Does the Bible condemn homosexuality?
To begin with, homosexuality is not mentioned in the Bible at all. The Bible has no knowledge of sexual orientation in general. Sexual orientation is a concept of sexology and psychology that emerged in Europe in the 19th century.
The terms «heterosexual» and «homosexual» to describe sexual experience were coined in 1868 by Hungarian journalist Karl Maria Kertbeny. Therefore, in the biblical and church paradigm before 1868, there were no heterosexuals or homosexuals, as people did not define each other based on the type of sexual relationships.
In general, sexual orientation was not understood, reflected upon, or subject to moral condemnation. It was believed that a man could engage in a sexual relationship with another man due to moral corruption or in a state of drunkenness since according to the words of the apostle, drunkenness leads to debauchery (Ephesians 5:18).
The prohibition of male homosexuality in the book of Leviticus 18:22 implies that this form of sexual behavior is the result of a personal choice made by the individual who decides whether to follow God’s commandments or violate them.
Until the 19th century, actions were primarily considered (e.g., theft or rape) rather than a person’s identity (e.g., «this person is a thief») or their sexual orientation. The emphasis was always on behavior and actions, not on the individual. A person’s actions could be either right (virtuous) or wrong (sinful).
In the 20th and 21st centuries, everything changed: a homosexual came to be called a person who experiences sexual attraction only towards individuals of the same sex. Now, almost any manifestation of love and attachment between individuals of the same sex is perceived as an attribute of homosexuality. In other words, encountering any of these displays of emotional attachment (kissing, hugging, etc.), many people readily associate it with «sodomite sin,» and any of them is focused on the concept of homosexuality.
However, this has a very remote relationship to the biblical context.
In the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, there are two mentions of a ritual in which a man touches the genitals of another participant. In the first case, it is initiated by Abraham, and in the second case, by his grandson, the patriarch Jacob. It is unlikely that our modern-day homophobes would perceive such a conversation between men positively, such as «place your hand under my thigh» or «touch my hip and swear by the Lord.»
Let’s note that in the Bible, only a specific form of sexual behavior is prohibited (anal sex between two men), while the mentioned ritualistic intimate touches to the genitals are allowed. For people of that time, this ritual was not considered in a sexual context, and a man’s genitals symbolized his descendants:
- «Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD» (Genesis 24:2).
- «So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter» (Genesis 24:9).
- «Israel… called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me» (Genesis 47:29).
The Bible commentator explains that by placing his hand «under Abraham’s thigh» (in the area of the genitals), the servant connected the oath of loyalty with the search for a wife for Isaac, and thus the continuation of Abraham’s lineage.
In the 21st century, witnesses of such behavior would immediately label these men as homosexuals. Let’s consider a few more examples from the Bible where relationships between men are described in terms of love and friendship. In the Mosaic Law, a «wife in bed» is contrasted with a friend who is «like your own soul» (Deuteronomy 13:6). In other words, a wife could only provide a man with sexual pleasure and bear children, while a male friend was perceived as a «second self».
Let’s recall the biblical story of the friendship between David and Jonathan. We know that «the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul» (1 Samuel 18:1-2). Mourning his friend Jonathan, David acknowledged that their relationship had reached the highest level, something that could not be achieved in relationships with women:
«I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women» (2 Samuel 1:26).
Later, a similar skeptical attitude towards relationships with women was expressed by the Preacher:
«Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found.» (Ecclesiastes 7:28).
A similar characterization of a true friend in the form of a man is also given in Psalm 55:13:
«But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance«.
The use of the verb «desire» in 1 Samuel 19:1 allows for an erotic and sexual interpretation. The meetings of friends in the field (1 Samuel 18:1, 20:11) are described in terms commonly used in Hebrew erotic literature (Song of Solomon 1:7, 3:1-4, 7:12).
Furthermore, during their first personal meeting, Jonathan undressed completely before David (1 Samuel 18:4).
Moreover, emotional attachment between men until the mid-20th century was expressed through kissing. Apostles Peter and Paul advised Christians to greet each other with «a holy kiss» (1 Corinthians 16:20) and «greet one another with a kiss of love» (1 Peter 5:14).
Forms of friendly behavior have always included public embraces, shared meals, and sleeping together.
All these forms of relationships were previously considered normative.
An example of special male relationships can be found in the traditions of Christian Europe. In the Middle Ages, a special ritual called «fraternitas spiritualis» was prevalent, where two men, unrelated by blood, would become brothers through a church blessing. It involved two Christians seeking close spiritual communion and fraternal mutual assistance in their endeavors. This ritual emerged as a synthesis of the ancient custom of brotherhood found among many cultures and the Christian practice of entering into «spiritual kinship.»
Thus, over the past 100 years, many forms of friendship and love between men have been perceived in society as «suspicious» and supposedly indicative of homosexuality. This has significantly impoverished the emotional sphere and caused undeserved suffering for people.
Equating forms of male friendship and love with homosexuality is not a biblical or ecclesiastical innovation. It is an example of the error of hasty generalization, where the general is equated with the specific.
«If you have committed a bad deed, then you are a bad person.»
Or:
«If you have made a rash, foolish act or said something foolish, then you are foolish.»
Similarly, some people believe that all homosexuals are effeminate or engaging in sodomitic practices, which is a logical fallacy. Many gay individuals do not engage in anal sex. Furthermore, sexual orientation does not necessarily align with sexual behavior.
Let us examine how this error has appeared in modern translations of the Bible using the example of the words of the Apostle Paul in the first epistle to the Corinthians:
Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι θεοῦ βασιλείαν οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν; μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται … οὐχ ἅρπαγες βασιλείαν θεοῦ κληρονομήσουσιν” (1Co. 6:9,10).
In the classic English translation, the King James Version, it speaks of sodomy:
«nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind» (1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV 1611).
In the Dutch translation of the Bible, «Statenvertaling Jongbloed edition» (1888), it also refers only to sexual behavior:
«nor the lewd, nor those who lie with men… will inherit the Kingdom of God.»
Only in the mid-20th century did the term «homosexual» enter into Bible translations.
In the considered text, 1 Corinthians 6:9, the Greek words «μαλακοὶ» and «ἀρσενοκοῖται» were replaced.
«nor adulterers, nor homosexuals… will inherit the kingdom of God» (The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition 1966). In the footnote to the word «homosexuals,» it is indicated that this expression represents two Greek words: «nor effeminate nor sodomites.»
«nor homosexuals, nor sodomites» (New King James Version 1982).
«nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders» (The New International Version 1984).
«nor homosexuals» (New American Standard Bible 2020).
This error has also entered the Dutch Bible in the same way:
«or engage in homosexual and pedophile practices» (1 Corinthians 6:9 «Het Boek» 1988).
Even pedophiles are mentioned in this translation. This is an error!
The term paedophilia (in German) began to be used in the 1830s among researchers of pederasty in ancient Greece.
Nowadays, the word is purely medical, sexological, and refers to a mental disorder with persistent sexual arousal towards children. Paedophilia is seen as a social construct in modern society, where sexual contact between children and adults (the age of consent in Western countries varies from 14 to 18 years) is forbidden. At the same time, for societies where sexual contacts between children and adults were considered the norm, the use of the term «paedophilia» is incorrect. Pederasty in ancient Greece, for example, was a romantic relationship between a man and a boy aged 13 to 20. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul could have used this Greek word, but for some reason chose a different one.
So, this is a mistake!
Modern biblical scholars believe that the Greek terms μαλακοὶ and ἀρσενοκοῖται indicate those people who participate in the act of sodomy in passive and active roles.
But what does this have to do with the modern concept of homosexuality?
Biblical tradition considers sexual behavior, i.e., the practice of anal sex (presumably in a ritual context). However, in modern Bible translations, a term has emerged that was never present in Christian tradition — «homosexual.» Modern Christians also use another non-biblical neologism — «orientation.»
All of this confuses readers and serves as a catalyst for homophobia.
Let’s summarize. The modern understanding of homosexuality includes various forms of interaction between individuals of the same sex:
- Desire to grow long hair
- Emotional attachment to a non-relative and brotherhood (partnership)
- Public embraces
- Kiss on the lips
- Touching the genitalia of individuals of the same sex
- Contemplation of naked bodies
- Joint leisure and sleep
- Mutual masturbation
- Oral sex
- Petting (sex without anal penetration)
- Anal sex
Currently, any of the listed forms of interaction between men can be perceived as a manifestation of homosexuality. However, in biblical, Byzantine, Old Russian, and even Soviet traditions, many of these manifestations of human emotions were considered either 1) normative, 2) something disreputable but at the level of pranks, 3) a form of religious ritual, or 4) a sin.
There is a stereotype that same-sex relationships are strictly prohibited in the Bible. But in fact, biblical texts only taboo anal sex.
If gay men hug, kiss, and sleep in the same bed, biblical prohibitions have nothing to do with such interactions.
Calling gay people sodomites is just as unjust as claiming, following the apostle, that all Cretans are liars (Titus 1:12).
P.S. We’ll talk about the sin of the Sodomites next time…
Literature:
- Brandon Ambrosino. How and Why People Invented Heterosexuality. URL: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170315-the-invention-of-heterosexuality
- Glass J.D. «How a Bible Error Changed History and Turned Gays Into Pariahs.»
- Walton, John H., Matthew, Victor H., Chavalas, Mark W. «The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.»
Aleksandr Usatov
ausatov@protonmail.com
