Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage

HOT POTATOES: The Bible Speaks to Controversial Topics

Message #3: “Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage”

Arguments Posed to Christians about Homosexuality:

ARGUMENT #1:

“The Bible is an irrelevant bunch of made-up or error-filled stories. We shouldn’t believe it or live our lives according to it.”

• Intellectually honest: If Scripture is made-up, it’s not to live by it.
• Just because you don’t live under its authority doesn’t mean it’s not .

ARGUMENT #2:

“People have used the Bible to justify racism, sexism, slavery, etc., and homophobia is just another example of that.”

• Scripture is often used to justify horrible things it doesn’t .
• The Bible never advocates or homosexuals.

If same-sex marriage is not allowed by Scripture, what about…

Concubines?

• Scripture never concubines, and where they appear, there’s .

Multiple wives?

• Scripture is full of people.
• God’s design for marriage has always been .
• Context of Gen. 16 is Abraham and Sarah’s lack of in God’s plan.

Levirate marriage?

• Ensured for a childless widow and allowed property to with the descendants of the deceased.
• No evidence sexual activity in such marriages was anything other than .

A rapist and his victim?

• Deu. 22:28-29 deals with a particular instance; likely refers to , not rape.
• Previous passage commands for a rapist. (Deu. 22:25-27)

ARGUMENT #3:

“Christians pick and choose what Scriptures to obey; According to Leviticus, eating shellfish is wrong, yet nobody seems to have a problem with that…”

• The context of the Law is man’s need for a .
• The New Testament takes but does not the Old Testament.

ARGUMENT #4:

“Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.”

• We don’t have Jesus said; nothing needed to be added to what had been said.
• Jesus DID affirm marriage. (Matt. 19:4-6)
• Being Jewish, Jesus would’ve the moral law in Leviticus 18.

There is and for anyone struggling with homosexuality. (I Cor. 6:9-11)