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                                What the Bible Does and Does Not Say
                                                  by Tracey Brown
                                                   copyright 1992

        The book of Genesis is the first, and one of the longest books in
Bible.  Genesis covers over two thousand years of history, from the Creation
to the death of Joseph in Egypt.

        Because Genesis spans so much time, more than the entire rest of the
Bible put togehter, it is important to understand the divisions.  There are
three main divisions.  They are:
        A.      The Primeval history (Chpts. 1-11, covering from approx 400-
                2090 B.C.)
        B.      Israel's patriarchal history: (Chpts. 12-37 covering from
                approx 2090-1897 B.C.)
        C.      Egyptian history, (Chpts. 37-50, covering from approx 1897-
                1804 B.C.)
        It is during the Patriarchal period, that we find the story of Sodom.

        The Sodom story begins in chapter 14, when Abraham resuces Lot and
the other citizens from captivity as a result of continuing tribal wars.  It
then picks up in Chapter 18.

        The basic story goes like this.  Abraham, and his nephew Lot find
that
they have too many ppossessions and livestock for the land to sustain them
both.  So rather than argue, Abraham offers Lot his choice of places to live,
and
they separate, with Lot moving to Sodom, and Abraham taking up residece in
the
hills  of Canaan.

        Sodom and Gomorrah were large, pagan cities, know for their
idolatrous and ungodly rituals.  Gomorrah is mentioned in connection with
Sodom, but nowhere in the Bible are the sins of Gomorrah actually listed.
The people of Sodom worshiped Baal and other pagan gods with ritual public
sexual acts, which included human sacrifice, and bestiality.

        One day, Abraham is visted by Angels.  It is revealed to Abraham that
God is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their 'great
wickedness'. Abraham queries the Lord as to whether He will sweep away the
righteous as well as the wicked.

        When all is said and done, the Lord promises Abraham that if He can
find just 10 righteous men living in all of Sodom, that He will spare the
city  for their sake.  Chapter 19 give the account of Sodom and Gomorrah's
destruction. It is a sad commentary, that as we are aware, the city was
destroyed.  Obviously God could not find even ten righteous people.

        Announcing judgement on these cities in Genesis 18, God sends two
angels to Sodom, where Abraham's nephew, Lot, persuades them to stay in his
home. Genesis 19 records that "ALL THE PEOPLE FROM EVERY QUARTER" surround
Lot's house demanding the release of his visitors so "WE MIGHT KNOW THEM."
The  Hebrew word for "know" in this case, YADHA, usually means "Have thorough

knowledge of."  It could also express intent to examine the visitor's
credentials,   or on rare occasions the term implies sexual intercourse.
If the latter was the author's intended meaning, it would have been a clear
case of attempted gang rape.

        Horrified at this gross violation of nacient hospitality rules, Lot
attempts to protect the visitors by offering his two daughters to the angry
crowd, a morally outrageous act by today's standards.  The people of Sodom
refuse, so the angels render them blind.  Lot and his family are then rescued
by the angels as the cities are destroyed.

        Several observations are important.  1) The judgement no these cities
for their wickedness had been announced prior tothe "alleged homosexual
incident". 2) ALL of Sodom's people participated in the assault on Lot's
house; in no culture has more than a small minority of the population been
homosexual.  3) Lot's offer to relase his daughters suggests he knew his
neighbors to have heterosexul interests. 4) If the issue was sexual, why did
God spare Lot, who
immediately commits incest with his daughters?  Most importantly why do all
the other passages of Scripture referring to this account fail to raise the
issue
of Homosexuality? Additionally, no reference is ever made to the women of
Sodom. If they were lesbian, it is never implied.  If the cities were
destroyed for
homosexuality, then God destroyed the women because their husbands and sons
were homosexual.....a thing God expressly promised Abraham that He would NOT
do.
        THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY:

        The laws of hospitality in the near east were intricate and extremely
important.   Hospitality in the near east was tightly bound up in customs and
practices which absolutely every man, woman and child was expected to
observe.   Anyone who did not observe these rules, did so as that one's own
peril.
Hospitality in the near east differs greatly from our western ideas of enter-
taining friends, or guests, but nearly as often ivolved people whom the host
or hostess had never met, and knew nothing about.  It was a way of providing
for the needs of travelers where in many places, inns, and even water were
scarce.  Hospitality then, was more a matter of survival, than of
entertainment.

        Since strangers posed a potential threat to the community, they were
traditionally tested or questioned, to see how they might fit in, or whether
they would subscribe tothe communties norm's.  Since strangers lacked any
legal standing in the community, it was imperitve that they be under the
protection of a patron, a host who was an ESTABLISHED MEMBER OF THE
COMMUNITY, and that patronage implied that the hosts house, servants, food
and even his or her life were not be withheld from the protection, and
well-being of his or her guest.

        Remember that Lot was not a native of Sodom, and was suspect himself
since he did not subscribe tothe communities norm's.  Lot had not sought to
assure the citizens of Sodom that his visitors were not hostile.

        So what was the Sin of Sodom if it was not homosexuality?  Ezekial
16: 48-50 states it clearly: people of Sodm, like many people today, had an
abundance of material goods. But they failed to meet the needs of the poor,
and
they worshipped idols.

        The sins of injustice and idolatry plague every generation.  We stand
under the same judgment if we create false gods or treat others with
injustice.

        Also read the following passages.  Write down the reasons given in
each  for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:
        1).     Deuteronomy 32:28-32
        2).     Isaiah       1:10-20
        3).     Isaiah       3: 8- 9
        4).     Jeremiah    23:13-14
        5).     Ezekial     16:47-50
        6).     Luke        10: 1-12

        Additionally you might want to read the following passages and write
down what the Bible tells us is the proper way to treat strangers and guests:
        1).     Exodus      22:   20
        2).     Exodus      23:    9
        3).     Leviticus   19:   23
        4).     Deuteronomy 10:18-19
        5).     Deuteronomy 24:   17

LEVITICUS 16:22 AND 20:13

        The book of Leviticus was written in about 1444 B.C. by Moses. The
Jewish Talmud refers to the book of Leviticus as the "Law of the Priests and
the Law of Offerings".  Leviticus is so-called after the tribe of Levi, which
was set apart by God to be the priests and attendants of His Tabernacle. The
Priests were desended from the line of Aaron.  The priesthood was an
inherited one.

        Leviticus was not origianlly a self-contained book, but formed a part
of what is now, the first four books of the Old Testament.  One of the most
notable features of Leviticus is its spiritual meaning.  It was a prophecy,
through its rituals, of the things which were to come.  The Levitical priests
served as 'types' of our High Priests, Jesus, and they pointed to the 'Lamb
of God', which was Jesus in the New Testament.

        The general contents of the book of Leviticus were intended primarily
for the Hebrew priesthood.  The book is fundamentally a legal treatise,
because  it contains all of the regulations by which the religious and civil
life of
the  nation of Israel was to be governed.  Its relation to the historical
situation
in which it was produced is the key to understanding the reasons for the
writing of Leviticus.

        The major, resounding theme of Leviticus is holiness.  Chapters 17-26
are called the holiness code.  This section deals with the signifcance of the
sacrificial blood, laws and punishments, and the sacred seasons of the Jews.

        To truly understand what Leviticus teaches you need to begin by
reading the entire book of Leviticus. Then re-read chapters 17-20 agian.  You
will
want to refer to the Pagan deities sections on Egypt and Canaan during the
course of these chapters.

        In order to put verse 22 in Chapter 18 into context, read chapters
17-19.  Chapter 18 follows, as we have seen, Laws concerning the locations of
sacrifices, and uses of blood, in chapter 17.  It preceeds the Laws of social
and civil order...the treatment of one another.  Chapter 18 begins with the
Lord speaking to Moses: "I AM the Lord, Your God.  You shall not do waht is
don IN THE LAND OF EGYPT where you lived, nor are you to do what is done IN
THE LAND OF CANAAN where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their
statutes."

        What does this introduction indicate about the paragraphs that are to
follow?  From the very beginning of chapter 118, God is telling Israel that
they need to separate themselves from the influences and laws of pagan gods
and  their worship.  Judaism emerged in a world full of powerful PAGAN
WORSHIP.

        Rites, including human sacrifice were practiced by the Israelites
from their very conception as a people.  So, God is telling them here, that
their
bestial intercourse (sex w/animals) -- Which was Egyptian Apis worship, and
is  what the golden calf represented at the Mt. Sinai in the Exodus -- is an
ABOMINATION.  He is telling them that Baal worship, with its reverence for
menstrual blood, tis sacred prostitution, human sacrifice, and public sexual
rites,   is an ABOMINATION.

        Remember that the Hebrews had been nothing but a rag-tag band of
slaves  under the powerful pagan influences of Egypt, and remember too that
they were
about to inhabit a land which was just as pagan.  God needed to teach them to
separate the sexual and immoral rites (of pagan worship), from the spiritual
and holy worship of God, Jehovah.

        So, chapter 18 begins with God's command to separate themselves from
these kinds of practices.  Chapter 18 then goes on to list some of the rites
of these PAGAN WORSHIP PRACTICES:

Verses  1- 5    God separates Israel as His own people by commanding them
                      to follow only His prescribed rituals.
Verses  6-18    Laws regarding incest.
Verses 19-23  Laws dealing with blood impurity. (The pagans worshipped the
                     menstrual flow of women, believing that it was somehow
fertile).
Verses 24-30    God reiterates His command to separate themselves.

        The word ABOMINATION here is the Hebrew word TOEVAH.  In context, the
word is used with idolatrous acts.  This can be seen in the uses of the word
in Ezekiel, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus.

        The Bible Dictionary defines ABOMINATION as, something which is
CONTRARY  TO PROPER WORSHIP, or idolatrous worship.  Two other Hebrew terms
which also  come from the word Toevah are: detestable things, or detestable
images, and
of  course, are references to foreign or pagan gods, their images and their
related  worship practices.

        It is clear from the opening statement "I am the Lord Your God", that
God is about to address the problems of competing pagan deities, and their
influence over the lives, health and worship of His chosen people.

        We see by the definition of the word abomination, that the
exhortation  in verse 22 becomes one of separation of true worship from pagan
rituals.

        Hebrew religious practices, for a time, actually involved sacred
prostitution, with male prostitutes active in the temple.  Scripture
documents that these activities took place.  So, we can see that God, in His
wisdom is trying to teach Israel ONLY God's ways.

        Rituals and rules found in the Old Testament were given to preserve
the  distinctive characteristics of the religion and culture of Israel.  But,
as
stated in Galatians 3:22-25 "But the Scripture has confined all under sin,
that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept
for the
faith  which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to
bring
us  to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after faith has
come, we
are no longer under a tutor", Christians are no longer bound by these
Jewish laws.  By faith we live in Jesus Christ, not in Leviticus.  To be
sure,
ethical concerns apply to all cultures and people in every age. Such concerns
were
ultimately reflected by Jesus Christ, who said nothing about homosexuality,
but a great deal about love, justice, mercy and faith.

Levitus 20:13
        In order to put 20:13 into context, read chapters 19-21 again. Write
down the major themes of each chapter.

        Chapter 20 follows the Laws of social order for Israel.  It preceeds
Laws for the preists, and their acceptable sacrifices and social
relationships.Chapter 20 primarily deals with the punishments for the crimes
which ahve
been previously outlined and discussed in chapters 18 and 19.  Chapter 20
begins
with the penalty for WORSHIPING MOLECH, a god of the ammonites, who was
worshiped with child-sacrifice, and other rituals contrary to their covenant
with God.

Chapter Analysis:
Verses   1 -5   Penalty for worshiping Molech.
Verses   6 -8   Penalty for consulting spirits.
Verse       9   Penalty for cursing parents (God's representatives on Earth)
Verses  10-16   Penalties for adultery, incest, male-same-sex-acts for
                       worship  polygamy, and bestiality.
Verses  17-26   Purpose of the Laws given.
Verse      27   Occult

        Neither of the two verses in Leviticus are concerned with the
existance of homosexuals but they are concerned with the separateion of
Israel from
defiling practices of pagan religions.  Neither verse is concerned with
committed, and loving relationships, since what is being dealt with is the
separation of true worship, from pagan and immoral rites of worship. Public
sexual performance, wheter heterosexual or homosexual in the name of A PAGAN
DEITY are -always an abomination-!

        Clearly what these verses are dealing with are particular forms of
the  same sex act, i.e., ritually, and publically IN THE NAME OF A FALSE GOD.

ROMANS 1:24-27

        The book of Romans was written to the church in Rome by the apostle
Paul.  Like Corinthians, Galatians, ephesians, etc., it is a letter.  It is
important to relize that to read Romans, is to read one side of a letter.
Before we can begin to understand fully what Paul meant in his letter, we
must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.

        There is one obvious difference between the letter Paul wrote to
the Romans and the letters to the other churches.  When Paul wrote to the
church in Rome, he was writing to a church which he had only wanted to see,
but  had never had any personal contact with.

        Paul wrote Romans while in Corinth, at around 58 A.D.  Paul was
writing  from an atmosphere of paganism and prostitution which was also
rampant in
Rome. He was just finishing up a project whereby some of the younger, more
affluent
churches were to send financial aid to the mother church in Jerusalem.  Paul
hoped to go to Rome after he finished delivering the aid to Jerusalem.  He
was about to leave for Jerusalem when  he wrote Romans.  What prompted Paul
to
write when he did.

        Paul knew that the trip to Jerusalem was not without its dangers. He
knew that he had enemies there, and to go to Jerusalem, was literally to take
his life and freedom into his hands.  On that visit to Jerusalem, he was
arrested, and never freed again. So, Paul, never actually had any eyewitness
experience with the church in Rome, which received what is probably his most
eloquent letter.

        Rome was the largest, most important city of Paul's day.   But it was
a hotbed of decadence and luxury. Crime was the antidote for boredom, and
public executions were held almost daily.  It was a city of virtually,
non-existant
morality.  Divorce, prostitution, and drunkeness were rampant, and the city
was full of pagan temple worship and practice.

        The emperors of the Roman Empire were worshiped as gods.  Homosexual
acts were an everyday occurence among the Roman emperors.  Claudius, is said
to have been the only emperor who did not engage in homosexual acts, and he
was a sadist who had people tortured in his presence, and enjoyed watching
bloody executions.  Nero was also reported to have sex with numerous young
boys and eunuchs, and to fasten naked boys to stakes, while he, dressed in
the hides of  wild animals attacked them in the most brutal of sexual ways.

        There has been a great deal of discussion over whether the bible says
that homosexuals are "unnatural" or not.  The following will attempt to help
you understand the term "unnatural" used in verses 26-27.

        Some have argued that homosexuality is unnatural, because it does not
occur in nature.  That is absolutely false.  Homosexuality has been observed
in literally every species of animal, reptile, bird and insect on the face of
the earth.

        Some have argued that homosexuality is unnatural because God made man
and woman in the Garden of Eden.  If the Garden of Eden model is to be used
to condemn homosexuals, as the basis, that God did not intend for homsexuals
to exist, then, we must look back at that story to see just how humanity did
evolve from there.  Who was Cain's wife?  Where was the next generation?  If
we use the Garden of Eden account, as it appears in the bible, then Cain must
have coupled with his sister (incest).  Does that mean that incest is the way
God intended things to be?  Isn't incest also expressly forbidden in
Leviticus and Deuteronomy?

        Those who might say that God made an exception in allowing incest to
populate the earth, overlook the fact that God may very well have meant
homosexual persons to be the "safety valve" to keep the earth from becoming
over-populated.

Natural versus Unnatural:

        Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 11:14 that for men, short hair is "natural",
that it is a dishonor for a man to have long hair.  In Judges 16 we are told
that Samson's strength was in his long hair, and that the Nazarite vow
included the vow not to cut one's hair.
        FACT:  Hair grows long.

      Paul says it is natural for a Jewish male to be circumcised, but he
also says that it is unnatural for Gentile males to be circumcised.
        FACT: Men are born uncircumcised.

        So, how do we make sense out of natural versus unnatural?  Remember,
that what SEEMS normal to the majority of people is considered NATURAL.  But
that nature may bear little resemblence to what we believe to be natural.
For  hundreds of years, it was natural to beleive that the earth was flat,
and that the sun revolved around the earth, but "nature" has taught us how
wrong that assumption was! More often, "natural" means "traditional", than
having to do with "nature".

        Unnatural in these passages does not refer to violation of so-called
laws of nature, but rather implies action contradicting one's own nature. In
view of this, we should observe that it is "unnatural" for a person today
with a lesbian or gay sexual orientation to attempt living a heterosexual
lifestyle.

        The homosexual practices cited in Romans 1:24-27 were believed to
result from idolatry and are associated with some very serious offenses as
noted in Romans 1.  Taken in this larger context, it should be obvious that
such acts are significantly different from loving, responsible lesbian and
gay relationships seen today.

FIRST CORINTHIANS AND FIRST TIMOTHY:

        First Corinthians deals primarily with the application of Christian
principles to the believers life. First Corinthians, chapter 12 is a
wonderful description of God's ideal for the "Body of Christ", and the
diversities that exist within it. 1 Cor. 13 , is commonly know as the "Love
Chapter".  In this chapter, perhaps one of the truest and most beutiful
descriptions of love.

        Corinth was the most important city in Greece being an extremely
wealthy and prosperous city of worldwide commerce; but there was another side
to Corinth. Corinth was also a center for debauchery, and idolatrous
religion.  Above Corinth was the hill of the Acropolis, and on it stood the
great temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.  To that temple, there
were attached, literally thousands of sacred prostitutes, both male and
female.  1 Corinthians reveals the problems and pressures of a church called
out of such a pagan and hedonistic society.

        Just as the temple of Aphrodite was dedicated to female beauty, the
temple of Apollo was dedicated to male beauty.  Here, sex was glorified, and
nude statues of Apollo "fired his male worshipers to displays of devotion
with the god's beautiful boys."

        Sexual practices in Corinth also included slavery. Many young boys
were purchased through the slave trade, and castrated to preserve their
youthful appearance for the sexual pleasure of their masters (paederisty).
At any rate, the book of 1 Corinthians is written in response to problems
experienced by the church at Corinth.

        The first half of the book deals withthe influence of the pagan
practices which are being brought into the church by the new converts. Paul
urges the Corinthian church to separate themselves from such things.

SOME DEFINITIONS:

EFFEMINATE: In the NIV, this word is translated "male temple prostitute".
                      It is the Greek word 'malakos'; meaning soft,
voluptuous,
                      self-indulgent. The word malakos is used 4 times in the
NT.
                      Three of those times, it means weak, soft, or sickly
and one,
                      (in this verse) it is said to mean effeminate.  William

                      Barclay, in his commentary on 1 Cor., sums up what this
word
                      means:
                      "...those who have lost their manhood and live only for
the
                      luxuries of recondite pleasure. It describes what we
can only
                      call a kind of wallowing in luxury, in which a man has
lost all
                      resistence to pleasure."

HOMOSEXUAL:     The word homosexual DOES NOT EXIST ineither the Old Testament
       Hebrew, or the New Testament Greek. It was not translated into Latin.
The word originated only in the 19th Century (we live in the 20th Century).
No Bible prior to 1946 used the word. [If your bible uses the word
"homosexual", the only thing it proves is that the bible you are using was
printed after 1946].

      There are 2 other words used by the Greeks to describe homoerotic
activites, but they are NOT FOUND ANYWHERE in the Bible. Moreover, the Greeks
did not use either of the terms which Paul used to describe homosexual
practices.

    The word which is translated homosexual, or homosexual offender,  is the
Greek word: ARSENOKOITAI, which is a word that is not  found in any other
Greek literature at all.  It is a word that Paul seems to have made up for
this passage, and the passage in 1 Timothy.

     It consists of 2 words:  ARSEN, which means male, and KOITAI,  which
means bed.  Like the term "lady-killer" in our own day, it is not clear
whether Paul means someone in bed with a male,  or a male in bed with
someone.  Lady-killer might mean someone who kills ladies, or a lady who is a
killer.  We understand what it means, because it is in use in our day.  But
two  thousand years from now, if we were to find one isolated use of
the term, we would be at a complete loss as to how to interpret the term.
Such is the case with the term arsenokoitai.
     Heterosexual intercourse can just as logically be understood  from this
term.              This term was also translated in some versions, as
"sodomite",  which is, in itself, a translation of a Hebrew word, "QADESH",
and means a TEMPLE PROSTITUTE.

    It is not clear what Paul's original intention for this word  was, but it
is also clear that Paul was not condemning homosexual persons, or he would
have used one of the Greek terms which described persons who are homosexual.

A FINAL NOTE:

        Few things are as rewarding as learning, through a dedicated study,
truth that is contained in the Bible. It is my sincere prayer, that you have
learned through this study. A few final thoughts before you finish.
1)      Remember that some of the Bible was written to, and for, specific
people in a specific situation, and for a specific reason.  Some portions
therefore, do not apply to present day situations.  This does not mean that
they are not important, or that the lesson we might learn from them is
irrelevant, but it does mean that some of the specifics may or may not apply
to us today.

2)      We need to be sure never to take scripture out of context, as has
been done over and over with these verses.  A text without a context is a
pretext.  We need to read exactly what the bible says, and not  WHAT WE THINK
IT SHOULD SAY.

3)      The prophets spoke out boldly on all aspects of sexual perversion,
with the notable, and complete absence of a mention of homosexuality.  All of
the Old Testament references are in the Pentateuch, or Jewish civil and
ceremonial Law.  As gentiles, we were excluded from assembly with Israel.  It
is only trough Jesus that we are even "grafted in".  Paul made it clear in
Galatians that we did not need to become Jews to be Christan, and in the same
way, God does not require us to be heterosexual to be Christian.

4)      In the entire body of the bible; 66 books, 1,098 chapters, and over
30,000 verses, there are 7 places in the bible which have been used with
reference to homosexual persons.   There are literally 100's dealing with
heterosexual sins, and yet no one would be so ridiculous as to call
heterosexuality a sin.

5)      In the New testament, the references associated with homosexuality
are found, in letters to churches, which are surrounded, and in some cases
being infiltrated with pagan sexual rites.  In the book of Hebrews, our New
Testament Leviticus, homosexuality is not mentioned.

6)      Jesus, the Messiah, never spoke AT ALL about homosexuals.  It seems
reasonable that if homosexuality is the sin it is presented to be,  then
Jesus would certainly have addressed the issue.

7)      What about traditional church teachings?  Remember that it was those
who were terribly committed to church tradition who insisted that  Jesus be
crucified.

8)      In 1521, John Eck, the chancellor of Trier addressed Martin Luther,
the great protestant reformer with the words:
                "Do not, I mplore you Martin, do not claim for yourself
                that you are the one and only man who has knowledge of
                the Bible, who has true understanding... Do not place
                your judgement ahead of so many distinguished men ..."

9)      Church tradition often merely responds to societal pressures even if
that means ignoring the facts.  Could it be that the traditions of humanity
and the church, have overshadowed the Grace of God?

10)     The rarity with which Paul discusses any form of same-sex behavior
and the ambiguity in references attributed to him make it unsound to conclude
any sure poition in the New Testament on homosexuality, especially in the
context of loving, responsible relationships. Since any arguments must be
made from silence, it is much more        reliable to turn to great
principles of the Gospel taught by Jesus Christ and the Apostles:

                Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor
                as yourself.  Do not judge others, lest you be judged.
                The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love ... against such
                there is no Law.

        One thing is abundantly clear, as Paul stated in Galatians 5:14:

                "The whole Law is fulfilled in one statement:
                 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "




Special Thanks to :
Torrey L. Stuart of Alpha and Omega Christian Fellowship, Eugene Oregon
Rev. Elder Donald Eastman of UFMCC, Los Angeles, California