I was in my mid-20s living in San Diego. I joined some people from a nearby church and went to a Pride parade to pass out water, give hugs, and hold signs saying “We are sorry the church hasn’t loved you the way Jesus would” (or something along those lines). All of a sudden, I was descended upon by a film crew with a microphone asking me what Jesus had to say about homosexuality. I was not expecting this, but I was giddy to share the love of Christ and talk about how we are all sinners saved by grace and how Jesus never singled out homosexuality as worse than any other type of sexual immorality. In the middle of my sentence (which I had been certain would be received with amazement, tears, and more questions about how to know this Jesus guy), the film crew interrupted me and said, “NOTHING. He said nothing about homosexuality.” And then they walked away without a word, off to find their next “interview.”
I sat there dumbfounded. What had just happened? And was it true that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality? And if not, why not?
Spoiler alert: The New Testament epistles do,1Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 but Jesus Himself doesn’t, at least not specifically. In our current sexual climate, this argument from silence is regularly trotted out to convince people that Jesus, therefore, didn’t have an opinion on the topic (or tacitly affirmed it). Jesus really doesn’t ever address homosexuality specifically, and in our current sexual climate, this argument is being trotted out regularly to convince people that Jesus, therefore, didn’t really have an opinion on the topic (or… Share on X
I have always been drawn to the epistles and Revelation. The Gospels were a little less interesting to me because I couldn’t quite picture Jesus. I knew what the New Testament taught about sexuality,2(Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:9-10) but it had never occurred to me that our theology hadn’t come from Jesus Himself.
If your kids are coming to you asking why, here are a few things to help them think through the topic.
1. Jesus did speak about sex and marriage
While it is true that Jesus never specifically mentions homosexuality, it doesn’t mean that He had nothing to say about sexuality or marriage. Jesus employs the K.I.S.S. method[1] and consistently points His listeners back to how things were in the beginning, with male and female, united for life, not to be separated (Mark 10:2-9). But some people assume that since He didn’t specifically mention homosexuality that must mean He was at least ambivalent about it. Such a conclusion does not give enough weight to what Jesus did say or why He only addressed certain topics. (For example, He didn’t say anything about bestiality or incest, either. To be consistent with this argument, you’d have to argue that He was on the fence about those things, too.)
The one thing we know He didn’t say was that certain types of sexual immorality were more damnable than any other. After all, sexual sins always involve us sinning against our own bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18) We are all equal at the foot of the cross. The one thing we know Jesus didn't say was that certain types of sexual immorality were more damnable than any other. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. #lgbtq #trueequality Share on X
2. Jesus came specifically for the Jewish people first
Yes, Jesus came to die for the whole world (John 3:16). However, an often overlooked part of the Gospels is that He came for the Jewish people (Israel), first and foremost. (Matthew 15:24). His entire 3 ½ year ministry was focused on this one demographic (though He never turned a gentile away because of it). In Romans 1, Paul clarifies multiple times: “First for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” So keep in mind that Jesus’s primary message was to Jews — the people who were then tasked with taking the good news to the ends of the earth (Genesis 12:2-3, Matthew 28:18-20).[2] This brings me to my next point.
3. Jesus didn’t reiterate what His audience already knew
The Jews already knew what the Law said about homosexuality, so they were a step ahead of most gentile cultures. The law of Moses was very specific about sexual morality (Leviticus 18 and 20). It lists every single possible person (or thing) a Jew was prohibited from having sex with. Why was it that specific? Because every single one of those sexual behaviors was commonplace in the land of Canaan! God warns them not to do any of these things, or they would be destroyed just like the Canaanites were (Leviticus 18:28).
When Jesus came to the first-century Jews, they had generations of knowledge of what sexuality was intended to be. He didn’t need to reiterate this or go into specifics. This would be like coming to America to spread the message of driving on the right side of the road: your audience already knows it. When do we see homosexuality mentioned in the New Testament? You guessed it: when the author was speaking to a gentile audience who did not have familiarity with God’s laws regarding sexuality.
In summary:
Jesus did not have to address every different type of sexual immorality to advocate for biblical sexuality. He stuck to original design and even doubled down in Mark 10:5-9. We can do the same with our kids every time they come to us with “But what about [fill in the blank with new sex, gender, or marriage question]?” Just keep pointing them back to God’s original design, and things get a lot simpler. Remind them we are all prone to wander from God’s design. Every single one of us. We are all equal at the foot of the cross as image-bearers struggling to accurately reflect God’s image. Jesus did not have to address every different type of sexual immorality to advocate for biblical sexuality. Remind your kids that we are all prone to wander from God’s design. Share on X
[1] K.I.S.S. = Keep it simple, stupid! A motto drilled into us by my freshman year biology teacher/coach
[2] Notice that not a single apostle was a gentile.
Hillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is the chief author and editor of Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies and Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live Out God’s Design. Hillary has her masters in Biology and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for 17 years. Don’t let her cook for you. She’ll burn your house straight to the ground.
Awesome!!
Rightly divided Truth!!
Question: What would the world’s population be now if everyone ever born, since the dawn of mankind, had been heterosexual? I like to think that God knew what He was doing when He created those who would love someone of the same sex. Love is a good thing, whereas judgment of others is not. And no, I am not homosexual; I am a heterosexual grandmother with three adult children and three grandchildren. But I have two sets of homosexual friends who are all very happily married, and one couple (two men) is raising a beautiful little daughter whose beginnings in life were less than stellar. And now, she is a thriving growing girl who is loved unconditionally by her two adoring dads! So yes — I believe that God endorses authentic love between two people, no matter what their sexual orientation might be.
Well said, and I don’t know whether you remember yourself before the age of 32 but even another 30 years beyond that I don’t have answers to all of the questions.
Let’s give Jesus a break, he talked about kindness to children, the poor, the disenfranchised, he fed the hungry….he walked on water for goodness sake, he was sacrificed by crucifixion by a despot afraid of his influence, maybe given a few more years on the planet he would have shared the love is love is love doctrine?
That’s nice, and having read everything said up to this point, I see the bigger picture now. Although God Almighty only Created Adam initially, and Eve as his Mate to keep him from being alone, allow them to be Fruitful and Multiply,I believe that’s how it all started (Or was it Adam and Steve?), I digress. Anyway before everyone totally gets off Topic, Jesus is a also a Child of God as is Satan(I’ve heard). Allowing Forever Arguments Pro and Con on every Religious Topic.
You so-called Scholars have become the Greatest Snake Oil Salesmen on the Planet. You’ve gotten Sex on the American minds through the Media , in Print,Movies, all over Our Cell Phones whether we want it or not. Children’s Books, now for me that’s Criminal. In a World where Our Kids are being Kidnapped off the Streets and Sold into Sex Slavery put on the Internet for Perverts, and now shown Adults having Sex on almost every Show Rated TV-14 and some 13. I think you People have Lost sight of keeping Children separate from Adults. That’s why we’re having so many School Shootings , Kids Killing Kids. Kids Raping Kids. Kids Sodomizing Kids. Everything they see Us do,they Learn. We’ve become so Childish in we want ,we’ve totally forgotten about what’s Supposed to be Most Important
OUR CHILDREN PEOPLE
This is so sad, however So True!!!
You are 100% right in my opinion
I think this is turning into the same thing that Jesus/Yeshua called out the religious leaders for in His day. They were so concerned about the law that it was coming between God and His people. I further think that this is a huge mystery, about God and Israel being the ‘man and woman’. What I mean is; the bible begins with 1 person (AdamandEve). (Who curiously are introduced right when we are introduced to God as being they and them. Just interesting.) The one is made into 2. Then God symbolically unites them. All through the bible we are reminded about being faithful to our spouse (no idol worship). When the church is reunited with the Creator, we are given a metaphor of marriage. So, the biggest mystery is when we are fully united with God and made one again.
I am gay. I think not know, that it isn’t so much that people are gay and therefore seek a same sex partner, I think it is more that people have turned it into an idol. I never felt like having a parade, with the word pride (since pride is a sim) was correct especially when I realized that the first sin was pride (satan’s pride) and God’s first covenant with man was sealed with a rainbow. It feels like giving God the finger.
I absolutely do not agree ! God would not create someone who would have to repent of their lifestyle. Homosexuality is a lifestyle choice! I don’t care what gender you say you are, God created male and female , that’s how children are born into a family. If two people (same sex) are married but can’t conceive a child,SOMTHINGS WRONG!! I’m not talking about a medical reason or condition. That’s why God destroyed Sodom and Gamorrah.
Uh, nothing’s wrong. Same sex can’t reproduce alone. And why does it hurt you? What’s wrong with two men or women loving each other. If they start being weird, sure, that’s a problem. But that’s how it is with straight people, too. I don’t want any creeps around me or my kids (Metaphorical, I don’t have any.) whether they like men or women.
It’s also not a lifestyle choice. Most of the time, it’s how people are born. The only thing that can change it is that *some* boys with daddy issues are more likely to be gay. Not all the time, and even then, it’s not a choice.
Not to mention the fact that there are species in the animal kingdom that display homosexuality. That’s not a lifestyle choice, they don’t have the decision making power for that.
And what about the kids in adoption centers? Queer parents are seven times more likely to adopt those kids than straight couples, meaning that they are the ones getting kids out of situations that can be anywhere from poor because of funding to downright abusive.
Don’t act like it’s a crime when it’s perfectly legal in America under the only laws that everyone has to follow.
Also. . . Supposedly, God created everyone. And yet, he apparently wouldn’t create someone who would have to repent of their lifestyle. So, we have two options here.
Either A) God didn’t create everyone, or B) he didn’t intend for the gays to repent. American law and the majority of the generations taking over the world say that the gays are gay people and that’s it.
And also, I would like to mention, before anyone says that it’s a Christian belief, that hate is not a Christian belief. I’m not devout, but my grandparents are. They go to church every Sunday, pray before each meal and bed, all of that. My grandmother doesn’t necessarily agree with homosexuality, but she doesn’t judge people. She has a lesbian sister and she’s fine with that. You can have your beliefs, I’m not going to force you to change them.
I am going to strongly advocate for you to not say that gays are wrong because of who they love. They can’t change that. They can’t make it any different. Instead of hating on people who, after centuries of oppression, finally get to speak their truth and say “I love you” in public, say congrats and keep whatever comments to yourself.
There is no proof whatsoever that God made anyone a certain way. We all have desires and being born in sin, some got a little warped. That’s why 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 lists certain things that aren’t acceptable but that certain Christians had done in their past. So they had repented and been washed clean as long as they didn’t keep doing them
Um the Bible is literally Gods words written through the disciples and other people. Homosexuality is very wrong in the eyes of God but also being rude and hurtful to those is wrong as well. Instead we should show them the love of Jesus through our kind actions and judgment free words.
Thank you.
Jesus did mention the sins of homosexuals. At the same time he was talking about self righteous religious people. He compared the life style of Sodom and Gomorrah with self righteous religious folk who say they have no sin. He said your sin remains. Then he concluded that on judgment day it would be tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who hide sin. He said Sodom would have repented when they saw the miracles he did. But this people repe ted not even when they saw the miracles
You know what Jesus did speak on? Eunuchs, which would be consider apart of the LGBTQ+ community today, and he didn’t condemn them. ( “For there are some eunuchs who were so born from their mother’s womb, and there are some eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” Matthew 19:12 )
I know you’re going to say Eunuchs just meant men who’s genitals were removed, but Jesus also included the fact some choose to be this, and I do not know one biological identifying male who would choose to have their genitals removed for the Kingdom of Heaven. Also, I know Christians like to make the claim Jesus is talking about those who reframe from sex. I’d like to point out, if this was the case then Jesus and Paul would have been identified as Eunuchs and they never were.
Stop hating LGBTQ+ people and justifying this hatred with false love and the Bible. No, you’re not loving them, no you’re not helping them, and no you’re not correct in how you view them.
LGBTQ+ have always existed and will always exist. If you want to continue being hate-filled, that’s on you. However, do not call it love, when you want them eradicated, unless they changed. How do I know you want them eradicated? Because I’m sure your idea of a perfect world doesn’t include LGBTQ+ identifying people.
Jesus loves everyone, right? But did he like and appreciate the Pharisees? Or how about the decent merchants that were just trying to make a living by selling animals at the temple?
Did he tell people what they wanted to hear or what they needed to hear?
Did he approve of behaviors that defied nature as long as most people think they’re okay?
Jesus loved the homosexuals no differently than anyone else. He never endorsed same sexual relationships.
There is no person who ever perfectly followed Gods plan. Follow His word or someone else’s. The world by nature wants God’s unchanging word to conform to its ways. That’s old news.
The more social norms drift, the hungrier and thirstier the people will become. The age will come to and end before the people are all confirmed in His image. It’s sad but true.
Jimmy Carter always. cherry picked his teachings from the bible not unlike Joel Osteen. The bible instructs us not to add anything to it or leave anything out. This is why. It causes division in the church. People who separate Jesus from the Old Testament and the non-gospel writings in the New Testament are looking for a way out. There’s no way out other than confessing that Christ is the way. Homosexuals are welcomed into to the Kingdom the same way everyone else is, even the blasphemous Jimmy Carter.
Silas,
You really have a bone in your craw re Jimmy Carter – a man that has done vastly more good than most of us will ever think of – a man vastly more decent – manifesting Christ – than the current orange idol of a significant majority of white American evangelicals…sad to say.
Your bone speaks volumes….
Sorry I disagree, it’s true that Jesus loves everybody but he hates the the act of homosexuality . Leviticus 18:22 says “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (KJV).
Leviticus 18:22 NLT
[22] “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
Seems pretty clear to me.
So, then can a woman be with another woman?
Romans 1: Paul argues that because people “exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” God gave them over to “degrading passions”:Verse 26: States that women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.Verse 27: States that men abandoned natural relations with women, burned with lust for one another, and committed “shameless acts with men,” ultimately receiving the “due penalty for their error”.Theological and Historical ContextContext of Romans 1: The passage is part of a larger argument (Romans 1:18–32) where Paul outlines the universal sinfulness of humanity. He describes a downward spiral that begins with idolatry (worshipping creation rather than the Creator) and results in various forms of moral decay.”Nature” and Greco-Roman Culture: Paul uses the Greek phrase para physin, meaning “contrary to nature”. Many scholars note that he is likely reflecting the prevailing Jewish and Stoic philosophical views of the first-century Greco-Roman world, which generally condemned same-sex sexual acts.InterpretationsViews on how to apply these verses today differ heavily among theologians, scholars, and believers:Traditional View: Many interpret this passage as a clear, categorical prohibition by Paul against all homosexual practices. In this view, such acts are inherently sinful and contrary to God’s created design for marriage and sexuality.Progressive/Revisionist View: Other scholars and theologians argue that Paul was not addressing modern, loving, and committed same-sex relationships. They suggest he was specifically condemning exploitative practices prevalent in the ancient world—such as pederasty, temple prostitution, or individuals acting against their own inherent “nature”.Focus on Passions: Discussions on platforms like Stack Exchange highlight that some interpretations focus heavily on Paul’s emphasis on lust and unrestrained desires (dishonorable passions), arguing that the core of the passage is about unchecked human desires leading people away from God, rather than merely the acts themselves.
Love doesn’t have anything to do with it. Jesus loved his apostles especially John but not in a romantic way. Paul doesn’t offer any leeway when he adds that it was unnatural. People can do whatever they want but that doesn’t mean it’s right
Actually the true Hebrew translation says it in the context of man shall not rape another man. The word is only used twice in the whole Bible and the second time it was in genesis regarding the part where a man wanted to rape his father’s concubine who was a woman
I like your reasoning. It helped me a lot. Repentance is the key. Enjoyed this article.
Admittedly this subject has gotten horribly boring, WAY, WAY overdone and now just a complete waste of time. We are not called to care about what people are doing with their genitalia – that is strange – at best.
We are called to focus on what is pure, truthful, beautiful and holy….
Let’s try focusing on what we are called to do.
Thanks
I agree Jesus does not judge people we can read in the Bible telling us Not To judge each other and that be kind caring we all need support from our friends family and the caring people !! Love and caring has been lost in our society. God Bless All and tonight a Blessing to all!
I have been a pastor for years I haven’t opened a worship place for all but after reading this I’m waiting on my friend to come down and we will open up a place of God’s great love as those who don’t have a place to feel comfortable are the ones that need it most.
Thank you for your motivation
. Rev William B Hewitt
All I knows I’m getting damn tired about hearing about this!! God called us to think on those things which are pure, truth and so on… we don’t need to keep banging our heads on this stupid thing – let people do what they want with their bodies and let’s move on to fully walking with God and Christ!!
Greg
Greg, if you spent any time in hell, you wouldn’t have that attitude. Paul didn’t say think of only the true and pure things and let people not know of the glory of the Gospel. Especially in light of what he went through to tell people about Christ.
We should want to warn people in love, not let them believe a lie.
This article is a bunch of blasphemous garbage. Jonathan’s comment is 100% correct. LGBT folks are born that way and Jesus has no issue with them. He only loves them period.
So what did you give her exactly? Jesus went with the norm it was prohibited, not true. That Jesus spoke about straight marriage, and somehow that cancels out gay marriage, and that Jesus came for the Jews first that somehow, means He didn’t like homosexuality.
Did I sum up everything right?
You’re doing what is called eisegesis, reading into the Bible what isn’t there, making a prohibition from silence.
Do me a favor? Leave this issue to those who know it better, those who can give it a right exegesis.
Hi! Thank you so much for interacting with us on this very emotional topic. I agree with you that eisegesis is not a good way to interpret scripture. I also agree that an argument from silence is a bad methodology. I do not think the Bible is silent on this topic. That being said, can you show me anywhere in scripture that affirms same-sex sexual activity? It would follow from your argument that an argument from silence is a bad methodology. So, hopefully you can agree that we should apply the same metric to your position as well. I am interested in dialoguing on this! Again, thank you for taking the time to comment. You didn’t have to do that, and we appreciate it.
Jesus loves everyone, right? But did he like and appreciate the Pharisees? Or how about the decent merchants that were just trying to make a living by selling animals at the temple?
Did he tell people what they wanted to hear or what they needed to hear?
Did he approve of behaviors that defied nature as long as most people think they’re okay?
Hello!
If I’m following the logic of the article correctly, the idea is that Jesus didn’t need to specifically say that homosexuality was evil, because he was talking to first-century Jews who would already be very familiar with the sexual sins listed in Lev. 18, right? And Jesus agrees that the sexual sins in Lev. 18 still apply to modern Christians, right?
Lev. 18:19 says “Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity.” Just to be clear, this would mean that Jesus believed it was sexually immoral for a man to have sex with his wife on her period.
I never hear this brought up, but I hear about homosexuality constantly. Why is that?
Right? There were over 600 laws the Jews (unlike the Gentiles at the time) would have known and followed. If Jesus came to fulfill the law, why is everyone still obsessed with that one and not the rest?
Love was His message… I think it’s missed, or worse, abused,so often when people condemn, or even just become preoccupied with anything else.
Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for interacting with us. We always appreciate respectful dialogue. There was this exact debate in Acts 15 where the Jewish leaders were asking which laws the gentiles would be required to follow from the old testament. 600 was a LOT (although as you can see from the list here, many of them are pretty common sense https://www.jewfaq.org/613_commandments). Here’s the passage from acts 15:19-20 ““It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” So the sexual immorality aspect was of primary importance. And sexual immorality was defined in Leviticus 18 and 20. I hope that helps! Again, thank you for interacting. We always welcome it.
You are telling people that the bible is silent about homosexuality. In the NEW testament The apostle Paul Specifically states that its an abomination and they shall have their part in the Lake of fire. ROMANS 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:” ROMANS 1:27 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. People twist this yet it is so clear and LEVITICUS 18:22
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (ESV). In the Greek and Hebrew translations in no way can it be anything other than Homosexuality is An abomination and is part of Fornication.. It is fact. not a judgement or a “viewpoint/Preference. Lying to people and letting them believe that they are okay to do so and GOD is love and Do not judge are condemning homosexuals to HELL…. True Love is preaching TRUTH of the GOSPEL. Saving people from Hell is Love. GOD Bless and I pray for you all to realize its disgusting and wrong.
Hi Leigh,
I appreciate you being concerned about truth! Far too many people are shy about saying unpopular things these days. Would you mind taking another look at the blog? I think you may have misunderstood the point of this article. The point is that I have encountered many people who claim that JESUS never said anything about homosexuality, and they are right. JESUS Himself doesn’t specifically mention. Plenty of other passages in scripture do (which we highlight in the blog). And this is helping our kids to interact with the specific claim that Jesus doesn’t talk about it, not the claim that the Bible doesn’t talk about it. Those are two different claims. Again, thank you for caring enough to speak up!
2 Peter 1:21 explains that human authors spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
There goes the claim that Jesus does not speak of homosexuality! If God spoke it! that is good enough.
Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), he meant that he and God share a complete divine unity in being, power, and purpose.
Jesus and the Father work with identical goals, intentions, and authority, operating as a single unit in redeeming humanity
I totally agree Leigh, When God inspired the apostles to write homosexuality is an abomination and they shall have their part in the Lake of fire in Romans 1: 26, 27, and God speaks against homosexuality in Leviticus. It is so clear and direct!
What happens when we disobey Gods word? The lake of fire, and that is good enough and a very important passage.
If God said it do you think Jesus is against it? When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), he meant that he and God share a complete divine unity in being, power, and purpose!
I get the idea that if the immorality of homosexuality had already been established, than Jesus didn’t have to address it directly, once again, for an audience that already believed it. BUT, as the Son of GOD, he had to have known that this would be questioned over thousands of years. And wouldn’t it have been more… the right thing to do (Godly) to just make sure God’s preference was placed front and center on this? I believe Jesus left it ambiguous because to Him, it doesn’t really matter. I mean, Jesus already covered it up with His blood. So, why are people still trying to scratch away His blood and expose others to condemnation?