Biblical Truths about Sexual Orientation and Gender

[phkrause]

Our American society is on a fast-track agenda to destroy the distinction between male and female distinctions and to redefine genders of their own design, the gamut of which includes between five and 107, depending on who you ask.

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/biblical-truths-about-sexual-orientation-and-gender.html?

[Hanseng]

[NOTE: People themselves are never referred to by God as “abominations;” it is the unholy, immoral act between homosexuals that is the “abomination.” Every human being is created by God and in His image. Therefore, believers should never refer to people as “abominations.”]

Good article, except for the quote above. A corollary of the "love the sinner hate the sin" maxim, like the maxim, it is without Biblical support. People of the same gender who have sex with each commit an abomination (Lev. 20:13). Crossdressers, gender fluid types are an abomination. It's absolutely correct to be homophobic. De 22:5: “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so [are] an abomination to the LORD your God"

You should fear a member of your gender who wants to have sex with you or appears as a member of ther opposite gender. People who did it in the OT were put to death. They weren't affirmed. Their behavior was not tolerated or accepted. They were killed, in order to put that kind of activity away from the people: 

Le 20:13  ‘If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood [shall be] upon them."

Transgenderism,  gender confusion participants themselves are an abomination, not just the activity: 

De 22:5 ¶ “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so [are] an abomination to the LORD your God"

Check other  versions. The one who crossdresses is an abomination, contra the article. Gender confusion/ homosexuality are not the only things that constitute a person an "abomination."

Pr 3:32  For the perverse [person is] an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel [is] with the upright.

Pr 11:20 ¶ Those who are of a perverse heart [are] an abomination to the LORD, But [the] blameless in their ways [are] His delight.

There are not many verses that label people as an abomination. One that does, however is Deuteronomy 22:5:  

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so [are] an abomination to the LORD your God."

The Bible labels people who are gender confused as "abominations."  They were not to be affirmed and made to feel safe. They were put to death.

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

The above post is based upon the idea that people are either male or female and that no one is partially male and partially female.

*  Some people have been born with both male and female organs.

*  Some people have been born with some parts of their body a XX genotype and other parts of their body a XY genotype.

*  Other people have genotypes that differ from the standard  XX and XY genotype.

Gender (male, female) today is known to be much more complex that than a simple phenotype classification.  The w hole issue is much more complex than some would consider it to be.  Sometimes, the answers are not easy to determine.

NOTE:  The  following is just a small part of the literature available and it does not address every aspect that I have listed above.  This issue is much more complex that most people think.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5173166/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_hermaphroditism

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/persistent-mullerian-duct-syndrome/

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/swyer-syndrome/

[Hanseng]

If you were a man and dressed as a woman or had sex with another man, you would be put to death. There was no affirmation or safe place for men who were gender confused. They were killed in ancient times. Most people know what a man is. Deuteronomy 23:1 says that a person with deformed genitalia would not be allowed into the congregation of the Lord. Hermaphrodites have deformed genitalia; consequently, they would have been banned from Israel. This doesn't mean that they cannot be saved by the justifying righteousness of Christ. Jesus can justify us where the Mosaic code could not.

[Hanseng]

In addition to those with deformed genitalia being banned from the congregation, bastards were also banned until the tenth generation (Deut. 23:2). Verse 23:3, which extends the ban to Amorites and Moabites, explains that unto the 10th generation means forever. Bastards (KJV) were thought to be children of harlots or illegitimate birth. Children of illegitimate birth and "hermaphrodites" were classified together, banned from the congregation forever.

A word about "hermaphrodites." The individuals described in Deuteronomy 23:1, according to the KJV, have had their privy member cut off and/or their testicles crushed. Not sure this would apply to people who are true hermaphrodites, i.e., those born with anatomical characteristics of both genders. It would apply to transgendered males who have had "bottom" surgery.

"No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD." ESV

"One wounded, bruised, or cut in the member doth not enter into the assembly of Jehovah;" YLT

“He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the LORD." NKJV

"He that is fractured or mutilated in his private parts shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord. LXXE

"No one who is [{1 }] emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD. [{1)  (sic) Lit wounded by crushing] of testicles } NASB

[BlessedMan]

10 hours ago, Hanseng said:

Quote

A word about "hermaphrodites." The individuals described in Deuteronomy 23:1, according to the KJV, have had their privy member cut off and/or their testicles crushed. Not sure this would apply to people who are true hermaphrodites, i.e., those born with anatomical characteristics of both genders. It would apply to transgendered males who have had "bottom" surgery.

CONTEXT is everything in the study of the scriptures, and this verse is no different. Take it and isolate it from the rest of the chapter simply gives us a very false reading and negates the need of the cross for the "condemned ones that should be "killed."  In Deut 23:5 we see how God

Quote

"turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you..."

Singling out one such group in a biased way does nothing in support of Bible truth or God's ways. The Bible says we all deserve to be killed, all have sinned, and the the Bible says that your sin is no better than a person who fits the description of Deut 23:1

One writer puts it this way:

saris also came to have a more general meaning, “government official,” not implying emasculation, because those who were actually eunuchs eventually filled a variety of important positions, after first being used to guard royal harems. Potiphar in Genesis, for example, is called a saris even though he is married (the ESV calls him an “officer”).  And according to Jeremiah, the Judean kings had officials known as sarisim (the plural) in their courts, even though emasculation was strictly forbidden in the law of Moses and, to discourage the practice, eunuchs were excluded from religious and civic life in ancient Israel.  So these Judean officials were likely not emasculated, either.

So we see that the Hebrew word saris,(Eunuch) used to describe Daniel and his friends, can  mean either a literal eunuch, or more generally a government official.  For this reason the NASB calls the Babylonian officer in charge of Daniel and his friends the “commander of the officials,” the NLT calls him the “chief of staff,” and the NIV the “chief official.”

The book of Isaiah addresses two groups of people who would have come back to Judea with the returning exiles but who would have wondered whether they had any place in the restored community.  The response to them is a splendid passage that is worth quoting in its entirety:

Quote

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
    “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
I will give in my house and within my walls
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off. (Isa 56:3-5) source

As Adventists, we teach that the everlasting gospel is for everyone. Because the everlasting gospel is about the cross, not about who has been "good," whatever on earth that actually happens to be. Doesnt matter what or who they are. And Isaiah affirms Euncuchs by telling us that they too will have "an everlasting name." (see Eph 2;13, it says "they that are afar off are made near by the blood of Christ!)

Additionally, when we look at how much concern the bible gives to all of the ones it says wont make it to heaven, the greatest emphasis is by far against liars and adulterers! We need to get back to giving the same emphasis as does scripture.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by BlessedMan
grammar