Leviticus verse on homosexuality
Why Care What Leviticus Says About Homosexuality?
Joe Heschmeyer:
Welcome back to Shameless Popery, I&#;m Joe Heschmeyer. I want to talk today about the old law and what its role is for Christians. Is the Old Testament regulation still binding, the Law of Moses? So, historically people speak there&#;s laws in the Regulation of Moses. That number is Maimonides, it&#;s kind of controversial whether that number is even accurate or not. But needless to say, there are arguably hundreds, although the exact number may be debated. But hundreds of different rules and regulations, things that you should complete or in many cases not do in the Law of Moses. And the question becomes, for Christians, are we still bound by that? Are we bound by any of that? What&#;s its role? And now, that conversation historically has approach up in a lot of different contexts. One of the first places it came up was, should we still circumcise converts to the faith?
Because that was a big deal. Another is, well, should we worship on Saturday or Sunday? But these days, if I had to guess the number one place this debate seems to come
Leviticus
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that gay male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids gay relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming interpretation of what this channel means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. refers to male-on-male incest.
While Lev. is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the term “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term remain in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible state homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel queer relations were viewed as an ancient Near East obstacle. The anc
Audio Cross Study Comm Heb
Verse (Click for Chapter)
&#&#If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be position to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
New Living Translation
&#;If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men own committed a detestable perform. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
English Usual Version
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have pledged an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Berean Standard Bible
If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they contain both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
King James Bible
If a male 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 beupon them.
New King James V
The Bible on Homosexual Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I phone the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, cease wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to attend to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules prefer the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Ancient Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its permanent moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to aid understand this distinction.
I retain two rules my mom gave me when I was young: hold her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I hold to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now do me more harm than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were fond of mom’s handholding rule. The rea