What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
Truth in love. Grace without compromise.
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2
When we approach the topic of homosexuality, we must do so not with pride or prejudice, but with the heart of a shepherd — patient, truthful, and filled with love for those searching for answers. This is not about politics or popularity. This is about what God has spoken through His Word. We preach the truth, but we do so with tears, grace, and a hand extended toward redemption.
📖 1. God’s Design from the Beginning
Scripture begins not with confusion, but with clarity. God established gender and marriage from the very beginning of creation:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
— Genesis 1:27
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
— Genesis 2:24
This creation order — one man, one woman, joined together as one flesh — is the foundational picture of human sexuality in Scripture. Jesus later reaffirms this in Matthew 19:4–6, showing that this design is not merely cultural or ancient, but God’s intended order for all time.
📜 2. Homosexual Practice in the Old Testament
The Bible addresses homosexual behavior directly in the Old Testament. In the book of Leviticus, part of the holiness code given to Israel, we read:
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
— Leviticus 18:22
And again, the law states:
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
— Leviticus 20:13
These verses are direct and clear in forbidding homosexual acts. Some will say, “But aren’t many Old Testament laws outdated?” It’s true that Christians are no longer under the ceremonial and civil laws of Israel. But God’s moral laws — laws concerning human relationships, sexual purity, justice, and the sanctity of life — are echoed and upheld in the New Testament. They are rooted in God’s unchanging character.
✝️ 3. New Testament Teachings on Homosexuality
The Apostle Paul speaks very directly about homosexual behavior. His words are not driven by cultural bias but by theological conviction rooted in God’s order of creation. Consider his teaching in the book of Romans:
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
— Romans 1:26–27
This passage describes what happens when humanity turns from worshiping the Creator and instead worships created things. Homosexual behavior is listed as one of the many manifestations of that rebellion. It is not presented as a greater sin than others — but it is presented as unnatural and dishonoring to God’s design.
Paul also includes homosexual acts in his lists of sins that separate us from God apart from repentance:
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
“…the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”
— 1 Timothy 1:10
Paul is not singling out one group. These verses include all who live in ongoing sin apart from the grace of God. Homosexuality is one among many sins in need of redemption — but it is not excluded or redefined. It is clearly called sin, not preference or identity.
🧭 4. Clarifying Misinterpretations About Scripture
Many today argue that the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality is outdated, misunderstood, or taken out of context. Let’s briefly address some common claims:
Claim: “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, so it must not matter.”
Response: While Jesus did not directly use the word “homosexuality,” He upheld and affirmed God’s original design for marriage and sexuality:
“He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
— Matthew 19:4–6
By affirming male-female marriage, Jesus reaffirmed God’s sexual ethics established at creation. Silence on specific sins is not approval. Jesus also did not mention bestiality, incest, or rape — yet all are clearly sinful.
Claim: “Paul only condemned abusive relationships, not loving same-sex partnerships.”
Response: The language used by Paul is broad and general. He condemns all same-sex sexual relations, regardless of affection or abuse. The Greek words arsenokoitai and malakoi in 1 Corinthians 6:9 are comprehensive, covering both the passive and active partners in homosexual acts.
It’s not about lack of love — it’s about deviation from God’s holy order.
🫂 5. Grace, Forgiveness, and Transformation Through Christ
The heart of the gospel is not to leave people in shame but to call them into salvation. No one is beyond God’s reach. Paul reminds the Corinthians of who they used to be — and what Christ has done:
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:11
Notice the transformation: “such were some of you.” In Christ, identities are not found in sin, but in salvation. No one is defined by their past when they are made new by the Spirit of God. Homosexual behavior, like every other sin, can be forgiven, redeemed, and overcome through the power of the cross.
Christ does not call us to mere behavior modification. He calls us to die to self, take up our cross, and follow Him — into a life of holiness, joy, and eternal hope.
💎 6. Life Application Questions
- Am I willing to accept God’s Word even when it challenges my personal views or cultural pressures?
- Am I offering the hope of redemption to those struggling with sexual sin — with compassion, not condemnation?
- Am I guarding my own heart against self-righteousness, remembering that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?
💬 7. Final Pastoral Invitation
To those who struggle: you are not hated. You are not rejected. You are invited. God’s call is clear and full of mercy:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28
Jesus invites every sinner — regardless of their struggle — to come, confess, be washed, and live as a beloved child of God. There is no greater hope than the cross. There is no greater identity than being found in Christ.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Come to Him. His arms are open. His Word is true. His grace is greater than all our sin.
Written by Barry Coker Bible-alive.com