Biblical Perspectives on Sexuality and Morality
Explore the teachings from Hebrews, Paul, and Jesus regarding sexuality, marriage, and morality, with insights on how these principles were applied in different cultural contexts.
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Presentation Transcript
Campbell Street Church of Christ September 21, 2024
Should We Talk about Sex at Church? Jesus, Paul, You, and Me
Scriptures Positive Thesis Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure . . . Hebrews 13:4a (NIV)
The Negative Implication Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Hebrews 13:4 (NIV)
Some Preliminary New Testament Data Paul has more to say about morality in general and sex in particular than other New Testament figures Of course! Because of his mission to the non-Jewish world Corinth and Rome had very different cultures from Jewish regions
Some Preliminary New Testament Data Paul has more to say about morality in general and sex in particular than other New Testament figures Of course! Because of his mission to the non-Jewish world Corinth and Rome had very different cultures from Jewish regions Where did Jesus say anything against same-sex intimacy? He said nothing about polygamy, incest, bestiality, child sacrifice, elder abuse, drunkenness or did he? No first-century Jew would have had a question about those topics unlike non-Jews Both explicitly and implicitly, he addressed the topic / Mark 7:20-22; Matt 5:17-20
EXCURSUS: Acts 15:28-29 The four prohibitions to Gentile Christians reflect the ones imposed on Israelites in the Old Testament meat offered to idols / Lev 17:1-9 blood offered to idols / Lev 17:10-12 improperly slaughtered animals / Lev 17:13-16 sexual immorality (porneia) / Lev 18:1-23 Again, porneia embraces incest, rape, gay sex, prostitution, bestiality, and the other illicit sexual contacts of Leviticus
Overview of Romans 1 3 Paul s Indictment All Humanity Needs Salvation 1:18 3:29 What pagans knew apart from revelation, they suppressed / 1:18-32 What Jews were given by revelation, they disobeyed / 2:1-3:20 With both Jew and Gentile under judgment, right standing with God is through Jesus sacrifice / 3:21-29
Overview of Romans 1 3 The Unique Situation of Pagans Rejecting Their Creator Resulted in Loss of Creator s Moral Order Paul s Indictment All Humanity Needs Salvation 1:18 3:29 What pagans knew apart from revelation, they suppressed / 1:18-32 Same-sex behavior is Paul s primary evidence of pagan decline/decay/need of rescue What Jews were given by revelation, they disobeyed / 2:1-3:20 Did it really take 3,500 years for Jews and Christians to see that this was a mistaken interpretation of same-sex behavior? With both Jew and Gentile under judgment, right standing with God is through Jesus sacrifice / 3:21-29
The Pauline Material Romans 1:16-32 The Romans theme: The gospel is the vindication of divine righteousness and the means by which he will deliver humankind from sin and death (1:16-17) Jews and Gentiles both need rescue because of our human wickedness that leads us to suppress the truth and engage in godless behaviors (1:18-32)
The Pauline Material Romans 1:16-32 The Romans theme: The gospel is the vindication of divine righteousness and the means by which he will deliver humankind from sin and death (1:16-17) Jews and Gentiles both need rescue because of our human wickedness that leads us to suppress the truth and engage in godless behaviors (1:18-32) Divine wrath against godlessness: Paul paradoxically reverses the cause and consequence; moral perversion is the result of God s wrath, not the reason for it. (Ernst Kasemann) Humans are in rebellion, not ignorant of God and right ways God s wrath takes the ironic form of giving humans freedom to have our own way abandoned now to our own devices
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [a] 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts. [ = soft ones, softies (passive/penetrated partner); = man-bedders (active/penetrating partner), RS]
1 Timothy 1:9-11 9We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine11that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
Pauls New Word The compound arsenokoit s (see koit G3130, bed, sexual intercourse ), not attested prior to the NT, occurs twice in the Pauline corpus (1 Cor 6:9 [in a list of those excluded from the kingdom of God]; 1 Tim 1:10 [in a list of acts condemned by the law]). The ref. is clearly to someone who practices homosexuality (cf. Lev 18:22, meta arsenos ou koim th s koit n gynaikos,lit., you will not sleep with a man in the bed of a woman ; sim. 20:13) . . . Mois s Silva, , , NIDNNTE 1:407-408
Pauls New Word Educated man that he was, Paul had a wide vocabulary . . . a. , porneia = broad term for any sex outside marriage b. , pornos = fornicator, prostitute c. , paiderast s = lover of boys, pederast d. , erast s = older (dominant) party in pederastic relationship e. , er menos = younger (submissive) party in pederastic relationship f. , kinaidos = male prostitute g. , biasmos = rape
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14 Abuse people who are already struggling
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14 Abuse people who are already struggling Move truth from out there to inside me
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14 Abuse people who are already struggling Move truth from out there to inside me Avoid the sharp demands of discipleship / Luke 14:26; Mk 10:29-30
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14 Abuse people who are already struggling Move truth from out there to inside me Avoid the sharp demands of discipleship / Luke 14:26; Mk 10:29-30 Confuse the priority of Xnty s two commands about love
What We Must NOT Do Confuse Romans 1 with Romans 14 Abuse people who are already struggling Move truth from out there to inside me Avoid the sharp demands of discipleship / Luke 14:26; Mk 10:29-30 Confuse the priority of Xnty s two commands about love Abandon the authority of Jesus witnessed to in Scripture
