What the Bible Says About Same-Sex Relations From Genesis to Revelation

Stand for God’s Word with Me

As we come together to conduct the business of our connectional church, we should seriously consider the impact and consequences of the decisions made for the church as a whole and not just the wishes of a few. The issue of same-sex marriage was presented for legislation during the 2021 General Assembly and was tabled by a 99% vote from the delegation. Therefore, the issue of same-sex marriage will be raised again in 2024. Please know that all that is said in this letter is meant to help, heal, deliver, and give hope and not to render condemnation to anyone. This letter is filled with vital information so please read to the end.

With the Bible being our measuring instrument of righteousness, we must first determine whether it is sin according to Biblical standards. According to the Old and New Testaments homosexuality is sin. We know it is referenced in the OT, but many do not know where it is found in the NT. I will give you the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, the places that establish it as sin in the OT and re-establish the principles in the NT. Isaiah 58:1 says, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”   Therefore, I do not present this letter as to condemn anyone, but to liberate those who need a clear understanding of the sin and desire to be free in Jesus Christ. Now let’s take a walk through the Word on this matter. 

Genesis: 1:26-28 says, 

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: …

When God made man in His image and likeness of male and female, He did not make a mistake about His creation and did not change His mind about what He purposed in creation when it comes to gender. 

Genesis 5:2 says, “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” This passage reiterates the fact that God established marital relationships between male and female and had the woman take on the man’s name. 

Leviticus 18:22 says, Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. It is an abomination for the same sex to lie with each other. 

Matthew 19:4-6 says,

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Matthew reiterates what Genesis 1:27 states and Jesus is clearly saying here that two men or two women cannot become one in the eyes of God. 

Mark 10:5-7 says,

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife;. Mark’s gospel records Jesus reiterating what God said in the beginning which was the making of only male and female. This states that to be a husband you must be a male and to be a wife you must be female. 

John chapter 2 gives an account of the wedding Jesus attended and performed His first recorded miracle of turning water into wine. His Words in Matthew and Mark let us know that the wedding couple were male and female. 

Romans 1:24-32 says, 

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

These verses clearly state that when people are disobedient and serve other gods, God will turn them over to vile affections or acts of homosexuality which dishonors the body. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says,

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The word effeminate is translated as homosexuality and as you can see it is called unrighteous. But it also gives hope and justification when we allow Jesus to wash us and sanctify us.

There are four references to the term whoremonger(s) and the Strong’s Concordances defines this term in the Greek as “a male prostitute who practices anal fornication.” The following scriptures address this sin. 

1 Timothy 1:9-11

9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Revelation 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 22:14-16

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 

These scriptures show the consistency of the sin and the fate of those who practice being a whoremonger. They also clearly show us the sinful nature of what is being considered in the same-sex legislation and we have seen what allowing this to be acceptable has done to other denominations. 

Another observation that needs to be made is the fact that people feel they were born homosexual. I understand having this feeling, but we must understand the why of this feeling. When people say they were born homosexual they should understand they were not born to be that way but rather they were born in sin and sharpened in iniquity. This creates the need for us to be born again. As an example, one of my children knew how to lie when he first learned to talk. Rather than affirm him as born to be a liar, I cast that spirit from him in Jesus’ name and he is an honest man today. [II Cor. 5 Casting down imaginations,] Parents have a spiritual obligation to discern the sin assignments to their children, cast them away and guide them in the way they should go according to the Word of God. When we feel contrary to the Word, we must know that our feeling is one of temptation and not to be validated, disregarding the truth of God’s Word. If parents do not discern the spirit, children will grow up with that spiritual assignment and think they were born that way and embrace it as their destiny. 

Homosexuality is no different than any other sin and all of us must check our sin at the door of salvation, leaving it behind to be transformed, delivered, and set free from sin by Jesus Christ, no longer yielding to the temptation anymore. Again, this is not to condemn anyone, but to liberate those who need a clear understanding of the sin and desire to be free in Jesus Christ.

You, as a delegate or alternate, must use your Godly judgement when voting on this legislation. I, therefore, am asking you as a lifelong member of our church, as a Christian, a minister, a Pastor, and a candidate for Bishop to vote against condoning the sin of homosexuality for our church and vote no to same sex marriage. Thank you for standing firm on this matter and please support Strong for Bishop. As Bishop, I will stand for righteousness, holiness and hold others accountable to God’s Word in all situations. Please let the Word of God guide you as you cast your vote in this matter and please support Strong for Bishop.

Note:  Note: Chaplain Samuel Siebo (of Liberia, Africa) is the only other candidate I know who supports this stance and made the observation to me that we stand to lose many of the countries on the continent of Africa if we allow this legislation to pass. This is because homosexuality is illegal in many of those countries in Africa. So, I encourage supporting him also. Thank you again for honoring God’s Word and supporting Strong for Bishop.

Sincerely and Humbly Submitted,

Rev. Dr. Terri Strong

Rev. Dr. Terri Strong

Candidate #428 for Episcopal Service (Bishop) in the African Methodist Episcopal Church