Jesus and Homosexuality
Did Jesus say anything about homosexuality? Generally when this question is asked the answer is no. That's probably true when you just look at the text but one thing to keep in mind is that during Jesus time on earth there was no concept of the word homosexual. Could Jesus have referred to homosexuals by a different term. My opinion is yes. Remember this was over 2000 years ago. Gay or homosexual were not even words used at that time. I decided to do a little more research and see what others say about the subject. I found article after article talking about the “billy clubs” that gays get beaten with all the time. The standard argument about how a man shall not lie with another man or how people that engage in whatever behavior will not inherit the kingdom of god but something told me there was more to it than that. Then I came across an interesting article a few years ago that made me look at the subject a little closer.
There are many versions of the bible but I'll use the American King James version. Matthew 19 verses 11 and 12 says:
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mothers womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heavens sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
When looking at this verse I guess the first thing we need to look at is the word eunuch and especially the meaning of the word at the time it was written. From what I can tell the word actually had several meanings at the time. The first one is basically the same as it is today. Eunuchs were very common in the middle east and in China at the time. Kings would physically castrate men to keep them as servants to watch over their women. Jesus said there were three types of eunuchs. That pretty much explains the “eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men. At the time of Jesus that wasn't the only meaning for the word. A eunuch...