That’s right folks! Count ‘em! Read ‘em & weep!

1. Condemning same-sex relationships harms people.

2. Sexual orientation is a pretty new concept.

3. Celibacy is a gift, not a mandate.

4. Sodom and Gomorrah was really only about gang rape.

5. Leviticus passages do prohibit ‘male to male’ relations, but it’s OT Law and we are under grace.

6. Paul in the New Testament was condemning same sex ‘lust’ not same-sex ‘love’

7. The term ‘homosexual’ didn’t even exist back then.

The above were presented to us and the world via a YouTube video log (Vlog) presented by Arielle Scarcella and Matthew Vines. It’s only about 4 minutes and can be seen here. You don’t need to watch the video however. You can go to Alpha and Omega Ministries and listen to Dr. James White’s point by point analysis of each one of the above. Dr. White’s audio webcast can be found here. Start listening at the 26 minute mark.

There’s not much I could add to Dr. White’s commentary. . .

My last post was a really good explanation of what the Bible says about Homosexuality by Matt Slick. I had actually planned to publish this post, but I thought it might be a bit harsh. However, since John Shore has blocked me from commenting at his place, I might as well just post it here at  The Battle Cry. Some of the passages quoted and interpretively mangled were also referenced by Matt Slick in his article. There are a couple John Shore didn’t even mention but instead dismissed them as irrelevant. they will be easy to spot.  Enough said for now. Here are John Shore’s really stupid arguments for removing homosexual behavior from God’s sin list. . .

John Shore, a proud member of the PCA (Progressive Christian Alliance) has written a really long and rather nauseating (to me anyway) blog post at Patheos.com affirming homosexual acts between consenting adults as really OK with God. To do so it was necessary for him to speak to Old Testament prohibitions against such behavior, as well as certain New Testament passages that also prohibit such activity. I have extracted those parts of his argument and present them here for your consideration.

His OT argument:

Using the four Old Testament passages to condemn all homosexual acts is not in keeping with any Christian directive from God, nor with the practices of contemporary Christians.
The Bible’s first four references to homosexuality occur in the Old Testament.

While continuing to be spiritually inspired and influenced by the Old Testament, Christians were specifically instructed by Paul not to follow the law of the Old Testament, in such passages as:

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. —Hebrews 7:18-19

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. — Galatians 3:23-25

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another … — Romans 7:4

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. — Romans 6:14

None of the law applies to us who are under grace! How simple is that? No need to even quote those rather annoyingly clear OT passages that speak to the matter at hand – OT Law just doesn’t matter any more! Any questions? As a matter of fact, yes!

What about the fact that Paul, in the above passages was speaking about grace being able to accomplish what the Law cannot – satisfy God’s demand for perfection in order to enter his Kingdom. It’s called justification and a major theme of Paul’s body of work (half the NT). Let’s move on.

Here is John Shore’s discussion of certain clear passages of NT text:

In the clobber passages Paul condemns the coercive, excessive, and predatory same-sex sexual activity practiced by the Romans—and would have condemned the same acts had they been heterosexual in nature.

The Bible’s clobber passages were written about same-sex acts between heterosexual persons, and do not address the subject of homosexual acts between a committed gay couple, because the concept of a person being homosexual did not exist at the time the Bible was written.

Here are the three references to homosexuality in the New Testament:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. — 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine. — 1 Timothy 1:9-10

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. — Romans 1:26-27

During the time in which the New Testament was written, the Roman conquerors of the region frequently and openly engaged in homosexual acts between themselves and boys. Such acts were also common between Roman men and their male slaves. These acts of non-consensual sex were considered normal and socially acceptable. They were, however, morally repulsive to Paul, as today they would be to everyone, gay and straight.

The universally acknowledged authoritative reference on matters of antiquity is the Oxford Classical Dictionary. Here is what the OCD (third edition revised, 2003) says in its section about homosexuality as practiced in the time of Paul:

“… the sexual penetration of male prostitutes or slaves by conventionally masculine elite men, who might purchase slaves expressly for that purpose, was not considered morally problematic.”

This is the societal context in which Paul wrote of homosexual acts, and it is this context that Christians must acknowledge when seeking to understand and interpret the three New Testament clobber passages. Yes, Paul condemned the same-sex sexual activity he saw around him—because it was coercive, without constraint, and between older men and boys. As a moral man, Paul was revolted by these acts, as, certainly, he would have been by the same acts had they been heterosexual in nature.

The treatment of the NT passages Mr. Shore provides is even worse, in my opinion. than his complete dismissal of all OT law. He tries to justify ‘consensual’ homosexual activity by saying Paul was really talking about some of the despicable practices in Roman society!. Here is the passage in question again::

“Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men . . .” – Rom 1:27

What about that points to any kind of ‘forced’ homosexual activity? What about ‘exchanging ‘natural sexual relations for the unnatural’ is confusing? Our Romans passage merely mirrors n the Leviticus passages that were omitted in his lame OT argument (Lev. 18:22, & Lev. 20:13) Indeed Mr. Shore is a clever fellow. If he hadn’t dismissed the Leviticus passages they would have destroyed his ‘Roman society’ argument.

There is a lot more to John Shore’s blog post that you can be read here. . Caution is advised for the biblically literate. One (or more) of those little bags you can find in the back of commercial airliner seats may be appropriate, if blatant attempts by professing Christians to justify sin makes you ill.

Pray for John Shore and his fans, that God would open hearts to hear the true gospel and that He would continue to send messengers into the darkness.

Recently I ended up over at Patheos.com reading a professed  evangelical Christian’s affirmation of homosexual behavior as perfectly natural and normal today. I’m not sure that his arguments even reached the level of ‘ridiculous’, they were so poor. Nevertheless he was applauded and lauded by many. I engaged in dialogue for a time, talking about such silly things as the clarity of scripture, declaring certain behavior(s) as wrong according to God but intentionally emphasizing compassion for those engaged in them, and providing the good news of forgiveness in Christ. for ALL of our sin. I won’t go into all of the reactions I received other than to say that there are great examples of just about every logical fallacy taught in Logic 101, demonstrating the great lengths to which those who suppress the truth they already know will go. This is for them, accompanied with the prayer that God will open blind eyes to His truth, embrace that truth, and be welcomed into His eternal Kingdom.

What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

by Matt Slick

The Bible doesn’t speak of homosexuality very often; but when it does, it condemns it as sin.  Let’s take a look.

· Lev. 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”1

· Lev. 20:13, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them.”

· 1 Cor. 6:9-10, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

· Rom. 1:26-28, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.”

Homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible.  It undermines the basis of God’s created order where God made Adam, a man, and Eve, a woman–not two men, not two women–to carry out his command to fill and subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28). Homosexuality cannot carry out that command. It also undermines the basic family unit of husband and wife, the God-ordained means of procreation.  It is also dangerous to society. (See, Is homosexuality dangerous?)

Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a heavy judgment administered by God Himself upon those who commit it–and support it. This judgment is simple in that those who practice it are given over to their passions–which means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins.

“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Rom. 1:26-27).

As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing.  They will not seek forgiveness.  They will die in their sins and face God’s holy condemnation.  But, that isn’t all.  In addition to the judgment of being given over to their sin, those involved in it also promote it and condemn others who don’t approve of their behavior.

” . . . and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32).

So, in their hearty approval of homosexuality they encourage others to be trapped in their sinfulness.  This means they will reject Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.  Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness.  Without forgiveness, they will have no salvation. Without salvation, there is only damnation in eternal hell.  We don’t want this for anyone.

Is this politically correct?

No, the Bible’s view of homosexuality is not politically correct.  The politically correct view is that there is nothing wrong with two people just loving each other.  Who are we Christians to judge them?  But, who are they to say what is morally right and wrong?  Do they have an objective standard of morals that all people should follow?  No, they don’t.  They appeal to things like “society” and “common sense” and “basic rights,” etc., to promote their opinion of homosexual normality.  Well, societies have been wrong before (Nazi Germany, anyone?).  What is common sense to one person isn’t necessarily common sense to another.  And, basic rights?  Well, we all have basic rights.  But, the homosexuals want special rights.  They want laws passed to protect their sexual behavior. They also want to redefine marriage and require everyone else to accept it! (Will the redefinition stop with homosexual marriage? Don’t bet on it. Pedophiles are now asking for rights, too, and they are using the same arguments initially presented by the homosexual movement decades ago). Think about it. The pro-homosexuals want laws passed to protect a behavior, a behavior!   It is, after all, homoSEXuality. I want to know what right do the politically correct, pro-homosexual minority have to impose their values on the majority? What right do they have to condemn Christians, call us names, and be so very intolerant when say their behavior is a sin? They don’t have sound arguments, but they do have liberal dogmatism pushed along by the momentum of the compromising media. They are successfully getting homosexuality promoted in schools, TV, and movies as “normal” and healthy.  As a result, their confidence and successes have pumped up their bravado so much that they even oppress those who oppose homosexuality–a fact blatantly ignored by the double-standard-liberal-media.  But what are we to expect when dogmatism is king and all opposing views are condemned? The pro-homosexuals want everyone to think like them and approve of their “inborn sexual orientation“–and if you don’t?  Well, then you’re labeled a bigot!  Yep, they are so tolerant.  That is why they want laws passed to ensure that their behavior of pairing a penis to a penis and a vagina to a vagina is protected as a special legal right even if the majority of people think otherwise!  But hey, it’s okay if the minority pushes the majority around, redefines marriage, enforces loosening sexual morays, hides the condemning health statistics of homosexual behavior, and not-so-gently forces a change in society as a whole while they arrogantly yell, “This is normal!”

. . . really?  It is?

But, believe it or not.  We, Christians, aren’t judging them.  We are informing them.  God has declared that homosexuality is a sin.  It isn’t our preferences we’re declaring.  It is God’s.  I know.  I know.  Some will say the Bible isn’t true, that it is archaic, sexist, homophobic . . . blah, blah, blah.  I’ve heard it all before.  Kill the messenger and let’s all jump into bed together and have our fun. Sorry, I’m not interested in freedom without responsibility and the resulting promiscuity and diseases that accompany the politically correct, sexual freedom of aberrant liberal morality.  Instead, I’ll follow my Lord who calls all to repentance (Acts 17:30), myself included.

What is the homosexual’s hope?

The only hope for the homosexual and all people who break God’s laws is to realize that God is holy and he will rightfully judge all who have sinned against him by breaking his law (1 Kings 8:32; Ps. 9:8; 1 John 3:4).  If he did not do this, then he would be approving of wrong doing.  However, God is loving (1 John 4:8) patient (Rom. 2:4), wanting people to repent (Acts 17:30) and come a saving knowledge of him, so they might be redeemed.  What this means is that the sinner must turn to Christ, who is God the Son in flesh (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9), who bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), died and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4), and made it possible for sinners to be saved from the righteous judgment of God by faith in what Jesus did on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21) and be forgiven of their sins (Eph. 2:8).  This is done receiving Christ (John 1:12), by believing in him and his sacrifice that is a payment for our sins to God the Father.  Like any sinner, the homosexual needs to repent, receive Christ by faith, and be saved from God’s righteous judgment by trusting in Christ and the judgment that fell upon him on the cross.  They need to pray and ask the Lord Jesus to save them.

What should be the Christian’s response to the Homosexual?

Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her).  Homosexuality is a sin; and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible.  It needs to be laid at the cross and forsaken.  Homosexuality is not a special practice that is exempt from God’s righteous judgment simply because they claim they are born that way or just want to be free to love or say that it is normal.  People are born with a tendency to lie.  Does that make it okay?  People want to love each other but since when is “love” the determiner of what is right and wrong?  If homosexuality is normal, then why is it practiced by so few?  The great majority of people are heterosexual.  Are they “more” normal?

Please understand that I don’t hate homosexuals.  I wouldn’t care if my neighbor is gay.  I’ve had homosexual friends and have loved them the same as I would anyone else.  But, the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, and the solution to the problem of sin (the breaking of God’s Law, 1 John 3:4) is found only in Jesus.  He is the Lord, the Savior, the risen King. Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1. 14), and he died to save sinners.  We are all sinners, and we need salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) that is found in receiving Christ (John 1:12-13).

We, Christians, should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same as we would for any other person trapped in any other sin.  This is not an issue of arrogance or judgmentalism. We don’t want anyone to be lost due to their sin and that includes gays, lesbians, and transgenders.

The homosexual is still made in the image of God–even though he (or she) is in rebellion.  Therefore, we, Christians, should show homosexuals the same dignity as anyone else with whom we come in contact.  Don’t injure them.  Don’t hate them.  Don’t judge them.  Inform them that freedom and forgiveness are found in Jesus.  Let them know that God loves us and died for us, so that we might be delivered from the consequences of our sin.

But, this does not mean that you are to approve of what they do.  Don’t compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of rationality, godliness, and biblical truth.  Instead, stand firm in the word that God has revealed and patiently love him/her biblically and pray for their salvation.  Be kind to them.  Be loving.  And, when appropriate, tell them the gospel.

Finally, if you are a homosexual, please understand that I do not hate you, nor do I judge you.  Sin is sin, and the forgiveness of our sins is found in Christ.

God is indeed in control and working all things for His glory and our good!

The Briefing – Monday • June 2, 2014

Southern Baptists will be heading for Baltimore in just a few days, and the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is to be held in a city that has not hosted the convention since 1940. This time, Baptists attending the meeting will face an issue that would not have been imaginable just a few years ago, much less in 1940 — a congregation that affirms same-sex relationships.

Just days before the convention, news broke that a Just days before the convention, news broke that a congregation in suburban Los Angeles has decided to affirm same-sex sexuality and relationships. In an hour-long video posted on the Internet, Pastor Danny Cortez explains his personal change of mind and position on the issue of homosexuality and same-sex relationships. He also addressed the same issues in a letter posted at Patheos.com.

In the letter, Cortez describes a sunny day at the beach in August of 2013 when “I realized I no longer believed in the traditional teachings regarding homosexuality.”

Shortly thereafter, he told his 15-year-old son that he “no longer believed what he used to believe.” His son responded with an even more direct word to his father: “Dad, I’m gay.” As Cortez writes, “My heart skipped a beat and I turned towards him and we gave one another the biggest and longest hug as we cried. And all I could tell him was that I loved him so much and that I accepted him just as he is.”

According to the pastor, events then came rather quickly. On February 7, 2014, his son, Drew, posted a “coming out video” on YouTube. Two days later, the pastor told his church about his new position on the issue (also posted on the Internet). In his message to the New Heart Community Church congregation, Cortez admitted that his “new position” represented a “radical shift” that put him into conflict with both the position of the church and the convictions of the denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. He acknowledged that his change of heart on the issue of homosexuality put him at odds with the SBC’s confession of faith, the Baptist Faith & Message.

In his letter, the pastor said that his aim was to see the congregation “allow for grace in the midst of disagreement.” To his regret, he said, many in the church were not pleased and the church had to consider whether to terminate the pastor. After voting on March 9 to prolong the time of consideration and prayer, the church voted on May 18 not to dismiss the pastor and “to instead become a Third Way church.”

Cortez cited Vineyard pastor Ken Wilson’s book, released earlier this year, A Letter to My Congregation. Wilson, who serves a Vineyard church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, describes his book as “an evangelical pastor’s path to embracing people who are gay, lesbian, and transgender in the company of Jesus.” Wilson argues that, even as he has come to affirm same-sex behaviors and relationships, the issue need not divide congregations or Christians.

Pastor Cortez cited Wilson’s argument as foundational to the position he and his church are now taking — “agree to disagree and not cast judgment on one another.”

But, there is no third way. A church will either believe and teach that same-sex behaviors and relationships are sinful, or it will affirm them. Eventually, every congregation in America will make a public declaration of its position on this issue. It is just a matter of time (and for most churches, not much time) before every congregation in the nation faces this test.

The impossibility of a “third way” is made clear in Pastor Cortez’s own letter.

In one paragraph, he writes:

“So now, we will accept the LGBT community even though they may be in a relationship. We will choose to remain the body of Christ and not cast judgment. We will work towards graceful dialogue in the midst of theological differences. We see that this is possible in the same way that our church holds different positions on the issue of divorce and remarriage. In this issue we are able to not cast judgment in our disagreement.”

But in the very next paragraph, he writes:

“Unfortunately, many who voted to remain traditional will now separate from us in a couple of weeks. We are in the period of reconciliation and forgiveness. Please pray for us in this. Then on June 8, we will formally peacefully separate, restate our love for one another, and bless each other as we part ways. It has been a very tiring and difficult process.”

In two successive paragraphs the pastor refutes himself. His church is not going to take a middle ground. He states clearly that “we will accept the LGBT community even though they may be in a relationship.” And his church did not unanimously “agree to disagree,” for a significant portion of the church is leaving on June 8, just 48 hours before the Southern Baptist Convention convenes in Baltimore. Many “who voted to remain traditional” are now forced by conviction to leave the church.

Why? Because there is no “third way.” The New Heart Community Church has voted to “accept the LGBT community even though they may be in a relationship.” Even if it is claimed that some continuing members of the church are in disagreement with the new policy and position, they will be members of a church that operates under that new policy. At the very least, their decision to remain in the congregation is a decision to stay within a church that affirms same-sex behaviors and relationships. That is not a middle position. It is not a “third way.”

For some time now, it has been increasingly clear that every congregation in this nation will be forced to declare itself openly on this issue. That moment of decision and public declaration will come to every Christian believer, individually. There will be no place to hide, and no place safe from eventual interrogation. The question will be asked, an invitation will be extended, a matter of policy must be decided, and there will be no refuge.

There is no third way on this issue. Several years ago, I made that argument and was assailed by many on the left as being “reductionistically binary.” But, the issue is binary. A church will recognize same-sex relationships, or it will not. A congregation will teach a biblical position on the sinfulness of same-sex acts, or it will affirm same-sex behaviors as morally acceptable. Ministers will perform same-sex ceremonies, or they will not.

Interestingly, a recent point of agreement on this essential point has come from an unexpected source. Tony Jones, long known as a leader in the “emerging church” has written that there is no “third way” on same-sex marriage. As Jones notes, denominations may study the issue for some time, but eventually it will take a vote. At that point, it will either allow for same-sex marriage, or not.

In his words:

“And the same goes for an individual congregation. At some point, every congregation in America will decide either, YES, same-sex marriages will take place in our sanctuary, performed by our clergy; or NO, same-sex marriages will not take place in our sanctuary, performed by our clergy. There is no third way on that. A church either allows same-sex marriages, or it doesn’t.”

Tony Jones and I stand on opposite sides of this issue, but on the impossibility of a “third way” we are in absolute agreement. Conservative evangelicals have understood this for some time. It is interesting that those on the left now understand the issue in the same “binary” terms. There is no middle position.

Once again, Tony Jones gets right to the essential point:

“What I’m saying is that a church or an organization can study the issue in theory, and they can even do so for years. But this isn’t really a ‘third way’ or a ‘middle ground.’ Instead, it is a process. And at some point, that process has to end and practices have to be implemented. At that point, there’s no third way. You either affirm marriage equality in your practices, or you do not.”

Actually, as we have seen, Pastor Cortez makes the same point. The practice of his congregation is now to accept openly-gay members and members in openly-gay relationships. That does not allow for any middle ground, and that is why his church faces an exodus of members next Sunday.

Now, the Southern Baptist Convention also faces a moment of unavoidable decision. A church related to the Convention has officially adopted a gay-affirming position. The Baptist Faith & Message, the denomination’s confession of faith, states that homosexuality is immoral and that marriage is “the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.”

Furthermore, the Convention’s constitution states explicitly that any congregation that endorses homosexual behavior is “not in cooperation with the Convention,” and thus excluded from its membership.

There is nothing but heartbreak in this situation. Here we face a church that has rejected the clear teachings of Scripture, the affirmations of its confession of faith, and two millennia of Christian moral wisdom and teaching. But the Convention also faces a test of its own resolve and convictional courage.

I am confident that the Southern Baptist Convention will act in accordance with its own convictions, confession of faith, and constitution when messengers to the Convention gather next week in Baltimore. But every single evangelical congregation, denomination, mission agency, school, and institution had better be ready to face the same challenge, for it will come quickly, and often from an unexpected source. Once it comes, there is no middle ground, and no “third way.”

Sooner or later — and probably sooner — the answer of every church and Christian will be either yes or no.

_______________________________________

I am always glad to hear from readers. Just write me at mail@albertmohler.com. You can follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/albertmohler

John Shore, “Southern Baptist Pastor Accepts his Gay Son, Changes His Church,” Patheos.com, Thursday, May 29, 2014. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnshore/2014/05/southern-baptist-pastor-accepts-his-gay-son-changes-his-church/

Tony Jones, “Why There’s No ‘Third Way’ on Gay Marriage,” Patheos.com, Tuesday, May 20, 2014. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tonyjones/2014/05/20/why-theres-no-third-way-on-gay-marriage/

Ken Wilson, A Letter to My Congregation: An Evangelical Pastor’s Path to Embracing People Who Are Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender in the Company of Jesus (version 1.0), 2014