Traditional Christian teachings regarding those of us who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender have based their positions on a few passages of Scripture commonly known as "the clobber passages."
Many GLBT believers have made strides in showing that there is more to them than what traditional Christian teaching has offered based on arguments regarding the cultural context in which they were written. Arguments such as "the writers of the Scriptures were unaware of those who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender", or that "certain passages no longer apply to us, because they were written to a specific group of people at a specific time". Many will even go back to the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words in which the manuscripts were written and argue that references to homosexual behavior "back then" was not what we would consider as gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgender people today. While I tend to agree with these assessments, I find that these arguments are often convoluted, and it can be difficult to comprehend all the "ifs," "ands," and "buts." And the truth is, they have often left my conscience less than satisfied.
I believe there is a better way to understand these "clobber passages" by simply looking at Scriptures that are written before and after these passages. I find that once theses passages are placed in the context of what the writers were actually saying--and to whom they were addressed--we can then actually simply allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13:
I would say that first it's important to understand that the Scriptures that spoke about prohibitions against same-gendered sexual relations spoke to heterosexual and married men, and not gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgender people. Many scholars say that these Scriptures were part of the Law, and no longer apply to Christians. Some say only certain Scriptures from the Law still apply to Christians. But how does one "pick and choose" which to apply to Christians and which to not apply?
I say we should consider who these Scriptures were speaking to: Heterosexual Jewish men who turned to other men in order to escape the punishment of "adultery", one of the ten commandments. In doing so, they believed they were "side-stepping" the law against adultery because they were not "really" cheating on their wives if they were having sexual relations with a man (or boy, most likely). Therefore, while I uphold the whole of the Law as Truth from God, I do not believe it applies to gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender Christian believers.
Let's look at Leviticus 18:22, then, but begin reviewing the Scripture from where the audience is addressed beginning in verse 4:
4 You shall do My ordinances and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.
5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord.
6 None of you shall approach anyone close of kin to him to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7 The nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover; she is your mother; you shall not have intercourse with her.
8 The nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover; it is your father's nakedness.
9 You shall not have intercourse with or uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
10 You must not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your own flesh.
11 You must not have intercourse with your father's wife's daughter; begotten by your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
12 You shall not have intercourse with your father's sister; she is your father's near kinswoman.
13 You shall not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
14 You shall not have intercourse with your father's brother's wife; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife; you shall not have intercourse with her.
16 You shall not have intercourse with your brother's wife; she belongs to your brother.
17 You shall not marry a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to have intercourse; they are [her] near kinswomen; it is wickedness and an outrageous offense.
18 You must not marry a woman in addition to her sister, to be a rival to her, having sexual relations with the second sister when the first one is alive.
19 Also you shall not have intercourse with a woman during her [menstrual period or similar] uncleanness.
20 Moreover, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.
21 You shall not give any of your children to pass through the fire and sacrifice them to Molech [the fire god], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by giving it to false gods]. I am the Lord.
22 You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.
23 Neither shall you lie with any beast and defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman yield herself to a beast to lie with it; it is confusion, perversion, and degradedly carnal.
24 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for in all these things the nations are defiled which I am casting out before you.
25 And the land is defiled; therefore I visit the iniquity of it upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.
26 So you shall keep My statutes and My ordinances and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the native-born nor any stranger who sojourns among you,
So we see here God begins by saying that "You shall keep My statutes", referring to the Ten Commandments, specifically the commandment that reads, "You shall not commit adultery."
As for Leviticus 20:13, I would say the same as before...these Scriptures were addressed to heterosexual married men. If we were to review the entire passage, beginning in verse 7, we see that Moses was not out to prohibit sexual expression between two people of the same gender, but instead was explaining to these heterosexual married men what all counts as "adultery."
7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God.
8 And you shall keep My statutes and do them. I am the Lord Who sanctifies you.
9 Everyone who curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his bloodguilt is upon him.
10 The man who commits adultery with another's wife, even his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man who lies carnally with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of the guilty ones shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon their own heads.
12 And if a man lies carnally with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought confusion, perversion, and defilement; their blood shall be upon their own heads.
13 If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
14 And if a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness and an outrageous offense; all three shall be burned with fire, both he and they [after being stoned to death], that there be no wickedness among you.
15 And if a man lies carnally with a beast, he shall surely be [stoned] to death, and you shall slay the beast.
16 If a woman approaches any beast and lies carnally with it, you shall [stone] the woman and the beast; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
17 If a man takes his sister, his father's or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked and shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people; he has had sexual relations with his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.
18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her menstrual pains and shall uncover her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood; and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked his close kin; they shall bear their iniquity.
20 And if a man shall lie carnally with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless [not literally, but in a legal sense].
21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless [not literally, but in a legal sense].
22 You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out [as it did those before you].
So we can hardly conclude that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 were simply referring to loving expressions between gays, lesbians, bi-sexual or transgender Christians, because once we look at the whole of what God was speaking through Moses, we see He begins by talking about "His statutes". What are God's "statutes"? In this case, He is referring to the Ten Commandments, one of which is "Thou shall not commit adultery." I believe this is why the punishment for "men lying with men as they lie with a woman" was punishable by death--because "adultery" was punishable by death, not loving expressions between those of us who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender.
There are many other ways to understand the clobber passages, or "get out of them" as many GLBT Christians do, but I don't. I embrace them as being part of God's Truth. Here, I see God expanding his definition of "thou shalt not commit adultery,"and had addressed these Scriptures to men (and women) who apparently went to great lengths to engage in sexual relations outside of their marriage bonds, in an effort to keep from being killed for "adultery." They seemed to think that as long as it was not "really cheating on their marriage mate" they would be absolved of their violation of "God's statutes to not commit adultery."
I see the same thing with all the "clobber passages". Others do not. But to me, we still apply these definitions of "adultery" and I believe it not only applies to Christians as well, but also applies to gays and straights both. I believe this, because whether gay or straight, "adultery" is "adultery." This would also apply then to gays, lesbians, bi-sexual or transgender people who were "married" to each other. This does not give us a "license to sin", though. Sexual relations outside of marriage is continually defined throughout the Old and New Testaments as being a sin. But I also believe marriage is defined by the two people who have come into a covenant relationship between themselves before God, forsaking all others, and who commit to remain faithful, "till death do us part," whether the Church or the state recognize them as such or not.
Remembering however that these passages of Scripture were God speaking to Moses about adultery, and the fact that they were addressed to heterosexual married men and women, helps me discern how to rightly divide the Word of God. The way I have learned that process is by 3 scholastic tests:
1. Who is doing the speaking in the Scriptures?
2. Who are the Scriptures addressed to?
3. How does a passage of Scripture fit into the rest of Scripture.I hope that helps.
Romans 1:24-26:
Many GLBT believers have made strides in showing that there is more to them than what traditional Christian teaching has offered based on arguments regarding the cultural context in which they were written. Arguments such as "the writers of the Scriptures were unaware of those who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender", or that "certain passages no longer apply to us, because they were written to a specific group of people at a specific time". Many will even go back to the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words in which the manuscripts were written and argue that references to homosexual behavior "back then" was not what we would consider as gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgender people today. While I tend to agree with these assessments, I find that these arguments are often convoluted, and it can be difficult to comprehend all the "ifs," "ands," and "buts." And the truth is, they have often left my conscience less than satisfied.
I believe there is a better way to understand these "clobber passages" by simply looking at Scriptures that are written before and after these passages. I find that once theses passages are placed in the context of what the writers were actually saying--and to whom they were addressed--we can then actually simply allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13:
I would say that first it's important to understand that the Scriptures that spoke about prohibitions against same-gendered sexual relations spoke to heterosexual and married men, and not gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgender people. Many scholars say that these Scriptures were part of the Law, and no longer apply to Christians. Some say only certain Scriptures from the Law still apply to Christians. But how does one "pick and choose" which to apply to Christians and which to not apply?
I say we should consider who these Scriptures were speaking to: Heterosexual Jewish men who turned to other men in order to escape the punishment of "adultery", one of the ten commandments. In doing so, they believed they were "side-stepping" the law against adultery because they were not "really" cheating on their wives if they were having sexual relations with a man (or boy, most likely). Therefore, while I uphold the whole of the Law as Truth from God, I do not believe it applies to gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender Christian believers.
Let's look at Leviticus 18:22, then, but begin reviewing the Scripture from where the audience is addressed beginning in verse 4:
4 You shall do My ordinances and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.
5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord.
6 None of you shall approach anyone close of kin to him to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7 The nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover; she is your mother; you shall not have intercourse with her.
8 The nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover; it is your father's nakedness.
9 You shall not have intercourse with or uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
10 You must not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your own flesh.
11 You must not have intercourse with your father's wife's daughter; begotten by your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
12 You shall not have intercourse with your father's sister; she is your father's near kinswoman.
13 You shall not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
14 You shall not have intercourse with your father's brother's wife; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife; you shall not have intercourse with her.
16 You shall not have intercourse with your brother's wife; she belongs to your brother.
17 You shall not marry a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to have intercourse; they are [her] near kinswomen; it is wickedness and an outrageous offense.
18 You must not marry a woman in addition to her sister, to be a rival to her, having sexual relations with the second sister when the first one is alive.
19 Also you shall not have intercourse with a woman during her [menstrual period or similar] uncleanness.
20 Moreover, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.
21 You shall not give any of your children to pass through the fire and sacrifice them to Molech [the fire god], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by giving it to false gods]. I am the Lord.
22 You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.
23 Neither shall you lie with any beast and defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman yield herself to a beast to lie with it; it is confusion, perversion, and degradedly carnal.
24 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for in all these things the nations are defiled which I am casting out before you.
25 And the land is defiled; therefore I visit the iniquity of it upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.
26 So you shall keep My statutes and My ordinances and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the native-born nor any stranger who sojourns among you,
So we see here God begins by saying that "You shall keep My statutes", referring to the Ten Commandments, specifically the commandment that reads, "You shall not commit adultery."
As for Leviticus 20:13, I would say the same as before...these Scriptures were addressed to heterosexual married men. If we were to review the entire passage, beginning in verse 7, we see that Moses was not out to prohibit sexual expression between two people of the same gender, but instead was explaining to these heterosexual married men what all counts as "adultery."
7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God.
8 And you shall keep My statutes and do them. I am the Lord Who sanctifies you.
9 Everyone who curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his bloodguilt is upon him.
10 The man who commits adultery with another's wife, even his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man who lies carnally with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of the guilty ones shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon their own heads.
12 And if a man lies carnally with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought confusion, perversion, and defilement; their blood shall be upon their own heads.
13 If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
14 And if a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness and an outrageous offense; all three shall be burned with fire, both he and they [after being stoned to death], that there be no wickedness among you.
15 And if a man lies carnally with a beast, he shall surely be [stoned] to death, and you shall slay the beast.
16 If a woman approaches any beast and lies carnally with it, you shall [stone] the woman and the beast; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
17 If a man takes his sister, his father's or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked and shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people; he has had sexual relations with his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.
18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her menstrual pains and shall uncover her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood; and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of your father's sister, for that is to make naked his close kin; they shall bear their iniquity.
20 And if a man shall lie carnally with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless [not literally, but in a legal sense].
21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless [not literally, but in a legal sense].
22 You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out [as it did those before you].
So we can hardly conclude that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 were simply referring to loving expressions between gays, lesbians, bi-sexual or transgender Christians, because once we look at the whole of what God was speaking through Moses, we see He begins by talking about "His statutes". What are God's "statutes"? In this case, He is referring to the Ten Commandments, one of which is "Thou shall not commit adultery." I believe this is why the punishment for "men lying with men as they lie with a woman" was punishable by death--because "adultery" was punishable by death, not loving expressions between those of us who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender.
There are many other ways to understand the clobber passages, or "get out of them" as many GLBT Christians do, but I don't. I embrace them as being part of God's Truth. Here, I see God expanding his definition of "thou shalt not commit adultery,"and had addressed these Scriptures to men (and women) who apparently went to great lengths to engage in sexual relations outside of their marriage bonds, in an effort to keep from being killed for "adultery." They seemed to think that as long as it was not "really cheating on their marriage mate" they would be absolved of their violation of "God's statutes to not commit adultery."
I see the same thing with all the "clobber passages". Others do not. But to me, we still apply these definitions of "adultery" and I believe it not only applies to Christians as well, but also applies to gays and straights both. I believe this, because whether gay or straight, "adultery" is "adultery." This would also apply then to gays, lesbians, bi-sexual or transgender people who were "married" to each other. This does not give us a "license to sin", though. Sexual relations outside of marriage is continually defined throughout the Old and New Testaments as being a sin. But I also believe marriage is defined by the two people who have come into a covenant relationship between themselves before God, forsaking all others, and who commit to remain faithful, "till death do us part," whether the Church or the state recognize them as such or not.
Remembering however that these passages of Scripture were God speaking to Moses about adultery, and the fact that they were addressed to heterosexual married men and women, helps me discern how to rightly divide the Word of God. The way I have learned that process is by 3 scholastic tests:
1. Who is doing the speaking in the Scriptures?
2. Who are the Scriptures addressed to?
3. How does a passage of Scripture fit into the rest of Scripture.I hope that helps.
Romans 1:24-26:
Again, let's unroll the scroll and look at the entire content of the message and we'll see again that they were not addressed to GLBT believers, but rather people who had made the conscious decision to reject God, beginning with verse 14:
14 Both to Greeks and to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the foolish, I have an obligation to discharge and a duty to perform and a debt to pay.
15 So, for my part, I am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
17 For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.
18 For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.
Here, it is important to realize that sequence of events, and to whom the Scriptures were addressed who we see are the Greeks and Barbarians, and to the wise and the unwise as Paul begins this message in verse 14.
In verse 16, he explains that the purpose of this message is to convey the Good News of the Gospel to both Jews and Greeks.
Then comes the purpose of his message as he explains in verse 17 it is because the Gospel springs from faith and leads to faith and his purpose is to help people learn to live by faith and therefore live righteously.
In verses 18-23, Paul relates how these people had received God's Word, and rejected not only the message, but God Himself, and said these people who had received God's Word were "without excuse."
In verse 24-27, we see that the behavior of these people were the results of rejecting God's Word, and not because they were gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender believers coming to God. But that's not what traditional Christian teaching has said over the centuries. Instead of realizing that Paul was addressing his message "only to those who had rejected God," most traditional Christian teaching has said this small portion of Scripture was a condemnation of loving expressions between gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people.
There are some strong arguments that these Scriptures were also addressed to heterosexual men and that they had "left the natural use of the woman." This means that they were "going against their nature" as well as "against God." But it is not in the nature of a gay man to have sexual relations with a woman. Nor is it in the nature of a lesbian to have sexual relations with a man. So again, this passage could not have been honestly applied as the blanket condemnation of GLBT believers.
But now let's look at the rest of the results of these people in Rome who made a conscious decision to reject God. Beginning in verse 28 we see Paul reaffirm the statement I just made regarding their rejection of God, and then in verses 29-31, we see an entire list of other results that do not come from being gay, but from rejecting God:
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
Friends, I can tell you that none of these describe modern day GLBT Believers, but they do have a striking resemblance to many Christian Churches today, who continue to make distinctions and rules and regulations that are necessary in order to be members of "their church." Most GLBT Believers I know do not reject or hate God, but rather are seeking Him. We are rejected by the Church through her traditional teachings before we ever get to step foot in their doors and find out who God is. These teachings do not even give us the chance to know who God is, so there is no way we could reject a God we have never been accurately taught about.
Finally, let's look at verse 32 and we'll see what Paul was actually (as I did regarding the Leviticus passages), that he indeed upheld the Truth of God's Law, saying:
32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.
14 Both to Greeks and to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the foolish, I have an obligation to discharge and a duty to perform and a debt to pay.
15 So, for my part, I am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
17 For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.
18 For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.
Here, it is important to realize that sequence of events, and to whom the Scriptures were addressed who we see are the Greeks and Barbarians, and to the wise and the unwise as Paul begins this message in verse 14.
In verse 16, he explains that the purpose of this message is to convey the Good News of the Gospel to both Jews and Greeks.
Then comes the purpose of his message as he explains in verse 17 it is because the Gospel springs from faith and leads to faith and his purpose is to help people learn to live by faith and therefore live righteously.
In verses 18-23, Paul relates how these people had received God's Word, and rejected not only the message, but God Himself, and said these people who had received God's Word were "without excuse."
In verse 24-27, we see that the behavior of these people were the results of rejecting God's Word, and not because they were gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender believers coming to God. But that's not what traditional Christian teaching has said over the centuries. Instead of realizing that Paul was addressing his message "only to those who had rejected God," most traditional Christian teaching has said this small portion of Scripture was a condemnation of loving expressions between gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people.
There are some strong arguments that these Scriptures were also addressed to heterosexual men and that they had "left the natural use of the woman." This means that they were "going against their nature" as well as "against God." But it is not in the nature of a gay man to have sexual relations with a woman. Nor is it in the nature of a lesbian to have sexual relations with a man. So again, this passage could not have been honestly applied as the blanket condemnation of GLBT believers.
But now let's look at the rest of the results of these people in Rome who made a conscious decision to reject God. Beginning in verse 28 we see Paul reaffirm the statement I just made regarding their rejection of God, and then in verses 29-31, we see an entire list of other results that do not come from being gay, but from rejecting God:
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
Friends, I can tell you that none of these describe modern day GLBT Believers, but they do have a striking resemblance to many Christian Churches today, who continue to make distinctions and rules and regulations that are necessary in order to be members of "their church." Most GLBT Believers I know do not reject or hate God, but rather are seeking Him. We are rejected by the Church through her traditional teachings before we ever get to step foot in their doors and find out who God is. These teachings do not even give us the chance to know who God is, so there is no way we could reject a God we have never been accurately taught about.
Finally, let's look at verse 32 and we'll see what Paul was actually (as I did regarding the Leviticus passages), that he indeed upheld the Truth of God's Law, saying:
32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.
That phrase "deserve to die" was indeed the penalty for all these sins under the Law, and that's why Paul mentions them. However it is also important to note that we as Christians are freed from the Law of sin and death through Christ Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Yet in so many regions (and religions) around the world, it is commonplace to kill GLBT people. Thank God we are freed from the requirements of death that were prescribed under the Law, as Christ paid the price for sin for all of us once and for all. But we cannot reject that message, or we will suffer a spiritual death. Unfortunately, it is traditional Christian teaching that has prevented so many GLBT Believers from coming to God, as we are often condemned before we even get to learn about the True God as Scriptures portray Him. That's why it is so important to read the Scriptures for ourselves, and to know God in a personal way that no church teaching can take away from us.
But many churches continue to use Scriptures that were orginally addressed to married heterosexuals and those who knew God and rejected Him in order to "clobber" GLBT Believers and condemn us before they even get to know us. That is not from God. That is from the apostate teachings of Church Shepherds who use their position of influence and depend upon people *not* reading the Scriptures for themselves in a quest for influence, finances and political power. But it's nothing new. In fact, that brings us to another of the famous clobber passages:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
We will begin addresing this clobber passage beginning in verse 1. I believe we will see Paul begin to rebuke preachers who would sue each other in court instead of turning to Scriptures and settling disputes (such as the gay marriage ban in many states). In fact, with the California example in mind where many churches put up millions of dollars to oppose gay marriage in the ballot box, it would seem to me, Paul could have written this letter directly to those who led the anti-gay marriage effort.
1 Does any of you dare, when he has a matter of complaint against another [brother], to go to law before unrighteous men [men neither upright nor right with God, laying it before them] instead of before the saints (the people of God)?
2 Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will [one day] judge and govern the world? And if the world [itself] is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try [such petty matters] of the smallest courts of justice?
3 Do you not know also that we [Christians] are to judge the [very] angels and pronounce opinion between right and wrong [for them]? How much more then [as to] matters pertaining to this world and of this life only!
4 If then you do have such cases of everyday life to decide, why do you appoint [as judges to lay them before] those who [from the standpoint] of the church count for least and are without standing?
5 I say this to move you to shame. Can it be that there really is not one man among you who [in action is governed by piety and integrity and] is wise and competent enough to decide [the private grievances, disputes, and quarrels] between members of the brotherhood,
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before [Gentile judges who are] unbelievers [without faith or trust in the Gospel of Christ]?
7 Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another at all is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you). Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)? 8 But [instead it is you] yourselves who wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren [by so treating them]!
Here again, not only do we see some of Paul's stoutest words being directed to preachers who are guilty of such deeds, but clarifies he is talking to preachers in verse 8 when he says "it is YOU yourselves who wrong and defraud your own brothers by treating them this way"....it leaves little doubt in my mind that Paul is *not* talking to unbelievers outside the church, but is doing his best to get preachers to wake up and judge themselves and their own actions and stop treating their very own brothers and sisters in such a way, saying that the fact they were having lawsuits at all was a "moral loss" for these preachers.....yet these next 2 verses have been used by preachers to clobber lgbt believers over the head when the preachers themselves are the ones doing harm to God's church.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God?
Paul has already made it clear that he considers what these preachers were doing as "wrong" and "unrighteous", yet the preachers point their fingers at us and clobber us with the very Scriptures Paul was directing toward preachers....again, a way to deflect blame, and never take responsibility for their own shortcomings and sins.
(verse 9 continued): Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
So far, Paul hasn't even mentioned "those who participate in homosexuality", but has already correctly labeled many of the activities these preachers were guilty of.....yet all GLBT Believers hear from preachers concerning this passage is:
(veres 9 continued): nor those who participate in homosexuality,
We have already determined this passage applied to heterosexual men forcefully raping and sodomizing innocent victims of their depravity, and was *not* referring to love between GLBT Believers, and now with this further commentary, we see Paul was talking about the *lovelessness and lawlessness* of preachers *inside the church* who were basically sodomizing Jesus Christ Himself!....not the non-believers the church was established to reach out to.
10 Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.
Sounds like the same kind of preachers Malachi was preaching against; those who were robbing God by robbing the tithes of the people, those who were twisting Scripture for financial gain, those who were admonished to not drink much win, those who would extort and rob God's Church....again, (a man has his own Father's (Jesus') wife (Bride)....I hope you see by now how *I* glean these glimmers of Paul's true audience of his letter to the Church in Corinth, and to many anti-gay churches and organizations who continue to do the same thing today...all in Jesus' Name. Note also that these are all sins against Jesus' church....so they were not the every day sins we all commit at times, but intentional disregard for Jesus Christ the man, and His Bride, the Church....and all at the hands of preachers, not individual believers.
11 And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.
This applies to all believers, but Paul had seen those preachers whom had been once purified and cleaned return to their old ways....we see today that modern day anti-gay churches and preachers were once sinners themselves, were once cleansed themselves, were set up in positions of authority in the Church, and threw away their righteousness in exchange for the money they could earn by preaching against lgbt believers.
12 Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.
In the following verses, I have added the word "Church before the word "body", because as we seemed to have determined, Paul is talking to Church Shepherds about the ministry that God had entrusted unto them. I think it continues the train of Paul's thought that he was talking about the preachers' "church body" of believers. We never hear preachers talk about how they are charged with protecting Jesus' Church Body and continues with the words Paul used at the beginning of his letter by saying "a man has his own Father's (Jesus') wife (Bride)" or in other words, these preachers were making God's House of Prayer a house of ill-repute instead.
13 Food [is intended] for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will finally end [the functions of] both and bring them to nothing. The [Church body] is not intended for sexual immorality, but [is intended] for the Lord, and the Lord [is intended] for the [Church body] [to save, sanctify, and raise it again].
14 And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us [the Church body] up by His power.
15 Do you not see and know that your [Church bodies] are members (Church bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make [the Church bodies] parts of a prostitute? Never! Never!
16 Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh.
17 But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.
18 Shun immorality and all sexual looseness [flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed]. Any other sin which a [preacher] man commits is one outside the [the Church body], but he [the preacher] who commits sexual immorality sins against his own [Church body...and that of Christ's].
19 Do you not know that your [Church body] is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,
20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your [Church body].
To me, Paul wraps up his admonishments and rebukes of Church Shepherds in love saying basically, "Look, I know how tempting it can be to use your position and your cleansing from Jesus' blood as a way to excuse your sinful behavior, and how tempting it can be to want to gain financial rewards and power by using your exalted position as a preacher to twist Scriptures, but don't accuse those *outside* of the church of guilt and pass judgment on them, when you yourselves are the ones who are guilty of "pimping" out Christ's own [Church body] and making yourself go from being a "preacher" to a "prostitute" as well as making Christ Himself a "prostitute" in the process!" Then he says "NEVER!" NEVER!"
To me, Paul was clearly worried this practice would diminish the Gospel and make these preachers look like the charlatans they were....and Paul gives them another chance to clean up their own House [Church body], while insisting that the man behind the whole scheme be "put out of your midst and turned over to Satan for the crucifixion of his flesh"....lest unbelievers *outside* the church discredit the entire church with but a "little leaven the whole loaf would be leavened" and make Paul look like a charlatan himself, weaken the Church, and prevent new believers from believing in God and His Son's sacrifice on Calvary. I see Paul bravely stepping up to lead in this matter, and made it very clear (to me anyway) that this type of behavior is not to be tolerated from preachers. Further, by writing it in Scripture, Paul empowers every member of the [church body] to hold their leaders accountable....and thank God there are some congregants who do!
1 Timothy 1:10:
This passage of Scripture seems to once again tie into Paul's message to the Corinthians and the Romans who would reject God, and as Paul instructs Timothy regarding his mission to Ephesus, he seems to encourage Timothy to root out those who would pervert God's Word. For the full context of Pauls' message, let's begin in verse 3:
3 As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that you may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine,
4 Nor to give importance to or occupy themselves with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which foster and promote useless speculations and questionings rather than acceptance in faith of God's administration and the divine training that is in faith ([a]in that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence)--
5 Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.
6 But certain individuals have missed the mark on this very matter [and] have wandered away into vain arguments and discussions and purposeless talk.
7 They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.
8 Now we recognize and know that the Law is good if anyone uses it lawfully [for the purpose for which it was designed],
9 Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,
10 [For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine
11 As laid down by the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
12 I give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry.
13 Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief.
14 And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.
16 But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.
17 Now to the King of eternity, incorruptible and immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (to the ages of ages). Amen (so be it).
18 This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare,
19 Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith.
20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be disciplined [by punishment and learn] not to blaspheme.
So although many traditional Christian teachings have declared "abusing themselves with men" as meaning gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people, it could not possibly be so. For instance, lesbian people could not "abuse themselves with men" if they never even had sexual relations with men. It seems more likely that again, this term is applied to heterosexual men who were having sexual relations with boys, and probably through forced sodomy, hence the word "abusers." But as we read through the Scripture immediately before and after verse 10, we see again, Paul's main concern was those who would reject God and His Word.
Rather than expressing concern over gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people engaging in loving expressions, Paul's concern is clearly shown to be that of keeping God's Word from becoming "adulterated" by "certain individuals"....most likely, the same kind of individuals he had encountered and written about in Rome and Corinth. He was now extending his message about perverting God's Word to the Church in Ephesus. But again, that's not what traditional Christian teaching has said.
In twisting the Scriptures known as the "clobber passages", it is my belief that the traditional teaching of Christianity regarding those who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender has itself been a perversion of God's Word. It has taken a few passages of Scripture and twisted them to justify their opposition to GLBT people (and eunuchs) from becoming part of the House of Prayer that God insists will become a House of Prayer for ALL People. All means all, but these "clobber passages" do not address loving expressions of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people, but to the contrary; they actually admonish Church Shepherds against perverting God's Word. They admonish heterosexual men against adultery, including turning to other men (or animals, or in-laws, etc.). They encourage Christians to uphold the Truth of God's Word, including the Law of the Old Testament, while also encouraging us to remember that even as the "chief of all sinners" that Paul describes himself as in these passages, we are forgiven of all our sins under the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
It also reminds us we have a New Covenant, and are no longer "under the Law of sin and death", although, as Paul points out to Timothy, the Law does serve its purpose. It helps us remember that "adultery" is still "adultery." It helps us remember what a better Covenant we have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And it helps us remember that the Law was given to the Jewish forefathers, who in turn gave us Jesus Christ through Jewish descent.
To me, it doesn't mean we just "throw the Law out" because we are Chrsitians. Instead, I believe we embrace the Law of God as part of His Truth revealed to mankind through the prophets of the ages, and help us remember that although we are not still put to death for adultery, or perverting God's Word, doing so indeed brings death to our marriage relationships, and to God's Church when we do so.
1 Timothy 1:10:
This passage of Scripture seems to once again tie into Paul's message to the Corinthians and the Romans who would reject God, and as Paul instructs Timothy regarding his mission to Ephesus, he seems to encourage Timothy to root out those who would pervert God's Word. For the full context of Pauls' message, let's begin in verse 3:
3 As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that you may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine,
4 Nor to give importance to or occupy themselves with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which foster and promote useless speculations and questionings rather than acceptance in faith of God's administration and the divine training that is in faith ([a]in that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence)--
5 Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.
6 But certain individuals have missed the mark on this very matter [and] have wandered away into vain arguments and discussions and purposeless talk.
7 They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.
8 Now we recognize and know that the Law is good if anyone uses it lawfully [for the purpose for which it was designed],
9 Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,
10 [For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine
11 As laid down by the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
12 I give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry.
13 Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief.
14 And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.
16 But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.
17 Now to the King of eternity, incorruptible and immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (to the ages of ages). Amen (so be it).
18 This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare,
19 Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith.
20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be disciplined [by punishment and learn] not to blaspheme.
So although many traditional Christian teachings have declared "abusing themselves with men" as meaning gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people, it could not possibly be so. For instance, lesbian people could not "abuse themselves with men" if they never even had sexual relations with men. It seems more likely that again, this term is applied to heterosexual men who were having sexual relations with boys, and probably through forced sodomy, hence the word "abusers." But as we read through the Scripture immediately before and after verse 10, we see again, Paul's main concern was those who would reject God and His Word.
Rather than expressing concern over gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people engaging in loving expressions, Paul's concern is clearly shown to be that of keeping God's Word from becoming "adulterated" by "certain individuals"....most likely, the same kind of individuals he had encountered and written about in Rome and Corinth. He was now extending his message about perverting God's Word to the Church in Ephesus. But again, that's not what traditional Christian teaching has said.
In twisting the Scriptures known as the "clobber passages", it is my belief that the traditional teaching of Christianity regarding those who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender has itself been a perversion of God's Word. It has taken a few passages of Scripture and twisted them to justify their opposition to GLBT people (and eunuchs) from becoming part of the House of Prayer that God insists will become a House of Prayer for ALL People. All means all, but these "clobber passages" do not address loving expressions of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people, but to the contrary; they actually admonish Church Shepherds against perverting God's Word. They admonish heterosexual men against adultery, including turning to other men (or animals, or in-laws, etc.). They encourage Christians to uphold the Truth of God's Word, including the Law of the Old Testament, while also encouraging us to remember that even as the "chief of all sinners" that Paul describes himself as in these passages, we are forgiven of all our sins under the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
It also reminds us we have a New Covenant, and are no longer "under the Law of sin and death", although, as Paul points out to Timothy, the Law does serve its purpose. It helps us remember that "adultery" is still "adultery." It helps us remember what a better Covenant we have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And it helps us remember that the Law was given to the Jewish forefathers, who in turn gave us Jesus Christ through Jewish descent.
To me, it doesn't mean we just "throw the Law out" because we are Chrsitians. Instead, I believe we embrace the Law of God as part of His Truth revealed to mankind through the prophets of the ages, and help us remember that although we are not still put to death for adultery, or perverting God's Word, doing so indeed brings death to our marriage relationships, and to God's Church when we do so.
