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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 -

 

 

 

 

THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY

 (Rom 1:24-28)     11/26/06

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.        INTRODUCTION

 

A.      Dr. Rembert S. Truluck is a gay theologian, Bible teacher, preacher, writer and pastor at Metropolitan Community Churches in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Nashville, Tennessee., 1988-1996, and author of Invitation To Freedom, a guide to Personal Evangelism in the Gay Community, 1993, and Steps To Recovery From Bible Abuse, 1997. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rembert_S._Truluck)

B.      Dr. Truluck received his Doctor of Theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, 1968.

C.      Dr. Rembert S. Truluck, wrote an article entitled, The Six Bible Passages Used To Condemn Homosexuals. I came across this article while studying Rom 1:24-28 and have come to disagree with him on his understanding of the original language as well as his interpretations on these six biblical passages. The following is a rebuttal to his proposition that the Bible does not condemn the sin of homosexuality.

 

II.      SIX BIBLICAL PASSAGES ON HOMOSEXUALITY

 

A.      ROMANS 1:24-28

 

1.       Opposing View: Rom 1:24-28 Condemns the Sin of Idolatry Not Homosexuality

 

a)       Romans 1:26-27 is part of Paul's vigorous denunciation of idolatrous religious worship and rituals. (Dr. Rembert S. Truluck, The Six Bible Passages Used To Condemn Homosexuals)

b)       "Passions" in 1:26 probably refers to the frenzied state of mind that many ancient mystery cults induced in worshipers by means of wine, drugs and music. (ibid.)

c)        To read into "indecent acts" a whole world of homosexual ideas is to abandon the realities of objective academic study and to embark on useless and damaging speculation that cannot be supported by the meaning of the word or by Paul's use of it elsewhere. (ibid.)

 

2.       Rebuttal

 

a)       Idolatry is certainly mentioned in the context of Romans 1. However, Paul’s complete thought is that the rejection of God (Rom 1:21-22) leads to idol worship (Rom 1:23, 25), and idol worship leads to depraved behavior (Rom 1:24, 26-27 homosexuality, 28).

b)       “Passions” (pathos) can refer to the frenzy exhibited in the ancient mystery cults. But, in this context, these passions are “degrading” (atimias - dishonorable, disgraceful, shameful, and immoral cp. Col 3:15). Paul specifically explained (gar - “for” - explanatory) these degrading passions as, “women [who] exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.”

c)       Homosexuality would have to be considered the meaning of “indecent acts” (aschêmosunê - shamelessness, with a reference to nakedness) because the men in vs. 27 are being compared (“in the same way”, homoiōs - “in the same manner) to the homosexuality in vs. 26. Furthermore,  Paul is specifically speaking of (lit.) “males with males” who abandoned the natural function (chresis - sexual sense) of women.

 

B.      GENESIS 19:5

 

1.       Opposing View: Gen 19:5 Condemns the Sin of Inhospitality Not Homosexuality

 

a)       None of the biblical references to Sodom mention sexual sins but view Sodom as an example of injustice, lack of hospitality to strangers, idolatry and as a symbol for desolation and destruction. (Dr. Rembert S. Truluck, The Six Bible Passages Used To Condemn Homosexuals)

b)       "Know" simply means know! No hint at homosexuality exists in the original Hebrew.  (ibid.)

c)       The real message of Sodom is backwards from the claims of homophobic preachers and teachers.  The Gay and Lesbian minority in our society today is more like the guests in Lot's house who were protected behind closed doors ("in the closet") than like the frightened mindless mob that wanted to expose, humiliate and destroy people that they did not "know" and control. (ibid.)

 

2.       Rebuttal

 

a)       The sin of Sodom was described as, “exceedingly grave” (Gen 18:20) and “wicked” (Gen 18:25-26ff). What was it that made the inhabitants of Sodom so sinful? It was their unbridled sexual immorality, which included homosexuality (Gen 19:5). For even Lot admonished them not to “act wickedly.” (Gen 19:7) This is strong language for mere inhospitality.

b)       The word, “know” (Heb. yada) can be translated as “sexual relations” in Gen 19:5.

(1)     “Know” (yada) has numerous meanings. It can mean, knowledge, acquaintance (Job 19:14; Ruth 2:1), kinfolk (2Ki 10:11), sexual relations (Gen 4:1; Gen 19:8; Gen 24:16; Num 31:17; Judges 11:39) and sexual perversion (Judges 19:22, 25).

(2)     “Know” (yada) was used when Adam had sexual relations with Eve in Gen 4:1 (KJV). As a result, she conceived and gave birth (cp. Gen 4:17, 25).

(3)     “Know” (yada) was used with Lot’s outrageous sin when he offered his daughters to the immoral men of Sodom (Gen 19:8 KJV).

c)       In Jude 7, it is mentioned that the sin of Sodom was going after “strange flesh” (heteros - other, i.e. strange or unnatural; and sarx - flesh) which refers to homosexual lusts (Gen 19:5). The record of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7) demonstrates God’s wrath and punishment not against inhospitality, but against gross sin and homosexuality. This has even led to the coined word, “sodomy.”

 

C.      LEVITICUS 18:22 &

D.      LEVITICUS 20:13

 

1.       Opposing View: Lev 18:22; 20:13 Condemn the Sin of Fertility Rituals Not Homosexuality

 

a)       Both of these verses refer not to homosexuals but to heterosexuals who took part in the baal fertility rituals in order to guarantee good crops and healthy flocks. No hint at sexual orientation or homosexuality is even implied.  The word abomination in Leviticus was used for anything that was considered to be religiously unclean or associated with idol worship. (Dr. Rembert S. Truluck, The Six Bible Passages Used To Condemn Homosexuals)

b)       The use of Leviticus to condemn and reject homosexuals is obviously a hypocritical selective use of the Bible against gays and lesbians.  Nobody today tries to keep the laws in Leviticus. Look at Leviticus 11:1-12, where all unclean animals are forbidden as food, including rabbits, pigs, and shellfish, such as oysters, shrimp, lobsters, crabs, clams, and others that are called an "abomination."  (ibid.)

 

2.       Rebuttal

 

a)       It is very difficult to imagine how anyone can take Lev 18:22 and 20:13 as anything other than the sin of homosexuality. Baal fertility rituals and temple prostitution are clearly sinful acts. However, the language is extremely precise in stating that lying (LXX koitê - bed, sexual relationship) with a “male” (LXX arsenos cp. Rom 1:27) as with a female is a “detestable act” and an “abomination.”

b)       It is true that the believer is dead to the Law (Rom 7:4). However, this refers to the sacrificial and meritorious system. The Law was given to reveal man’s inability to keep it (Rom 3:20). Consequently, the Law was to lead sinful humanity to Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross (Gal 3:24-25). God is still a righteous God and His righteous standards still apply. In fact, almost every one of the Ten Commandments is quoted in the NT. Homosexuality is against God’s moral law and is condemned both in the OT and NT (Rom 1:26-27; 1Co 6:9; 1Ti 1:10).

 

E.       1 CORINTHIANS 6:9

F.       1 TIMOTHY 1:10

 

1.       Opposing View: 1Co 6:9; 1Ti 1:10 Condemn the Sin of Homophobic Bigotry Not Homosexuality

 

a)       Evil homophobic Bible "translations from hell" must not go unchallenged. The use of these translations by ignorant religious bigots to incite fear and hate against Gays demands a clear, academically sound, credible and easily understood response. (Dr. Rembert S. Truluck, The Six Bible Passages Used To Condemn Homosexuals)

b)       1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10 sound very convincing in including lesbians and gay men in the most dreadful lists of depraved human behavior imaginable.  The fact is that the word translated "homosexual" does not mean "homosexual" and the word translated "effeminate" does not mean "effeminate"! (ibid.)

 

2.       Rebuttal

 

a)       There is a reason why most translators and Bible versions translate these words as they do.  The majority of Bible translators are not homophobic; rather they are Greek and Hebrew scholars who attempt to translate the Scriptures accurately.

b)        “Homosexual” is used in both 1Co 6:9 and 1Ti 1:10. The word is arsenokoitês is made up of two words, “male” and “bed or sexual relations.” It is very similar to the LXX’s translation of Lev 18:22 where it is an abomination to “lie with a male as one lies with a female.” Friberg defines it as, “an adult male who practices sexual intercourse with another adult male or a boy.” 

c)       “Effeminate” (malakos) literally means soft or delicate (as in clothing Luk 7:25) but figuratively can refer to an effeminate man or boy who submits his body to homosexual lewdness or the passive male homosexual partner. As in Greek, a number of other languages also have entirely distinct terms for the active and passive roles in homosexual intercourse. (Louw Nida)

 

III.   BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO HOMOSEXUALITY

 

A.      Homosexuality is sin (Rom 1:24-28; Gen 19:5; Lev 18:22; 20:13; 1Co 6:9; 1Ti 1:9-10).

B.      Homosexuality dictates its own theology (Rom 1:21-22, 28).

C.      Homosexuals can be forgiven (1Co 6:9-11; Joh 3:16).

D.      Homosexuals who have fully repented should be received into the church (1Co 5:5 cp. 2Co 2:6-8).

 

 

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