Bible Teaching

Summarized from What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

GENESIS 19:1-25

What was the sin of Sodom? Some proclaim that God destroyed the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of "homosexuality." Although some theologians have equated the sin of Sodom with homosexuality, a careful look at Scripture corrects such ignorance. Announcing judgment on these cities in Genesis 18, God sends two angels to Sodom, where Abraham's nephew, Lot, persuades them to stay in his home. Genesis 19 records that "all the people from every quarter" surround Lot's house demanding the release of his visitors so "we might know them." The Hebrew word for "know" in this case, yadha, usually means "have thorough knowledge of." It could also express intent to examine the visitors' credentials, or on rare occasions the term implies sexual intercourse. If the latter were the author's intended meaning, it would have been a clear case of attempted gang rape. Horrified at this gross violation of ancient hospitality rules, Lot attempts to protect the visitors by offering his two daughters to the angry crowd, a morally outrageous act by today's standards. The people of Sodom refuse, so the angels render them blind. The angels then rescue Lot and his family as the cities are destroyed. Several observations are important. First, the judgment on these cities for their wickedness had been announced prior to the alleged homosexual incident. Second, all of Sodom's people participated in the assault on Lot's house; in no culture has more than a small minority of the population been homosexual. Third, Lot's offer to release his daughters suggests he knew his neighbors to have heterosexual interests. Fourth, if the issue was sexual, why did God spare Lot, who immediately commits incest with his daughters? Most importantly, why do all the other passages of Scripture referring to this account fail to raise the issue of homosexuality?

What was the Sin of Sodom?
Ezekiel 16:48-50 states it clearly: people of Sodom, like many people today, had abundance of material goods. But they failed to meet the needs of the poor, and they worshipped idols. The sins of injustice and idolatry plague every generation. We stand under the same judgment if we create false gods or treat others with injustice.


LEVITICUS 18:22 & 20:13

Christians today do not follow the rules and rituals described in Leviticus. But some ignore its definitions of their own "uncleanness" while quoting Leviticus to condemn homosexuals. Such abuse of Scripture distorts the Old Testament meaning and denies a New Testament message. "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." These words occur solely in the Holiness Code of Leviticus, a ritual manual for Israel's priests. Their meaning can only be fully appreciated in the historical and cultural context of the ancient Hebrew people. Israel, in a unique place as the chosen people of God, was to avoid the practices of other peoples and gods. Hebrew religion, characterized by the revelation of one God, stood in continuous tension with the religion of the surrounding Canaanites who worshipped the multiple gods of fertility cults. Canaanite idol worship, which featured female and male cult prostitution as noted in Deuteronomy 23:17, repeatedly compromised Israel's loyalty to God. The Hebrew word for a male cult prostitute, qadesh, is mistranslated "sodomite" in some versions of the Bible.

What is an "Abomination?"
An abomination is that which God found detestable because it was unclean, disloyal, or unjust. Several Hebrew words were so translated, and the one found in Leviticus, toevah, is usually associated with idolatry, as in Ezekiel, where it occurs numerous times. Given the strong association of toevah with idolatry and the Canaanite religious practice of cult prostitution, the use of toevah regarding male same-sex acts in Leviticus calls into question any conclusion that such condemnation also applies to loving, responsible homosexual relationships. Rituals and rules found in the Old Testament were given to preserve the distinctive characteristics of the religion and culture of Israel. But, as stated in Galatians 3: 22-25, these Jewish laws no longer bind Christians. By faith we live in Jesus Christ, not in Leviticus. To be sure, ethical concerns apply to all cultures and peoples in every age. Jesus Christ, who said nothing about homosexuality, but a great deal about love, justice, mercy and faith, ultimately reflected such concerns.


ROMANS 1:24-27

Most New Testament books, including the four Gospels, are silent on same-sex acts, and Paul is the only author who makes any reference to the subject. The most negative statement by Paul regarding same-sex acts occurs in Romans 1:24-27 where, in the context of a larger argument on the need of all people for the gospel of Jesus Christ, certain homosexual behavior is given as an example of the "uncleanness" of idolatrous Gentiles. Does this passage refer to all homosexual acts, or to certain homosexual behavior known to Paul's readers? Romans was written to Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome, who would have been familiar with the infamous sexual excesses of their contemporaries, especially Roman emperors. They would also have been aware of tensions in the early Church regarding Gentiles and observance of the Jewish laws, as noted in Acts 15 and Paul's letter to the Galatians. Jewish laws in Leviticus mentioned male same sex acts in the context of idolatry.

Significant to Paul's discussion is the fact that these "unclean" Gentiles exchanged that which was "natural" for them - physin, in the Greek text - for something "unnatural," para physin. In Romans 11:24, God acts in an "unnatural" way, para physin, to accept the Gentiles. "Unnatural" in these passages does not refer to violation of so-called laws of nature, but rather implies action contradicting one's own nature. In view of this, we should observe that it is "unnatural," para physin, for a person today with a lesbian or gay sexual orientation to attempt living a heterosexual lifestyle. Romans 1:26 is the only statement in the Bible with a possible reference to lesbian behavior, although the specific intent of this verse is unclear. Some authors have seen in this passage a reference to women adopting a dominant role in heterosexual relationships. Given the repressive cultural expectations placed on women in Paul's time, such a meaning may be possible. The homosexual practices cited in Romans 1:24-27 were believed to result from idolatry and are associated with some very serious offenses as noted in Romans 1. Taken in this larger context, it should be obvious that such acts are significantly different from loving, responsible lesbian and gay relationships seen today.


I CORINTHIANS 6:9 & I TIMOTHY 1:10

Any consideration of New Testament statements on same-sex acts must carefully view the social context of the Greco-Roman culture in which Paul ministered. Prostitution and pederasty (sexual relationships of adult men with boys) were the most commonly known male same-sex acts. In I Corinthians 6:9, Paul condemns those who are "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind," as translated in the King James version. Unfortunately, some newer translations are worse, rendering these words "homosexuals." Recent scholarship unmasks the homophobia behind such mistranslations. The first word, malakos, in the Greek text, which has been translated "effeminate" or "soft," most likely refers to someone who lacks discipline or moral control. The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament but never with reference to sexuality. The second word, arsenokoitai, occurs once each in I Corinthians and I Timothy, but nowhere else in other literature of the period. It is derived from two Greek words, one meaning "males" and the other "beds," a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Other Greek words were commonly used to describe homosexual behavior, but do not appear here. The larger context of I Corinthians 6 shows Paul extremely concerned with prostitution, so it is very possible he was referring to male prostitutes. But many experts now attempting to translate these words have reached a simple conclusion: their precise meaning is uncertain.

No Law Against Love
The rarity with which Paul discusses any form of same-sex behavior and the ambiguity in references attributed to him make it extremely unsound to conclude any sure position in the New Testament on homosexuality, especially in the context of loving, responsible relationships. Since any arguments must be made from silence, it is much more reliable to turn to great principles of the Gospel taught by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. “Love God with all your heart,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” “The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love ... against such there is no law.” One thing is abundantly clear, as Paul stated in Galatians 5:14: “the whole Law is fulfilled in one statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Woohoo!!

Two weeks off from work. My plan is to see as many movies as possible. I'll try to write some reviews here.

Yesterday, I saw The Golden Compass. It was quiet a beautiful film; the CGI were pretty amazing most of the time. The story was a little convoluted, but interesting. I'm fascinated by the whole "the kid is the hero and can outsmart the adults" genre. It's like a lesson in self-efficacy for kids--letting them know that they won't always be at the mercy of adults and that they can make decisions for themselves.

More to come.

So is it homophobia, or just a clueless sister...

Yesterday for Thanksgiving, we hosted my partner's family dinner. His parents, who are in their 80s (oh, and they are Chinese), have both had health issues recently, so the siblings decided it was better to not have the dinner at their house, where it is traditionally, because they would want to do too much of the work themselves. None of his three siblings wanted to have it at their place, and ours is apparently the most company-friendly. So we were elected.

Some family background to set the stage: Everyone except for his brother and sister-in-law, have been here before for dinners or parties, so that wasn't a big deal. We've been together for almost 10 years and I've been around his family for family functions for about 9 of those years. There has not, however, been any kind of formal acknowledgement from his "traditional" parents of our relationship. They are very nice to me, seem to expect me to be around for any function, and talk about "family" stuff in front of me (in their culture, only family hears about family stuff). So there is a level of acceptance. And his sisters seem fine with it all; his brother and his wife now at least talk to me (he's kind of the redneck of the family, and the sisters have issues with him for other reasons...so it's not like we're missing anything important by not having him on "our side").

So everyone's here and the food's finally ready. Lotus, his "unofficial god mother" decides that Molly (as she usually does) should say the prayer. In my upbringing, it was up to the host to decide when dinner started and who said the prayer. But Lotus is just kind of pushy like that, so no more annoying than usual.

So in her (very Southern Baptist) prayer, Molly thanks "Gary for opening his house to us." Uh, yeah Molly, it's not like I don't own half the house, and was as much involved in "opening the house" as Gary was. Not to mention the fact that I gave up going to see my family in order to help with Gary's family event. It's little things like this that make me wonder how far her "acceptance" of me and my relationship with her brother goes.

Questioning Bloggers

I've been reading blogs of guys who are at various stages of the coming out process. Since I didn't have the option when I was coming out, I'm interested to find out what the blog does for them. It seems that it can be a venue for airing feelings and thoughts, but I wonder if it keeps them from connecting with real people. Part of coming out includes actually getting out and meeting some other gay folks to see how it is to be out. Do the blogs prevent them from doing that sooner than they would without the blog? Just a thought.

Another school year--same worrys

So we've started another school year, and it seems the worrys that I have for students are still the same. I have students with way too much money and way too little motivation. I've got students who should be having the time of their life, but they are suffering from depression or anxiety. And I have students who I believe are in the process of coming out, but I know I if I brought it up, that would be too pushy. So I have to just sit back and wait. I hope that by being open and honest with them, I am giving them the enviornment and opportunity to talk to me when the time is right for them. And then I have the students who, underneath a facade of normalcy, are struggling with family situations that are way more than any 15 or 16 year old should have to deal with. It can be very frustrating at times knowing the things that are going on, but also knowing that there is nothing I can do to make things better for them. So I just keep plugging along.

The Best Spring Break--not so much

So this week I've been off work for Spring Break. But because my partner couldn't get off work, we didn't get to do anything special, although I was supposed to go see my parents. Monday I was very productive getting chores done and I got to the gym too, very early in the day, so there was hardly anyone there (the joys of a small gym). Tuesday I had jury duty--FUN! I was sent with a panel to a courtroom after about an hour of waiting, then we stood in the hall for about 20 minutes. The bailiff then came out and told us the defendant had plea-bargained, so we could leave. However, on my way into the parking garage (they charge you $5.50 to park for jury duty, but pay you $6--how kind), my car had overheated. So I filled it up with some more coolant (when you drive an old car, you carry this kind of stuff with you all the time) and drove straight to my mechanic. He thought it was the thermostat, but said he probably couldn’t get it finished that day. I called my friend John. He and his partner had to go do some shopping, so came and picked me up and I hung out with them for the rest of the afternoon.

The next day (Wednesday), they were going to go to the museum, so I was going to hang out with them again. It rained like crazy and after the museum, we ended up driving through some dangerously high water trying to get to some place for tea and coffee. We chilled for a while for the water to recede. Then they took me to pick up my car. On the way home, it wasn’t running right—missing something fierce.

So Thursday morning, after doing the make-up session with my trainer at the gym (she’d canceled the day before because of the rain), I took the car back to the mechanic. He had one of his workers drive me back home, and then took the car back to the shop. Another day with no car. But by the early afternoon, I was feeling sick—sinus mess, maybe just allergies, but I was feeling feverish and wiped out. I called the shop about 6pm and they said the car was ready. I told them I would pick it up the next morning.

Gary was off on Friday, but I was still not feeling up to speed and some of his co-workers were supposed to come over for pizza that evening. So we had house cleaning to do. About 12:30, Gary dropped me off for the car and then went to do the grocery shopping; I was doing the bank and the cleaners. But—can you guess—the car wasn’t ready! I ended up having to wait about a ½ hour while they finished it up. Grr. But he didn’t charge me for anything this time, even though I think it was a new problem. This is why I go to John (I take care of you) the Greek. And the car runs fine now.

Saturday, I actually got some work done at the house, getting the office and guest rooms reorganized, and then we went out for an old-married-couple’s date: a movie, dinner, home by 9pm. But it was nice and relaxing. But I still have work to do here and grading before school starts back up tomorrow. So that’s what I need to work on today. I need to get back to the gym, now that my legs have recovered from the killer leg workout Melissa put me through on Thursday.

I didn’t get to see my parents because of the car trouble, but my grandmother ended up in the hospital, so I would have just spent time running back and forth to the hospital or hanging out at my parents house with no one there, so that worked out okay. Mamaw fell and has a hairline break in her pelvis, but will be okay after some physical therapy.

So all in all not the spring break I would have hoped for. But whatcha gonna do?

Crappy Customer Service

So what's the deal with people in service industries who don't seem to care about giving good service? Do they not realize that if they don't give good service, people won't come back and they'll soon go out of business? Maybe people have lowered their expectations and so keep using businesses even if they don't provide kind, courteous service. This all comes out of my frustration with having to go to three UPS stores to finally find one that still had a pick-up that day. The first store I could excuse, because they were dealing with two horrible customers and so didn't have time to focus on me yet. But the second store, who I called to ask if they still had a pick up, and then told them I was on my way--to get the "oh, he just left a minute ago" reply when I got there just 12 minutes later?!? I was so pissed off.

And all of this after a long Saturday, of Spring Break, working.

So I needed a movie. I went to see Little Children. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. The acting was good, and it was pretty, but the character development was lacking. And the trailers made it look like it had a lot more sex in it than it actually did. Even though the lead male was very sexy. My goal is to see at least 5 movies this week. We'll see if that happens.