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Did Jesus Really Say Nothing About Homosexuality?

by James Barringer  
3/28/2014 / Christian Apologetics

Unless you've either taken a vow of silence or have never ventured outside the house, you've probably had a talk with a non-Christian about the way we view sexuality. Sooner or later in the course of these discussions, someone will inevitably trot out the line, "Jesus said nothing about homosexuality," the implication being that if he said nothing about an issue, you can do whatever you please. So let's deconstruct that statement in three parts. First, we're going to look at what Jesus actually taught regarding gender and sexuality. Second, we're going to look at the reasons why "Jesus said nothing" is bad logic. Third, we're going to examine the pattern of Jesus' moral teaching to try and answer the question of why he said nothing about this issue.

First, what did Jesus actually say about gender and sexuality? A good reference point is Mark 10:6-8, where Jesus, quoting the book of Genesis, says, "From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his mother and father, and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Right there you have Jesus teaching several very important things about sexuality. Gender is assigned by God; it's not something we get to choose or manipulate. He created, and creates, people male and female. Recognizing the gender role in which he has placed us is a fundamental step in accepting his sovereignty over our lives. I don't mean to be cavalier about this, because I know there are many Christians with serious internal pain because they feel attracted to the same gender or stuck in the wrong body, but if you can't accept God's sovereignty over your sexuality, you're going to have a really hard time accepting his sovereignty over everything else. Even straight people are not free to define their sexuality however they please, but are restricted to total commitment (body, eyes, and mind - see Matthew 5:28) to one spouse within the context of marriage. Jesus is Lord of everything, including our sexuality. When I was younger, I used to sing the hymn "I Surrender All," except that after those words I would mutter under my breath, "except Bear-Bear," my favorite stuffed animal. We laugh at that because it's the sort of silliness that a child would say - except that grown-ups are doing it. You can't declare that Jesus is Lord of your life but then mutter under your breath "except my sexuality" (or "except my money" or anything else).

Second, "Jesus said nothing" is atrociously bad logic. The "argument from silence" is a well-known logical fallacy, and here's an example of why. Imagine a man on trial for a double murder, and while on the witness stand, he swears, "I did not kill that man." The prosecutor leaps up and shouts, "Aha! So you did kill the woman then!" He would be laughed out of the courtroom, and with good reason. Silence by itself proves nothing. Since we're on the topic, Jesus was silent about abusing your spouse, torturing animals, being addicted to the internet, necrophilia, smoking crack, black magic, and polluting the environment. Would any rational person argue that Jesus' silence on these issues mean we are free to do whatever we want? Now, I'm not equating homosexuality to any of those behaviors, but the entire point of deductive logic is that a valid logical principle applies to all examples equally. If his silence on one of those issues means you can do whatever you want, then his silence on all of those issues means you can do whatever you want - or else it's flawed logic. What you see clearly now is that silence never means "anything goes." Silence means you cross-reference the rest of Jesus' teachings to see if he said anything else that might apply to this situation, and when you do that you find his teaching on gender and marriage in Mark 10.

Third, why exactly didn't Jesus say something about this issue, especially since God knew it was going to become so important later on? It's crucial to note that Jesus was born into a culture that already believed homosexuality was wrong. He did not have to teach them that. In fact, much of his moral teaching took the form of correcting what they thought to be true: "You have heard it said [x and y], but I say to you [z]." He corrected their attitude toward murder (explaining that hate is equally unacceptable), toward sex (explaining that lust is just as wrong as adultery itself), toward worship (explaining that worshiping "in Spirit and in truth" would replace temple worship), and so on. He did not challenge or correct their attitude toward homosexuality. This really puts the argument in a totally different light: he was born into a culture that believed homosexuality was wrong and never once said otherwise. Why should we take his silence as anything other than an endorsement of the status quo - and what logical reason does anyone have for taking his silence as an endorsement of "anything goes"?

Keep in mind that the same Jesus who said "Judge not lest ye be judged" also told the woman caught in adultery to "Go now and sin no more." He clearly had no problem calling a spade a spade, especially in the area of sexual sin. Jesus brings hope and healing to all kinds of brokenness and addiction, including this one. His message to those who struggle with same-sex attraction and transgender questions is the same as his message to all of us: "You are loved deeply and profoundly by a Father who wants a relationship with you. Come to me and I'll show him to you, and you'll receive all the free forgiveness you ever need. My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Romans explains salvation this simply: if you believe in your heart that Jesus died and rose from the dead, and if you confess with your mouth that he is Lord of your life, then you'll be saved. He then gives you the desire and the power to live a life pleasing to him. His message on homosexuality is not one of condemnation - but neither is it one of capitulating to the culture, being blown back and forth on the winds of popular whimsy.

Jim Barringer is a 38-year-old writer, musician, and teacher. More of his work can be found at facebook.com/jmbarringer. This work may be reprinted for any purpose so long as this bio and statement of copyright is included.

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