What does the new testiment say about gay marriage

From Genesis’ creation account to Jesus’s affirmation of one-flesh union between male and female, from Levitical prohibitions to corresponding declarations in the New Testament, the biblical witness addresses same-sex relations as incompatible with God’s intention for human sexuality.

The six propositions that follow, considered cumulatively, lead to the conclusion that the New Testament does not provide any direct guidance for understanding and making judgments about homosexuality in the modern world. The New Testament says that homosexuality is a “shameful lust” (Romans ), a “shameful act,” an abandonment of “natural relations” (Romans ), a “wrongdoing” (1 Corinthians ), and “sexual immorality and perversion” (Jude ).

Annual subscription to six issues of The Fourth R is included in Westar membership. Mainline Christian denominations in this country are bitterly divided over the question of homosexuality. But Dale B. Martin has pointed out that the meaning of a compound word cannot necessarily be determined by breaking it apart, looking at the meaning of each of its parts, and then simply combining these meanings to determine the meaning of the compound word.

Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. Sometimes it did, but certainly not always. Though generally viewed as highly pejorative, it is sometimes used in a more-or-less neutral sense or even, in some circles, as a term of admiration or perhaps affection.

There was mother rapers. Further, homosexuality is not mentioned in ten of the thirteen letters attributed to Paul. Proposition 2: At most, there are only three passages in the entire New Testament that refer to what we today would call homosexual activity.

This, however, is by no means necessarily the case. Father rapers! But we cannot be at all certain that malakoi refers to homosexuality in First Corinthians People have assumed that malakoi does refer to homosexuality in 1 Corinthians primarily because the next term in the list is arsenokoitai defined below —the assumption being, of course, that the two words are somehow linked in meaning because they appear side by side in the list.

Numerous other examples could be cited, but I want to mention one that is closer to the topic under consideration. Since , scholars have debated the translation and modern relevance of New Testament texts on homosexuality. They just list, in miscellaneous fashion, various types of behaviors that are regarded as unacceptable.

Moreover, there is nothing about homosexuality in the Book of Acts, in Hebrews, in Revelation, or in the letters attributed to James, Peter, John, and Jude. Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! [1] Three distinct passages – Romans –27, 1 Corinthians –10, and 1 Timothy –10 – as well as Jude , have been taken to condemn same-sex intercourse, but each passage remains contested.

In any case, neither of the catalogues—1 Corinthians —10 or 1 Timothy —11—singles out homosexual activity for any special attention. Most people apparently assume that the New Testament expresses strong opposition to homosexuality, but this simply is not the case.

The point is, however, that its original sexual meaning is often not apparent in its actual usage. But even if malakoi and arsenokoitai are somehow linked in meaning, it is not at all clear just how arsenokoitai should be translated. First published in , The Fourth R shares the latest thinking from religion scholars and writers—in non-technical language aimed at a general audience.

This means that the New Testament writers may not actually have composed the lists in 1 Corinthians —10 and 1 Timothy — These may simply be conventional lists, taken and adapted from earlier documents and used here for rhetorical purposes. None of the four gospels mentions the subject.

It is only in Romans —27, 1 Corinthians —10, and 1 Timothy —11 that there may be references to homosexuality. To be sure, when we consider its overall message, the New Testament may provide some indirect guidance regarding homosexuality. In short, there is nothing in the New Testament that tells us directly whether homosexuality per se is a good thing or a bad thing or simply a fact of life.

Proposition 1: Strictly speaking, the New Testament says nothing at all about homosexuality. For this reason it is important to ask what light, if any, the New Testament sheds on this controversial issue. This means that, so far as we know, Jesus never spoke about homosexuality, and we simply have no way of determining what his attitude toward it might have been.

In fact, the word normally does not refer to sexual activity at all.