Understanding Homosexuality in the Bible
In recent years, very few matters have divided the world like homosexuality. Within the Christian context, it has evolved from a mere moral discourse into a fierce theological debate. If you desire to know the Scripture’s stance on the matter, we give you some verses about homosexuality in the bible to consider below.
These verses on homosexuality answer several age-old questions about sexual diversity, marriage between same-sex, sexual purity, and God’s intention for sexuality in marriage.
True Christianity doesn’t adjust to the times or popular beliefs. Rather, it diligently examines the eternal Word of God to uncover God’s divine counsel on matters. As you read and reflect on these Bible verses about homosexuality, we encourage you to lay aside sociocultural opinions and imbibe a sober, selfless, and meek spirit.
More importantly, put on the armor of love, remembering that God loves everyone and always provides the possibility of repentance and forgiveness.
Scriptures on Homosexuality in the Old Testament
Jesus often referred His audience to the beginning while teaching about marriage and other related subjects. Let’s follow the same approach and examine these Bible verses about homosexuality in the Old Testament that express God’s position on the matter.
You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable. You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion. Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. (Leviticus 18:22-24)
If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves. (Leviticus 20:13)
Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to Yahweh’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house. Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.” The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.” So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank. As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!” The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, don’t do this folly. Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don’t do any such folly.” (Judges 19:16-24)
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. (I Kings 14:24 NIV)
The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself. He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.” They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. (Genesis 19:1-11)
He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. (I Kings 15:12 NIV)
He broke down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in Yahweh’s house, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. (II Kings 23:7)
I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean. How long will it yet be? (Jeremiah 13:27)
Bible Verses Against Homosexuality in the New Testament
Homosexuality and its variants have as many mentions in the New Testament as in the Old. The following Bible verses against homosexuality in the New Testament further substantiate God’s standpoint on the matter.
For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers. (Romans 1:26-29)
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings. (Jude 7-8)
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (I Corinthians 7:2)
But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. (Mark 10:6-9)
Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body? But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man. (Matthew 15:17-20)
Lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. (Hebrews 12:16)
That again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed. (II Corinthians 12:21)
I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves. (I Corinthians 5:9-13)
What Does the Bible Say About Gay People?
The Bible has a lot to say about gay relationships and other variants of same-sex affairs. If you ever asked the question, “What does the Bible say about gay people?” check out these Bible verses against homosexuality in the New Testament. They clarify many misconceptions and show God’s way out for anyone struggling with sexual sins.
Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully, as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (I Timothy 1:8-11)
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. (Hebrews 13:4)
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 6:17-20)
Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness. (Galatians 5:19)
Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. Therefore don’t be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:5-8)
Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves. (Romans 1:24)
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell. (Acts 15:28-29)
For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God, (I Thessalonians 4:3-5)
Let’s not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. (I Corinthians 10:8)
Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. (Colossians 3:5-6)
Is Homosexuality Worse Than Other Sins?
The question of whether homosexuality is worse than other sins is a tricky one to answer. Here, we will use one of Jesus’ parables to clear the air.
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told a story of two sinners — the self-righteous Pharisee and the corrupt tax collector.
He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
From this parable, we see that Jesus does not explicitly say that one sin is worse than another. Instead, He focused on the repentant attitude of the tax collector and taught that the person who admits their mistakes and seeks repentance is in a better position than an unrepentant sinner.
James 2:10-11 is another Bible verse that addresses this issue:
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
The Scripture here affirms that any sin committed, regardless of its nature, makes us all sinners before God. This, however, does not infer that all sins are the same. Instead, it leans towards the argument that we should not judge or categorize sins.
So, even though homosexuality is ungodly, God does not want us to condemn those who practice it as unworthy of His love and compassion.
A Call for Soberness, Compassion, and Repentance
So far, from our study of homosexuality in the Bible, it is clear that it isn’t just another Western or modern-day phenomenon of sexual orientation. Its practice has been documented as far back as the Bible days.
Journeying through the Old and New Testaments, we’ve seen several references that underscore God’s stance on the matter. The Scripture calls it sinful, and we are to uphold that divine verdict.
However, that doesn’t mean we should go about pointing fingers at homosexuals and condemning them. We shouldn’t view the Bible’s instructions as anti-gay Bible verses. As ministers of reconciliation, we should rather apply the scriptures on homosexuality as tools to communicate God’s love to homosexuals and His displeasure towards their lifestyle.
The Gospel isn’t a message of condemnation; the beloved Apostle Paul called it the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). We should adopt the same approach when we reflect on a Bible verse about homosexuality or while sharing it with others.
Yes, the Gospel does not encourage sinning. But it doesn’t condemn sinners either. In fact, II Corinthians 5:19 calls the Gospel the message of reconciliation.
The subject of homosexuality in the Bible is one we must approach with soberness, compassion, love, and a high sense of spiritual maturity.
As we inform sinners that God will judge all unrepented wrongs, we must affirm more strongly the realities of God’s kindness in Christ Jesus and the abundance of grace to forgive and pardon them when they repent.
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
God is a merciful Father whose hands are always open to forgive and restore. His love goes out to everyone, no matter how deep they’ve gone in sin. As long as a sinner is sober and repentant, God will pardon.
We must strive to preach the truth in the spirit of love at all times. Our kind words and compassionate listening ears are as crucial in evangelism as the message we preach.
