Biblical Notes Notes on Specific Biblical Texts |
Old Testament
These 2 ancient creation stories portray male-female committed love relationships as the ‘norm’ for sexual intimacy. However, it does not follow that all loving and committed monogamous relationships which are different from the norm are thereby inferior, or sinful.
This story is not about committed love. It is about profound inhospitality to strangers (those unknown and different) … a brutal male-on-male gang rape attempt of angels by mortals … the willingness of a cowardly father to offer his daughters for male-on-female gang rape … God’s mercy in rescuing people in danger … mob abuse and violence and God’s punishment. This story does not apply to the question of fullness of life and fullness of ministry for lgbt couples, individuals and their families.
ELCA scholars and theologians (and others) disagree on the role of Leviticus for Christian life. They note the inconsistency of following some codes while ignoring others. [Other passages in the Book of Leviticus that raise questions for Christians.]
This story is about profound inhospitality to a stranger (someone unknown and different) … an attempted male-on-male gang rape of that stranger … the subsequent actual male-on-female gang rape by the same vile men of the stranger’s female concubine (who had been seized by her cowardly ‘owner’ and given to the vile men) … the ‘owner’s’ non-heroic willingness to condemn his own daughter to this male-on-female gang rape, too … and, the ultimate Ted Bundy-like slicing up of the female concubine by this pusillanimous ‘owner’. This story hardly models issues of fullness of life and fullness of ministry for anyone. There are no heroes or models in this story.
New Testament
This is the only legitimate Biblical text that applies to this issue, we believe.
However, it remains unclear about whom Paul is referring. Certainly Paul is condemning heterosexual women and heterosexual men who are so ‘filled with lust’ and ‘consumed with passion’ that they are having sex with anything that moves, behaving ‘unnaturally’ as it were. And, certainly Paul would have known about ‘temple prostitution’ in pagan religions (in Paul’s time there were 10,000 male and female pagan temple prostitutes in Corinth alone). And, he would have known about ‘pederasty’ (the practice in Roman society of older heterosexual men having a ‘boy’ to train sexually and otherwise.) And, certainly Paul knew about the common practice of armies in war raping conquered women and men to subdue them and convince themselves that they are superior.
Beyond that, was Paul speaking about committed, life-long love relationships amongst lgbt couples? We have no way of knowing. Did people in his time understand ‘sexual orientation?’ Likely not, for his culture saw everyone as heterosexual. Even people who did homosexual acts were really heterosexuals doing ‘unnatural’ things.
The bigger picture however is that Paul is making a long and involved argument in Romans 1-3 leading to the final point that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’, and therefore we are ‘all now justified by his grace as a gift.’ As in many other Pauline arguments, Paul often uses metaphors and images to make his point. For example, Paul speaks positively of human slavery and submission of women to men to make certain points. However, we decline as ELCA Christians to embrace those metaphors and images as worthy of Christian life.
The Greek words μαλακοί and αρσενοκοίται are briefly listed by Paul as sins. These sins are part of a longer list of sins which according to Paul exclude people from the kingdom of God. The other sins listed in these passages are: alcohol drinking that leads to intoxication, owning too much, promiscuity, buying and selling human beings, twisting the truth, revelry, and taking what doesn’t belong to you.
However, the above Greek words appear so rarely in Scripture and other places that translators are almost fully uncertain as to their meanings, scope, and intent. The NRSV is showing integrity by translating these Greek words ‘male prostitutes’ and ‘sodomites’ (i.e. gang rapists), which we also condemn. Other translators show less scholarly integrity when they choose words like ‘homosexual’, since they are guessing beyond what they know.
Conclusion: The above seven (7) scant Biblical offerings, in our view, do not provide credible justification for the ELCA’s historic and current ‘policy of harm.’ Further, Jesus never mentionslgbt couples, individuals, or their families as inferior, sinful, or unworthy of fullness of life and fullness of ministry.