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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT
HOMOSEXUALITY (Rom 1:24-28) 11/26/06 Pastor 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, 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. 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 b)
"Know" simply means know! No hint at homosexuality
exists in the original Hebrew. (ibid.) c)
The real message of 2.
Rebuttal a)
The sin of 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 c)
In Jude 7, it is mentioned that
the sin of 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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