Research by the Pew Center has declared that one of the most ongoing ethical problems across Christian practices is sexual variety. For the majority of Christians, one of the most frequently discussed topics is, “Is it a sin to be gay? ” and “What does the bible say about being gay?”
Although it’s doubtful that the authors had any idea of sexual orientation, since the word homosexual wasn’t even discovered until the late 19th century, the Bible is used for timeless advice on what it means to glorify God and this does include our sexuality.
People struggle with distinct sins; the Bible mentions them as our “besetting sins.” These are the wrongs we do that we are not exactly proud of and can be destroyed by, if not directed by, God’s Spirit.
Some people have addictive, obsessive qualities and they easily surrender to substance abuse. They also must submit their cravings to the power of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t depend on whether a person thinks they were “born” a homosexual since we are not described by our sexual desires.
Introduction
When God protects us, we become a new and unique creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is possible to hate the sins we have committed without having to hate ourselves. Your sexuality does not define what you are in life or how it drives you. We die to our previous self so that Christ can live in us (Romans 8:13; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5). And even at times we fail, our faith in Christ for forgiveness as He cleanses us (1 John 1:9) and His power allows us to keep living for His glory.
Continue reading this article to clear the doubt about “Is being a gay is a sin” and “What does the bible say about being gay?”
What is the Bible?
The Bible is a set of books that come from the history of ancient Israel. Among them were individuals called prophets, who considered Israel’s story extraordinary and a major part of what God was trying to do for all humanity.
The Bible is the documented Word of God and therefore the greatest collection of driving principles handling all aspects of life for the individuals of God. Through these, God expresses his will, rules, and saving purpose to humanity.
The Bible is a collection of 66 books and letters written during the duration of around 1,500 years. The main text of the Bible was in just three languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.
Parts of the Bible
Beyond the two main sections
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
- More divisions like the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Books of Prophecy, the Poetry and Wisdom Books, the Gospels, and the Epistles.
The Holy Scriptures were registered on scrolls of papyrus and then on parchment, until the creation of the codex which is a handwritten manuscript built like a contemporary book, with pages secured together at the spine within a hardcover.
What Does The Bible Say About Being Gay?
Several key Bible phrases have given us insights about homosexuality to comprehend the biblical view of gay connections. The most quoted Bible verses are Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13, which mention that it is an abomination for a man to stay with another man the same way he would be with a woman.
- Leviticus 18:22 ~ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
- Leviticus 20:13 ~ If a man stays the same way with a male as with a woman, both of them have sinned; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is on them.
What does the bible say about being gay?
- Some biblical phrases talk about homosexuality, and most of them do not mandate homosexuality per se. Antagonists of same-sex marriage cite seven verses in the Christian Bible as denouncing homosexuality and calling it wrong. But when brought into context, these studies speak not against homosexuality only, but rather against rape, molestation, brutality, and other techniques that harm others and compromise a person’s association with God.
- Jesus has not spoken against homosexuality. In all of his teachings, Jesus encouraged actions and philosophies of justice, passion, humility, mercy, and empathy. He was against violence, intimidation, cold-heartedness, and injustice. He never mentioned homosexuality as a sin.
- The Bible does not condemn the idea of gay marriage – Although people of same-sex marriage contend that lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender marriages disregard biblical principles, no phrases in the Bible particularly talk about gay marriage or dedicated same-sex relationships.
- Those who declare a “biblical purpose of marriage” as a standard for today dismiss different marital contracts in the Bible that would be illegal or criticised today. The Bible contains many stories and instances of polygamy and husbands taking mistresses. According to the culture and rules of the past, women were often seen as property that could be bartered or sold into marriage. Today we comprehend that these examples of marriage speak about the cultural practices of the time rather than a spiritual model.
Understanding the Context of Biblical Teachings
Often, we want to acquire the information from the Bible about what we want, rather than what God actually intends. One of the most typical ways we do this is by picking particular verses from their context. We look at Bible verses as something to be taken à la carte rather than something to comprehend deeply and positively. From this, we can make the Bible convey almost anything we want.
First, comprehending the Bible in context needs reading more extended sections of Scripture. You can practice this by going through a popular verse that you like, say Philippians 4:13, and reading the whole section.
When we acquire knowledge from Bible verses out of context, there are chances that we could misunderstand the text. Misinterpretation leads to misapplication. This means we have false beliefs about God’s Word which can lead to our actions. So if our ideas are wrong, the way we live probably won’t be in line with God’s intention either.
Every Scripture was registered to a specific set of people, at a particular time and for a purpose. This is part of the context, and it’s important for the right interpretation of God’s Word, which will never be different from the meaning planned by the author for the original audience.
Is Being Gay a Sin According to the Bible?
When it comes to the topic or question of “Is it a sin to be gay?” here are some observations according to the Bible:
- The Bible specifically mentions that unrepentant homosexual acts, not desires, keep an individual from inheriting the realm of God. “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).
- The Bible does excatly mention anything about same-sex attraction. There is a chance that the “dishonourable passions” in Romans 1:26 could be speaking about it but it’s vague about whether this is a concern to simply having an attraction, or following the attraction into lust.
- Our desires may be disordered by the decline of this creation, and yet be different from sinning. Spirit-filled believers complain about this “futility” and “corruption.” “We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
Given the above three facts regarding being gay as a sin, it seems proper to say that while homosexual practice is sinning, the experience of attraction towards the same sex need not involve active sinning.
John Piper says it like this:
“It would be right to say that same-sex desires are sinful in the sense that they are disordered by sin and exist contrary to God’s revealed will. But to be caused by sin and rooted in sin does not make a sinful desire equal to sinning. Sinning is what happens when rebellion against God expresses itself through our disorders “
How Different Churches View Homosexuality
One of the most critical issues when it concerns the Church today is the topic of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. The Church cannot dodge this query.
Christians who reject the legality of a homosexual lifestyle are commonly criticised as homophobic, narrow-minded, and even hateful. There is thus tremendous pressure concerning this issue. Some churches have stepped away from the Christian position and started living the homosexual lifestyle and even ordaining those who practice it.
This shift is happening not only in liberal churches. Evangelicals Concerned is a group who are to all formations born-again, Bible-believing Christians, but also practising homosexuals. They declare that the Bible doesn’t prohibit homosexual activity or that its powers aren’t valid for today, but were just a consideration of the culture in which the Bible was written. These individuals can be orthodox about Jesus and every other aspect of Christian teaching, but they think that it’s biblically acceptable to be a practising homosexual.
There was one New Testament scholar at an experienced conference who conveyed the following story of his speaking:
“Folks were worried about what you would say,” his host said with noticeable relief after the meeting.
He answered in surprise. “You know I’m not homophobic!”
“Oh, no, that wasn’t the issue,” his host comforted him. “They were scared you’d be too historical-critical!”
So who are we to state that these genuine Christians are wrong?
This also raises an even more profound question, which we’ve got to answer first: do right and wrong exist?
FAQs on Is it a Sin to be a Gay?
1. Does the bible say being gay is a sin
Ans. The Church does not have a say on the causes of any of these inclinations, including those related to same-sex attraction and is not considered a sin.
2. What the bible says about gay marriage
Ans. The Bible does not go against the concept of same-sex marriage. However, those who do not support it claim that lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender associations violate biblical principles.
3. What does Jesus say about gay people?
Ans. All Jesus talks about is loving and accepting the gay people in the society, and encouraging others to do so as well.
4. Is it a sin to love the same gender?
Ans. While same-sex marriage is not a sin, it could be challenging. While a person may not have chosen to have such feelings, they cannot commit to keeping God’s commandments.
