If you pick up a red-letter Bible and scan every verse attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, you’ll notice something pretty striking right away. He talks a lot about money. He talks about hypocrisy, divorce, and caring for the poor. But if you're looking for the specific phrase "homosexuality," you aren't going to find it. Honestly, it’s just not there. This silence creates a massive vacuum that people have been trying to fill with their own agendas for roughly two thousand years.
The debate over what Jesus says about homosexuality usually boils down to two very different camps. One side argues that since he never mentioned it, he must have been fine with it—or at least didn't see it as a priority. The other side argues that Jesus was a first-century Jew who took the Old Testament for granted, meaning he didn't need to mention it because the "prohibition" was already baked into the culture. It’s complicated. It’s messy. And if we’re being real, it’s one of the most divisive topics in modern faith.
The Argument from Silence
Let's look at the facts. In the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—Jesus never explicitly condemns same-sex relationships. He doesn't bring up the laws in Leviticus. He doesn't mention the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of sexual orientation (though he does mention Sodom in the context of inhospitality). For many, this is the "smoking gun" of his supposed inclusion.
But silence is a tricky thing to interpret. In the world of biblical scholarship, scholars like Dr. Robert Gagnon (author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice) argue that Jesus didn't mention it because it wasn't a point of contention in his immediate environment. He was speaking to a Jewish audience that already viewed same-sex behavior as a violation of the Torah. Why fix what isn't "broken" in the eyes of the law?
On the flip side, scholars like Dr. James Brownson point out that Jesus was famous for overturning traditional laws. He touched lepers. He chatted with Samaritans. He broke Sabbath rules. If he had a problem with the prevailing views on sexuality, he certainly wasn't shy about speaking his mind on other taboos. So, the silence remains a Rorschach test for our own biases.
What Jesus Did Say About Marriage
While the specific word isn't there, Jesus did talk about the framework of human relationships. In Matthew 19, when asked about divorce, Jesus goes back to the basics. He quotes Genesis: "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?"
This is often the go-to passage for those who believe what Jesus says about homosexuality is indirectly restrictive. By citing the "male and female" creation narrative, some argue he was defining the only valid boundary for sexual intimacy. He’s basically pointing at the original blueprint.
But wait. Context matters.
Jesus wasn't giving a lecture on sexual orientation in Matthew 19. He was answering a trap question about whether a man could dump his wife for "any and every reason." At the time, men could basically divorce their wives on a whim, leaving them destitute. Jesus was actually protecting women by tightening the rules on divorce. Using a defense of marriage as a weapon against gay people might be stretching the original intent of that specific conversation.
The Eunuch Conversation: A Radical Inclusion?
Later in that same chapter of Matthew, Jesus says something truly weird for his time. He mentions "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."
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In the ancient world, eunuchs were "other." They didn't fit the standard reproductive male/female mold. They were often marginalized or excluded from the religious assembly. By speaking neutrally—even positively—about those who live outside the traditional family structure, some theologians argue Jesus was carving out a space for everyone who doesn't fit the "husband-wife-kids" template.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say Jesus was talking about sexual orientation here, but he was definitely talking about diversity in human experience. He was acknowledging that not everyone is called to, or fits into, the traditional heterosexual marriage box.
The Centurion’s "Servant"
There is a story in Matthew 8 and Luke 7 that gets a lot of attention in progressive circles. A Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant (pais in Greek).
Now, some linguists and historians, like Theodore W. Jennings Jr. in The Man Jesus Loved, suggest that the relationship between a Roman centurion and his pais might have been more than just master and employee. In some Greco-Roman contexts, pais could imply a same-sex partner.
When Jesus heals the servant, he doesn't offer a lecture on morality. He marvels at the centurion’s faith.
Is this a reach? Maybe. Most mainstream scholars think pais just means "boy" or "servant." But the fact that Jesus performed a miracle for a Roman officer—a pagan oppressor—shows that his grace frequently bypassed the "purity" rules of his day. Whether the servant was a lover or just a kid, Jesus prioritized the person's suffering over their social or religious standing.
The "New Commandment" and the Spirit of the Law
If you want to know what Jesus says about homosexuality, you have to look at his overarching ethic. He summarized the entire law into two things: Love God and love your neighbor.
He famously told the story of the Good Samaritan to show that "neighbor" includes the people you’ve been taught to hate or avoid. He was constantly hanging out with "sinners and tax collectors"—the people the religious elite deemed "unclean."
If we look at Jesus's behavior, we see a consistent pattern:
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- He prioritized people over legalism.
- He blasted religious leaders who used the law to exclude others.
- He focused on the heart rather than outward conformity.
For many LGBTQ+ Christians, this "Spirit of the Law" is more important than the silence on specific acts. They argue that if a relationship produces the "fruit of the spirit"—love, joy, peace, patience—then it aligns with the heart of what Jesus taught, regardless of the gender of the people involved.
Why Does This Matter Today?
The reason people care so much about what Jesus says about homosexuality isn't just about ancient history. It’s about people's lives right now.
Religion has been used as a cudgel for a long time. People have been kicked out of their homes, lost their jobs, and been pushed to the brink of despair because of how these verses (or the lack of them) are interpreted.
We have to acknowledge the weight of this. When we look at the historical Jesus, we see a man who was profoundly concerned with those on the margins. Whether you believe he upheld traditional Jewish sexual ethics or that he opened the door to a new way of being, you can't ignore his call to radical empathy.
Sorting Through the Misconceptions
There’s a common idea that the Bible is a "rule book" dropped from the sky. It isn't. It’s a library. It’s a collection of letters, poems, and biographies written over centuries.
When people say "The Bible clearly says..." they usually mean "My specific interpretation of this translated verse says..."
For example, the word "homosexual" didn't even appear in an English Bible until 1946 (the Revised Standard Version). Before that, the Greek words malakoi and arsenokoitai in the letters of Paul were translated in all sorts of ways—"effeminate," "abusers of themselves with mankind," or even just "perverts."
Jesus, speaking Aramaic or Hebrew, wouldn't have even had a word for "orientation" in the way we understand it today. The concept of two people of the same gender being in a committed, loving, egalitarian relationship was largely outside the cultural vocabulary of the first-century Near East. Most same-sex behavior back then was understood through the lens of power, exploitation, or prostitution.
Actionable Next Steps for Reflection
If you’re wrestling with this topic, whether for your own life or for someone you love, don't just take a soundbite at face value. This requires a bit of homework.
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1. Read the Gospels for yourself. Don't look for what's missing. Look for how Jesus treats people who are excluded by the "righteous." Notice who he gets angry at (usually the people who think they have all the answers) and who he shows tenderness toward (usually the outcasts).
2. Explore the linguistic history. Look into the work of Dr. David Gushee or Kathy Baldock. They dive deep into how translations have changed over time and how cultural context shifts our understanding of "sin." Understanding the shift in 1946 is a great starting point for seeing how modern bias creeps into old texts.
3. Practice the "Fruit Test." Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them." Look at the lives of LGBTQ+ people of faith. Is there love, kindness, and faithfulness there? If the "fruit" is good, it’s worth asking if the "tree" (the relationship) is as bad as some claim.
4. Engage with different perspectives. Listen to a podcast from a side you disagree with. If you're conservative, listen to The Reformation Project. If you're progressive, read Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill. Understanding the nuance helps lower the temperature of the debate.
Ultimately, what Jesus says about homosexuality is a question that leads back to a bigger one: How do we treat people who are different from us?
Whether you land on a traditionalist view or an affirming one, the "Jesus way" always demands humility and a lot of grace. It's easy to win an argument and lose a person. Jesus seemed much more interested in the person.
The silence of Jesus isn't necessarily a void to be filled with judgment. It might just be a space where we are required to do the hard work of loving our neighbors without a cheat sheet.
Next Steps:
- Audit your sources: Check if the commentaries you read are considering the original Greek/Hebrew or just relying on modern English translations.
- Listen to stories: Seek out memoirs from LGBTQ+ individuals who have stayed in their faith; their lived experience provides a perspective that theory cannot.
- Evaluate your community: Ask if your local faith community reflects the radical hospitality Jesus showed to those on the fringes.