Talk
to most Christians about homosexuality and inevitably one of the passages they
will quote you from Scripture is a hacked out section that wasn’t even
addressing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Most quote Romans
1:26-27 which reads:
26 For this reason
God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading
passions. For their women exchanged
their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also
turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out,
consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and
suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and
penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting
retribution.
But
just as we have seen with the other so-called “clobber passages” in Chapters 16
and 17 of The Bed Keeper, we will
realize upon closer examination of Romans 1 that it is indeed not the blanket
condemnation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people so many
Christians attempt to make it out to be as we examine the entire chapter of
Romans 1:
1 From Paul, a bond
servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special
messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God,
2 Which He promised
in advance [long ago] through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures—
3 [The Gospel]
regarding His Son, Who as to the flesh (His human nature) was descended from
David,
4 And [as to His
divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the
Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His
resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the
Anointed one).
5 It is through Him
that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to
promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all
the nations,
6 And this
includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him.
7 To [you then] all
God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a
consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our
Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my
God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report of] your faith is
made known to all the world and is commended everywhere.
9 For God is my
witness, Whom I serve with my [whole] spirit [rendering priestly and spiritual
service] in [preaching] the Gospel and [telling] the good news of His Son, how
incessantly I always mention you when at my prayers.
10 I keep pleading
that somehow by God's will I may now at last prosper and come to you.
11 For I am yearning
to see you, that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to
strengthen and establish you;
12 That is, that we
may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's
faith, both yours and mine.
13 I want you to know, brethren, that many times I have
planned and intended to come to you, though thus far I have been hindered and
prevented, in order that I might have some fruit (some result of my labors)
among you, as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.
14 Both to Greeks and
to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the
foolish, I have an obligation to discharge and a duty to perform and a debt to
pay.
15 So, for my part, I
am willing and eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not
ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto
salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a
personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek,
17 For in the Gospel
a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and
leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more
faith]. As it is written, The man who
through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.
18 For God's
[holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the
truth and make it inoperative. Romans 1:1-18
NOTE: It’s important to
notice here that Paul does not say that the ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men actually repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperable, but it is
their wickedness. Wickedness quite literally means
“twisting Scriptures.” It does not
necessarily mean that a person is demented or evil, but that they attempt to
use Scriptures to thwart the truth of God’s Word and make it inoperable. Many Christians do this very thing by
snatching a couple of verses out of context and attempt to apply them to people
they aren’t even written about, nor addressed to (in this case, to gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people).
This is nothing new.
It
has been done by people in the past to justify slavery, prevent women’s
equality, and conduct witch hunts, and declare the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
to be “of the devil.” They are the same
kind of people we learned about in Chapter 2 of The Bed Keeper who (like the preacher being
rebuked) prostitute God’s Church, and use Scripture to justify their bigotry
for the sake of financial gain, political influence, or more commonly, to hide
the fact they engage in same gender relations with boys on the side themselves;
boys who were most often part of their very own congregations.
19 For that which is
known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness,
because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20 For ever since the
creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal
power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and
through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without
excuse [altogether without any defense or justification] Romans 1:19-20
NOTE: This is the passage that many who promote the
so called, “Natural Law” theology draw from to say that God created man and
woman and all people must therefore be heterosexual, get married, and have
children. As we examined Isaiah 54 and
Isaiah 56 in various chapters throughout The
Bed Keeper, we learned that God is fully aware not all people will have
children, and even admonishes us to not complain while promising that we too
will bear fruit for Him and His glory nonetheless. This is a prime example of what Paul was
referring to in Romans 1:18 wherein Church Shepherds (knowing full well what
Jesus taught regarding born eunuchs in Matthew 19:12), omit any mention of gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as part of God’s Divinely Created
Order, and that we are confirmed as being in full compliance with the “Natural
Law” simply by virtue of our births alone.
Jesus Himself confirms this is so when He teaches that we are “born so
from our mother’s wombs.”
The
fact The Bed Keeper is even being
written is proof positive that by excluding gay people from their definition of
“Natural Law” and “God’s Divinely Created Order,” Church Shepherds have indeed
proven themselves blind, just as God said they are in Isaiah 56:10-12, and that
indeed because of traditions, the Truth of God’s Word is made inoperable. (Matthew 15:6)
We
have seen countless examples throughout The
Bed Keeper where Scripture clearly testifies that gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender people play an important prophetic role in the return of Jesus
Christ, the fulfillment of Scripture, the identification and correction of the
Apostate Church, and many, many other aspects important to the Christian
faith….all for naught when left up to an apathetic Church Shepherd hell bent on
growing a religion through procreation, rather than revealing truth as shown in God’s Word.
In
doing so, they prevent not only the fulfillment of prophecy from God Himself
(Isaiah 55:11-56:12), but also prevent the Glory of the Lord from manifesting
itself in Church to the extent testified to in 2 Chronicles 7, all the while
robbing God of tithes by preventing those of LGBT believers from ever reaching
God’s altar, as rebuked by God through His prophet, Malachi. See Chapter 20 of The Bed Keeper for a more
detailed examination of these detrimental side effects of preaching against
LGBT people and preventing our inclusion in Church…for the sake of traditions.
21 Because when they
knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or
give Him thanks. But instead they became
futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning,
and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be
wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of
themselves]. Romans 1:21-22
NOTE: While it is tempting to say these Scriptures
point to the blind Church Shepherds based on the familiar sounding description
of what so many in the modern Church do and say, it is indeed not speaking
about them as we’ll see in a moment.
23 And by them the
glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and
represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and
reptiles. Romans 1:23
NOTE: Here is proof positive that the people Paul
discusses in Romans 1 are *not* gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,
and believe it or not, he is not even speaking about Christians (not even the
Westboro Baptist Church kind of Christians!)
Indeed, we’ll see that Paul is discussing those who engaged in worship
of ancient Roman gods, which as this verse clearly states, were represented by
images resembling mortal men, and birds,
beasts and reptiles.
Following
are just some of the major Greek and Roman Gods and their symbols. I include the words (bird, beast or reptile)
that Paul used to describe them in parentheses after each:
Jupiter Roman/Zeus Greek:
His
attribute is the lightning bolt and his symbol the eagle, who is also his messenger. (BIRD)
Mercury Roman/Hermes Greek:
The
symbols of Mercury are the caduceus (a staff with two intertwined snakes). (REPTILE)
Vesta Roman/Hestia Greek:
goddess
of the Fire (both sacred and domestic) and the Hearth. Daughter of Saturn and
Ops. Her sacred animal was the ass. Patroness of bakers. Her chief festival was the Vestalia on June
7. One of the most worshipped of the
Roman deities. (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Neptune (Roman)/Poseidon (Greek):
Horse and Bull (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Aprhodite:
Dove (BIRD)
Hera:
goddess
of marriage and the queen of Olympus. She was Zeus's wife and sister; many
myths tell of how she sought revenge when Zeus betrayed her with his lovers. Her symbols include the peacock and the cow. (BIRD)
and (FOUR
FOOTED BEAST)
Ares:
god
of war. He was both cruel and a coward. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, but
neither of his parents liked him. His
symbols include the vulture
and the dog, and he often
carried a bloody spear. (BIRD) (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Athena
goddess
of wisdom. She was also skilled in the art of war, and helped heroes such as
Odysseus and Hercules. Athena sprang
full-grown from the forehead of Zeus, and became his favorite child. Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree.
(BIRD)
Dionysus was the god of wine, which he invented. In ancient Greece Dionysus was honored with
springtime festivals that centered on theater. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a
mortal. His symbols include ivy, the snake, and grapes. (REPTILE)
These
are just some of the gods to whom Paul refers that the Romans were worshiping
and returned to worshiping even after hearing the Word of God, and again, as
Paul said, these gods were represented by images of mortal men, birds, beasts and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave
them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the
dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading
power of sin],
25 Because they
exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it). Romans 1:24-25
NOTE: So many Christians will attempt to condemn
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with this passage (along with the
next two verse) to really drive the point home and portray us as godless, sex
crazed maniacs who do nothing but worship each other’s bodies. It’s just as tempting from what we’ve read at
the beginning of this chapter to slam the blind Church Shepherds who have
exchanged the truth of God for a lie (and lots of money, and political power),
but that would be an equally erroneous application of Scripture. We’ll see that Romans 1:25 applies to neither
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, nor to money fixated, power
hungry lying pastors who’ll tell the flock anything if it keeps the collection
plates full every week.
26 For this reason
God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading
passions. For their women exchanged
their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
27 And the men also
turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out,
consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and
suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and
penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting
retribution. Romans 1:26-27
NOTE: Many Christians believe that Romans 1:26 is a
condemnation of lesbians and Romans 1:27 is a condemnation of gay men. But let’s look at a couple of things. In verse 26, Paul says
“the women exchanged
their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one”
But
let’s compare that to how he describes the men who
“turned from natural
relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for
one another--men committing shameful acts with men”
If
Paul was describing lesbian women in verse 26, why wouldn’t he have been just
as specific as he was with his description of the men? Why didn’t Paul say the women “turned from
natural relations with men and were set ablaze with lust for one another, women
committing shameful acts with women?” Why the difference in his phraseology if
he is talking about lesbian women and gay men?
The
answer is: Paul is *not* referencing lesbian women, but rather women who were
engaged in worship to Roman gods through sexual intercourse with the very birds, beasts and reptiles, as
already mentioned. We’ll also recall our
examination of Leviticus 18:21 from Chapter 16 of The Bed Keeper which said,
Neither shall you lie
with any beast and defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman yield
herself to a beast to lie with it; it is confusion, perversion, and degradedly
carnal.
So
many Christians blend their recollection of Romans 1 to accuse gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender people of being confused,
but in actuality, we see verified by Leviticus that “confusion” applied to people worshiping idols through sexual
relations with animals, not other people.
We were able to discern the context of idolatry with Moses’ statement
just two verses prior to that in Leviticus 18:23 which read,
You shall not give
any of your children to pass through the fire and sacrifice them to Molech [the
fire god], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by giving it to false
gods]. I am the Lord.
Considering
that Leviticus 18:22 falls exactly in between these two verses show us once
again that the condemned acts were not only adultery by heterosexual married
men, but also acts of idolatry, as we
see Leviticus 18:21 and 18:23 actually straddle Leviticus 18:22. It makes our understanding of all that was
being condemned in Leviticus 18 inclusive of idolatry and adultery, both of which are violations of The Ten Commandments
which state, “Thou shall have no other gods before Me” and “Thou shall not
commit adultery.” Yet same gender
relations themselves do not appear in The Ten Commandments. What this means is that traditions of men
have elevated same gender relations to an “11th Commandment” status,
while ignoring the context of idolatry and adultery, which are valid
prohibitions of the Ten Commandments.
Doing so is to judge God’s Own Law.
So
when examining Romans 1:26-27, not only do we see a glaring difference in
Paul’s phraseology between discussing the men and the women described, but we
also see something even more specific when it comes to the men, namely the
phrase “the men also turned from natural
relations with women.”
There
can be no mistake then that just as we learned in our examination of Leviticus,
the people being spoken of here were heterosexual men, because gay men cannot
“turn from natural relations with women.”
For a gay man, there is no such thing as “natural relations with
women.” Only heterosexual men can “turn
from natural relations with women.” This
indicates not only that they were heterosexual, but also married. To be truly honest, not even a heterosexual
man could “turn from natural relations with women” until he had actually
engaged in them.
This
shows us once again that this passage was addressing heterosexual married men,
not gay men, and clearly not lesbian women.
Gay men don’t have relations with women, and lesbian women do not have
sex with animals. To say otherwise is to
abandon all logic and employ a disingenuous attempt at saving face to win an
argument, or to avoid facing accountability to God for mistakenly applying this
passage of Scripture to gay men or lesbians in the past.
Through
thousands of discussions with Christians who buy into the “God turned them gay”
theology I have learned one important lessaon, and that is that they don’t
really want to know the truth…they simply want their prejudices confirmed to
avoid the guilt associated with realizing they have been wrong…and have judged
others, and thereby have condemned themselves, as Paul makes so clear just a
few verses later in Romans 2:1-3 saying,
1 Therefore you have
no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and
condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you
condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same
things [that you censure and denounce].
2 [But] we know that
the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance
with truth upon those who practice such things.
3 And do you think or
imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and
yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His
sentence and adverse verdict?
4 Or are you [so
blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the
wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you
unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to
lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)?
5 But by your callous
stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath and indignation
for yourself on the day of wrath and indignation, when God's righteous judgment
(just doom) will be revealed.
Romans 2:1-5
The
hardest thing for any Christian who has bullied, injured, besmirched, taunted,
beaten or killed a gay person in the past based on a gross misunderstanding or
misapplication of Romans 1 is to admit to themselves and to God that they were
wrong. But it’s not as if God doesn’t
already know the real deal. I would not
want to be in their shoes. Once learning
this, any ought they have committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgender people in the past will continue to haunt them for the rest of
their lives. As God said, “all who rise
against you in judgment, you shall prove to be in the wrong,” and to “bless
your enemies, for in doing so, you heap hot coals upon their head.” Amen?
And
for those most stubbornly callous toward this examination of Romans 1, let’s
provide some proof from Romans 2 where Paul says:
1 Therefore you have
no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and
condemns another. For in posing as judge
and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge
are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].
Are
the people who censure and denounce same gender expressions habitually
practicing the very same things? It’s
quite possible. But more likely is that
they are not. So what is Paul saying by
writing that they were? One thing is for
certain, he’s not talking about loving and consensual sexual expressions
between two people of the same gender in a covenant marriage relationship. Right?
So what is Paul referring to when he says, “you are doing the very same
things?” He’s referring to all the other
sins listed after conveying all the details of how these heterosexual people
would commit adultery against their spouse in order to engage in idol worship
through same gender expressions. What
were those? Paul tells us in Romans
1:29-32:
Unrighteousness
Iniquity
Grasping
Covetous
Greed
Malice
Envy
Jealousy
Murder
Strife
Deceit
Treachery
Ill
Will
Cruel
Ways
Secret
Backbiters
Gossipers
Slanderers
Hateful
to and hating God
Full
of insolence, arrogance, and boasting
Inventors
of new forms of evil (like water boarding, perhaps)
Disobedient
and undutiful to parents
Without
understanding
Conscienceless
Faithless
Heartless
Loveless
Merciless
And
have you ever wondered how Paul knew what was going on in
Rome? Well, even before Paul got to
Rome, he would encounter people who worshiped Greek gods, and even was thought
to be one himself, as we continue to find references to gods and goddesses of ancient
mythology from this account in Acts 14:
8 Now at Lystra a man sat who found it impossible to use
his feet, for he was a cripple from birth and had never walked.
9 He was listening to Paul as he talked, and [Paul]
gazing intently at him and observing that he had faith to be healed,
10 Shouted at him, saying, Stand erect on your feet! And
he leaped up and walked.
11 And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done,
lifted up their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, The gods have come
down to us in human form!
12 They called Barnabas Zeus, and they called Paul,
because he led in the discourse, Hermes [god of speech].
13 And the priest of Zeus, whose [temple] was at the
entrance of the town, brought bulls and garlands to the
[city's] gates and wanted to join the people in offering sacrifice.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it,
they tore their clothing and dashed out among the crowd, shouting,
15 Men, why are you doing this? We also are [only] human beings, of nature
like your own, and we bring you the good news (Gospel) that you should turn
away from these foolish and vain things to the living God, Who made the heaven
and the earth and the sea and everything that they contain.
16 In generations past He permitted all the nations to
walk in their own ways;
17 Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of
Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains from
heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and
happiness.
18 Even in [the light of] these words they with
difficulty prevented the people from offering sacrifice to them. Acts 14:8-18
NOTE: This would explain
HOW Paul knew of the goings on when it came to idol worship, because he saw it
first hand as folks tried to "offer sacrifices" to Paul and Barnabas.
Also, note in Acts 14:15, again Paul
calls the sacrifices "vain and foolish,” just as he did in Romans 1:21-22.
And
finally, we see once again Paul encountering more idolaters in Acts 19, and
again, all before even setting foot in Rome:
21 Now after these events Paul determined in the [Holy]
Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece) and
go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.
22 And having sent two of his assistants, Timothy and
Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself stayed on in [the province of] Asia for a
while.
23 But as time went on, there arose no little disturbance
concerning the Way [of the Lord].
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver
shrines of [the goddess] Artemis [Diana],
brought no small income to his craftsmen. Acts 19:21-24
NOTE: Artemis
(Greek)/Diana (Roman) was
the Fertility Goddess. Moon Goddess. Huntress Goddess. Triple Goddess- Lunar
Virgin, Mother of Creatures, the Huntress or Destroyer. Goddess of nature,
fertility, childbirth, wildwood, moon, forests, animals, mountains, woods, and
women. Goddess of the hunt. In Roman art Diana
usually appears as a huntress with bow and arrow, along with a hunting dog or a stag. (FOUR FOOTED
BEAST)
Both
a virgin goddess and an earth goddess, she was identified with the Greek Artemis. She is praised for her strength, athletic
grace, beauty and her hunting skills. With
two other deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph (her servant and assistant
midwife), and Virbius (the woodland god).
25 These he called together, along with the workmen of
similar trades, and said, Men, you are acquainted with the facts and understand
that from this business we derive our wealth and livelihood.
26 Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but
almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced
people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of
them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at
all.
27 Now there is danger not merely that this trade of ours
may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may
come into disrepute and count for nothing, and that her glorious magnificence
may be degraded and fall into contempt--she whom all [the province of Asia] and
the wide world worship.
28 As they listened to this, they were filled with rage
and they continued to shout, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!
29 Then the city was filled with confusion; and they
rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and
Aristarchus, Macedonians who were fellow travelers with Paul.
30 Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the
disciples would not permit him to do it.
31 Even some of the Asiarchs (political or religious
officials in Asia) who were his friends also sent to him and warned him not to
risk venturing into the theater.
32 Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the
gathering was in a tumult and most of them did not know why they had come
together.
33 Some of the crowd called upon Alexander [to speak],
since the Jews had pushed and urged him forward. And Alexander motioned with
his hand, wishing to make a defense and [planning] to apologize to the people.
34 But as soon as they saw him and recognized that he was
a Jew, a shout went up from them as the voice of one man, as for about two
hours they cried, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!
35 And when the town clerk had calmed the crowd down, he
said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the
Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the sacred
stone [image of her] that fell from the sky?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you
ought to be quiet (keep yourselves in check) and do nothing rashly.
37 For you have brought these men here, who are [guilty
of] neither temple robberies nor blasphemous speech about our goddess.
38 Now then, if Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen who
are with him have a grievance against anyone, the courts are open and
proconsuls are [available]; let them bring charges against one another
[legally].
39 But if you require anything further about this or
about other matters, it must be decided and cleared up in the regular assembly.
40 For we are in danger of being called to render an
account and of being accused of rioting because of [this commotion] today,
there being no reason that we can offer to justify this disorder.
41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the
assembly.
Acts 19:21-41
So
we see there was indeed a struggle on in order for Paul to change the pagans
into Christians by first addressing the issue of the gods they already
worshiped. In this case, we see the
goddess involved was Artemis (Greek), also known as Diana (Roman) in Acts 19:24,
and how Paul was beginning to encroach upon people's livelihoods. As he did, the silversmith, named Demetrius
held a "business meeting" with other temple smith workers and
expressed his concern of the new Christian religion's message and impact on not
only business, but the "sanctity" of the temple that had been built
to Artemis, located in the city of Ephesus.
Picking
back up now from where we left off in Romans 1, let’s continue examining some
of the traditional Christian teachings on the remainder of these passages
resuming from verse 28:
28 And so, since they
did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the
knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not
proper or decent but loathsome,
NOTE: Many Christians actually believe this passage
is saying that because these (heterosexual, married) people in Romans 1 were
engaged in homosexual conduct that “POOF!” God “turned” them gay. But that’s not at all what we see. We see that first they rejected God (Romans 1:21-22).
Romans 1:23 then shows us they went back to worshiping Roman
gods represented by birds, beasts and
reptiles. (It’s important to realize
they went back to worshiping these
idols, because it proves they had been engaged in these sexual expressions of idol
worship PRIOR to learning of God.
This proves God did not “turn them gay.”
They never were gay in the first place, and
were engaged in these sexual practices of idol worship BEFORE learning of Who God is.
In
Romans 1:24 we see then that God ”gave
them up to their lusts.” But that
happened AFTER verse 23 when they had already gone back to worshiping
Roman gods through acts of idolatry which included same gender relations by
married heterosexual men, and bestiality by women.
In
Romans 1:25 we see they then exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and in
verses 26 and 27 we finally get to the point where Scripture actually describes
their specific worship practices, but again, not until after a series of events had taken place. And not until verse 28 do see that they “did not see fit to acknowledge God or
approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing”
It
isn’t until all these events and actions had already taken place before we see God finally “gave them over to a base and condemned
mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome”
While
it may appear on its surface to read “POOF” God turned them gay, in fact they
were already engaged in acts of idol worship and adultery long before this
point. A more accurate understanding of
the phrase “God gave them over” then is the phrase “God finally gave up on them.” He
didn’t “POOF!” “turn them gay.” They
were heterosexual and remained so. The
women returned to worshiping gods
through bestiality, and the men returned
to worship the fertility goddess through same gender relations with other
men. But as we progress, we’ll see
that’s not all the issues they experienced:
29 Until they were
filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity,
grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy,
murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were]
secret backbiters and gossipers,
30 Slanderers,
hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting;
inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31 [They were]
without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless
[and] merciless.
NOTE: Again, it is tempting to illustrate how this
doesn’t apply to the vast majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
people, but rather to blind Shepherds who misapply Romans 1 to condemn us. After all, we have enough issues dealing with
society than to become all that is described in verses 29-30. Many of us commit suicide rather than endure
the hateful rhetoric, misapplied Scripture and threats of bullying, injury and
death than to call down even more of God’s wrath upon ourselves by also
becoming “full of envy, jealous, murderous, deceitful, and secret backbiters
and gossipers.”
The
point is that this passage, (just as many other passages in Romans 1 can seem
to apply to either LGBT people or blind
Church Shepherds), but they actually don’t apply to either. While Paul is definitely addressing this letter
to Christians, he is not talking about Christians….yet.
32 Though they are
fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to
die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who
practice them.
NOTE: Many Christians point to this verse to say
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are “deserving of death.” In actuality there is much more going on than
just gay sex in Romans 1. Verses 29-31
list a plethora of sins that were also “deserving of death” under the Law of Moses
(which Jesus redeemed us from as Christians). If we look closely we’ll see that just as in
Leviticus, they are all violations of the Ten Commandments. Again, as we list all of them out, I truly
wonder just who would be “he who is without sin casting the first stone:”
Unrighteousness
Iniquity
Grasping
Covetous
Greed
Malice
Envy
Jealousy
Murder
Strife
Deceit
Treachery
Ill
Will
Cruel
Ways
Secret
Backbiters
Gossipers
Slanderers
Hateful
to and hating God
Full
of insolence, arrogance, and boasting
Inventors
of new forms of evil (like water boarding, perhaps)
Disobedient
and undutiful to parents
Without
understanding
Conscienceless
Faithless
Heartless
Loveless
Merciless
But
NOW Paul is speaking to Christians beginning in Romans 2:
Therefore you have no
excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and
condemns another.
For in posing as
judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself,
because you who judge
are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].
[But] we know that
the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance
with truth upon those who practice such things.
And do you think or
imagine, O man,
when you judge and
condemn those who practice such things
and yet do them
yourself,
that you will escape
God's judgment
and elude His sentence
and His adverse verdict? Romans 2:1-3
And as God as my witness, ladies and gentlemen of the
jury, I rest my case!
***************************************************************
Part One:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
UPDATE 04.29.12:
Dear Valued Readers,
This blog is a work in progress. As events in the Church impact previously published posts, updates will be published at the end of each post in order to provide the utmost transparency and clarity to all concerned parties as this new move of God progresses. Readers may email thebedkeeper@gmail.com to discuss or comment on any posting. Please note that while all feedback is highly valued and appreciated, it may not be possible to reply to each email.
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
Part One:
Part Two:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
Eagle Mountain International Church took an official position on gay marriage in a sermon on 10.14.12. While not in support of gay marriage, Pastor George reminds his congregation that "those considered to be gay" are equally worthy of love and compassion. Pastor Terri continues to consider being gay as "being caught up in bondage." Several passages of Scripture were quoted to support their views, but no mention was made of any Scriptures that disprove their view, such as discussed in Chapter One: Born This Way and Chapter Two: God Sanctioned Gay Marriage. While I am not rescinding my endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a safe space for LGBT people to worship, I am officially recommending we no longer support them financially. It is clear we have a long way to go in educating the Church, and I remain hopefully confident that after the 2012 elections are over, we will have more opportunities to walk further into the new revelations from God's Word shared throughout this blog. I encourage all LGBT people and our families to continue to hold Pastor George and Terri up in prayer, so that the eyes of their understanding may be flooded with light, and they come to more fully understand the prophetic role that LGBT people play in the spiritual life of the Christian Church, and the return of Jesus Christ.
UPDATE 04.29.12:
My previous endorsement of Lakewood Church is hereby retracted due to this interview: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/29/473250/joel-osteen-gay-sin/?mobile=ncwherein Pastor Joel Osteen declares that "being gay" itself is a sin. That is NOT what the Bible says, and I cannot support it, nor ask anyone else to. I explained this in a previous letter to Pastor Joel in response to his interview with Piers Morgan, which can be reviewed here. I apologize for the mixed messages my own comments may tend to manifest themselves as in this case, but it is an unfortunate result of Pastor Joel's own mixed messages, and his decision to tailor his messages to the audience to whom he is speaking at the time. Should he publicly apologize for his unScriptural comments, and declare he has come to understand the difference between saying "being gay is a sin" and "homosexuality is a sin" (to reflect Scripture's own narrowly defined context of married men who engaged in adultery on their wives to be with men...which has nothing to do with LGBT people), I hope to renew my endorsement of Lakewood Church at some point in the future....but not until then.
UPDATE 01.15.12:
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
