What Should Sodom Teach Us?

The Church, Same-Sex Marriage, and Homosexuality (part two)

As I continue outlining my position about homosexuality and same sex marriage, let me again state that I seek to establish my beliefs on this matter both humbly and lovingly. This matter has become increasingly divisive within the church itself, but it is not my intention to drive away or belittle anyone with these posts. Rather, I hope to encourage conversation as we work together to understand what the Bible teaches about this lifestyle. I encourage you to pray through these Scriptures with an open heart.

One point of controversy is that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are recorded in Genesis 18 and 19, had more to do with rape and inhospitality than with homosexuality. It’s true that ancient cultures functioned quite differently than ours, and in these cultures rape was sometimes used as a means of torture or domination. But I don’t think that is what happened in Sodom. It is correct to observe that there was certainly more than one sin that garnered the attention of God’s judgment in these chapters of Genesis. But the sins of rape and inhospitality are in addition to the sin of homosexuality, not in place of them: God’s decision to destroy these cities was based on a combination of wickedness.

Seeking to exclude the sin of homosexuality from the combined wickedness of the cities does a disservice to the Biblical narrative, which I believe for the following reasons. First, if the only sin of Sodom was the desire of the men of the city to punish Lot’s visitors with rape, how does this account for the detail that all of the men of the city (Genesis 19:4) shared this same desire? Rape is a crime of violence, so the men of the city would have to be violently passionate about raping a couple of foreign men for whom they had no sexual attraction, based upon their violation of the hospitality protocols of the community. For an entire city to feel responsible for enforcing a somewhat minor societal standard stretches the bounds of credulity.

Next, the response of God to the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah is exceptional even by Old Testament standards. This unusual response to the wickedness of these cities seems to indicate an unusual amount of wickedness. I believe an examination of the Biblical record details the full extent of the wickedness including sexual sin in the form of homosexuality. For example, Jude 1:7 reads, “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” However, Ezekiel 16:49 reads, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” The sins of Sodom mentioned in Jude and Ezekiel are not mutually exclusive. As with much in the Scripture, one must take all of the Scriptures together to reveal a complete picture of the depths of wickedness that prompted God’s judgment.

But what is amazing is that this cavalcade of wickedness will be trumped by a particular brand of inhospitality singled out by Christ in the New Testament. In Luke 10, Jesus specifically deals with the sin of inhospitality and deems it deserving of a worse judgment than that of Sodom. Beginning in verse 10, Jesus says, “But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” The point is that all sin will be judged – and punished – equally at the end of time. If the only sin of Sodom was that of inhospitality, why is it striking that Jesus says the final judgment would be worse for those who would refuse to be hospitable to the Disciples of Christ and the message of the gospel. But if Sodom’s sins encompassed many areas of wickedness, it is a sobering warning indeed that Jesus says the final condemnation for inhospitality is even more terrible than the punishment received by that wildly disobedient city.

The recent push in parts of the church to accept the homosexual lifestyle is but one example of an attempt to re-interpret Scripture to provide solace to the souls attempting to justify sinful behavior before a Holy God, when in fact the gospel provides a better remedy: repentance and reconciliation to God through the cross of Christ. In his helpful book What is the Meaning of Sex? Denny Burk writes,

"Revisionists and progressives often present us with a false choice concerning the church’s ministry to homosexuals. Christians can either walk the path of homophobia and hatred, or they can surrender their ancient beliefs to accommodate the normalization of homosexual practice. But this is an unnecessary dilemma. There is another way. Christians and churches can love and minister to homosexuals while still holding fast to biblical norms for human sexuality."

Let us be reminded that the biblical norms of sexuality guide us away from many behaviors that may seem desirable, or harmless. Sex outside marriage and divorce, to name just two of the many sins deemed “acceptable” by today’s society, defy the Biblical institution of marriage just as much as homosexuality. May the love of Christ constrain our sinful passions and liberate our Godly affections to more faithfully defend His Word and demonstrate grace to all.