Biblical Perspective of Homosexuality & Lesbianism

In Regards to Homosexuality and Lesbianism in the Bible:

In today’s world culture, homosexuality and lesbianism are “hot buttons” that can tear apart relationships and create division. There are many “Christian” sources that claim the Lord will judge all that are not heterosexual with fire and eternal damnation. However, those that spout this false doctrine of man either ignore the truth in the scriptures concerning this issue and are purposefully staying silent, or are completely ignorant and lack the knowledge or ability to seek truth out for themselves. Most mainstream Christians may be believers, but wolves in sheep’s clothing have been indoctrinating them with false teachings concerning this topic. This practice creates and perpetuates hate and a lack of compassion towards those that are not heterosexual. Instead of allowing ourselves to fall into confusion or ignorance of the truth, let us examine the Word of God to understand what the Lord says of the issue, and then change the way we view others who may be gay or lesbian or bisexual in a different light – so that we may love them, just as the Lord loves them – for they are also made in the image of God.

First, let us explore what the bible says about homosexuality of men.

In Matthew 19, Jesus speaks about a group of men who do not have the same sexual attraction as other men do – he calls them eunuchs…”For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” Christ, in this passage, recognizes men who do not have sexual desire for women in the same way other men might; he considers these men to be “eunuchs which were so born from their mother’s womb”. If we consider both this passage as well as worldly culture today, we see a culture that says you must be sexually attracted to either male or female. Since a eunuch may not have standard sexual attraction to the female sex, he may convince himself to be sexually attracted to the male sex.

Now, as in Leviticus 20:13, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” Therefore, if a man claims to be gay (attracted to men), but does not commit sexual acts with another man as one would a woman (oral, vaginal, anal), then the man has committed no sin. The desire for or attraction to another man is not the sin, but rather the sexual acts with another man that is the sin in the eyes of the Lord. 

Do not forget that we must also take into consideration the sins of the father passing on to the third and fourth generation: “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7). 

If several generations back, an ancestor committed sin, then their children and later generations can struggle with the same or similar sin. This can explain how a gay or bisexual man can claim that it is “natural” for them to feel the way they do. Instead of despising and judging them for what they claim attraction to, we should apply Isaiah 58 to the issue: “…to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke…”. We are to love them and speak the healing of the blood of Christ into them and of their ancestral lines so that they may find freedom from the generational sin if they choose it.

In reference to lesbianism (woman with woman) in the bible, we still go to Leviticus 20, which is where the Lord details the appropriate sexual relationships men and women may have and sexual sins. In this chapter, you will find the Lord categorizes sexual sins as inclusive of both man and woman, just man, and just woman; He is very specific in his language and description so that there may be no mistaking him. 

Here is a basic accounting of sexual sins, starting from verse 10 thru 21:

v.10 – man and another man’s woman and/or wife (adultery)

v.11 – man with his father’s woman and/or wife (adultery and incest)

v.12 – man with his daughter-in-law (consult v.10/adultery)

v.13 – man with man (sexual acts only)

v.14 – man with his woman and her mother (incest)

v.15 – man with animal (beastiality)

v.16 – woman with animal (beastiality)

v.17 – man with his sister, father’s daughter, mother’s daughter (these include what we consider children from relationships other women or other men our parents may have/incest)

v.18 – men with a woman on her period

v.19 – men or women with their aunt (married or unmarried/incest)

v.20 – man with uncle’s wife (adultery)

v.21 – man with brother’s wife (adultery)

In none of these sexual sins, does the Lord forbid or say that a woman cannot have a sexual relationship with another woman, except for in the case of a woman and her mother or aunt (aka incest). As the sexual relationship between women is not prohibited or forbidden in the bible, the only area of concern given would be to not replace the other woman over the man’s natural position of headship, as is appropriate in Ephesians 5. When this happens, then the natural order the Lord has given us is replaced by an order that is corrupted and evil, giving into a “Jezebel” (un-husbanded) spiritual condition.

Most religious people and organizations will condemn the gay (homosexual) or lesbian, but have refused to look at this passage critically to realize that the doctrine they believe to be true is actually false. They choose to remain ignorant of the actual sexual sin(s) and what they entail. It would be unwise to condemn those that commit a sexual sin in the eyes of the Lord and have sex with a woman on her menstrual period (v.18, Matthew 7:5). Yet again, this is not a sexual sin that is taught in the “church”, but is specifically listed by the Lord as being an abomination to Him. In fact, the Lord spent a great deal of time in Leviticus 15 detailing how sex with a woman on her menstrual cycle is a sin and how to purify yourself through sacrifices because of the sin committed. If the man and woman did not make the sin sacrifices for having sex during the menstrual cycle, then they were to be cut off from Israel completely. It is just as serious as adultery, beastiality, and incest. If you would like to make an issue of one of the sexual sins, “first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)