We’ve been getting asked about our views on homosexuality a lot lately, particularly since a major Lutheran denomination recently voted to allow open homosexuals to be ordained as clergy. I wanted to take the time to address this issue in the most straight-forward fashion I am able, trying to be sensitive to a variety of potential contexts. All theology is contextual, even the name “Jesus Christ” is a first century Greek rendering of “Joshua the Anointed One (Messiah).” Everything we have is conditioned by our culture, including our own theology in these postmodern times.

Biblically, we frequently see the authors of Scripture writing against the practice of homosexuality. This is seen in both the Old and New Testaments. But we also see passages in the Old Testament telling us that it is wrong to wear clothing woven of two types of material, and the New Testament teaches that women should wear head coverings and be silent in gatherings of believers. So we have to look at the text in light of the surrounding culture and context.There were three types of laws given in the Old Testament: civil, moral, and ceremonial (religious). Civil laws were for a specific time and place culturally and no one would argue that they still need to be upheld today. Ceremonial laws foreshadowed Christ, but also are no longer in effect, not because they have been abolished, but because they have been fulfilled. Moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments, often transcend time, since the New Testament repeatedly affirms and upholds them. The issue of homosexuality falls in the realm of moral law.

Investigating Culture & Context

Author William J. Webb wrote an excellent book that performs an in-depth analysis of these issues of culture and context in Scripture entitled Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis. Webb coins the term “redemptive movement hermeneutic” to talk about the movement of the text towards a greater ethic. He uses slavery texts as a neutral point in the argument, as almost all of of us can agree today that slavery is wrong, while Scripture seemingly condones it.

A closer look reveals that the Bible always pushed the surrounding culture on towards a greater ethic regarding slavery. While other cultures were free to rape and pillage female slaves, the Israelites were instructed that if they took a slave as a wife (slept with her) then she would have the same protection and status of being a wife. Granted, when looking at that through 21st century lenses, it still appears crude because the Bible still condoned taking female slaves as wives. But for the culture and context in which those instructions were given, this better treatment of slaves was radical, indeed this instruction was already very difficult for the culture to understand and accept in this historical context. It’s easy for us to impose our modern values on ancient cultures and judge them, but doing so fails to acknowledge our own biases.

So on and on in the Old and New Testaments, we see the Bible pushing towards better treatment of slaves, with Paul even urging Philemon to free his runaway slave Onesimus. We also see numerous passages discouraging people from becoming slaves and encouraging people to seek freedom. Thus the “redemptive movement” of the text pushes us on toward a greater ethic regarding slavery, namely the freedom of slaves and abolishment of human slavery.

In regards to women in society and in the faith, we see a similar redemptive movement in the Old & New Testaments. We see women being acknowledged for military conquests and obedience to the LORD in the Old Testament, and the acknowledgement of female prophets and a greatly elevated social status in the New Testament. The surrounding culture saw this as radical and suppressed women, while Scripture pushed the culture forward towards the better treatment of women. Women were the first witnesses of Christ’s empty tomb, and women have been included in the visible sign and seal of the new covenant, baptism (previously only men were included in the visible sign and seal of the old covenant: circumcision, see Colossians 2:9-12). The redemptive movement of the text is thus the greater elevation of women’s status in society and in the Church.

Now let’s look at homosexuality. Both the Old and New Testament denounce homosexuality as an abominable practice. If the surrounding culture shared this view, then we could begin looking for clues that God was pushing for better treatment of and eventually acknowledgement and tolerance of the homosexual lifestyle. But this isn’t the case. The surrounding culture was fairly open to homosexuality, yet the Bible still opposed it in both Testaments. Thus the redemptive movement is against the grain of culture; the Bible continues to affirm that homosexual behavior is sinful. If we were to continue that movement today, then we must also stand against the grain of culture and continue to confess that homosexual behavior is sinful.

Jesus Frees People Trapped in Sinful Lifestyles

This doesn’t mean that we need to single it out as the worst sin ever, though. Jesus continually loved people yet maintained a solid stance on sin. For instance, the woman who was caught in adultery was brought before Jesus (possibly naked). The Law demanded that she be stoned to death. Jesus notices that only the woman is brought before Him and not the man with whom she was sleeping, and He begins writing in the sand. The Pharisees are trying to corner Him, trying to see if He disregards God’s Law. He then says, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” What a profound answer. Of course everyone drops their stones and walks away. Some have speculated that perhaps Jesus was writing specific sins in the sand that each of the men standing around had committed, but no one can be sure. Finally only Jesus and the woman remain. Jesus then asks her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:3-11).

Jesus shows this woman great mercy, yet at the same time He never dismisses the fact that her behavior was sinful. No doubt the woman understood that she was wrong, yet still felt loved by Jesus. This is the PERFECT example of how we are to love all sinners (not forgetting that we ourselves are sinners). Regardless of the specific sins, we are called to show God’s love and mercy to sinful people. At the same time, we are not to ‘dismiss’ sins and pretend as though they are not an issue.

I’m all for having struggling sex addicts, couples struggling with premarital sex, porn addicts, cohabiting couples, homosexuals, etc. in the church. All of these behaviors fall under the category of “sexual immorality.” At the same time, we must not neglect Scriptures dealing with sexual immorality while ministering to these individuals. These individuals must recognize that their behavior is sinful and not pleasing to God. They should be making an active attempt to leave their lifestyle of sin (repentance), and faithful preachers of the Word must exhort them to do so (just as Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin).

My problem with many churches today is that we allow open homosexuality, cohabitation, and premarital sex in the church to go unchallenged. In our efforts to love those trapped in these lifestyles, many pastors fail to faithfully proclaim God’s Law and Gospel to these hearers. This was Jesus’ example: He loved the sinner, yet still called sin as it is and exhorted people to leave that lifestyle.

But They Can’t Help It

Many folks actively living these lifestyles will not admit that they are doing anything wrong. In fact many homosexuals now believe that genetics has more to do with their lifestyle than personal choice. Many Christian apologists spend countless hours trying to prove that there is no “gay gene.” But it doesn’t matter whether there is or isn’t. Genetics is irrelevant in the church’s attitude towards homosexuality as a sin. It has already been discovered that there is a gene predisposing people to alcoholism, but when these individuals go to court for drunk driving, can they plead, “but I have the alcoholism gene?” NO! They are still wrong for not controlling their behavior despite their genetic predisposition to it. Even if a solid genetic link to homosexuality is established, the same is true: it is not an excuse to invalidate clear Scriptural teaching regarding homosexual behavior. The Holy Spirit can and does enable people to overcome any genetic predisposition to sin that they may have.

But All They Want is Acceptance

Many people these days are not looking for a loving God who is also just and punishes sin. They are looking for ‘acceptance.’ To them that means accepting their sinful lifestyle as being OK (I’m not talking exclusively about homosexuals in this sentence). The problem is, a Christian cannot approve of a sinful lifestyle, but they can love the individual trapped in it. I sincerely hope that Christians can better show love to homosexuals and all those trapped in sexual immorality. It is also my sincere hope that preachers faithfully proclaim God’s truth concerning sexual immorality while showing love to them.

Speaking the Truth in Love

Proverbs 27:5-6 reads: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” We are not doing our homosexual neighbors any favors by glossing over God’s holy standards. In fact, we are merely sending them kisses as an enemy, since we are lying to them about God’s judgment. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted….” Sometimes we have to tell people the truth, even if it hurts their feelings, in order to truly be a friend to them. Don’t get me wrong, I am angered when I see radical evangelicals holding up signs that say “GOD HATES FAGS” and other such thoughtless hatred. But at the same time, we cannot go to the other extreme and give the false impression that God tolerates homosexual behavior; He makes it clear that it is an abomination in His sight.

The key is to show love to our homosexual neighbors by befriending them, serving them, and helping them as you would any neighbor. But when the topic comes up (and it will), don’t withhold the truth from them. Be honest about God’s Law, but also share the Gospel. The Bible is clear, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives” (1 John 1:10). If your homosexual neighbor refuses to believe they are living in sin, they cannot know God, and telling them that truth means they may not like you very much. Welcome to the lot of a true Christian, the same lot that belonged to the prophets. Most true Christians were never very popular, neither was Jesus. That’s why the world killed Him.

What About Gay Christians?

The final group that we must consider are unrepentant homosexuals who believe themselves to be Christians. Homosexual orientation is temptation, homosexual behavior is sin. There are many true Christians who struggle with homosexuality. But someone who believes their homosexual lifestyle is compatible with God’s Word and does not believe it is sinful is simply not a child of God – and as a faithful ambassador of Christ, it is your responsibility to show them why that is the case using God’s Word. 1 Corinthians 5:11 says, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” This is very intolerant – yet this is God’s Word. Tolerance is a cultural value, not a biblical value. Be careful to note that this does not mean shunning those who make no claims to be a believer, verses 9-10 make this clear: “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.”

Conclusion

So in conclusion, those who claim to be Christians (“anyone who calls himself a brother”) yet live in unrepentant sexual immorality are to be excommunicated from our fellowships (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13), and this is actually the loving thing to do (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5). To those who are not Christians and make no claims to be, we are to befriend and declare God’s Word to them (be honest about what sin is, and show them how Christ lovingly desires to set them free from the power of sin and death). Many in our culture are not really looking for a holy God, they want a false God that will excuse their behavior, so long as they are “happy.” The most loving thing the Church can do is stand against the grain of culture and proclaim God’s Word as it really is, not as our culture would like it to be. This is the redemptive movement of the Scriptures and of our God. He wishes to redeem sinners from the homosexual lifestyle. He wants to free them from this painful way of living and restore them to a right relationship with Him as their Heavenly Father. He loves them very dearly, and we should too. It’s simply hard for our culture to understand that sometimes being honest is hurtful, yet being honest is the only truly loving way to be.

I will best love my homosexual neighbor by being his or her friend, and hopefully they will learn the profound truth of Proverbs 27:6, that even though the truth about their behavior may hurt their feelings, wounds from a friend can be trusted. Even more so I pray and hope that they will encounter Jesus Christ, whose love can cover a multitude of sins.