Do Paul and Jesus disagree on homosexuality?

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You are correct in stating that there are no recorded teachings of Jesus on h*m*sexuality. However, to suggest that this means there is disagreement between Paul and Jesus is unreasonable, since it is comparing something to nothing. It is certainly wrong to assume that Jesus disagreed with Paul on that just because He never explicitly indicates His agreement -- with Paul and the Law of Moses.

Indeed, if Jesus had disagreed with Moses on this, we should expect to hear about it in His teaching. If, however, He agreed with Moses, then why go to great pains to point that out?

It should be noted that Jesus was Jewish and lived among Jewish people in a Jewish culture. This whole culture was based on Mosaic teachings that held that h*m*sexuality was wrong and had a very stiff penalty spelled out for it, much like adultery. People caught in adultery still suffered the possibility of death (see John 8:1-11). It is quite likely that this was simply not practiced in this culture.

Jesus never taught that eating pork was wrong either, because everyone in that culture agreed with that and no one ate pork. The idea of "preaching to the choir" about getting involved in the church comes to mind.

During Jesus' life, Israel was still under the Old Covenant, so the prohibition against eating pork was still in effect. Paul's writings occur in the New Testament, but reaffirm the prohibition of Moses against h*m*sexuality.

So, there's absolutely no "discrepancy", and any intimation that Jesus supported h*m*sexuality is not reasonable.

Jesus "did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it" [Matthew 5:17].

Upvote:0

No. Hebrews 11;3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1;14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Colossians 1; 12,13,14,16 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

John 1;17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Psalms 119;142 Thy righteousness is everlasting righteousness, and thy law is truth.

Genesis 19;4-5 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. Genesis 19;13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them waxen great before the face of the LORD: and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

Homosexuality was rampant well before Paul's time. God's judgement required the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Hebrews 4;12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than a twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart. 1 Peter 1;25 But the word of the LORD endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Upvote:1

Jesus talked about marriage, and reiterated that it is between a man and a woman. So if you go just on Jesus' words, you know h*m*sexual marriage is a sin.

Upvote:4

There's a passage that gets overlooked almost uniformly when addressing this question. In Matthew 15, while addressing the business of traditional handwashing, Jesus said:

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

"Sexual immorality" translates the Greek word p**neia, which was a catch-all word to describe any kind of forbidden sexual contact: adultery, h*m*sexuality, intercourse with animals, etc. (It's akin to the way "stealing" covers any kind of unlawful taking of property: robbery, burglary, fraud, embezzlement, etc.)

The point being, Jesus affirmed in this passage that all forms of forbidden sexual contact were evil, just like murder, theft, false testimony, and so on. Both He and His audience would have known that this included h*m*sexuality, and He stated no exception for it.

TLDR: Jesus did affirm that h*m*sexual activity is a sin.

Upvote:9

If Jesus did not in fact say that, it doesn't mean that Paul and Christ are in contradiction with one another. Not saying something does not mean acceptance or approval.

That said, Jesus has made a stand and voiced opposition against h*m*sexuality. Just not while He was performing his ministry here on earth.

First, Jesus is God: John 8:58 - Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Second, Jesus existed before the earth began: John 1:3 - All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Third, God said from the beginning that it stands against his law: Gen 19:4-11, Lev 18:22.

Fourth, Jesus entered the world not to abolish the law but to fulfill it: Matthew 5:17.

Fifth, Paul and the other apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit of Truth would not preach a different gospel than their Messiah.

Upvote:10

Jesus said to keep the commandments, including the commandment against Adultery (Matthew 19:16–19)

The commandments against adultery form the basis for the Catholic teaching against h*m*sexual acts and all sexual acts outside of marriage. These teachings all fall under an explanation of the sixth commadnment:

Chastity and h*m*sexuality

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents h*m*sexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "h*m*sexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

The number of men and women who have deep-seated h*m*sexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

CCC 2357-2359

Adultery may mean many things to many people, but the Church is clearly free to expand on what she considers adultery to encompass and it's perfectly rational that any sex outside of marriage is adultery on account of

  1. that person you're having relations with may one day be someone else's bride or husband and

  2. you may one day be someone else's bride or husband.

By this definition, and since 'h*m*sexual marriage' is a spiritual and physical impossibility, every h*m*sexual act must be adultery, at least in a spiritual sense.

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