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