Perhaps you’ve heard of the new “Study New Testament for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender: With Extensive Notes on Greek Word Meaning and Context” by Dr. Ann Nyland. I don’t know why this stuff still amazes me, but it does. We should come to expect it as the homosexual community strives for legitimacy within the church.
Certainly, gays and lesbians should not be stigmatized; it’s not as if homosexuality is an unforgivable sin. I’m sure that the Jesus who was a “friend of sinners” would certainly befriend gays and lesbians too. However, he never befriended sinners to reinforce or legitimize their sinful lifestyle. He preached the gospel to them and called them to repentance: without malice, and they loved him for it, and they flocked to him.
But what we have in this publication is a sad attempt to embrace the love of God in Christ without forsaking the sin! Sadly, you’re deluded if you think you can have it both ways. You cannot know the God of love and mercy while persisting in unrepentant sin. It’s one thing to struggle with the sin that remains. That’s the normal experience of all Christians who strive to mortify their old sinful nature and grow in Christ. But here we have something different. Instead of struggling against sin, hating it, and pleading for God’s mercy and grace to overcome it, here we have a sad attempt to merely lable it something else.
It’s too hard to give up our sinful passions. So we’ll take the sin and call it by another name. “Maybe God doesn’t care about homosexuality. Maybe he doesn’t notice… maybe it’s not a sin after all!!! Yeah! That’s the ticket! Maybe it’s not a sin and I don’t have to give it up at all! Great idea! Now I just have to do something about all those crystal clear passages in the Scriptures that say that it’s an abomination to God…”
Here’s where Dr. Ann enters the picture. A bit of exegetical gymnastics, a little new testament greek acrobatics, and there you have it. A “Gay and Lesbian Bible” that won’t disturb the homosexual conscience. Good thing Dr. Ann came along and enlightened us all with her masterful greek skills. To think: every church scholar since the first century has been translating it wrong all this time. Nobody has ever really understood these texts! Until Dr. Ann came along of course and showed us all a better way.
What’s even more insidious about this project is the fact that this kind of thing will only serve to soothe the troubled conscience of one who is struggling with homosexuality. Instead of that inner dissonance ultimately driving a person to repentance and the grace of God found in Christ, this translation will justify the behavior to their destruction. “What’s there to repent of? Dr. Ann has taught me that homosexuality is just fine with God.”
Romans 1:24–28: Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
Greetings, Chaplain,
I was on my way to purchase Dr. Nyland’s book when google brought me to your blog. I was curious, did you read her book before you condemned it? You don’t make that clear in your entry.
I’m sorry you’re uncomfortable with gay and lesbian Christians and I am glad you’ve found a Christian community that shares your views and makes you comfortable. You’re doing the same thing that gay and lesbian followers of Christ do when they join the Episcopal Church or the United Church of Christ.
Most Christians seek a community that reflects their understanding of the dynamic between Scripture, tradition, and reason. It would be good if we could avoid rending one another as we each glorify Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we are called to do.
-Stuart
Thanks for the comment Stuart. No, I must confess, I did not read her book before I condemned it. There’s no need to read her justification for an outright sin that the Scriptures condemn as an abomination to God. Please realize, I have no hate nor animosity toward homosexuals personally, but I would be negligent to fail to condemn the sin.
It’s not a matter of being “uncomfortable” about homosexuality. It’s a matter of sin. By God’s grace we should NEVER become comfortable with that which God condemns as sinful.
Also, please realize the gospel is freely offered to all sinners irrespective of their particular sins. But Christ has nothing but the most scathing rebukes for those who not merely sin, but encourage others to do the same. Ann Nyland is doing precisely this. She is not merely attempting to justify practice that is clearly sinful, but she is doing it in order to comfort those unrepentant in their sin. This deserves nothing but the strongest condemnation from all who seek to live biblically (Matt 18:6-7).
You make an interesting observation about Christians seeking communities that “reflect their understanding…” Again, please understand that the true Christian faith is not like a buffet where you can pick and choose those things that are pleasing to you. We are NOT religious “customers”, but we must accept Christ and his call to discipleship as he is offered to us in the Scriptures. We have no right to alter his message nor to take things he has called wrong and call them good.
I am indeed heartened that your desire is to glorify Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, please consider how the Lord receives those who persist in unrepentant sin: he refuses to hear them (Psa 66:18; Prov 28:9). Again, consider the numerous examples that we see in Scripture of idolaters and other unrepentant sinners offering “worship” to the Lord. Their praise is rejected; far from glorifying God, they bring only his condemnation because of their hypocrisy (Isa 1:13).
Look at it another way: what if Nyland came out with a study bible called “The Drunkard’s Study Bible” where she justified the sin of drunkenness and claimed it was no sin? Perhaps, the “Idolater’s Study Bible” is next? Can you see how absurd this is? A “Study Bible” for Gays and Lesbians is the same sort of mockery.
Again, I realize these comments may come as a shock to you. They may even seem “unloving” or “homophobic”. I regret that. Of course, the problem lies in our understanding of what Scripture clearly teaches. Obviously, you are not yet convinced that God condemns homosexuality. I would encourage you to read the appropriate texts again very prayerfully (I’m sure you are familiar with them, there are many). There’s no way to get around the plain meaning of the text: God considers homosexuality in all its forms an abomination. It is something that must be repented of and forsaken if we are to enjoy a relationship with Christ.
The good news is that God gives grace to sinners like you and I. When he calls us to salvation, he gives sufficient grace for us to turn from our sins (whatever they may be) and receive Christ as he is offered in the gospel.
Stuart, know that I’ve prayed for you that God would richly bless you and give you the grace to serve him wholeheartedly and with a clear conscience.
Please feel free to continue this dialog. My door is open for you,
Yours in Christ’s Service,
JC
Dear Chaplain,
I couldn’t help but find your site as I looked for this edition of the New Testament. I have to wonder about this idea of homosexuality as sin. It seems to me that Leviticus also speaks against interracial marriages, but we now accept these. It comes down to a matter of what we know now vs. what we knew then. If homosexuality is indeed a choice, which I tend to doubt, then I guess it would be a sin. However, if it is NOT a choice, which science and psychology are slowly realizing, then I would say it is not. In the context of the racial survival of the Isrealites during the Exile, the laws against homosexuality, interracial marriages, etc. make sense. In our current time and understanding they do not.
I find it also interesting that you use the end of Romans Ch.1 to substantiate your argument. If you read the passage without a chapter divide you get a different understanding of what it means. In my reading of Romans, it seems more a rebuke to the readers of the letter than a commentary on sin, since the very next line is, “Therefore YOU (my emphasis) have no excuse…” Paul also states in other letters that women should keep silent in church and ask their husbands after church if they do not understand what is said. He based his argument from Genesis 2’s creation account, wich states Adam was created first “in the image of God”, and Eve was created second, “in the image of Man.” However, Genesis 1’s creation account trumps this arguement with “God created man in his own image…male and female did he create.” That is the tricky part of understanding the Bible, and why prayer, meditation and study of not just the words, but the context and history are so vital. It is all too easy to justify the sinful behavior of our modern Christian society, which has become the modern day Pharases, as opposed to walking in Christ’s love. Jesus and John the Baptist called them a “den of vipers” not because of any laws they had broken. Rather it was because they put the law ahead of love, love of God and love of your fellow man. We see the same thing today in our modern churches. Jesus ministry was not one of “personal piety” in folowing a code of laws, but of “spiritual piety”, in loving and serving God and our fellow man. In loving God, we find our strength and guidance, in loving our neighbor as if he were us, we find compassion and an inclusivity. I have yet to find a passage in the Gospels that say Jesus chastized the “sinners and tax collectors” while eating with them. I do see many times when he speaks against injustice, intolerance, and hatred.
As you can tell, I have prayed and struggled with this and other issues involving scripture for some time. While I am not gay, I have seen many of my stereotypes of LGBT people shattered. I had been taught as a child that they were more promiscuous, nasty people, full of sin and deceit. What I have learned since is that they are no different from us and in fact are us. I have seen committed same sex relationships that were just as strong and monogamous as any straight relationship I know of. Some are even stronger than my own with my wife. I also have a hard time fathoming how anyone could choose a “lifestyle” that receives as much hate and violence as homosexuality has. In some countries men and women are imprisoned or put to death for this, with full support of the churches that supposedly preach the Gospel. I can not believe that sexual orientation is a choice. You and I did not choose to be straight. It is just part of who you are as a person. To say otherwise I believe belittles what God has made. Would we call left handedness a sin, or having brown eyes as opposed to blue, or being born with one arm, or no legs, or even having blonde hair or brown? Are these sins? Are they “imperfections”? No, they are a part of the variety of humanity that reflects the multifaceted nature of God! I believe sexual orientation should be viewed in the same way. It is not an imperfection or a sin. It is simply what it is. It is not a chosen behavior, and something between two concenting adults, like any other healthy relationship.
I hope you will forgive my ranting. I am just so tired of others being refused a place at God’s table because of prejudices that supposedly come from God. I am tired of the Pharaseical behavior of people who claim to follow Christ and yet reject his teachings of love and social responsibility. I am tired of hearing “Christ crucified” over “Christ resurected,” alive and well, and seated at the right hand of the Father. And most of all, I am tired of seeing the Bible used as a law book instead of a guide book, as it is meant to be. It is divinely inspired, but written by men, who are fallable and subject to their cultural understanding and bias. It does not make the Bible any less true, just a higher truth than fact. The Bible is not the Word of God, Jesus is (John 1:1). The Bible is only how we humans have seen and understand Him. It is our foundation, but not the entire house.
Again, sorry for the rant. You and I are free to believe and respond to Christ as we feel he leads us. I will not begrudge anyone for that. I only ask that you do as our saviour taught, as I am sure you do in your life and ministry. God bless you and all you do.
Chaplain, Thank you for your insights. I just ran across this, and notice that it is a rather old post, but I still have to comment. It seems to me that “modern christians” keep trying to make God bend to their idea of “reason” or “correctness”. God is God. God condemns the homosexual life style, period. It doesn’t matter if someone is “tired” of it. It doesn’t matter how Dr. Nyland twists the word meanings. It doesn’t matter that many denominations have buckled to political correctness. It doesn’t matter that many people have tried to make it not a choice, but “how they were made”. What of those that have turned from the homosexual life style? What of those that openly admit that it was a choice?Scripture is clear. Homosexuality is an abomination. I have friends that are homosexual, I have family members that are alcoholics, I have family that are drug addicts. It doesn’t mean I don’t love them, but I still hate the sin with which they are tormented, and want to help them. It is not in God’s nature to call something a sin, and then ignore it or say “it’s OK after all”. God is God. We don’t bend Him to suit our reasoning, we must submit to Him, and bend to His will. Even if a person convinces themselves they are right, it doesn’t make it right. I can be completely convinced the arsenic in the container isn’t arsenic, but is sugar, but if I put a couple of spoonfuls in my coffee, and drink it, it’s going to kill me.
2nd Corinthians 11:14-15 (NIV) “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Jim
Indeed. Well said. I fear the criticism of your comments will be that it is somehow “unloving” or “spiteful”, but realize that this is the common charge when someone speaks the painful truth.
I think the challenge is to take the difficult stand without compromise against the conventional wisdom of the masses, but to do it in a way that demonstrates clearly that we hold no malice in our hearts toward individuals, but merely against the sin that conspires to bring them harm.
Indeed, this is an old post. I’ve had a lot going on lately. New Years Resolution: get back to posting!
Grace in Him,
Chaps
I must disagree with your characterization of Dr. Nyland’s work. Her work on this new translation was not “exegetical gymnastics” or “greek acrobatics,” she is a noted greek scholar; further, with the advances in understanding the greek language, any attempt to retranslate the New Testiment in to the best possible form should be welcomed, not condemned. In this piece you constantly drudge up a strawman to knock back down each time with out evidence that her translation is incorrect in any way.
Evil is marketed in various ways through people who want to keep from repenting of their sin by the prince of this world to make their sin seem okay or at least tolerable and want everybody else to tolerate their sin. How is their sin any different than when Eve was deceived in the garden? As humans with a sin nature we have been deceived ever since. Sin and corruption is disguised as freedom, choice and rights. A choice instead of murdering a baby, gay rights instead of sexual immorality and so on…..
As far as Dr. Nyland’s work…… Anybody can have a degree as a greek scholar and have no concept of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ nor allow the Holy Spirit to work through them for such a work as she has done. Only God knows the condition of her heart but any Christian who reads the word knows that any sexual relations outside of marriage of a man and a woman is a sin. As far as Dr. Nyland being a Greek scholar, Paul mentions in the bible of the philosophers of that age who had such wisdom but knew nothing of spiritual things.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 says “Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
The Lord executes lovingkindness which is what God wants us to do toward all people regardless of their sin. I love all sinners but am not going to promote a bible that is geared towards Gay, Lesbian, Bi, or Transexuals. I have not read this bible but Dr. William McDonald from the University of New England quotes, “Dr Nyland’s close examination of the source materials shows beyond a doubt that there is no textual basis in the Bible for the exclusion of same sex relations”.
I’m not going to agree with a homosexual bible anymore than I would agree with or promote a bible for murderers that changes the text to show that there is no textual basis in the Bible for the exclusion of killing.
All sinners are saved by repenting which means turning away from their sins, asking forgiveness for all sin in their lives and accepting Christ as their Savior.
Some gays expect all people to tolerate their sin and try to turn things around so that it looks like we Christians don’t love and accept them. I love and accept them as I love and accept any person without bias or prejudice. What I don’t tolerate is their blatant rejection of the truth of God’s word and having them try to ram their deception down my throat as if I have to tolerate sin. Does any gay person see how that is taking my choice to believe what I want away?
The Lord is going to exercise judgment and He alone will judge. I judge no person, but I also know that the Lord exercises righteousness. The word of God says in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”.
If a person hungers and thirsts for righteousness they are hungering and thirsting after the Word–Jesus who is Truth. There is only one truly righteous Human Being, only one Person in God’s image, and that is Jesus Christ. Compared with Him, all of us—the best of us; the most righteous of us—are wicked. Only God’s Nature is always perfectly righteous. Paul is correct in quoting “there is none righteous, no not one”. God’s plan is not to correct us by any set of laws. God is forming new righteous creations by creating Christ in them—the eternal law of God inscribed eternally in the mind and heart. God’s salvation goes so far beyond the moral behavior of the most righteous human who ever lived that no comparison is possible.
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:9-12 Paul’s purpose in speaking like this was to prove that God considers all people to be sinners. He was emphasizing to the Jews that even though they had the Law of Moses and were seeking to obey it, they yet were sinners and must come to Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. We do always err in our heart and part of God’s purpose for man is that we live uprightly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God allowing the Holy Spirit to give us guidance and revelation of the Word becoming more and more like Christ.
Paul always showed that apart from righteous conduct we shall never inherit the Kingdom of God; we shall reap destruction. The Kingdom of God is and forever shall be, first, righteousness. Then the peace that comes from righteousness. Then the joy that is impossible apart from righteousness and peace. God has to feel upset because of the unrighteousness being practiced in the Christian churches and in the world. God is demanding that people behave righteously. Because we are not, our world is entering a period of physical and moral horrors with a skewed meaning of righteousness.
Of course when you make the break with what politically correct people or the so called scholars of our day have to say and you seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and you speak about biblical truth you are labeled as self-righteous. For instance, pro-lifers are “self-righteous” according to abortion supporters. Tobacco opponents are “self-righteous” according to smokers, opponents of gay marriage are “self-righteous” according to supporters of gay rights.
The only thing preventing us from achieving righteous living is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life; tempations we all face being a member of a fallen race. Any sin as stated in the bible is sin including but not limited to homosexuality instead of being something a person is born with. Let’s name sin for what it is. That’s like saying a person is just born with the tendency to rape or steal or commit adultery, or worship idols. So we just accept that this is the way they are and they can join together for rape rights, thief rights, or adulterers rights and have a large movement and change the bible for each group of sinners. And then we are forced to tolerate their sin because as Christians we are supposed to love them…… Of course we love them but we want them to repent of their sin and accept Jesus as their Savior. When we are saved by grace we are justified and are made righteous in God’s eyes. But as we go through the sanctification process and begin to have that intimate relationship with Jesus Christ we are new creations; old things have passed away and we no longer want to conform to the things of this world. Praise God we have an advocate who intercedes to God on our behalf. We have the promise of I Corinthians 10:13 “no tempation has overtaken us except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Amen!
Feeling the urge to engage in homosexual behavior is no different than my temptation of wanting to spend money on ebay. You may say what is wrong with spending money on ebay? Anything that takes my mind off of my Savior Jesus Christ and puts my mind on the things of this world in excess, in this case the lust of the eyes is a sin. For some people it is gambling, alcohol, drugs, adultery, stealing, food, or whatever the sin or addiction. Does it say in the bible that getting something on ebay is a sin? Textually no! Those exact words are not there. When I indulge in my fleshly desires to the point I spend money and want more and my lust gives birth to sin then I’m thinking only of gratifying self. When I look at the bible verse that talks about the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life; pretty much anything that takes us into sin and away from God is summed up in those three tactics of the enemy. Our five senses; taste, touch, smell, hearing, and seeing, all report to the carnal mind – which is the enemy of God. These senses are what Satan uses to tempt us! The lust of the flesh includes tasting, touching, smelling, and hearing. The lust of the eyes is seeing. The pride of life is thinking you are exceptional because of who you are, what you have, what you know, or what you look like.
If we look at the entire context of 1 John 2:15-16 it says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”.
Those who are living in habitual sin and those who either do not hear God’s word or want to justify their sinful behavior are “doing the deeds of their father the devil, and the lusts of their fathers they will do for he was a murderer from the beginning and abides not in the truth because there is no truth in him” John 8: 44
When satan succeeds in deceiving a sinner that their sin is okay, in essence the person is blind to the truth of God and thinks everybody should tolerate their sin. Is it possible for any of us to convince another human being that sin is not sin? Of course! It has been going on since the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. Is it possible for any of us to convince God that our sin is not sin? No!
John 8:45-46 “And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not. Which of you convinceth Me of sin? And if I say the truth, ye believe Me not.”
I pray that any person who has been deceived by the enemy will hear these words of Jesus and the Truth will set them free.
Why did GOD make both male & female. A babe will answer to this truthfully, but not an learned person like Dr Anne . Truth cannot be overcome with compassion. All of Christ’s words are not compassionate,when it come’s to sin. If Dr. Anne has children & if they do a wrong will she go about telling them that there is nothing wrong in it, so keep doing it. If everything in this world is right we don’t need Christ or the Bible, so why do they bring about their own Bibles unless & otherwise to corrupt truth. Truth does burn & it is better to bear this “burnt” for one’s own sake. For it will be impossible for impurity to withstand the Pure & Holy presence of GOD, when it comes to that stage.