Jesus and Same-Sex Marriage

Awesome - he didn't care if he offended the "righteous" then, so why would he care now? He didn't teach that we are to accept what's culturally correct - why would we think anything has changed? He's the only one in history who has never misrepresented God.

Great read...I sometimes doubt what I know to be true!!! thanks Joe

Excellent article! Thanks Joe!

This is very good. Thank you!

Well done Joe!

Very funny but meaningful and very helpful to know the present position of our Lord in our times, his word is still the core for our Christian living, God bless you sir, we thank God for this post.

-- One of my FAVORITES!!
Thanks, Bro-Joe, for sharing!!

Wow Joe, just WOW. Hey, could I get your permission to perform this as a play with a friend in my local church? I think it would powerfully crystalize and distil a lot of what is kind of mushy right now, even though our beliefs are very orthodox.

We are in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia by the way

Making a 'soundboard' of a celebrity's quotes is far from serious scholarship and is essentially a blasphemous form of fantasy roleplay. The fact remains that you or I don't know what Jesus's response to the understanding that "homosexuality is a natural variation of human sexuality. Most educated people agree on that." As you are well aware, there is no known record of Jesus's observations regarding same-sex relationships nor did first century Christians have any concept of modern science, biology, sexuality, or sexual orientation.

That's ridiculous! You could take Jesus' words out of context the way you have and create an interview to make him seem to agree with anything. This is the problem when people try to make Jesus into the person they imagine him to be instead of the person he was. This is truly blasphemous! I feel like apologizing to Jesus for you and your antics.

So after two thousand years, Jesus has nothing new to say?

In His day, He regularly confounded those who tried to rigidly apply the Scriptures. He would offer new insights, new applications, new meaning, new Truth...even alternative ways to interpret. Or He would correct their understanding of the Scripture.

While this "interview" is clever, it certainly makes Jesus seem cold, distant, unresponsive and inattentive. Everything it tied to a "book," not hearing His voice now. He has nothing new to say to us today.

Interviewer: "What's your opinion on televised Dodgers games only being accessible to Time Warner Cable subscribers?"
Jesus: "Jesus wept." (John 11:35)

wow, I will pray for your soul. I'm wondering how you're going to explain to Jesus that you would deny one of His children the right to visit a loved one who is dying because they are not married. Or that you would deny a child the security of two legal parents. That conveniently ignored the words He actually SAID. This is just a collection of clobber verses, and not very "Christian" at all. Maybe since you are a sinner, (the lust in your heart thing, right?) we should deny you the right to marry as well? And those who divorce except when there's adultery involved? And how about those who swear, or maybe steal something, I think under your reasoning, they should not be allowed to marry either, they are sinners. Oh wait, we're all sinners. So.... hm.

This really is far-fetched and totally out of context. This is wrong on so many levels. Very sad you feel the need to do this. Jesus is about acceptance and love not condemnation and hate.

Thanks Joe, that was great.

Jesus never actually spoke a word against gays during His lifetime, per the Gospels.

Joe,
I agree with almost everything here, except the section on casting the first stone. On what basis do you believe that sexual sin should be beyond the realm of civil consequences and sanctions?

I also find it problematic that you quote Jesus saying that he did not come to destroy the law, but then seem to imply that he came to destroy the law on how to deal with adulterers.

Wow! What a way to nail it. As a man who struggles with this on a consistent basis, this "interview" was a great way to bring additional focus on the Lord into my daily life. Thank you!!!

I have enjoyed reading all your responses to the readers of their opinions and thoughts. At the end of the day having acquaintances who are homosexual although I do not agree with their lifestyle I love them the way Jesus asked us to love one another. It is God our Father who has the position of judgement. Thoughts?

So good to see this article. It's scary to see how many people want to just believe the parts of the Bible that are politically correct or easy to stand for. Refreshing to see people still believe the truth.

Most of our grandkids' generation shall see Joe's views on gays and marriage equality the way most of us see our grandparents' generation's views on race and interracial marriage.

I don't like this article, you are just finding Scriptures that support your views. Tell me, do you know the original context of the Scriptures you found and in which they were written. You have to study the Scriptures and understand what Jesus said before you just post something like this. I know my views of all your talking about, but that's a different topic.

I think this article represents all that is wrong with the modern church!

For far too long, ministers, I being one of them, have taken scripture and used it out of context to prove certain doctrinal positions.

You have taken select scriptures and used them out of context, to speak to a group of people that were not the intended audience. Jesus never specifically spoke against gay marriage!

Your article makes an errant supposition. You suppose that just because Jesus speaks positively about heterosexual marriage, that he must be against homosexual marriage. That would be like me going into IHOP and saying that because I like blueberry pancakes and every one who is eating strawberry pancakes is wrong.

Pleae, be more cautious of things you write and say. There are thousands of young teens/adults who are trying to find their way through this world who identify as LGBT and they need our love and support.

I believe the increasing acceptance and approval of homosexuality and homosexual marriage in spite of what scripture plainly says is evidence of the apostasy that is here now and will only increase. I don't know of one Christian that hates homosexuals , but that doesn't mean they accept this sin as ok any more than any other sin . All sin needs confessed , repented of and forgiven .. Doesn't much matter as to the specific sin.

We try to make it rigjt in our own eay, it is called sin.

I enjoyed the article and especially like the way you respectfully respond to negative comments.

I appreciate your loving response to negative comments. It shows you heart which is evidently filled with truth and His light. Hard truths but wonderfully we can land in His arms of grace ,love and mercy. He is the power to transform us into His likeness , no matter the sin we find ourselves in. I love my homosexual friends, not judging, that's the Lords job , as He also judges my sins. But the scripture is clear on this, regardless of culture. His word is Good for all people, all places, and all times. Absolute truth is what we have as His promise. It may be unpopular but ultimately I so agree with you that He came to save not destroy. He doesn't want to be a killjoy but to give a hope for an eternal future.

You have been criticized for taking scriptures out of context but I truly believe that your scoffers have scales on their eyes of what truth that is in the scriptures. Thank you for addressing this issue with tenderness and His Light.

I appreciate the cleverness of the article. Humor goes a long way in being personable (a lesson I am learning). I also appreciate the loving responses (truth in love, another lesson I'm learning).

I have recently done a study on "judging" and Jesus' words on the subject are the most profound in Scripture. He did not come to judge (judgment is reserved for the end) so why do his followers judge and seek to justify their judgment? We are required to 'discern' or judge what is sin, but are expressly forbidden from 'condemning' or judging the sinner.

So what do we do with sinners?! I can hear it now. If we must do anything, we must love and forgive them. I believe that's what Jesus taught. And maybe I'm being self-serving since I expect someone will say I'm not a Christian in so many words. To that end please love and forgive me!

Peace and Grace.

Thank you, Joe. Please don't ever stop standing for this truth. I've seen a couple comments concerning the argument of silence on a topic. Yes, Jesus never specifically addressed homosexuality, but he never specifically addressed the injection of heroin either. However, through study of scripture we can conclude that drug abuse is indeed sinful. Romans 1 is very clear concerning homosexual practices, and if we truly believe that scripture is the inspired word of God, we must accept all of it, regardless of whether it is popular in our culture.

God does not hate the sinner, He hates the sin. But make no mistake, it is sin and the wages of sin is death. I continue to pray for all who fall short including myself. I knw God made man and woman to pro-create. If He wanted man and man or woman and woman to pro-create, He would have given them the ability to do so and it would have been good. But He didn't and it isn't.

Of all the things I've been called, a Biblical liberal sure is a new one! I'm actually pretty conservative theologically. I take both testaments as one unit. Taken together, I see the witness of both Old and New Testaments condemning homosexuality, first in Leviticus chapters 18 and 20, along with incest, adultery and bestiality, all of which were forbidden under the Israelite's theocracy, a system of government we do not live under and which was only prescribed by God for Hebrews at that time. Much of what is prohibited in these chapters, like adultery, homosexuality, prostitution and incest, is prohibited for believers in the New Testament as well. Then again, homosexuality is cited and condemned in Romans 1: 26-27, I Cor. 6: 9-10. and I Tim. 1: 9-10, all of which prohibit the behavior with no proscription for its punishment by law. I see that the death penalty for sexual sin was left unenforced by Jesus Himself (John 8:7) without His by any means condoning the sin ("Neither do I condemn you - go and sin no more.") I further see that Paul said we've no place judging non-believers for immoral behavior (I Cor. 5:12) but that immoral behavior within the Church should be judged, and those practicing it disciplined and avoided. (I Cor. 5:11) We are left, then, to determine our stance on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage as they relate to law, not just in terms of whether or not they're Biblically condoned or condemned, but to what extent legitimizing them hurts or helps the culture. Many of us believe same-sex marriage will not be in the best interest of future generations, and oppose it for that reason, not simply because it is Biblically prohibited. But the Bible taken in its entirety does not command the death penalty, or any particular legal/civil penalty, for homosexual acts, or heterosexual acts such as adultery or fornication. That's a conservative position on adult to adult consensual sex acts apart from heterosexual marriage. The acts are morally wrong, but no legal punishment for them is called for in scripture.

To all of you who've commented on this post, I sincerely thank you. Your questions and remarks have been well thought out and have raised important points, whether you took a gay-affirmative or a traditional position. But this post is now nearly three weeks old, and I think we've covered the lion's share of the issues it raises. My time to respond is limited, and will be more so in the coming weeks, so I'm closing it to further comments. Thanks again to all of you for participating.