I’m not a biblical scholar. I’m just a Christian trying to understand where I fit in the world. The Bible is a great source of strength and knowledge but I have to wonder how others find their justification for what they do and say. To me it seems that they’re using obscure passages to discriminate against a small group of people and show just how unchristian they can be.
First of all I’ve been taught that there is not word one about homosexuality in the Bible. There are a number of passages that have been mistranslated and misunderstood but if one digs a little into them they’ll find the don’t mean what they say or that no one knows what they mean and the results are really wild guesses. The two Leviticus passages may be such guesses.
Earlier I posted something that someone had taken the time to write up with a bunch of laws from the Bible. The write up had a serious implication in that it showed there were a number of laws in the Bible that are just not followed today. And no one says anything about these laws, mostly because they don’t apply to this day and age. Yet it’s strange that they have no problems quoting other laws from this book. The two I’m referring to are the ones they think deal with homosexual relations.
Leviticus 18:22 (KJV):
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 (KJV):
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Now I’ve read a couple alternative translations of these two passages from the ancient Hebrew and there’s a phrase in there that’s impossible to get right. The phrase is bed-woman and may have been a slang of the time. Apparently it’s not found anywhere else either in the Bible or on other parchments from that time. So what does it mean? I’ve provided a link to one discussion on this and you can read it yourself.
But the important thing is not that it’s translated correctly or not but why do people bring it up. Yes, it’s in the Bible but so is Exodus 31:15.
Exodus 31:15 (KJV):
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Seriously, if the Bible were truly followed as The Word Of God there would be no police, fire fighter, ambulance attendants, doctors, nurses, etc working on a Sunday. Or, if this law were enforced, we’d be running out of them pretty quick. If you try to tell me that the Leviticus laws are more important than this one or others in the Bible I’ll need to know your reasoning. Like I said, I’m not a biblical scholar.
Oh there are other arguments in regard to the two levitical laws having to do with pagan rituals where doing these would be violating the “no other God before me” law. Or the fact that a male acting as a woman would be a cultural no-no for that time and place.
But what of these laws in the Old Testament. The second link I provided is worth a read too.
Romans 6:14 (KJV):
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Galatians 3:10-13 (KJV):
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Jeremiah 31:31 (KJV):
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ means the coming of a new covenant. As a result we are no longer under the law but under grace. We’re not to discard them because the ten commandments still do apply and are quoted individually in various locations in the New Testament.
When it comes to homosexuality the hate groups who call themselves Christian have passages they use in the New Testament as well and I’ll be talking about them in a later blog.
The sad thing is these Christians are using these passages to justify their discrimination of others. What about Matthew 7:1-5?
Matthew 7:1-5 (KJV):
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
The passages that I find much more important than all them are the following:
Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV):
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
And …
Mark 12:28-31 (KJV):
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Love God and love your neighbour. It’s true that there are no other commandments greater than these.
Christ Jesus be with you,
Teresa
Links:
My thought is that too many people get caught up in religion and don’t focus enough on just being spiritual and having a friendship with God. We can all pick each other apart all day long as to what she does is not Christian, well what about this, but the Bible says that. blah blah…
None of us are perfect or sin free; if we were there would have been no need for God to send His precious Son to die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If you make a mistake, just talk to Him about. Ask Him to let you know how to straighten it out and fix it. Ask Him to forgive and help you make it right in your own heart; He will.
We don’t get grades on how accurately we can interpret the Bible. I think it is a guide with words of wisdom sent to give us advice on how to best handle situations in this life, sort of like a mortal Father would give us as we grow up. I choose to focus more on my own personal relationship with Him, and I refer to the Bible when I need additional guidance or a lesson. At the end of the day we only have to answer for what WE have done. If you make a mistake, just pray about and try to do what YOU can to make it right. We have no control over others and not responsible for their actions, decisions, choices, or the way they handle things……
V, I agree with most of what you said but my biggest complaint is that hurtful people do use the book to justify discrimination of others. You and I both know this is wrong but I feel I have to speak up and be heard. I have to speak up like in the parable of The Widow Who Struggled Until Justice Was Done (Luke 18:1-8). God might be swift to grant justice but people are not and this blog is my small way of saying discrimination is wrong.
“In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”
— by Martin Niemöller
Which is to say, live and let live is fine, but when human rights are ignored, we must all stand together to make things right, before no human rights are left.