Same Sex Relationships and the Interpretation of Scripture:

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Same Sex Relationships and the Interpretation of
Scripture

• An Exploration of Key Issues

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1. Introductory Matters

• James 317But the wisdom from above is first
  pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,
  full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of
  partiality or hypocrisy.

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• My views as an interpreter
• The preconceived views of my community of readers

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2. The Texts

• 2.1 Genesis 191-9 Judges 1922-25
• The sin of homosexual rape

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2.2 Leviticus 1822 2013

• Lev 1822 You shall not lie with a male as with a
  woman it is an abomination.
• Lev 2013 If a man lies with a male as with a
  woman, both of them have committed an
  abomination they shall be put to death their
  blood is upon them.

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2.3 1 Cor 69 1 Tim 110

• Do you not know that wrongdoers will not
  inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived!
  Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male
  prostitutes, sodomites (arsenokoitai), thieves,
  the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers none
  of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. And
  this is what some of you used to be. But you were
  washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
  in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the
  Spirit of our God.

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2.4 Rom 126-27

• For this reason God gave them up to degrading
  passions. Their women exchanged natural
  intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way
  also the men, giving up natural intercourse with
  women, were consumed with passion for one
  another. Men committed shameless acts with men
  and received in their own persons the due penalty
  for their error.

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• Link between idolatry and homosexuality?
• Is the reference actually to people who by nature
  are heterosexual, but who act contrary to their
  nature.
• What does Paul mean by nature here?

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• Allusions to Genesis 1-3
• By nature and natural relations Paul means
  according to the material shape of the created
  order, and by unnatural Paul means contrary
  to Gods intention in creation.

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2.5 Conclusions

• When it comes to particular passages, the Bible
  does seem to speak with a single voice on this
  topic.

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3. Wider considerations

• Are there themes which are central to the
  Biblical message which are relevant and which we
  should not overlook?
• The application of principles of interpretation.

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• Jesus affirmation of heterosexual marriage (Mk
  106-8, citing Gen 127 224)
• What is central in the Christian view of
  marriage?

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• What sort of God did Jesus reveal and how does
  that impact on the debate?

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• What is the relationship between creation and
  redemption?
• Can we argue Christologically?

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• How do the gay and lesbian Christian communities
  interpret Scripture?

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• Is Paul culturally conditioned here?
• How might we tell?
• Is he simply fitting in with his Jewish culture?

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• Why are people gay or lesbian?
• What does science say?
• How do we respond to the fact that for many,
  their sexual orientation is not experienced as
  the result of personal choice?
• The matter of homosexual orientation

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• Powell asks To what extent can committed and
  monogamous relationships between homosexuals in
  our modern world be distinguished from the
  relationships that are denounced in the Bible?
• The analogy of money and interest

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• The place of experience
• Particularly gay and lesbian Christians who
  demonstrate the presence of God in their lives

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• The argument from experienceActs 15 and the
  inclusion of Gentiles at the Council of Jerusalem

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• Should greater weight be given to a particular
  Biblical theme, rather than to specific passages?
  
• For example, should we give greatest weight to
  mercy and compassion?
• Or to taking the side of the oppressed and
  standing for justice?

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• The alternative to homosexual activity?
• - heterosexual relations
• - remaining celibate.
• The problems with both options

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• Conclusions.

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• Powell suggests
• Are there some instances in which homosexual
  relations could be regarded only as contrary to
  the normal state of affairs but not as wrong?