Jesus and gay marriage

Jesus addresses and defines marriage in Matthew –6 and Mark –9 using both Genesis –27 and Genesis to parse it out. Here Jesus defines and affirms marriage as between a man and a woman, a reflection of the fact that God made us male and female to care for creation together. With this definition, same-sex marriage is excluded.

Many who support same-sex marriage and gay rights argue that, since Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, He did not consider it to be sinful. After all, the argument goes, if homosexuality is bad, why did Jesus treat it as a non-issue?. Jesus never said anything explicit about abortion, same-sex marriage, or child molestation. But it would be an incredible claim to conclude from that fact that Jesus’s teaching is irrelevant to our ethical assessment of those issues.

what did jesus say about homosexuality

Second, Jesus did speak explicitly about sexual immorality in general and the nature of marriage. Biblical Encyclopedia / Topical Bible Entry: Homosexuality Below is a comprehensive exploration of what Scripture-encompassing both Old and New Testament writings-says about homosexual activity, along with relevant discussions from Jesus’ teachings on marriage and sexual ethics. All quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Berean Standard Bible.

Scripture references are. Jesus on marriage and divorce In the synoptic Gospels, Jesus discusses marriage only in a heterosexual context when he cites the Book of Genesis during a discussion of divorce (Mark –9 and Matthew –6). Sign up. Sign in. Follow publication. Publishing the truth, from good motives and for justifiable ends since , The Spectator is Hamilton College's independent, student-run weekly newspaper.

Although the Torah is fundamental to these texts and should not be excluded from the discussion, I have decided to limit my direct evidence to strictly New Testament scripture in the interest of brevity. I read the Bible an awful lot, and while a huge proportion of ideological opinions across the globe are directly rooted in scriptural text, I — like countless others for whom these passages remain fundamental to their identity and thought — perpetually find myself searching for explicit theological answers that simply do not exist in writing.

There are countless examples of religious beliefs that stem abstractly from biblical interpretation but lack specific reference within the text. Gay marriage, or homosexual activity in particular, cannot be included in this list. Sounds pretty explicit. So how can I, as someone who holds the teachings of Jesus — and his disciples by extension — to the highest esteem of ideological thought, interpret this verse as anything other than anti-gay?

Hear me out:. I will preface my argument with the confusing reality that all of the available primary biblical literature has been translated and transcribed for thousands of years and the original passages, and certainly their intentions, remain somewhat unclear. That said, even if we assume perfect depictions of what Paul wrote in the quotation above, as well as the other biblical references to homosexual activity, I do not believe that God and Jesus condemn gay marriage.

So are these activities that Paul describes considered evil? Not necessarily. Most of these examples of sinful behavior according to Paul are encompassed by the broader sin of lust. Wait, so queer relationships are lustful? If you consider the context and environment of these scriptures, it is highly unlikely that Paul was suggesting as such. There are numerous examples of these warnings throughout the Bible, most of which fall under the categorical umbrella of sexual immorality.

I do not purport to be a master of linguistics, but this word across Greek literature can be broadly interpreted as frivolous sexual activity for the purpose of pure self-gratification rather than the gratification of a committed partner. Paul and Peter are highlighting descriptive examples of eia, also known as lust. Homosexual activity is included not because queerness is a sin, but rather because Paul and Peter could not have conceptualized a loving relationship between two members of the same sex.

Would these close followers of God and Jesus have taken offense to two members of the same sex, deeply in love with each other, joining together in marriage? I would like to think not, but the Bible really does not say. So is all intimacy between two men or two women always just for insignificant gratification? Of course not, but 2, years ago, it was viewed as such.

Two people of the same sex in a long-term, committed romantic relationship was neither considered positively nor negatively; it was not considered at all. It is worth noting that Jesus himself, whom I believe truly had…. It is worth noting that Jesus himself, whom I believe truly had the answers to all of these questions and beyond, is not quoted in the Bible with any reference to homosexual activity. Many historians maintain that the authors of the texts quoted above did not even know Jesus personally.

Is it homophobic to assume all homosexual behavior is devoid of love? Absolutely it is, unless you lived in a time in which there was no conception of the possibility of a queer romantic relationship. If Jesus himself were to speak on the matter, I believe it would sound very different than what we are accustomed to hearing from the stereotypical Judeo-Christian perspective.