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A review of ‘The Bible and homosexuality. A hermeneutic of the relevant Bible texts.’ By Robert A.J. Gagnon (Zelhem: Maatkamp, 2016), pp. 710. The Original title is: The Bible and Homosexual Practice Texts and Hermeneutics (Nashville TN, USA: Abingdon Press, 2002). In the Promise magazine of October 2016, pp 16 and 17, there was already a review of this book. Due to the importance of this topical issue, the following is an elaborate review. How should the texts on homosexuality and homosexual relations in the Bible be interpreted and how does that affect our moral view today?
As this book has thin pages, yet with its 701 pages it did not turn out to be a voluminous one. The detailed index alone counts five pages. The book ends with a very elaborate list of authors and antique resources.
The book has been structured so well that (for example) pastors can also use it as a reference guide.
The author of this bestseller is a university head teacher of the New Testament at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. The book has been structured so well that (for example) pastors can also use it as a reference guide. He delivers a thorough analysis and has a very elaborate literary achievement, including reviews on all relevant situations and texts about the Ancient Near East from the Old Testament and the New Testament, Apocryphal books, Old Testamentical and New Testamentical pseudepigraphs, Dead Sea rolls and related texts that often go together with usually lengthy footnotes, sometimes with an explanation and comment of the translator. He knows the classics, such as Mishnah, Talmud and Targum, the old writers as Philo and the Jewish history writer Josephus, Apostolic fathers, but also modern writers like Brooten, Fee, Martin, Nissinen, Satinover, Scroggs, etc.
He refutes numerous objections. Therefore, this book can rightly be called the most complete and authoritative academic book on the Bible and homosexuality. This book corresponds well to its content, for even the hermeneutic relevance of the biblical testimony is being dealt with (think of the question: Is there mention of a homosexual mind and a homosexual gene, intercultural studies and more? Although good wine doesn’t need a crown, yet 21 prominent theologians have written their endorsements, while with the Dutch edition a clear recommending, but yet a critic prologue has been added.
1. Arguments
Based on his impressive knowledge and impeccable logic, he has demonstrated the weaknesses in the interpretations systematically, lexically, exegetically, contextually and historically. He demonstrates in a systematical way why all the attempts to classify the biblical refutation of homosexual intercourse as irrelevant for our modern time, do not do justice to the text of the Bible.
The relationships of homosexuals are against nature and unproductive.
The relationships of homosexuals are against nature and unproductive. Man and woman are anatomically complementing, which is in conflict with two people of the same gender. This shows God’s purpose. Advocates of homosexuality fill the silence of Jesus on this issue in favor of their own opinion. In the context of Judaism of the first century it’s very unlikely that Jesus would have made a completely different point of view.
From Jesus’ appeal on Genesis 1:27 and chapter 2:24, it appears that He stood for an exclusive heterosexual model of monogamy (p. 242). The regulations in the Tenakh were plainly obvious. Jesus did not make any statement against homosexual behavior because during His ministry on earth He did not meet people who openly expressed themselves as homosexuals, and therefore He did not have to appeal to anyone to repent of his homosexual behavior (p. 295).
The fact that a text is silence about something cannot be equated with neutrality or openness with respect to the intended subject, let alone with support, without not thereby also distorting (the) history (p.575). On descriptive level, there is not a single hero of faith to be found in the Bible who has been engaged in homosexual behavior: not a patriarch, not a matriarch, not a prophet, not a king (and by no means David), not an apostle, not a disciple (p.575).
The detrimental effects for the homosexuals are considerably greater than that of the hatred and slander campaigns against them. Just think of AIDS, which is associated with anal sexual intercourse and unbridled promiscuity (free sex), the homosexual killings, the great number of cases of domestic violence and sadomasochism among homosexual couples (p.42).
Homosexuals have a reduced life expectancy (pp.51. 621). Homosexuals have, much more than heterosexuals, all kinds of problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, STDs and AIDS (pp.622, 623, 642), severe depression and suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts (often as a result of a broken relationship) (pp. 624, 626, 627). Not the anus nor the mouth are complementing openings for the male genitals (p.334). Mouth-anus contact (allowing feces to be absorbed), anus-penis contact and mouth-penis contact are responsible for a number of infections (p.624).
Monogamy among homosexuals appears to be almost impossible to achieve, which is why promiscuity is common (pp. 601, 632, 633). The large majority of the relationships between male homosexuals does not last more than a few years (p. 602). In a time where society is speaking out more and more loudly against smoking, drinking to get drunk, drug abuse and unsafe sex, the openness of the society for homosexual intercourse with its many collateral problems has become uncommonly inconsistent. The high health care costs that the homosexual praxis generates, are carried by the entire society, thus including heterosexuals (p.629). There is no doubt that the confirmation of a homosexual life style will lead to an increase of pedophile activities (pp. 630, 631, 642).
Pro-Homosexual advocacy groups want to equate ‘homophobia’ to racism
Homosexual lobby groups are already busy to get laws enacted that impose hefty fines on everyone who ‘discriminates’ transvestites and transsexuals in the public domain, whereby such ‘discrimination’ is then taken so broadly as to include schools that deny teachers the “right” to get to their work place as transvestites, and for people who deny a transsexual man who is still in the process of transition of becoming a woman the ‘right’ to use the lady’s room (pp. 634, 635).
Pro-Homosexual advocacy groups want to equate ‘homophobia’ to racism (pp. 636, 643). The number of times that something is mentioned in the New Testament is in itself not a decisive factor with regard to its importance, as the example on incest in 1 Corinthians 5 shows (p. 570, foot note 154). ‘I feel like this and that’s why I am allowed to do it also’ can in no way stand the test of any viable lecture of the Biblical ethics (p. 592).
2. Former homosexuals
Some of them have been homosexuals, according to 1 Corinthians 6: 11. Gagnon refutes the proposition ‘once a homosexual, always a homosexual’ (p. 51). Homosexuals can be healed (p. 276). Considering the fact, that with many homosexuals quite a fluctuation can be seen during their lifetime, with regard to their position on the scale of Kinsey, and considering the fact, that the great majority of people that see themselves as ‘exclusively’ homosexuals, they also have had experiences with heterosexual excitement (often, even with an orgasm), the first and most logical response to the question whether homosexuals can change, would be ‘yes’ (p. 552).
In the current political climate, former homosexuals do not get any recognition in society. They are even defamed by groups of Pro-Homosexual activists (p. 561). We have a ‘cloud of witnesses’, thousands of former homosexuals in Christian communities in the united States and many of thousands more over the whole world who testify of the power of God’s Spirit, Who has changed their lives and Who gave them their sexual satisfaction in heterosexual marriages.
At the same time, there are Christians who at least ‘on the outside’, have shown that they have made great efforts to change, though yet have been unable to switch from a homosexual orientation to a heterosexual orientation (p. 563). The sinful tendencies will remain to exist, even with those who have been saved, but for believers it is now possible to live a lifestyle that (in any way for the greater part) is controlled by the Spirit (p. 566).
The Bible grants us only one option to be able to have sexual intercourse, which is a lifelong monogamous heterosexual relationship, or to remain celibate (p. 568).
3. Quotes
The dishonoring of God leads to the dishonoring of oneself (p.343).
Sexual intercourse with people of the same sex, together with (besides) idolatry, is one of the clearest examples of deliberate suppression of the revelation in nature by the pagans, because in that way the obvious anatomical sex differences and functions are being denied (p. 345).
Paul never speaks anywhere in the Bible about sexuality as a mediocre matter or a discarded remnant of the Torah (such as circumcision, food laws and feast days) if it deviates from on the one hand the celibate or on the other hand from an enduringly faithful heterosexual marriage (p.386). The prohibitions against homosexual intercourse are just as absolute as the commandments against incest and adultery. It simply doesn’t matter how ‘good or how loving’ the homosexual behavior is being practiced. It’s about the simple fact that it is being practiced at all (p.455).
All forms of homosexual and lesbian behavior were wrong, due to one simple reason, which is that it was not a normal intercourse with someone of the opposite sex (p.471).
It is tempting to quote more among others about sociological studies.
4. Causes
Scientific study does not show that there are genetic causes for homosexuality (p. 52).
In summary it can be said: the genetic influence on homosexuality, if it exists at all, is relatively weak compared to influences from the family atmosphere, the society and other surrounding factors (p. 526).
Surrounding factors and psychological factors still play a significant role in the development of homosexuality PP. 557, 558).
5. Conclusion
The message from God’s Word is unanimous: sexuality is about having only one partner, who is outside the family and who is of the opposite sex, in order to be complete and focused on reproduction (pp. 81, 82). It is by no means surprising that his conclusion is briefly: not gayness (the attraction for the same sex) in itself is a sin (pp. 637-639), but homosexuality in itself is, for that has been the view of Christianity globally for twenty centuries already. Purity and morality in the book of Leviticus are not necessarily two opposing concepts. With Paul they never are (p. 164). It is not so much about what tendencies a person has, but especially how he deals with it. Let us call an abomination what God calls an abomination.
Those who refuse to abstain from homosexual intercourse are not allowed to be eligible for election to any office in the church
Those who refuse to abstain from homosexual intercourse (the same goes for incest, polygamy, adultery, prostitution, pedophilia, bestiality or sexual abuse, briefly said immoral behavior) are not allowed to be eligible for election to any office in the church. Note: it’s not about tendencies here, but about practices. On top of that, if homosexual intercourse is a sin, the church ought to make clear decisions regarding matters as membership and chastisement\discipline (pp. 643, 644). If we condemn sexual intercourse between people of the same sex and then fall short by not actively and self-sacrificingly reach out in love and care towards homosexuals, then that means that we have just as blunted a gospel as those who confuse God’s love with ‘accepting people just as they are’ and who neglect to speak also about the changing power of the gospel (p. 647).
Gagnon’s conclusions are clear, sharp, and yet also pastoral. He warns against a watered-down gospel and pleads for both holiness and compassion. As a reply of the church to practicing homosexuals, he suggests to be prepared for communicating gently with them in a spirit of humility and by offering God’s forgiveness, based on only a remorseful spirit. Jesus did not confuse love with a tolerant behavior towards all sorts of behavior, and the church shouldn’t do that either (p. 276).
6. Critical notes
Unfortunately, the author starts from the modern Biblical criticism because he for example supports and uses the resource theory. In his magnum opus for example, he discusses the ‘Deutero-Pauline letters’ (pp. 48, 481 and 571). He thus doubts Paul’s authorship and has reservations about how Paul gets to his point.
He sometimes does not find his exegesis of the Old Testament very convincing (p. 452). It may be so, but we nevertheless have to recognize that also these passages were divinely inspired. However, Gagnon does state: ‘In general, I find Paul’s explanation convincing and decisive – an authoritative lesson through which I can interpret and pass on my own experience’ (p. 452).
Even though his assertion ‘We don’t find homosexual intercourse in the animal world’ (p. 213, in contrast to p. 234 foot note 23, 24 and 25 and p. 235) is incorrect, this does not yet give man permission to behave bestially.
By the way, he later states that Paul may have thought that ‘the fact that in the animal world, heterosexual intercourse was also the general form of sexual intercourse’ (p. 352).
In short, in the entire LHBTQIA+ discussion among Christians, this book should be a guide and is absolutely not to be ignored.
