The traditional teaching of the church
Faithful, monogamous,
life-long heterosexual marriage is the only (ideal) God-given context for
sexual intercourse
Homosexual sex is wrong
It is not sinful to be
tempted or to experience same sex-attraction
(Some Christians
experience same sex attraction from a young age and no heterosexual attraction.
Even if something seems to come naturally to me or feels right, that doesn’t
make it right. Often our sexuality is more complicated than “gay or straight”. The
nature / nurture debate continues. Some people who predominately experience(d)
same sex attraction have formed happy heterosexual marriages.)
People who experience same
sex attraction, like all people, are called to celibacy or heterosexual
marriage if that is possible and wise for them
A change in attitudes in our culture and a
conversation in the church
The church is called to be
distinct from the world and counter cultural where necessary – Romans 12:1-2
As Dean William R. Inge
said: “Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in
the next”
The Pilling Report
Part of an on-going
conversation about homosexuality
A working party report to
The House of Bishops
The report suggests:
It is not clear what the
Bible teaches / how it should be applied today
A process of facilitated
listening is needed to work out God’s will
By way of a pastoral
accommodation, clergy, with the agreement of their PCCs, should be allowed to
hold public services (for which no authorised liturgy would be provided) to
mark the formation or continuation of a sexually active same sex relationship
(It seems to me these services
would inevitably be seen as some kind of “blessing” even if the report wants to
avoid that language)
Questions of method
The supreme authority of
Scripture as God’s Written Word
Jesus always treated the
Bible as authoritative – and Jesus is Lord
On Jesus’ attitude to the
Bible see John Wenham, Christ and the
Bible (Wipf & Stock Publishing; 3 edition)
On the doctrine of
Scripture see, Timothy Ward, The Words of
Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God (Nottingham, IVP,
2009)
The Bible is the Church of
England’s theological norm
Canon A5: “The
doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in
such teaching of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are
agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in
the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the
Ordinal.”
The 39 Articles of Religion: “VI. Of the
Sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for salvation: Holy Scripture containeth
all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor
may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be
believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to
salvation. In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those Canonical
Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in
the Church.”
“VII. Of the
Old Testament: The Old Testament is not contrary to the New…. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as
touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil
precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet
notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the
Commandments which are called Moral.”
“XX. Of the
Authority of the Church: The Church
hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of
Faith: And yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is
contrary to God's Word written, neither may it so expound one place of
Scripture, that it be repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the Church be a
witness and a keeper of holy Writ, yet, as it ought not to decree any thing
against the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be
believed for necessity of Salvation.”
“XXI. Of the
Authority of General Councils: General Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment
and will of Princes. And when they be gathered together, (forasmuch as they be
an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God,)
they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God.
Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither
strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of
holy Scripture.”
The declaration of assent made by the clergy etc.: Preface: “The Church of
England… professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set
forth in the catholic creeds, which faith the Church is called upon to proclaim
afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, it has borne witness to
Christian truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles of
Religion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests
and Deacons.” Declaration: “I, A B, do so affirm, and accordingly
declare my belief in the faith which is revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set
forth in the catholic creeds and to which the historic formularies of the
Church of England bear witness;…” (Common
Worship, p.xi)
The clarity (or
perspicuity) of Scripture
God’s Word a light to our
path - Psalm
119:105, 130 – gives understanding to the simple
The Bible writers
generally seem to assume that the Bible can be understood and applied
E.g. Dt 6 – it is expected
that parents will be able to explain the Law of Moses to their children
Dt 29:29
The Westminster Confession
of Faith (1646) 1.7
For more on this see, Mark
D. Thompson, A Clear and Present Word:
The clarity of Scripture – New Studies in Biblical Theology series
(Nottingham, Apollos IVP, 2006)
The sufficiency of
Scripture
Ps 119:1; 2 Tim 3:15; Rev
22:19-19; The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) 1.6
The helpful but
subordinate role of Tradition and Reason (and experience)
What the Bible says about homosexuality
Genesis 1 and 2
foundational – quoted by Jesus
Genesis 19:1-29 – the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, though
homosexuality is not the only issue in that passage – see also Jude 7 – “just as Sodom and Gomorrah
and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and
pursued unnatural desire [lit. other flesh], serve as an example by undergoing
a punishment of eternal fire.”
Leviticus 18:22 – “You shall not
lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of
them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their
blood is upon them.”
How does the Old Testament law apply
today? The 39 Articles – Article 7 - Of the Old Testament (above)
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, [Greek:
μαλακοὶ and ἀρσενοκοῖται], nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of
you. 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.”
malakoi –
the passive partner in male homosexual sex e.g. in Philo as Robert A. J. Gagnon
has shown in The Bible and Homosexual
Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics (Abingdon Press)
arsenekoitoi
– those engaged in homosexual sex, a
compound of “male” (arsen) and “intercourse” (koites, literally “bed”) - used
in the Septuagint (= LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament of
Leviticus 20:13, suggesting that Paul is talking about the same things and has
a man lying with a man as one lies with a woman in mind.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 (esp. v10) – “Now we know that the law is good,
if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for
the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for
the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for
murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality (arsenekoitoi), enslavers, liars,
perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious
gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”
Romans 1:18-32 – esp. vv24-28: “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they
exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave
them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations
for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural
relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men
committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty
for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave
them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”
Some people have argued
that had the Bible writers known about sexually active, loving, faithful,
life-long homosexual relationships they would have approved of them. There is
no evidence for this. It seems that the ancient world did know of some such
relationships, though there was great variety then as there is today.
Professor Sir Diarmaid MacCullouch thinks that “in this, as in much else, the Bible is simply wrong” but he recognises that the Bible teaches that same sex sexual activity is wrong: “This is an issue of biblical authority. Despite much well-intentioned theological fancy footwork to the contrary it is difficult to see the Bible as expressing anything else but disapproval of homosexual activity…” (Reformation: Europe’s House Divided, p705)
An argument from creation
Men and women are biologically
compatible and complimentary
Though some couples are infertile,
heterosexual marriages are in principle potentially naturally “fruitful” (Gen
1:28) in a way that homosexual relationships aren’t
Some would argue that generally
children are best brought up by their biological father and mother where
possible
The official teaching of the Church of England /
Anglicanism
The Higton Motion, General Synod, 11th
November 1987
'That this
Synod affirms that the biblical and traditional teaching on chastity and
fidelity in personal relationships in a response to, and expression of, God's
love for each one of us, and in particular affirms:
- that sexual intercourse is an act of total commitment which belongs properly within a permanent married relationship;
- that fornication and adultery are sins against this ideal, and are to be met by a call to repentance and the exercise of compassion;
- that homosexual genital acts also fall short of this ideal, and are likewise to be met by a call to repentance and the exercise of compassion;
- that all Christians are called to be exemplary in all spheres of morality, including sexual morality; and that holiness of life is particularly required of Christian leaders.'
Issues in Human Sexuality, House of Bishops’ Statement
This
endorsed the traditional Christian belief that the teaching of the Bible is
that heterosexual marriage is the proper context for sexual activity between
two people. It went on to declare that what it called 'homophile' orientation
and activity could not be endorsed by the Church as:
'... a
parallel and alternative form of human sexuality as complete within the terms
of the created order as the heterosexual. The convergence of Scripture,
Tradition and reasoned reflection on experience, even including the newly
sympathetic and perceptive thinking of our own day, makes it impossible for the
Church to come with integrity to any other conclusion. Heterosexuality and
homosexuality are not equally congruous with the observed order of creation or
with the insights of revelation as the Church engages with these in the light
of her pastoral ministry.'
It also
argued that the conscientious decision of those who enter into such
relationships must be respected, and that the Church must 'not reject those who
sincerely believe it is God's call to them'.
Nevertheless,
because of the 'distinctive nature of their calling, status and consecration',
the clergy 'cannot claim the liberty to enter into sexually active homophile
relationships' (Some Issues in Human
Sexuality: A guide to the debate – A discussion document from the
House of Bishops on Issues in Human Sexuality Church House Publishing 2003 1.3.19-20).
Resolution 1.10 on Human Sexuality of the 1998 Lambeth
Conference
This Conference: - commends to the Church the subsection report on human sexuality [1];
- in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage;
- recognises that there are among us persons who experience themselves as having a homosexual orientation. Many of these are members of the Church and are seeking the pastoral care, moral direction of the Church, and God's transforming power for the living of their lives and the ordering of relationships. We commit ourselves to listen to the experience of homosexual persons and we wish to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ;
- while rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture, calls on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage and any trivialisation and commercialisation of sex;
- cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions;
- requests the Primates and the ACC to establish a means of monitoring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the Communion and to share statements and resources among us;
- notes the significance of the Kuala Lumpur Statement on Human Sexuality and the concerns expressed in resolutions IV.26, V.1, V.10, V.23 and V.35 on the authority of Scripture in matters of marriage and sexuality and asks the Primates and the ACC to include them in their monitoring process.
A pastoral response
No “homophobia” – all
people should be treated with respect and compassion
We are all sinners,
homosexual sex is not the only or greatest sin, it is not unforgiveable
All sin should be met with
a call to repentance and the promise of grace
Clarity is needed – 1
Corinthians 14:8 – what does the church recommend?
People who experience
same-sex attraction who are seeking to live godly celibate lives will be hurt
and confused if the church appears to start to “bless” sexually active same sex
relationships
Further resources:
The Church of England:
The Higton Motion, General
Synod, 11th November 1987 - http://www.churchofengland.org/our-views/marriage,-family-and-sexuality-issues/human-sexuality/homosexuality.aspx
Resolution 1.10 on Human
Sexuality of the 1998 Lambeth Conference - http://www.lambethconference.org/resolutions/1998/1998-1-10.cfm
Issues in Human Sexuality: A statement by the House of
Bishops – GS Misc 382 (Church House
Publishing, 1991) – Google for PDF
Some issues in human sexuality: a guide to the debate – a discussion document from the House of Bishops’
Group on Issues in Human Sexuality (London,
Church House Publishing, 2003) – Google for PDF
“The Pilling Report” – Report of the House of Bishops Working Group
on Human Sexuality (November 2013) http://www.churchofengland.org/our-views/marriage,-family-and-sexuality-issues/human-sexuality/pilling-report.aspx
* * *
* * *
Paul Brown, Homosexuality: Christian Truth and Love
(Day One, 2007)
Mark Christopher, Same-sex marriage: is it really the same?
(Leominster, Day One, 2009)
Andrew Goddard & Don
Horrocks (ed.s), Biblical and pastoral
responses to homosexuality (London, Evangelical Alliance, 2012)
Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament:
Community, Cross, New Creation – A contemporary introduction to New Testament
Ethics (Harper One) chapter 16 on homosexuality
Wesley Hill, Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian
Faithfulness and Homosexuality (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2010)
David Peterson (ed.), Holiness & Sexuality: Homosexuality in a
biblical context (Milton Keynes, Paternoster, 2004)
John Richardson, What God Has Made Clean… if we can eat
prawns, why is gay sex wrong? – Biblical Application Series (The Good Book
Company)
Alex Tylee, Walking with Gay Friends: A journey of
informed compassion (Nottingham, IVP, 2007)
Thomas Schmidt, Straight and Narrow? Compassion and clarity
in the homosexuality debate (Leicester, IVP, 1995)
Simon Vibert, Conduct which honours God: The Question of
Homosexuality (Orthos Fellowship of Word and Spirit, 2003) - http://www.fows.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72:conduct-which-honours-god&catid=40:orthos-archive&Itemid=59
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