The upcoming marriage amendment in North Carolina has been twisted into an issue between homosexuality and its place in a Christian nation. The Bible clearly outlines in both the Old and the New Testament that homosexuality is a sin. Any church that preaches otherwise is not teaching the Word of God. A comment on an earlier article used a fallacious argument concerning this issue stating that Jesus said to love one another. Although this is true, this is twisting the Word of God by not understanding the definition of love in different contexts. Part of this problem is due to translation from Hebrew, Greek, Latin into English and most recently, politically correct English. There are four different types of love in the Bible. Our English translations do not differentiate between the four types of love and our churches are at fault for not teaching what may be offensive to their parishioners.
My response to the comment concerning Jesus saying to love one another is shown here:
What is the judgment for those who twist the Word of God:
Romans 1
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 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 about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Which was countered back with this:
You can’t twist this. This is directly from the Son of God.
New International Version (NIV)
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Here are the four types of love in the Bible that will hopefully clarify this issue:
Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible.
This Greek word and variations of it are found throughout the New Testament. Agape perfectly describes the kind of love Jesus Christ has for his Father and for his followers:
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. (John 14:21, NIV)
Eros is the physical, sensual love between a husband and wife.
Although this Greek term does not appear in the Bible, eros, or erotic love, is portrayed in the Old Testament book, The Song of Solomon. God is very clear in his Word. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden.
God created humans male and female and instituted marriage in the Garden of Eden. Within marriage, sex is used for emotional and spiritual bonding and for reproduction.
Philia means close friendship or brotherly love in Greek. It is one of the four types of love in the Bible.
Philia and other forms of this Greek noun are found throughout the New Testament. Christians are frequently exhorted to love their fellow Christians:
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)
Storge is family love, the bond among mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers.
As with eros, this Greek term does not appear in the Bible. However, many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the love and mutual protection among Noah and his wife, their sons and daughters-in-law in Genesis; the love of Jacob for his sons; and the strong love the sisters Martha and Mary in the gospels had for their brother Lazarus.
The family was a vital part of ancient Jewish culture. In the Ten Commandments, God charges his people to:
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12, NIV)
If two people want to have a civil union and enjoy the same rights and benefits as provided by the government, that is between them and the government. Marriage however is a union between God, one man and one woman by definition. You do not need a marriage certificate issued by the “state” in order to be married in the eyes of our Lord, you need a marriage covenant overseen by the church. This is another example where we allow the state to control our religion. Using Eros love as a substitute for Philia love does not justify homosexuality or its application in the holy union known as marriage.
Let us be clear: this issue is not about marriage but an attack on religion. As for the argument that Jesus said to love another (in the context of Eros love), then this argument can next be expanded to allow a man to love children in the same manner.
For more information about how to be married in the God’s eyes, click here for instructions. Here is first of four videos listed on the instructions’ article.
David DeGerolamo
David,
What is your title of expertise in all things Christian?
I am a Religious Studies major focusing in Christianity, and I do not claim to know everything. Yet I wonder that if you speak with such authority on the issues at hand then you must be some kind of actual scholar on the subject.
Otherwise:
People aren’t confused by the gospel
They’re confused by us
Jesus is the only way to God
But we are not the only way to Jesus
This world doesn’t need my tie, my hoodie
My denomination or my translation of the Bible
They just need Jesus
We can be passionate about what we believe
But we can’t strap ourselves to the gospel
‘Cause we’re slowing it down
Jesus is going to save the world
But maybe the best thing we can do
Is just get out of the way
Does a title convey expertise? I never claimed to be an authority on the Bible and am wary of anyone who says they are. I believe that the Bible is meant to never be “mastered” by any one person in a lifetime of study.
You need to address a specific part of the article if you want me to address it.