The Biblical Case
in Support of
Same-Sex
Relationships
A Brief Biblical Case
for LGBTQ inclusion
Hover on “Continue Reading” button to see a brief description
Non-affirming beliefs about same-sex relationships and transgender people contribute to serious harm in LGBTQ people’s lives. From the inclusion of Gentiles in the church to the abolition of slavery, the church has a long history of revisiting the biblical text in light of compelling evidence that prevailing interpretations do not align with Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 7 that good trees bear good fruit.
02
The Christian tradition does not address sexual orientation.
For the first 1,600 years of the church, nearly all Christians believed that the earth stood still at the center of the universe. But the invention of the telescope led Christians to reconsider their interpretation of the Bible.
For the first 1,600 years of the church, nearly all Christians believed that the earth stood still at the center of the universe.But the invention of the telescope led Christians to reconsider their interpretation of the Bible.
03
Celibacy is a gift, not a mandate.
The Bible teaches that celibacy is a gift, not something that should be forced upon anyone.
In the Old Testament creation narrative, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
In the New Testament, Jesus says celibacy can only be accepted by those to whom it is given (Matthew 19:11-12).
The Bible teaches that celibacy is a gift, not something that should be forced upon anyone. In the Old Testament creation narrative, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). In the New Testament, Jesus says celibacy can only be accepted by those to whom it is given (Matthew 19:11-12).
The Bible honors celibacy as a worthy calling, but it also makes clear that celibacy is a gift that not all have.
1 Corinthians
7:7-9, Matthew 19:11
04
“Gender complementarity” is a broad category, not a universally normative biblical teaching.
“Gender complementarity” is a category, rather than an argument in its own right. It simply asserts that there is a normative pattern of similarity and difference between the genders, but it doesn’t state what that normative pattern is. When you press for more detail, you discover two critical realities:
“Gender complementarity” is a category, rather than an argument in its own right. It simply asserts that there is a normative pattern of similarity and difference between the genders, but it doesn’t state what that normative pattern is. When you press for more detail, you discover two critical realities:
05
The arc of Scripture points toward inclusion, not exclusion.
In his 2001 book Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals, New Testament professor William Webb popularized the phrase “redemptive-movement hermeneutic” to describe a widely-used approach to Scripture.
In his 2001 book Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals, New Testament professor William Webb popularized the phrase “redemptive-movement hermeneutic” to describe a widely-used approach to Scripture.
Read the Introduction and First Chapter!
Download an excerpt from the revised and expanded edition of God and the Gay Christian.
Includes the updated introduction and first chapter
In this free excerpt, you’ll learn:
- Why many Christians today are rethinking their views on same-sex relationships
- What it means to judge by the “fruit”
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is commonly assumed to have been the result of God’s wrath against homosexuality, but the only form of same-sex behavior described in the story is an attempted gang rape (Genesis 19:5)—nothing like the loving, committed relationships that are widespread today. The Bible explicitly condemns Sodom for its arrogance, inhospitality, and apathy toward the poor, but never for same-sex behavior.
07
The prohibitions in Leviticus don’t apply to Christians.
Leviticus 18:22 prohibits male same-sex intercourse, and Leviticus 20:13 prescribes the death penalty for violators. But Christians have never lived under the Old Testament law.
Leviticus 18:22 prohibits male same-sex intercourse, and Leviticus 20:13 prescribes the death penalty for violators.But Christians have never lived under the Old Testament law.
08
Romans addresses unrestrained lust, not sexual orientation.
In the ancient world, it was assumed that all people could be satisfied with heterosexual sex, but that some people went beyond it due to their insatiable lust—leading them to engage in same-sex behavior.
Paul isn’t condemning being gay as opposed to being straight. He is condemning self-seeking excess as opposed to moderation—a concern made clear by his repeated use of the term “lustful,” and by his description of people “exchanging” or “abandoning” heterosexual sex.
In Romans 1-3, Paul argues that all people—Jewish and Gentile— are in need of salvation. In Romans 2, he speaks to his fellow Jews, saying that even one violation of the Law renders them in need of reconciliation to God. In Romans 1, Paul says that Gentiles, too, need salvation, because while they do not have a written law to break, they have violated what they know to be true about God through his creation. Rather than worshiping God, they worshiped idols, and as a result, God gave them over to their own devices.
09
1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy address exploitation.
After Paul’s apparent coinage of the term arsenokoites, most subsequent uses of it in ancient literature appear only in lists of vices. Those contexts indicate that the word likely relates to sexual or economic exploitation. So while it plausibly did refer to forms of same-sex behavior, those forms were most likely exploitative, not loving relationships.
1 Timothy 1:10 also uses the term arsenokoitai in a similar “vice list.” Given that many Bible translations since 1946 have rendered malakoi and arsenokoitai as “homosexuals” or “men who have sex with men,” it’s worth taking a close look at these two Greek terms.
10
Marriage is about covenant.
According to Ephesians, marriage is fundamentally about commitment—keeping our covenant with our spouse as a reflection of God’s own covenant with us through Jesus. Same-sex couples are just as capable of doing that as are heterosexual couples.
According to Ephesians, marriage is fundamentally about commitment—keeping our covenant with our spouse as a reflection of God’s own covenant with us through Jesus. Same-sex couples are just as capable of doing that as are heterosexual couples.