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Same Sex Relationships and Homosexual Relationships - A Distinction

The Bible and Same Sex Relationships

The Parable of Heterosexual Marriage

Questions and Answers

From the very beginning of Creation, man was designed to have a female companion; an “helper for him”. It was not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18), and so Yahweh Elohim formed from the dust of the ground, animals: “brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:18-19). But these potential “helpers”, being formed independent from the Man proved to be unsuitable. Being independently created, they could not empathise with him, share his feelings and emotions, and become joined to him for the purpose of procreation. So Yahweh Elohim formed Eve from the rib of Adam, to be his wife:

“So Yahweh Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. And the rib which Yahweh Elohim had taken from the man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This one is called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:21-24).

From these events, we observe several important principles:

1. It was considered by Yahweh Elohim not to be good for man to dwell alone.
2. In order to remedy the situation, Yahweh Elohim formed a new life from Adam’s side – a Woman.
3. It was in the Father’s purpose that the man should become joined to the woman to become “one flesh”.

From the very beginning then, we see that the institution of Heterosexual marriage was ordained by Yahweh. It is important to note that this cannot be said of Homosexual relationships: the Bible nowhere describes Homosexual “marriage.” In no place is it stated that such an arrangement was ordained by the Creator as Heterosexual Marriage was – nowhere is it sanctioned by Scripture. But, as we have shown here Homosexual practices are forbidden by Scripture.

The Master, Jesus Christ specifically sanctioned the model of single-partner Heterosexual marriage. Speaking to the Pharisees, he said:

“Did you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate”

By contrast, however, there is no record of the Master sanctioning Homosexual unions. It is clear that the Bible model for marriage – as endorsed by Christ himself – is one man with one woman, for life.

A SYMBOLIC ARRANGEMENT

Scripture draws particular spiritual lessons from the ordinance of Heterosexual marriage. The relationship between a man and his wife is to be representative of the relationship between Christ and his ecclesia – his “bride”. So the Inspired Apostle draws comparisons between the two:

“Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Master … as the ecclesia is subject to Messiah, so also let the wives be subject to their own husbands in every respect. Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the ecclesia and gave himself for it … in this way husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but feeds and cherishes it, as also the Master does the assembly. Because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This secret is great, but I speak concerning Messiah and the ecclesia” (Eph 5:22-32).

A brief summary of some of the points of comparison between Adam and his Bride, and Christ and the ecclesia appears below, taken from “The Way of a Man with a Maid” by Bro Ron Abel:

From these passages, we find that Heterosexual Marriage carries with it a spiritual application: - Scripture uses it to typify the relationship between Christ and his “bride”. Marriage is therefore a living parable; it reflects the loving union between Christ and his Ecclesia.

However, by contrast, Scripture does not draw out any spiritual lessons from Homosexual relationships. It doesn’t even mention Homosexual ‘marriages’ – it doesn’t recognise them. Every reference to the practice is couched in negative terms of condemnation. This is a major difficulty for those who would defend and advocate Homosexuality – such relationships find no place in the Word of Yahweh, and such relationships are not used by Scripture to teach spiritual points. Homosexual relationships are, by definition, very different from the Bible ordinance of Marriage, as approved by the Master, Jesus Christ; and can find no Sanction from Scripture.