Is Homosexuality Really a SIn?

Christian recording artist Jennifer Knapp recently announced that she is homosexual. Knapp, who is a five-time dove award winner and Grammy award nominee, admitted to being in a relationship with a woman for the past eight years. Knapp is an influential musician, having sold over one million albums. I have to admit that I even own one of her CDs.

Knapp defended her “personal choice and path” on the Larry King Live show last Friday. She pointed out that believers rely on a text that is not in the original language. She asserts that scholars have questioned the interpretation of the original Greek words that have been translated to homosexuality.
Though acknowledging that she is by no means a scholar or theologian, Knapp brought up the Bible translation issue to challenge those who cite the Bible as stating that homosexuality is a sin.

When asked if she felt the Bible taught against homosexuality, she responded, “Well, I think there is plenty of evidence in my exploration of my faith through the sacred text of the Holy Bible that I have definitely recognized that we are somewhat at the handicap of our own interpretation of a sacred text,”
I disagree. We are not handicapped by our interpretation because “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation.” (2 Pet. 1:20). The Bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin. It doesn’t take a Greek scholar to see this fact. This doctrine is explicitly stated in several passages of Scripture. It is not a singularly obscure reference, or a brief allusion. It is not described in vague and ambiguous language that is full of uncertainty and mystery. It is clearly stated in both the English and Greek texts. This worn-out mistranslation argument is nothing more that an invalid, feeble attempt to justify sin.

God has condemned homosexuality in every age. When the men of Sodom wanted to “know” his visitors, Lot pleaded with them not to “act wickedly” (Gen 19:7). God forbid men to lye with men in the law also (Lev. 18:22, 46-50). Though the prophet’s mouth, God condemned Israel’s wickedness and compared them to Sodom (16:46-50). God also clearly condemned homosexuality in the New Testament (Rom. 1:18-27, 1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Homosexuality is a direct rebellion against God and His fundamental design for human relationships. John MacArthur states:

“Why, then, have homosexual interpretations of Scripture been so successful at persuading so many? Simple: people want to be convinced. Since the Bible is so clear about the issue, sinners have had to defy reason and embrace error to quiet their accusing consciences (Romans 2:14-16). As Jesus said, "Men loved the darkness rather than the Light, [because] their deeds were evil" (John 3:19-20).”

In Romans 1:18-32, Paul is describing the downward spiral of apostasy. With each step the sin of the apostate becomes more depraved and wicked. In this moral descent of “unrighteousness and ungodliness” Paul describes the resulting degrading passion:

26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. (Romans 1:26-27)

They abandoned God’s original design for sex and burned in their lust for one another. These men committed shameful acts with one another. And even more remarkably, the women were guilty of the same. This is the true mark of a completely immoral and ungodly society. Women are typically the last fiber holding together the moral fabric. When the women fall, the society is hopelessly lost in depravity and iniquity.

This passage is a clear reference to homosexuality. Note the adjectives used to describe homosexual behavior: impurity, dishonor, unnatural, and indecent. Verse 32 declares that those who practice such sin are worthy of death, as are all sinners (Rom. 6:23). Notice, though, that it is not only the offenders, but also those who “give hardy approval” that are condemned. As Christians we cannot condone this sinful behavior. We cannot wink at wickedness, and ignore blatant, sinful disobedience as it infiltrates our churches and destroys the purity of Christ’s bride.


Paul also condemns homosexuality in his letter to the church in Corinth.

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1Corinthians 6:9-10)

The work translated “effeminate” is the Greek word malakos. It refers to a boy kept for homosexual relations, a male prostitute, or a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness. This is a clear reference to homosexuality.

The next unrighteous offender in the list is the “homosexual.” According to Strong’s Concordance, arsenokoitas is a compound word meaning literally “man lying” and refers to “a male who lies (sexually) with a male as with a female.”

These are the two terms whose meanings are so often called into question. Are the definitions of these words vague and mysterious? They are not. Their meanings are well defined. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 forbid a man to lay with another man as with a woman. The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was often used by Paul and the other NT writers. The Leviticus passages in the Septuagint condemn a man (arseno) from lying (koital) with a man (arseno). Therefore, the most credible translation of what Paul is condemns in First Corinthians is a person doing exactly what Leviticus condemns, men lying with men. There is no mistranslation. The text clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.


My prayer, therefore, is that Jennifer Knapp, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, The Anglican Communion, the Presbyterian Church, and the thousands of other liberal Christians are convicted by the truth of God’s Word and repent of their rebellion and sin.

For His glory,
DJ

An Unwholesome Word Study

Ephesians 4:29

NASV

²⁹Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

NIV

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

KJV

²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

NKJV

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

ESV

²⁹Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Young’s Literal Translation

²⁹Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

Sapros – rotten, corrupted, useless

Other verses:

Mtt. 7:17

NASV

¹⁷"So ^(A)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

KJV

¹⁷Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Merriam Webster Dictionary

Unwholesome - 1 : detrimental to physical, mental, or moral well-being 2 b : offensive to the senses

Corrupt - 1 a : morally degenerate and perverted b characterized by improper conduct
2 : putrid, tainted
3 : adulterated or debased by change from an original or correct condition

The five most impossibly difficult commands

1. Love your enemy. This is not a natural act. My outer man would rather hate, loath, curse, and plot revenge, not bless, love, and pray for my enemies. Only through the grace and strength through the Spirit of Christ can I love my enemies and my neighbors as myself.

2. Count it all joy. During the hard times in life, my response is usually far from joyful. Sure, I can flesh out a smile when someone cuts me off in traffic or when I lock my keys in my car. But when it comes to true suffering, such as a friend being sick, a family member dieing, or harsh persecution, my natural tendency is anger, resentmentment, fear, and anxiety. To fulfill this command requires a sanctified, spiritually mature man (or lady) of God whose full faith and hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Live with your wife in an understanding way. Differential calculus - check. Substitutionary atonement - no problem. Understanding my (wonderful and darling) wife - not a clue.

4. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength. In the flesh this is hard to accomplish because I am so busy loving myself. Sure, I can squeeze in a couple of hours on Sunday morning, but the rest of the week is booked up pursuing my own lusts. Only by being crucified with Christ and subsequently resurrected anew can I obtain the ability and will to fulfill this command.

5. Be holy, for I am holy. No matter how hard I try, my natural, carnal self always falls short of God's glory. I was sinful from birth, and a child of wrath like the rest of mankind. I sinned because I was a sinner by nature. But thanks be to God because while I was dead in my trespassed Christ died for me. My old self was crucified with Him, so that my body of sin might be done away with, and I am no longer a slave to sin. I am alive to God through Christ. For through grace I am saved through faith, and have been justified, am being sanctified, and will one day be perfected in holiness.

for His glory,
DJ

Great Love And Immeasurable Grace To A Dead Man

Ephesians 2:1-9

¹And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

My buddy Md challenged me to find a verse or passage that truly speaks to me, one that I can hang on to even if all of the Bibles in the world were taken away. This is the passage I chose. I dare you to read this table-poundin’ passage and not shout AMEN!

This passage gives the true perspective of God, me, and salvation. It describes where I was, where I am, and where I am headed. It exalts God, and properly humbles man. It describes the components of salvation, and arranges them in the correct order.

The natural, unregenerate man is dead. He is a slave to sin (John 8:34), in bondage to the prince of this ungodly, unrighteous world system. They are of their father the devil, and carry out his wicked desires. I was once in this position. Sin reigned in my mortal body and I obeyed its lusts, using my members as instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:12-13). I was hopelessly condemned, unable to save myself. I was in the same boat as the rest of mankind, deserving of only wrath.

Enter God. In spite of all of this, God loved me with a great love. So much so that He sent His son to die as an atonement for my sin. (John 3:16, 1John 4:10). I was dead, but He gave me new life. I was a slave, but He set me free. I was a worthless, sinful, reprobate, depraved sinner deserving of death and eternal punishment, but He had mercy on me. By grace I was saved. I am transformed, a new creation, raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so that I may walk in newness of life. (2Cor. 5:17, Rom. 6:4).

My response was submissive faith to God. For it is only through faith that a man may accept this free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:23). I cannot work my way out of judgment and condemnation. I cannot earn my way into heaven. A man can only be justified by faith apart from the works of the law (Rom. 3:28). I was saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus (Acts 15:1).

Therefore, I am an heir to the immeasurable riches of God, and will one day be seated with Christ on His throne in Heaven, if I overcome (Rev. 3:21). Until that day, I shall labor in the work of the Lord, for this is the natural act of the regenerate man. For faith produces works, and faith without works is dead (James 2:17-18). In fact, I was created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works. He has prepared them beforehand through His eternal and comprehensive providence. It is my duty to faithfully walk in them.

In Summary:

Dead

Mercy

Grace

Faith

Life

Works

AMEN!