Questioner: Matthew
Subject: Multiple questionsQuestion:
- I am currently reading Leviticus. You know the funny little book full of Mosaic law that will make your head hurt if you study it too long. Which are the best books of the New Testament that address Christian rules of living? I realise that this is a hell of a question so I am not asking for a specific answer along the lines of "This law is
addressed her this one there" Just a general answer of which New Testament books give an over all answer. BTW I read the paper on your home page on Homosexuality. Although I agree with your point of views on homosexuals being just like everyone else for religious purposes (and obviously
legal, social, etc.) The only place in the Bible I can find that supports the fundamentalist view is in Leviticus. Lev 20:13 addresses this. Lev 20:13 - If a man lies with a maleas one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death - their
bloodguilt is upon them.I am reading an English translation Torah for this, not a KJV Bible. Could you address this please?
John of AllFaith's reply
Hi Matthew,First, we need to understand that the Torah and Tanack, the "Old Testament," presents a very different view of God than the New Testament does.
Under the Mosaic Covenant, the Jews depend upon the strict obedience of the 613 laws. The closer they observe these laws, in faith, the holier they are religiously speaking.
Under the New Covenant, salvation is granted not by works but by "grace," through the acceptance of Jesus' sacrificial death (he did all the work) (John 3:16,17). Therefore, the New Testament does not list many commands and prohibitions in the way the Tanack does.
Most of the discussions about what should and should not be done for Christians are found in Paul's writings, especially I and II Corinthians, Ephesians and Colossians. They mainly occur in places where Paul is addressing some issue.
Jesus very seldom addressed non-Jews, for instance where the woman was insistent (Matt. 15). He spoke to Jews about rightly observing Jewish Law (Matt 15:24), devoid of the Oral Torah which he, like the Kairiate Jews, did not accept.
Gentiles have never been required to keep the Mosaic Law. When Jesus was rejected by the Jews for, in their opinions, not fulfilling the Messianic requirements, Paul and others took the Movement to the Gentiles. How the Jewish sect of Jesus became a Gentile religion is introduced in the Book of Acts. To really understand it, one needs to also study, among other things, the important changes introduced by Roman Emperor Constantine and the various Roman Counsels, Nicea etc.
One good place to understand the Christian view is:
Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
There is lots of discussion in the New Testament about whether or not Christians need to obey the Laws of Moses. The consensus, in my opinion, is that they do not. Salvation is a gift of God, not of works. As "saved" people, Christians are expected to live righteous lives as evidence that are saved, not to be saved. On the other hand, Jews are to live righteous lives, as directed by the Torah, in order to be righteous. There's a fundamental difference of approach here, even though both ultimately acknowledge that they rely solely on the mercy of God.
Christian living is spelled out clearly here:
Col.. 3:14, "And above all these things put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Verse 17 sums up the Christian lifestyle (in theory).
As for Leviticus 20:13:
Correctly Understanding Leviticus 20:13 and 18:22 A Study by Pastor John © 1999 (revised 8-1-2006) Leviticus 20:13:
"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:
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
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 enumerated 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.
This is the only section of the Torah that can be taken as condemning homosexuality, and it does not. Some people inaccurately spin the Sodom story that way as well. In the New Testament there are 2 or 3 other verses (depending on the translation used). None of these are discussing homosexuality however as I'll be happy to explain if you are interested.
I usually either use the King James or the JPS (Jewish Publication Society) versions. I intentionally avoid all Christian Bibles produced after the 1950's.
Hope this helps,
Write back any time,
Shalom,
-
~John of AllFaith
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