Authorized King James Version of the Bible (KJV) is THE Bible Protestant Christianity was built upon. From 1611 until the 1970's it was THE Bible. Since that time non-Christian commercial interests have largely replaced the KJV with new bibles like the NIV, the Good News, the Reader's Digest Bible and so on. Into these new bibles the word homosexual has been added even though there is absolutely no justifiable reason for it in the biblical source materials. The word was not even coined until last century! Personally, I believe these bibles, for MANY reasons, are blatantly heretical. The studies that follow will therefore be using the KJV exclusively. Obviously not everyone agrees with me on this issue, and if you contrast these studies with the versions of your choice the matter should still be clear.
To begin with, please read Romans chapter 1. I'll be using the Authorized King James Version throughout. As editions do vary, I'd recommend using the KJV now. Later you can check the newer paraphrases if you'd like.
Our CONTEXT begins at 1:15 and 16:
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"So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Paul, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, begins the topic by stating that he is talking about the Gospel of Jesus and how it must be preached and practiced, and how those who love God will accept it joyfully. We note, for the purposes of this study, that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) Christians do accept the Gospel both readily and joyfully. This study exists to demonstrate that neither the Bible in general or Romans 1 in particular prohibits this community from accepting and living the Gospel fully.
Verse 18:
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For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven onto those who hold this truth in unrighteousness. We are therefore speaking of people who hold God's spiritual Truth and salvation in unrighteousness, i.e.. we are discussing abuses which are done in the name of religious truth. Devout Christians do not knowingly do this regardless of the sexual orientation.
Verse 19:
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Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
"Because that which may be known of God..." Again, religious truth is the topic, not sexual orientation or even sexual morality. 'That which may be known' of God' is that which has been revealed in the Holy Scriptures and by the Holy Spirit. These things attest to God's righteousness and should be honored.
Verse 20:
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For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
From what is visible we should know the invisible, i.e. God and God's truths are revealed through our senses. We can behold the handiwork of God all around us if we but look and these things confirm the existence of God, hence we have no excuse to deny God's existence.
Verse 21:
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Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
These people being discussed knew God but chose to submit themselves to their "vain imagines" rather than to God. In other words, they invented new forms of religion, forms that satisfied their base urges and ungodly desires. We are still discussing religion here not sexuality.
Verses 22, 23:
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Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
These people claimed to be wise in their spiritual beliefs, and yet they were foolish, rejecting the true God, they worshiped false idols and "changed the glory of God into an image..." and worshiped that rather than the true God. Still, we're talking about religious practices and abuses, not sexuality. The Roman Empire, which would include Jewish Palestine, was filled with such worship. Pagan temples offered everything desirable and blasphemed the Creator of heaven and earth. Paul here condemns such worship.
Verse 24:
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Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
"WHEREFORE..." Wherefore, i.e. because they rejected God and worshiped idols and followed the paths of their vain imaginations rather than worshiping the One True God... FOR THIS REASON God gave these people up to their lusts.
The CONTEXT of these lusts is the unauthorized desire-based religious practices of the day. These have nothing to do with modern day consensual sexual relationships, whether they be heterosexual or homosexual.
As was common throughout the very religious Roman Empire, such idol worship INCLUDED sexual 'sacrifices' and rites wherein the worshiper engaged in 'sex magic' with temple priests and/or priestesses in the guise of spiritual ecstasy -- AS THOUGH the temple prostitute were the Pagan deity incarnate. THUS, the context here has NOTHING to do with contemporary homosexuality among Christians (or otherwise).
Verse 25:
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Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
"WHO..." i.e. these people engaging in ritual sex magic and worshiping the Pagan idols, who were "exchanging the truth of God for a lie," and who were committing idolatry through their sex rites and thereby serving the created images and their own carnal desires rather than the true God, who alone is blessed for ever.
Verses 26, 27:
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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.
"FOR THIS REASON..." i.e. because these people exchanged the worship of the true God for idols and sex rites, God "gave them up" to their own carnal desires.
The natural use or purpose of sexuality according to the Bible is procreation AND building/sustaining strong marital relationships (comp. I Cor 7:2). These people however were using their sexuality "against nature" by employing it to worship the idols of false gods. Through such sexual activities they sought two basic goals: One was the physical pleasures of sexual congress and the other, perhaps more significant in this context, was the promised spiritual union with their gods and the acquiring of benefits thereof. This is not the goal of sexuality intended by God but as these people willfully rejected God, they were allowed to go their own ways. Again, this was very common at the time throughout the empire.
These worshipers were "working that which is unseemly." The use of the word "working" shows that there was a specific end result in mind, i.e. earning the blessings of the Pagan deities, the normal reason for all idolatry. All they received for their "work" however was venereal diseases "...and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was fitting..." The sex cults throughout the empire were hotbeds of sexual diseases and the worshipers often became infected.
THOSE WHO TWIST these scriptures by saying they refer to HIV in our contemporary culture -- and I know some of you are out there! -- need to consider that this verse is the only one in the Bible that can be TWISTED to include lesbians. Lesbians remain among the lowest at risk for HIV and, after years of education, the gay male community is no longer the highest at-risk group. If this dreadful illness were God's wrath against homosexuals neither would be the case, nor would children be so at risk, nor the disabled, nor those in need of blood transfusions etc..
Verse 28:
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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;
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge...." The subject is still religious faith; it has not changed. These people did not want to acknowledge the true God's existence. They preferred to worship idols of their own imaginings and trust in dangerous sex rites for their salvation. AGAIN AND STILL the subject matter, the context, is not homosexuality but idolatry coupled with sex rites, heterosexual AND homosexual. FOR THIS REASON, because of their spiritual harlotry, God gave them over to a "reprobate mind" and allowed them to believe that their false worship was approved by God when in reality, they were in direct opposition to God's holy will due to their pseudo-spiritual abuses.
In sharp contrast with this, LGBT Christian ministries are growing like wild fire, individual independent churches, groups like the Alliance of Christian Churches, the Gay Pentecostal Alliance, The Evangelical Network, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and so on, are now home to thousands of sincere homosexual followers of Jesus who WANT God in their knowledge, their minds, their hearts and in their lives just as other Christians do. In addition to these ministries, more and more mainline churches and denominations are becoming "reconciling and affirming" of LGBT people. This fact alone demonstrates that these verses are not referring to gay and lesbian Christian people. As with any other community, lesbians and gays vary as to their acceptance and understandings of the Gospel message. A very large percentage of those who are not pro-Jesus have had their hearts hardened by abuses which well meaning Christians have subjected them to. The Church is failing miserably at evangelizing this community and will doubtless be held accountable by the one who said "Whoever comes unto Me I will in no case reject."
Verse 29-31:
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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, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:"
What resulted from their being "given over to a reprobate mind?" As a result of their religious rebellion against God, these developed the various moral weaknesses described in these verses. LGBT Christians, as all other Believers, seek to avoid such traits in their lives.
Verse 32:
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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.
"Who knowing..." i.e. the people being discussed in the previous verses, these idolatrous worshipers who are filled with all unrighteousness etc., "knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death..." That idolatry merited the death penalty for Jews under the Mosaic Law is clear. As I explained elsewhere however, despite the two verses in Leviticus which are sometimes cited, homosexuality is not a capital offense nor even negatively commented upon in the Torah.
Just as YOU are!
