Iv A Word To The Church
The Assemblies of God believes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and should seek redemption through confession, repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus Christ. Our Fellowship welcomes and treats with respect, compassion, and sensitivity all who experience same-sex attractions or confess sexually immoral acts and are commited to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality, and transforming their behavior in the light of biblical teachings.
Believers who struggle with homosexual temptations and sexual identity confusion must be encouraged and strengthened by fellow Christians . Likewise, they should be taught that while temptation to sinful behaviors is universal, temptation itself is not sin. Temptation can be resisted and overcome .
The moral imperatives of Scripture are incumbent upon all persons. However, believers should not be surprised that unbelievers do not honor God and do not recognize the Bible as a rightful claim on their lives and conduct . Peter writes clearly of the conflict and contrast between believer and unbeliever in his first letter:
We desire all to be reconciled to Godto experience the peace and joy that stems from the forgiveness of sin through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God does not want any to perish in their sins He invites all to accept His offer of eternal life . As part of His church, we issue that invitation to life in Christ to everyone.
As A Christian Parent How Can I Learn More About My Lgbtq+ Child
We encourage parents to read our Relational Guide for Parents of Newly Out LGBTQ+ People and consider joining the seasonal Parents Community Group. The Parents Community Group serves as a first step towards loving your LGBTQ+ child well by addressing terminology, theology and more with a group of parents on the same journey. This group is great for parents who are discerning their stance on LGBTQ+ inclusion and affirmation and/or new to conversations around LGBTQ+ identities and theology.
Q Christian also hosts an annual Parent Summit for Christian parents of LGBTQ+ kids. Virtual for 2020, this highly accessible space is designed for parents and family of LGBTQ+ children to be encouraged, equipped, and connected. The Parent Summit strives to support and unify families through unconditional love in a Christ-honoring way and is for any parent of an LGBTQ+ child, wherever you may be on this path.
What Can We Take From This About Reading The Bible
Q Christian Fellowship Board Member Rev. Danny Cortez shares the following guidance:
There are many theologians who have opposing views to each other. And there are other theologians that make counterarguments from those opposing views. This back and forth could give anyone whiplash. Who do we choose to believe regarding the history and context of these passages? Is the understanding of the mind of God reserved for the educated? Or does God give ordinary people access to the Kingdom? Do we read Scripture like a legal document, or do we engage in it relationally?
Let me illustrate. Suppose you were a Jewish person living just before the time of Jesus public ministry. One day you heard that the synagogue leaders had discovered that there was an adulterer in the community. Everyone knew the Law which said, If a man commits adultery with another mans wife with the wife of his neighborboth the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death . So the leaders began to pass out rocks to stone the adulterer. Imagine then that the person who was caught in adultery was your own son or daughter. Would you cast a stone? Would you take part in putting to death the one caught in adultery? Would you, in essence, be faithful to upholding the commandments of Scripture, or choose to save the life of your child?
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The Bible And The Punishment Of Homosexuals
One objection to the Leviticus statement remains. Dr. Walter Wink and others point out its punishment for homosexuality: If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death their blood will be on their own heads .
If we no longer execute those who practice homosexuality, are we justified in ignoring the prohibition against such activity entirely?
Those who argue that homosexuality is a biblical lifestyle point to this outdated penalty as reason to consider the prohibition to be equally irrelevant to society today.
No one I know would argue that homosexual practice should result in the death penalty today. But lets consider two facts.
First, the Levitical code was given to Israel at a crucial time in her early formation.
The nation had no functional law process or court system. Her moral character was not yet formed. And so the Lord gave the nation clear and enforceable standards that would help solidify and preserve her spiritual future. The spirit of the Levitical prohibition is clear: homosexuality is not to be practiced or accepted by the nation.
Second, a reinterpretation of the penalty prescribed by a law does not justify the decision to ignore the law itself.
What About Environmental Conditions
Studies have been conducted of identical twins who were separated at birth, where one developed a homosexual lifestyle but the other did not. Particular family or circumstantial patterns are sometimes seen in these cases to contribute to sexual orientation. But again, other interpreters disagree with such conclusions.
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How Can Christians Have A Healthy Biblical Marriage
A healthy marriage is had by two spouses who remain faithful to the covenant they made with God. Faithfulness to one another, respect and love are important qualities for a marriage. Showing forgiveness, practicing peace, and together serving the Lord will help Christians to maintain a health marriage. There are numerous biblical principles that we can apply to the marriage relationship. The verses below are a mere sampling of practices that can help create a healthy, loving marriage that will last a lifetime.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another .
Do for others what you would like them to do for you .
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other .
So, encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing .
Be completely humble and gentle be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace .
My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry .
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins .
Once humankind lost their place in the Garden of Eden and began living in the reality of a fallen, sinful world, we see Gods original design for marriage become twisted , which is heartbreaking and far from the purpose God designed for marriage.
What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality 12 Scripture Verses About Gay Marriage
Much of the debate over same sex marriage centers on one’s belief of whether homosexuality is a sin. If homosexuality is a sin, and marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman, then the faithful can be tolerant of a sin but they cannot support it.
None of the major Abrahamic religions support homosexuality or gay marriage. The Judeo-Christian belief that homosexuality is a sin is based on the relatively few scriptures that can be found in the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Interpretation of the scripture varies between liberal and conservative scholars. For example many people interpret the word “sodomite” in scripture to mean homosexual rather than a resident of Sodom even though there was no word for homosexual or homosexuality in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.
If you are going to stake your opinion on gay marriage based on what the Bible says about homosexuality it would be a good idea to have read the scripture. Here is a list of the twelve scriptures on homosexuality that can be found in the Bible.
1. Genesis 19:5: “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”
2. Leviticus 18:22: ” Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
3. Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death their blood shall be upon them.”
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Debating Bible Verses On Homosexuality
Two evangelical authors offer conflicting interpretations about well-known passages on homosexuality.Related Article
The debate over gay marriage is not just taking place in the nations courts it is also a subject of intense discussion in the nations churches.
Matthew Vines, an openly gay, evangelical Christian and the author of God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, has been actively encouraging conservative Christians to re-evaluate their beliefs about homosexuality. He has engaged them in private conversations, in public talks and through the organization he founded, the Reformation Project.
He was recently invited by the Rev. Caleb Kaltenbach, lead pastor of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, Calif,, to talk privately with a small group of evangelical leaders to discuss what the Bible says about gay relationships. Mr. Kaltenbach is the author of the forthcoming book Messy Grace, which is about how he reconciles his conservative Christian convictions with his experience as the child of gay parents.
After the session, they were each asked to interpret some of the most cited verses relating to homosexuality in the Bible.
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman that is detestable.
Four Things You Didnt Know About God And Same
Christians who oppose same-sex marriage say it goes against the biblical conception of marriage and sexuality, but they’re wrong.
Last week, Iowa and Vermont joined Connecticut and Massachusetts to legalize same-sex marriage. Progressive religious voices and civil rights groups worked hard to help achieve these victories, moving us closer to our nations promise of equality and justice for all. Even so, conservative religious opponents are criticizing the victories, claiming that same-sex marriage violates the biblical definition of marriage. They are wrong, and heres why.
1. There are few biblical verses that address homosexuality at all, and most of those are not directed at homosexuality per se. Opponents of same-sex marriage routinely cite seven verses in the Christian Bible as condemning homosexuality and calling it a sin. But when taken in context, these lessons speak not against homosexuality itself, but rather against rape, child molestation, bestiality, and other practices that hurt others and compromise a persons relationship with God.
2. Jesus never said one word against homosexuality. In all of his teachings, Jesus uplifted actions and attitudes of justice, love, humility, mercy, and compassion. He condemned violence, oppression, cold-heartedness, and social injustice. Never once did Jesus refer to what we call homosexuality as a sin.
Read the latest content from CAP’s Religion and Faith team
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Are Emotions A Sufficient Basis For Marriage
Hollywood has propagated the myth that when it comes to marriage all you need is love. This is simply not true. Marriage is not based on emotion any more than any other partnership in life is. Marriage, like many human activities, involves emotion but it is not constituted by the presence of any particular set of emotions. I do not deny that many homosexuals feel deeply for their partners however I do assert that no matter how deep the feelings, what they have is not a marriage in Gods sight. It is a beautiful deception.
Just because an emotion is deep or powerful does not justify acting upon it. Like drugs, like adultery, like the abuse of alcohol or the love of money, or the power rush of human ego trips, there are emotions which are powerful and addictive and ultimately terribly destructive. Same sex marriages must satisfy criteria other than emotion. A marriage is more than a sexual pleasure center. A marriage is a social unit that is interwoven with dozens of other lives.
Same sex marriages do not last. Less than 5% of gays have ever had a relationship that lasted 3 years or more. Sex is not enough. Passion cannot sustain an inherently unstable social unit.
Genesis 19 And Leviticus
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 is well known. This is where the terms “sodomite” and “sodomy” originate, and it has long been associated with biblical condemnation of male homosexual sex. It is, however, actually about gang-rape.
In this story, the men of Sodom seek to rape two visitors . Their host, Lot, defends them and offers them protection in his house, but offers his virgin daughters to be raped in their place.
It is a deeply problematic and complex story that warrants an article of its own, but what is clear is that sexual violence and rape is harshly condemned, and so God destroys the town with sulphur and fire.
Despite the linguistic history of the word “sodomite”, Genesis 19 has nothing to say about homosexuality or mutually consenting adults of the same gender expressing their desire and love.
Two of the laws of Leviticus seem more pertinent. They call a man lying with another man instead of his wife an “abomination”.
We should note first that the imagined scenario is a married man committing adultery with another male. It is not describing what we would understand to be a sexual orientation.
We might also note the inherent sexism here: women apparently don’t have the same desire or their sexuality is deemed too insignificant to be worthy of comment.
Banned likewise is wearing mixed-fabric clothing, interbreeding animals of different species, tattoos, mocking the blind by putting obstacles in their way, and trimming your beard.
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What Do Jehovahs Witnesses Believe
Jehovahs Witnesses believe that the Bibles moral code is the best standard for living, and they choose to abide by that code. This means that Jehovahs Witnesses reject all sexual misconduct, including homosexuality. That is the Witnesses lifestyle choice, and they have a right to it.
Jehovahs Witnesses strive to follow the Golden Rule by treating others the way they themselves would like to be treated
At the same time, Jehovahs Witnesses strive to pursue peace with all people. While they reject homosexual acts, Jehovahs Witnesses do not force their view on others, nor do they participate in homophobic hate crimes or rejoice when they hear of them. Jehovahs Witnesses strive to follow the Golden Rule by treating others the way they themselves would like to be treated.Matthew 7:12.
Is The Bibles View Cruel
What about people who have homosexual inclinations? Were they born that way? If so, would it not be cruel to say that it is wrong for them to act on their desires?
The Bible does not comment on the biology of homosexuality, although it acknowledges that some human traits are deeply ingrained. Still, the Bible says that certain conductincluding homosexual acts
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When The Plain Meaning Of Scripture Can Trip Us Up
In many areas, the past is like the present. Humans havent changed much in 2,000 years. We still get angry, fall in love, like to play, show off, gossip, tell jokes and so on.
But in some areas the changes from ancient Roman culture to todays western cultures have been immense, and the cultural understanding of sexuality is one of them.
When we think about sexuality, we usually think about who youre attracted to: someone of the opposite gender, or your own.
So, if I tell you, Keith is homosexual, you expect him to be attracted to other men, perhaps to be in relationship with one of them, perhaps to have a man as a partner.
And so you open your Bible, and read 1 Corinthians 6:9, and see a reference to homosexual offenders or homosexual perverts . You read Romans 1:27, and note the reference to men committing indecent acts with other men. And it seems that the plain meaning of scripture is staring you in the face.
But youre not comparing like with like.
How different was the ancient Roman approach to understanding sexuality from ours? Completely.
Does The Bible Forbid Homosexuality
Gay-friendly clergy tend to use the terms love and acceptance interchangeably, claiming that we must love everyone, because we are all children of God.
It is certainly true that Jesus commanded us to love everyone, but it is not true that we are all children of God. And it certainly is not true that we must tolerate and accept evil behavior.
Scripture repeatedly refers to children of the Devil:
No one born of God commits sin for Gods nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother .
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your fathers desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies .
Anyone who has seen cursing, blaspheming homosexuals simulating sex at a Gay Pride parade, or has read their hate-filled screeds against the Catholic Church, should have no problem discerning whether they are children of God or spawn of the Devil.
Of course, homosexual persons are to be loved and respected, and homosexual tendencies are not sinful if they are not wanted. But homosexual activity is immoral and absolutely anti-biblical.
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