Feb. 16, 2022

169: Bible Questions: Is Gay Okay?

169: Bible Questions: Is Gay Okay?

People and churches fit into three groups -- pride, chide (that means to rebuke or scold), and guide.

God's pattern in creation is one man, one woman, glued together for life (Genesis 2). Jesus and Paul repeated this.

Since Genesis 3, mankind has gone off the rails in terms of God's pattern for marriage and for living well in general.

The three words the Old Testament uses to describe this are sin (to fall short of God's standard), trespass (to stray outside God's appointed boundaries, and wickedness (to twist God's intended purposes)

Chide Bible students and churches treat several passages in Scripture as strong rebukes toward same sex attraction and intimacy -- Genesis 19 and Romans 1 in particular. We look at how we need to see these passages in context.

In a number of places, the writers state that attitudes and actions that are non-sexual in nature are equally sin, trespass, and wickeness, as is opposite-sex attraction and intimacy not done according to God's created pattern.

Like all other areas we go outside God's intended purposes in this broken world, God intends to renew us as "new creations" and "new creatures" when we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That includes same sex attraction and intimacy as well as the multitude of attitudes and actions in each of us that fall shorts, strays outside the boundaries, twists God's purposes.

That redeeming should be done with other believers over the long haul as we love unconditionally and grew deeper in community

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169: Bible Questions: Is Gay Okay?

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Show Notes
Transcript

What the Bible says about same sex attraction and intimacy

Transcript

I'm 61 and should probably be smart enough to not address this next Bible questions. Maybe I should just leave it alone, but my students will let me, it's a critical issue. My students bring up and the topic comes up in our cover to cover survey of the old and new Testament. It's this question? What does the Bible teach about? Same sex attraction and intimacy. Like any difficult issue. There tends to be two groups on the ends of the bell curve and a whole bunch of well-meaning people in the middle who are not quite sure which way to lean one end of the curve is what I'll call the pride side. The other end to keep this simple. I call the chide side.

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00:00:45

If that's an unfamiliar word to chide means to rebuke or scold. If you're on the pride side, I won't be surprised during this podcast. If you think to yourself, why would they allow this guy to infect kids with this stuff? If you're on the child side, it won't surprise me. If you think, why do they allow this guy to infect kids with this stuff? I understand those on the pride side may call me a hater and I understand why those on the child side may call me a heretic. That's saddening, but not surprising. This is a contentious issue. I should be clear up front. I have friends and relatives, some close who have this same sex attraction.

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I also want to signal if you stick through this podcast and I hope you do that, I'm going to land somewhere in the messy middle. I promise you. I'm going to stick to what I know the 66 books of the Christian scriptures. And I'm going to refer you back many times to the 150 episodes of the word pictures Bible course, I teach my students almost everything I'm going to say here. I've said during that one year course to my seventh and eighth graders. So here we go. I'll refer to the episode and what I believe the Bible teaches about same-sex attraction and intimacy. First, we need to go to our Bible introduction. The first 12 episodes of word pictures in episode.

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Number two, I made this point, according to the Bible what's written in the Bible is not the opinions of men. Two to 4,000 years ago. Scripture testifies that these men were carried along by the spirit of God, as they wrote much like water and current under an inner tube further, it tells us when they got done writing, God said that's as if I breathed it out myself. In episode six, we learned that a text means what the writer intended it to mean. Not what we, the readers think it means or a wish. It means in episode seven and eight, I confessed. It's not real easy to get back to the meaning of the writer for two reasons.

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00:02:51

One God and scripture is an iPhone and we're Pygmies trying to figure it out. And second, we all come to the text with distorted vision things that our background and culture twists in our perception. We don't see clearly in episode 10, we looked at what is taught in scripture should fit within the major themes of scripture. I compared this to the edge pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and I gave four pairs of rhyming words to my students to define those major themes made Strade lost cost, save behave. Regaine reign quickly put we're made in God's image and deeply loved by God strayed.

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We've wandered off from God and gotten hopelessly lost, hopelessly lost God, paid an enormous cost to buy us back that God alone can save us. We cannot save ourselves. And that once saved, God expects his kids to behave for their own good. And the last pair of words, Regaine once saved, but backed by God. And as we learned in the new Testament filled with his spirit, we can begin to regain God's calling for our lives and our relationship with him and rain they'll come a time when we will be God's people fully. Again, my point here is any teaching of scripture about same sex, attraction and intimacy should fit within those boundaries, those eight themes and not go against them.

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00:04:26

In episode 12, we looked at a very pertinent issue regarding the application of biblical texts to this question that is over these texts of scripture. We need to ask the question, is this descriptive or prescriptive? Is it describing what happened then good or bad? Or is it prescribing what should happen? Each of these Bible introduction principles are critical to us answering the question. What does the Bible teach about? Same-sex attraction and intimacy. In episode 15, we learned that the mammo man are created in God's image, male and female in Genesis chapter two. God gave us a pattern in creation for this relationship one man, and one woman glued together for life Jesus in the new Testament repeats this pattern in creation and Paul, the writer of over half, the new Testament letters digs in even deeper stating that the relationship of one man and one woman glued together for life is the clearest illustration or word picture of God in his people.

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00:05:32

But when it comes to the image of God, it is vast. It's not just that we are reproducing mammals, that image by teaching in Genesis and implication means to work, to create, to think plan and dream, to relate to each other, to make choices and to have wonder, I draw on the whiteboard a pie and cut it into eight pieces for my students. And I write those words, think, create work, relate, choose, reproduce the image of God. I suggest I like slices of the pie are sexual attraction and intimacy is one slice. I'm not sure if it happened in the sexual revolution of the sixties or in popular culture, but now it seems what's communicated is our sexual attraction and intimacy is almost the entire pie.

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00:06:23

Nothing could be further from the truth from scripture in episodes, 18 through 20, we looked at the fall of man into sin. Here is where sin trespass and wickedness entered in. Those are the three main words for sin in the old Testament, sin to fall short of God's standards, trespass to go outside, God's appointed boundaries and wickedness to twist God's created purposes. This is where it happened and the results badly damaged people. A partnership between men and women gone very wrong. Guilt, shame, hiding from God in each other and unbridled selfishness, the opposite male and female that God had designed to attract now attack.

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00:07:10

In episode 24, we look at Noah and his sons. After the start over flood, I used the word picture of ruts in a freshly grated road. After that start over flood the old ruts of sin re-emerge I suggested in that episode, we all have ruts in our road tendencies. For ways we stray outside God's appointed boundaries. We saw this with father Abraham and episode 25 and 26 Abraham's rut was fear of God's protection. And what did he do? He lied and threw his wife, Sara under the bus twice in episode 52 king Saul's rut was pride. And when others were praised, he threw Spears.

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In episode 57, we looked at king Solomon. His rut was maidens. He was a sex addict. And so we go through scripture all the way down to episode 1 45, where we meet a man in the little letter of third, John, his name, Diane atrophies, his rut. He had to be in power. We all have ruts in the road. Grooves that cause us to sin trespass or act wickedly. In episode 27, we come across a primary passage used by the child side to condemn same sex, attraction and intimacy. It's the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. We're told the men of Sodom, both young and old came out to gang rape angels who appeared in the form of men visiting lot.

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I said in that episode, that could have been an attraction and a desire for intimacy. But in that episode, I suggested there was another more likely reason they came to humiliate. Those visitors were told earlier in the context that they were evil through and through, they could have just as easily come to shed their blood. We're also told all the men of the city, both young and old it's highly implausible. Every male in Sodom had a same sex attraction for these visitors. In episode 31, God taught us that he has a problem with opposite sex attraction used improperly. Here we meet Onin.

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Onin is a biblical example of enjoying a woman physically without responsibility. And what does God do for twisting this gift of sexuality? He takes Owen's life in episode 38, we learn God's family rules. The 10 commandments do not commit adultery. God is saying it's to be one man and one woman for life. That's my pattern. Don't break it in the three chapters that follow God gives other family rules. One of which is don't be intimate with an animal. He repeats it again in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. God is saying, that's another example of trespass of crossing.

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A lion. God laid down here to the penalty was death in episode 53 and 54. We looked at the special friendship of David and Jonathan people on the pride side. Often point to this as a same sex attraction and intimacy. They clearly had an amazing relationship. And at the beginning of second Samuel, when David hears about Jonathan's death, he says this, Jonathan, your love meant more to me than the love of a woman. It's no wonder those on the pride side point to this passage and remind us, David was a man after God's own heart. But I said in episode 54, be careful with that.

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00:10:41

Clearly Jonathan and David were married men with children, and we know from David's sin with Bathsheba, he clearly had a strong attraction for the ladies. I tell my students, there's something special about a same-sex friend that Adam also needed a Stephen his life as Naomi needed a Ruth in episode 58, we looked at the Proverbs of Solomon said by God to be the wisest man who ever lived in Proverbs chapter six, we find an interesting paragraph of wisdom. It says this, there are six things that God hates, seven that are abominable to him. In other words, they make him rich.

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And what are those seven things, pride, lying, murder hearts, that plot evil feet that run to do evil. Those who commit perjury and Homewreckers people who divide families notice what's missing no references to sex at all. Don't you find that odd? I find that odd. It seems today. Christians are far more concerned about those who stray outside. God's appointed pattern in creation for sexual intimacy than they do about those who break up homes and lie and have swagger. In episode 60 Solomon goes on to commit an entire book to celebrate the beauty and joy of sexual intimacy within an exclusive covenantal holy relationship.

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And then we get to the new Testament. Jesus, our hero promised in the old Testament and arriving in the new is surrounded by sinners trespassers and the wicked he's called by the religious leaders. A friend of sinners in Matthew 11 and Luke seven, the Roman and Greek culture was loaded with same sex, attraction and intimacy. Yet those who surrounded Jesus were cared for at the same time, Jesus didn't back pedal on the pattern of creation. One man, one woman glued together for life. He repeats that in Matthew 19 and in mark 10 and episode 82 John's gospel trailer, those amazing 18 verses setting up who Jesus was, how he'd be received and what he came to do.

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John describes Jesus as full of grace and truth. There is a phrase to remember from this Bible questions, answer full of grace and truth. One sister in Christ wrote to me, I have a number of gay friends and loved ones while they all know, I do not believe they are living in harmony with the word of God. I believe they all feel loved and safe with me on quote full of grace and truth. In episode 1 35 Paul's letter to the Romans, those on the child's side, come up with a second passage that they use as a heavy hammer in Romans chapter one, after explaining people, reject an obvious God, Paul uses the example of same-sex attraction to support his point.

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00:13:40

He says those who suppress the obvious truth and reject God first have mines that become darken. And then it moves 12 inches to their hearts, which become twisted. Paul then illustrates this with same sex attraction, but I would ask those on the child side to continue reading the passage. Paul goes on to other illustrations of what happens when we reject God. When our minds get distorted and our hearts become hard and cold. Here's his list. Greed hate envy murder quarrelling deception, malicious behavior gossip, backstabbing, hating God being insolent proud, boastful, inventing evil, being disobedient to parents.

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And then he summarizes with these three terms being untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful. That sounds a lot like the things God hates in Proverbs chapter six Paul's first letter to the Corinthians gives those on the child's side. More ammunition. Paul says this, the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. And then he gives a list which includes homosexuals, but also in that list are other twisting of God's gift of sex. Those unmarried who sleep around those who sleep with someone else's spouse. And he continues the list with non-sexual ruts in the road, idolatry, thievery, greed, drunkenness, verbal abusing, and swindling.

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00:15:14

What keeps us out of the kingdom of God. It's not these behaviors. It's these behaviors that are unforgiven under the shed blood of Jesus. Paul writes one more passage that the child side uses frequently in Ephesians chapter five. He states that a Christian man and a Christian woman glued together for life is the best picture of the relationship between God and his children between Jesus Christ and his church. To be honest, I've often said to people, a marriage between a man and a woman before God is the picture the world carries around in its wallet of Christ and the church. In retrospect, I've been a little heavy handed with that, with those on the pride side.

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And at the same time, Paul, in that passage calls it a mystery when it's done God's way it's mysterious. Solomon mentioned something similar in the Proverbs. He said there are four things that are too amazing for me. I can't even grasp them the way of a serpent on the rock, the way of a ship on the sea, the way of an ego in the sky and the way of a man with a woman. And there's one final theme. The apostle Paul is a workhorse on and we must mention that's the theme. When we come to Christ, when we lost people are bought back by the blood of Jesus, God begins to restore us toward what he intended in creation.

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00:16:38

The new Testament letters teach us that we Humpty Dumpty's can be put back together again by the king king Jesus and the King's men. Other believers in community. Second Corinthians five 17 through 20 is an amazing passage. Whoever is in Christ is a new creature. The old goes away. The new comes, those old ruts going away may be lifelong. In fact, it may never in this life be complete. It will be in the next life with new sinless body is an a face-to-face relationship with God. As I mentioned at the beginning, some of you listening to this are on the pride side.

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00:17:18

Some of you listening to this are on the child side. I believe both of these groups want to honor both scripture and the God of scripture. And there's a group in the middle. You desperately want to do the same, but you're just not sure how to respond. Churches also fall into these three groups, pride churches, chide churches, and this middle group. I'll call them guide churches. What is a guide church? I believe they are those who first God's pattern and creation. They acknowledge we're living in a deeply broken world. They treat this area of falling short, going outside God's lines or twisting God's pattern as no worse than attitudes.

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God finds abominable. They realize we are all being restored in community of the local church. Over the long haul. They realize anyone struggling with anything are to be restored in community of the local church, over the long haul, as we love unconditionally and go deeper in relationship with them. And finally, I want to direct you to episode 19 it's Genesis chapter three, it's the text where God describes how man began falling short straying outside the lanes, twisting God's purposes. It all started when Adam and Eve were led to conclude God was not good.

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He was not for them. He was withholding something from them. They didn't trust God's heart and his goodness to care for them. With Adam and Eve, it broke God's heart. It broke their relationship with God and with each other, and it caused him to send his son to die for them and for us. And that's what doubting God's care and goodness does in me. I think that's the sin I should be most concerned about in my life and in the life of God's church.

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