In this passage, jesus is decrying divorce. He uses man and woman as the example of marriage because that is the most common form of marriage. It does not condemn homosexuality. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive.
I also find it interesting that we hear this passage used to as an an argument against homosexuality but not divorce. In fact, we hear very few arguments against divorce which is the context of jesus’ message here. Why is that?
In the passage in Matthew, Jesus is decrying divorce, by using the created order of marriage as found in man and woman. So yes, He is saying that divorce is wrong. He is also saying what marriage is. More than once. This is not hard to see, but I guess, easy to ignore what The Master said referring to the Scriptures.
Your second paragraph bemoaning it not used as an argument against divorce is just absolutely silly. If a church holds to scripture, they will frown upon divorce. You complain about that......maybe the church is evolving.......like you wish it to to condone homosexuality. It’s wonderful, your logic here. Your Methodists, right? Or am I thinking of another poster here.
This passage is from Leviticus. A book of the Old Testament that decries many things...
* eating pork
* mixing fabrics
* harvesting the edge of your field
And? These are all part of the Biblical Holiness Code for Israel. Not eating pork, mixing fabrics and others are specifically speaking to the congregation or the sons of Israel. These apply to the Jews, or initial people of God, to set them apart as Holy. If you read Lev. 18 in context, God is also talking about everyone else...the surrounding nations. He considered what they did an abomination, making Him want to vomit.
The code can be broken down into 3 divisions:
Civil - Expired with the demise of the Jewish civil government
Justice practices (Lev. 24:17-23)
Law of property redemption (Lev. 25)
Be just with the poor, (Lev. 19:15)
Do not hate in your heart (Lev. 19:17)
Retain just scales in commerce (Lev. 19:35f)
Robbery, extortion, false witness, and restitution (Lev. 6:1-7)
Ceremonial - Expired with the fulfillment of priestly work of Christ (Matt. 3:15)
Various sacrificial offerings for sin (Lev. 1,2,3,4,5,6)
Priestly duties (Lev. 7:1-37)
Laws on animals for food (Lev. 11:1-47)
Cleaning house of leper (Lev. 14:33-57)
Law of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-28;17:1-16)
Regulations for Priests (Lev. 21,22)
Festivals (Lev. 23:1-25)
Moral - No Expiration because it is based on God's character. "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy," (Lev. 19:2)
Do not steal or lie (Lev. 19:11)
Do not oppress your neighbor (Lev. 19:13)
No idolatry (Lev. 26:1-13)
Don't sacrifice children to Molech (Lev. 20:1-5)
Don't commit adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, etc. (Lev. 20:9-21)
You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18)
This is actually a case of a bad translation... the word used here is malakoi which many scholars believe translates to male prostitute.
The fact of the matter is the Bible (particularly the New Testament) is largely silent on homosexuality. It simply wasn’t an issue facing the Hebrews of the 1st century.
This is not bad translation and obviously from scholars such as Vines, who is not a Biblical Scholar and a Harvard dropout, or others like Brownson who have changed views because they have homosexual children. It is a very, very narrow set of scholars....malakoi means “soft ones” in Greek writings and frequently identified the passive homoerotic partner. So limiting the term to male prostitution would be a mistake and bad hermeneutics, when taking on the whole of scripture. To say it’s silent is totally disingenuous.
What the Bible... and jesus in particular ... is not silent about is loving thy neighbor and taking care of the sick and poor.
Yes. Jesus did command both. Yet you come on here and say many would decry His words. Yet you have shown 0 proof. You just have an accusation. You have NO idea how each and every one of us who adhere to The Way help the poor and sick in our personal lives. This is a command to Christians. Individual Christians.
Yes, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to love those who live in sin and try and help them. What is the greatest way to help them. Tell them the gospel if they haven’t heard. BUT, Jesus calls us to repent. Something that is conveniently left out of the majority of pulpits today. Notice what they call themselves: God and the Gay Christian(Matthew Vines book). Gay Christians.
They identify themselves by their sin first. It’s what defines them. Not Christ.