The Hebrew Scriptures: Creation in Genesis

In Genesis, Jehovah set out his purpose for all of mankind – for man and woman to come together to heterosexual union in marriage. Let’s look at the scriptures specifically:

“And God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. Further, God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth” – Genesis 1:27-28

“And Jehovah God went on to say: “It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him. … Then the man said:

“This is at last bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one will be called Woman,
Because from man this one was taken.”

That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:18, 23-24

Spurious “Gay Christian” Argument

The Genesis account does not forbid homosexuality - it just doesn’t refer to it. After all, a gay couple could not have populated the Earth. Some heterosexual couples cannot produce children; therefore, these verses cannot be seen as a model for all couples to follow. Are childless couples disobedient because they cannot conform to this account?

Response #1

While Genesis does not forbid homosexuality (mentioning at this point in the Bible would have been a bit weird anyway), it does provide the first and only acceptable sexual model. It says “a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife” – it makes no exceptions to this rule.

Response #2

The union of male to female, first introduced here, is the only sexual model praised throughout all of the scriptures. Although later in the Hebrew Scriptures polygamy is allowed under special conditions, the monogamous man-woman union is always held up high as the ideal. No praise is ever given to homosexual unions, and no marriage or “becoming one flesh” is ever applied to homosexuals. The Scriptures make clear that any sex outside of this ancient marriage arrangement is a sin. “God will judge fornicators and adulterers” says Hebrews 13:4, and a Christian overseer must be “a husband of one wife” says 1 Timothy 3:2. Heterosexual marriage is always the norm always the ideal, and no exceptions are ever given or permitted.

Response #3

This argument is partly based on the false belief that homosexuality is naturally occurring, just as heterosexuality is. This is wrong. Homosexuality is a developmental disorder acquired during early childhood and/or adolescence.

Response #4

As for childless couples being disobedient to this passage of scripture, that argument is totally irrelevant. The inability to have children is caused by imperfection, and no where does the Bible say an inability to have children is a sin. Even the mother of John the Baptist was formerly barren until divine intervention caused her to give birth. – Luke 1:7, 13

Conclusion

This passage of scripture sets out the one and only acceptable sexual relationship that humans are permitted to enjoy. No exceptions are given, and any deviation from this is condemned in the rest of the scriptures.

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