Short answer: Read the classic way, the Bible's passages on the subject (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:10) speak against same-sex sexual acts, and I will not pretend they say otherwise. The Bible never condemns a person for who they are attracted to. The world has changed, and so has the way Christians live alongside gay neighbors, and I accept and support gay people and their relationships, because God does not want us to be enemies.
In This Article
Few questions get more heat than this one, and few people deserve more gentleness when they ask it. Some write because they are gay and afraid of what the Bible says about them. Some write because a family member has told them and they do not know what to say. Some write to argue. I want to answer all of them in the same way: carefully, from the text, and with honesty about where Christians differ.
People in the pews kept asking me the same questions: is this a sin, what does the Bible actually say, how do we live it out? I will give you the classic reading of the texts plainly, then tell you honestly how I live with them in a world that looks very different from the one Leviticus was written for.
What Are The Key Passages?
There are six or seven texts that come up in nearly every conversation. Here is what each says and how it is read.
Sodom And Gomorrah (Genesis 19)
This is the story most people think of first, but it is the least helpful for the question. The men of Sodom demanded to assault the visitors, which is an attempted gang rape, and no one defends that. Elsewhere Scripture names what went wrong in Sodom, and it does not mention same-sex relations:
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 16:49 (NIV)
Jude 7 speaks of sexual immorality in Sodom as well, so the story is not irrelevant, but I would not use it as the main case in either direction.
Leviticus 18:22 And 20:13
Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 18:22 (NIV)
This is the plainest statement in Scripture, and chapter 20 repeats it with a harsh penalty. The classic Christian reading, held by the church for most of its history, is that it states a moral standard and not only a ritual one, because the New Testament repeats the sexual laws while setting aside the food and purity laws. Some modern readers argue otherwise, but I think the classic reading is the honest one. Note that Leviticus says nothing about women.
Romans 1:26-27
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
Romans 1:26 (NIV)
This is the only New Testament passage that clearly describes both men and women. The classic reading is that Paul names same-sex relations as a departure from the Creator's design. Its larger purpose, though, is easy to miss: Paul is building a case that all of us, Jew and Gentile, stand in need of grace (Romans 2 and 3). The very next chapter opens by warning the reader not to sit in judgment.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 And 1 Timothy 1:10
Paul lists people who will not inherit the kingdom, and two Greek words in the list refer to male same-sex behavior. The current NIV renders them "men who have sex with men." Scholars argue about the exact shading of the words, but the classic reading is clear enough, and I do not think it is honest to explain it away.
What is not debated is how Paul finishes the thought:
And 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.
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)
The same list names the greedy, the drunkards and the slanderers. Nobody lives up to it, and every one of us needs the washing Paul describes. See What Is Sexual Immorality? and Defining Porneia for how the biblical vocabulary works.
What About Jesus?
Jesus never mentions the subject. Traditional readers point to Matthew 19:4-6, where he speaks of marriage by quoting from creation: "male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). Others point out that what he said about love, mercy and judging is far louder than his silence. Both observations are true. His summary of the law is not in doubt:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mark 12:31 (NIV)
Do Christians Agree On This?
Not today. For most of church history the classic reading was simply assumed. In the last fifty years churches have divided over how to apply it, and here is an honest map of where they stand.
| Tradition | General Position |
|---|---|
| Catholic | Teaches that same-sex sexual acts are wrong, while saying the inclination is not sinful in itself and that gay people must be treated with respect |
| Orthodox | Teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman and does not bless same-sex unions |
| Most evangelical and Baptist bodies | Teach the traditional view, and many stress compassion |
| Episcopal Church (USA) | Blesses same-sex unions and ordains gay clergy |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Allows ordination of partnered gay clergy and recognizes same-sex marriage |
| United Church of Christ | Affirming; among the first mainline churches to support same-sex marriage |
| Presbyterian Church (USA) | Permits same-sex marriage and ordination |
Is Same-Sex Attraction The Same As Behavior?
No, and the difference is important. The Bible's texts, however you read them, speak to what people do. Nothing in Scripture says a person is sinful because of the way they are drawn. Even the Catholic Church, which holds a traditional view of the acts, says the inclination itself is not a sin. Temptation is not sin: Jesus was tempted in every way and was without sin.
This is the place where I want to speak most directly to a young person who is afraid. You did not choose this attraction, you are not cursed, and you are not a project to be fixed. The church was wrong for generations when it called homosexuality a sickness, and the medical community has long rejected that idea. The old claim that a person must be "healed" before God can love them has done real harm.
People disagree about whether a lifelong, committed same-sex relationship is a sin, and I will tell you where I land in the next section. But no one who is faithful to the text can make attraction itself a sin. If you want to see how desire becomes sin at all, read Is Lust A Sin?. For a related question, see What The Bible Says About Transgender Individuals.
Has The World Changed?
Yes, and a pastor should be honest about that. When I was ordained in 1994, same-sex marriage was not legal anywhere. Canada recognized it nationwide in 2005 and the United States did in 2015. Gay men and women now serve openly in public life, raise families and sit in church pews. Many of the people asking me this question are not debating a theory; they are asking about a son, a sister or themselves.
The Bible did not change, and I have just told you plainly how its passages have classically been read. What has changed is the world we live the Bible in. The question for a Christian today is not only "what does Leviticus say?" but "how do I love the gay neighbor God has put next to me?" Scripture answers the second question with no hedging at all.
How Should Christians Respond?
First, with love, the kind that sits at the table. A gay person in your family, your church or your workplace is an image-bearer of God, as Genesis 1:27 says of all of us:
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
Second, without making enemies. God's work in Christ is reconciliation, and He has handed that work to us:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 (NIV)
We are also told not to judge the servant of another (see Is Judging A Sin?).
Third, with goodness over cleverness. Paul puts it simply:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21 (NIV)
Fourth, welcome, without conditions. I hold the classic reading of the passages, and I also accept and support gay people, their relationships and their marriages. Some readers will find those two things hard to hold together. I hold them together because God does not want us to be enemies, and because the command to love my neighbor is clearer than any of the arguments. What I will not accept is cruelty, mockery, or the idea that a gay person is beyond God's reach. See Does God Forgive All Sins? for the assurance that matters most.
Key Bible Verses About Homosexuality
- Leviticus 18:22: the Old Testament prohibition, given to Israel.
- Romans 1:26-27: Paul's description of unnatural relations, debated in its meaning.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: a list of vices, and the washing that follows.
- Ezekiel 16:49: what Scripture itself names as Sodom's sin.
- Genesis 1:27: all people bear God's image.
- Mark 12:31: love your neighbor as yourself.
- Romans 8:38-39: nothing can separate us from the love of God.
- Romans 12:21: overcome evil with good.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Christianity say about homosexuality?
Christians do not speak with one voice today. The classic reading, still taught by the Catholic and Orthodox churches and most evangelical bodies, holds that same-sex sexual relationships fall short of God's design. Several mainline denominations now bless same-sex marriages. I hold the classic reading of the texts and still accept and support gay people and their relationships.
Where in the Bible does Jesus talk about homosexuality?
The Gospels record no words of Jesus about same-sex relationships. Traditional readers point to his appeal to Genesis in Matthew 19:4-6 when he speaks about marriage. Others note that his silence is real and that his emphasis fell on love, mercy and the heart.
What does Leviticus 18:22 say?
It says, "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." The classic Christian reading treats it as a moral standard, not only a ritual law, because the New Testament repeats the sexual laws while setting aside the food laws.
What does the Bible say about lesbianism?
Leviticus does not address women. The only direct reference is Romans 1:26, which speaks of women exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones; the classic reading takes it to include same-sex relations between women.
Is same-sex attraction itself a sin?
I do not believe it is. Temptation and attraction are not sin, even by the standard of those who hold the traditional reading of the passages. The Catholic Catechism, for example, says the inclination is not sinful in itself. See my article on lust for how desire differs from sin.
What is Romans 12:21 saying?
It says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." It is a call to answer harm and hostility with goodness. It applies strongly to how Christians speak to and about people they disagree with on any question, this one included.
Can a Christian hold the classic view and still accept gay people?
Yes, and that is where I stand. The classic reading of the passages is honest about what they say, and the command to love your neighbor is clearer still. God does not want us to be enemies, so I accept and support gay people and their relationships. See Is Judging A Sin?
