What Jesus Said About Homosexuality

Brian Giselbach

     This article is about homosexuality. We may feel a bit squeamish

talking or reading about this subject. However, God has something to

say about it in His Word. We must allow the Bible to speak

to us regardless of our comfort level.

     Recently, I have heard from two different sources that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality. One source was a newspaper article I read, and the other was from a panel discussion on the Fox News Channel. In discussing presidential candidate Howard Dean’s recent comments about Christianity and homosexuality, one contributor said: "One thing we know for certain; Jesus said absolutely nothing about homosexuality."

     Is there any truth to this statement? No! Jesus regarded homosexuality to be sinful behavior. Here’s how we know this is the case. First, Jesus told the apostles that their preaching and writing would be under the auspices of the Holy Spirit. Most interesting of all is this statement by Jesus to His apostles: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14). The Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth, and furthermore, the Spirit would take the teaching of Christ and "declare" it to them (i.e., remind them of the teaching He gave them during His earthly ministry; John 14:26). Thus all that the apostles taught has the full weight of Christ’s authority.

     The apostle Paul listed homosexuality as one of the sins of the Gentile world (Rom.1:26-27, 29). He also said that homosexuals would not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor.6:9-10). Paul also placed homosexuals (sodomites) in the same category with kidnapping, lying, perjury, and other things contrary to sound teaching (1 Tim.1 :9-10). The apostle Peter described Lot’s life in Sodom as a life lived among the wicked (2 Pet.2:6-8; see also Gen.18:16,19:11). The Biblical account of Sodom’s transgressions includes the appalling sin of homosexuality. Jesus affirmed the truthfulness of the Bible’s account of Sodom’s destruction by the hand of God (Luke 17:28-29). And so, we must conclude that Jesus’ view on homosexuality was reflected in the words of His apostles.

Second, Jesus authorized marriage between a man and a woman (in harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures; Gen. 1:27-28; 2:21-25; Matt.19:4-6). This is the only relationship authorized by God for the benefit and pleasure of sex (Heb.13:4). Jesus further permits divorce only for the cause of fornication. Even though "fornication" may have a limited definition in some texts, it is normally a general term describing "every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse" (Arndt and Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament p.693). According to the Dictionary Of Jesus And The Gospels (p.195), the term includes adultery, incest, premarital infidelity, and homosexuality.

     It has been shown therefore that Jesus was not silent about homosexuality. By His endorsement of the apostles’ ministry, His teaching on the heterosexual nature of Divinely sanctioned marriage, and His use of the word "fornication", Jesus clearly viewed homosexuality to be sin.

     Did Jesus ever specifically say that homosexuality was sinful in the sight of God? Who can say for certain? The Bible does not record all of the acts or words of Jesus (John 21:25). But the absence of specific statements proves nothing. Who decided that Jesus’ views could only be discerned by specific, declarative statements or commands He may have made? Where is the specific, declarative statement by Jesus that says this is the only way His teaching can be ascertained? There is none.

     The failure to understand what Jesus said or believed about homosexuality is really a failure to understand how the Bible teaches. In view of the judgment, let us be careful in our words and actions to correctly represent all that Jesus taught on any subject He addressed (John 12:48; Matt.12:36,37).

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