I am writing in response to the recent letters discussing homosexuality in the Bible. I must first make a disclaimer that it does not matter what I think is right, but it matters what God has said on the subject.

Therefore we must look to His revelation to us, the Bible. I will start in Genesis 4:1; “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.” The Hebrew word that is translated relations or sexual intercourse is Yada. This same verb is used by the men of Sodom when they asked Lot to bring the angels out so that they could have sexual relations with them (Genesis 19:5). The angels then struck the men with blindness (Genesis 19:11). Clearly this act of sexual relations between men is considered a wicked act before God. So God has always viewed sex between men as wicked. Understanding this sets the context for a proper reading of 1 Cor 6:9 and the translation of the verb arsenokoites. This verb is also used in 1 Tim 1:10, where it is also translated as homosexual. The overwhelming evidence for this translation, in view of God’s displeasure with such acts, is the use of the word in the Greek Septuagint (an approximately 400 B.C. Greek translation of the Old Testament). The same verb, arsenokoites, is used in Leviticus 18:22 in describing the Law on the lying down of a man with a man, an act which is punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13). Josephus, a second century Jewish historian, mentions in Antiquities the historical Jewish understanding of the Levitical passages as acts of men having sex with men as a deed which is punishable by death. It is clear that throughout history, God has shown us through His scriptures that homosexuality is wrong (see also Rom 1:27).

The reason that it is so important for this point to be made (that homo-sexuality is indeed a sin) is that we all may know that all are sinners (even those who are not homosexual, see Rom 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus said “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) We must be obedient to God, as is written; “And by this we know that we have come to know Him (Jesus), if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3) God will grant us eternal life and forgiveness of sins despite our wickedness. God who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) even desired to save Sodom, despite their great wickedness, if just ten righteous could be found (Gen 18:32), but none were found and the city was destroyed. We must come to Christ on His terms, not something of our own device. I agree that the Bible weighs heavily against our lives and it doesn’t always fit our current lifestyle, but the rewards (eternal life in the presence of God) outweigh the costs (changing our lives). The Church is not here to condemn but to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, that we may realize we are sinners and be saved. The Church is here to help overcome sin, including homosexuality. Therefore let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:1).

Steve Sass

Senior

Mechanical engineering