Is It True That Jesus Didn’t Say Anything About Homosexuality?

As we await the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex ‘marriage’ let me respond to the often expressed argument in favor of homosexual ‘marriage’ made by both professing Christians and unbelievers – “Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality.”  Is this a true statement? Yes and No.  It’s true that we have no record of Jesus specifically mentioning homosexuality during His earthly ministry; but nor did He mention bestiality or molesting children.  So, does this ‘argument from silence’ (a logical fallacy) prove that Jesus was okay with these things?  Of course not!

We do know, however, that Jesus affirmed marriage as one man and one woman in a one-flesh relationship for life by appealing to creation (Genesis 1:27 and 2:23-24).  This is understandable because Jesus is God – the Son Incarnate.  Thus, Jesus rejects every other so-called definition of marriage beyond what was given in the Old Testament Scriptures.  He affirms His position in words attributed to Jesus in Mark 10:2-9.  For Jesus the parameters for all expressions of sexual orientation, for all desire for one-flesh relationship and all that it entails, is one man and one woman committed to one another for life in marriage.  Every other desire for any aspect of this one-flesh relationship outside of seeking marriage to the opposite sex is a violation of God’s creation.  In other words, to desire any aspect of the one-flesh relationship outside of marriage between one man and one woman for life is sin.  That’s what Jesus thinks about homosexuality.

Thus, we see that we cannot separate Jesus’ views of marriage from the Old Testament view of marriage – the ‘traditional (Biblical) definition of marriage’ – since the Old Testament view of marriage is Jesus’ view of marriage.  Furthermore, we cannot separate Jesus’ views of marriage and homosexuality from the other New Testament writers.  

Many times I’ve heard the additional argument that the Apostle “Paul was against homosexuality; he was a bigot.”  But, if Paul was a bigot, then you must reject the entire New Testament: all the letters of Paul; Luke’s accounts of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles; all the Christian leaders of the Church who approved of Paul’s ministry.  If you think Paul was a bigot, then you must argue that the entire New Testament has been corrupted … including the words of Christ.

The question becomes: Do you love the sin of homosexuality more than Christ?  Because Jesus clearly thinks that gay marriage is evil.

If you are a homosexual, I encourage you to agree with God’s Word instead of agreeing with what the world says against His Word.  There’s no possible way a person can read the Bible and come up with, “Homosexual marriage is not evil,” unless he or she changes Scripture.  If you cannot trust the Bible when it speaks about sin, you cannot trust the Bible when it speaks about salvation.  Based on the authority of God’s Word, I encourage you to repent of all homosexual desires you are conscious of; repent of all desires grounded in your homosexual orientation.  If you turn from your sin (repent), believing (faith) that Christ died for your sin and rose from the dead to declare you righteous before His Father, you will be saved from God’s wrath, your wicked heart, the Evil One, and this wicked world.  Christ will wash you (salvation); Christ will be washing you daily (sanctification); and you will be ultimately washed by Christ in the end (glorification).

If you are a Christian, continue repenting of all sin and sinful desires, and continue trusting in Christ alone for your salvation.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

I want to grateful acknowledge the contribution of Jared Moore, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville KY, for his blog of March 27, 2014 entitled – “What Does Jesus Think About Gay Marriage?”