The debate over what does it say in the bible about gays is probably one of the most exhausted, yet misunderstood, conversations in modern religious life. Honestly, it’s a mess. You’ve got people on one side shouting "clobber passages" and people on the other side saying the Greek words don’t mean what we think they mean. It is rarely a calm discussion. Most people just want a straight answer, but the Bible wasn't written in 21st-century English. It was written in ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek, reflecting cultures that didn't even have a concept of "sexual orientation" as we understand it today.
Religion and identity often collide here.
When you start digging into the text, you realize the "traditional" view and the "progressive" view are often looking at the same few sentences through completely different lenses. It's not just about what is written; it's about what was happening on the ground in Rome, Corinth, and Sodom thousands of years ago.
The Famous "Clobber Passages" in the Old Testament
Leviticus is usually the first stop. If you’ve ever seen a protest sign, it probably referenced Leviticus 18:22 or 20:13. These verses essentially call male-on-male sexual acts an "abomination." It sounds final. It sounds harsh. But Hebrew scholars like Dr. Robert Alter have noted that the word used for abomination—to'evah—is often linked specifically to ritual impurity or idolatry, not necessarily an inherent moral "evil" in the way Westerners think of it.
Context matters. A lot.
The Israelites were a tiny nation trying to stay distinct from their neighbors, the Egyptians and Canaanites. In those cultures, sex was often tied to temple worship or displays of dominance. If you look at the rest of Leviticus, it also bans eating shellfish, wearing mixed fabrics, and trimming your beard a certain way. Most modern Christians don't lose sleep over a shrimp cocktail or a polyester-blend shirt. This creates a massive tension: why hold onto the prohibition against gay sex while ignoring the dietary and textile laws? Conservative theologians argue these are "moral laws" versus "ceremonial laws," but that’s a distinction the text itself doesn't explicitly make.
Then there's Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 19. For centuries, people assumed the "sin of Sodom" was homosexuality. That’s where we get the word "sodomy." But if you actually read the Bible to see how it interprets its own stories, you get a different answer. Ezekiel 16:49 says the sin of Sodom was pride, excess of food, and "prosperous ease," while failing to help the poor and needy. The story describes a crowd of men attempting to gang-rape visitors. That's about violence and power, not a loving relationship.
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Paul’s Letters and the Greek Mystery
Moving into the New Testament, things get even more complicated because of the language. Paul the Apostle writes about this in three main places: Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10.
In Romans 1, Paul describes people "leaving natural relations" for "unnatural" ones. For a long time, this was the "gotcha" verse. However, many New Testament scholars, including Dr. Douglas Campbell and others who study the New Pauline Perspective, suggest Paul might be describing a specific type of Roman excess—the idea of people who were "straight" but became so consumed by lust they sought out "excessive" experiences. There's also the historical reality of pederasty in the Greco-Roman world, where older men exploited younger boys. If that's what Paul was seeing, his condemnation makes total sense to a modern audience, but it's a far cry from two consenting adults in a committed partnership.
Then we hit the "list of sins" in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy.
Paul uses two specific Greek words: malakoi and arsenokoitai.
- Malakoi literally means "soft." It was often used to describe men who were effeminate or lacked self-control.
- Arsenokoitai is a word Paul seems to have made up himself, combining the Greek words for "male" and "bed."
Because these words are so rare, translators have struggled for 2,000 years. In the first English Bibles, like the King James, you won't even find the word "homosexual." Why? Because the word didn't exist until the late 19th century. It wasn't until the 1946 Revised Standard Version (RSV) that "homosexual" was used to translate these Greek terms. This is a huge point of contention for researchers like Kathy Baldock and the makers of the documentary 1946, who argue that this specific translation choice fundamentally changed how millions of people understand what does it say in the bible about gays.
The Silence of Jesus
It’s worth noting what isn't there.
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Jesus never mentions the topic. Not once. In the Gospels, he talks a lot about divorce, money, greed, and hypocrisy. He spends his time with the marginalized and the outcasts of society. Some argue his silence means he upheld the status quo of Jewish law. Others argue that if it were a central moral pillar of his message, he probably would have brought it up. He did, however, speak about "eunuchs" in Matthew 19. He says some were born that way, some were made that way by others, and some chose it for the kingdom of heaven. In the ancient world, "eunuch" was often a catch-all term for people who didn't fit the standard reproductive male/female mold.
Different Lenses: Traditional vs. Affirming
Basically, the Christian world is split into two main camps on this.
The Non-Affirming or Traditional view holds that the Bible’s "trajectory" is set in Genesis—one man and one woman. They believe any sexual activity outside of that is a deviation from God's design. To them, the verses in Leviticus and Paul’s letters are clear-cut and timeless. They see it as a matter of obedience to scripture, even if it's difficult.
The Affirming view looks at the "Fruit of the Spirit." They argue that the Bible is a living document and that our understanding of human biology and psychology has evolved. They point to the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, where God tells Peter not to call "unclean" what God has made clean. For affirming Christians, the core message of the Bible is love and justice. They believe the specific verses cited against gay people were actually addressing exploitation, shrine prostitution, or lack of self-control, not sexual orientation.
The Real-World Impact of Interpretation
This isn't just an academic exercise.
The way people answer the question of what does it say in the bible about gays has massive consequences. It affects mental health, family dynamics, and whether someone feels welcome in their community. For instance, the Trevor Project has consistently found that LGBTQ+ youth from highly religious families that are non-affirming face significantly higher rates of suicide attempts compared to those from affirming backgrounds.
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Conversely, many people find deep peace and a sense of "coming home" when they discover affirming theology. They realize they don't have to choose between their faith and their identity. They see the Bible as a story of God constantly expanding the "in-group" to include those who were previously excluded.
Moving Beyond the "Clobber" Verses
If you're trying to figure this out for yourself, looking at six or seven verses isn't enough. You have to look at the whole arc of the Bible. Is it a book about rigid rules, or is it a book about a God who keeps breaking rules to get to people?
How to approach the study:
- Check the Greek and Hebrew. Don't just rely on a modern English translation. Use a tool like a Blue Letter Bible to see the original words and how they were used in other ancient texts.
- Read the context. Read the whole chapter, not just the verse. What was the author trying to solve in that specific city at that specific time?
- Listen to LGBTQ+ Christians. Experience matters. There are thousands of people who have spent their entire lives studying these texts while living the reality of being gay. Their scholarship is often deeply rigorous because their lives depend on it.
- Look at the "Fruit." Jesus said you’ll know a tree by its fruit. Does a specific interpretation lead to life, love, and joy, or does it lead to shame, isolation, and despair?
The Bible is a complex library of books. It’s okay to have questions. It’s okay to find it confusing. The conversation about what does it say in the bible about gays is likely to continue for a long time, but the shift toward a more nuanced, historical, and empathetic reading is definitely gaining ground in many denominations today.
Practical Steps for Further Exploration
If you are looking to dig deeper into the actual scholarship, here are a few things you can actually do right now:
- Compare Translations: Open a site like BibleGateway and compare 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the KJV, the NIV, and the NRSV. Notice the differences in the words used for the list of sins.
- Study "The Reformation Project": This organization provides extensive resources on "affirming" interpretations of the Bible, founded by Matthew Vines, who wrote God and the Gay Christian.
- Read the Opposite View: If you lean affirming, read a scholarly traditionalist like Preston Sprinkle. If you lean traditional, read a scholar like Justin Lee. Understanding the best arguments of "the other side" is the only way to have a truly informed opinion.
- Investigate Church History: Look into how the church's view on things like slavery, the role of women, and usury (charging interest) has changed over time. It provides a helpful framework for how interpretation evolves.
Ultimately, the Bible is a book that requires engagement. It’s not a list of bullet points. It’s a messy, beautiful, ancient collection of voices trying to understand the divine—and our job is to read it with as much humility and grace as we can muster.