A Biblical Response to Same-Sex Marriage

I'm sure that there has been much written on the topic of same sex marriage but after following the debate among several friends and friends of friends I have decided to enter the debate with what I believe the Bible has to say on the subject. I will make three brief points to my argument and try not to get bogged down. If you want to argue points, debate semantics or asked for greater detail please leave your e-mail address in the comment section below.

The first argument is based on the reoccurring pattern for marriage within Scripture. A married couple is always depicted as a man and a woman. Nowhere is there any other model given for the marriage as a unit. From Adam and Eve to Aquila and Priscilla a married couple has always depicted as a man and a woman. Some may want to muddy the water by talking about polygamist relationships such as King Solomon and his multitude of wives but Solomon had multiple wives not husbands and he was in violation of God's law found in Deuteronomy 17:17.

Secondly, God defined marriage as a man and a woman. Genesis 1:26-27 declares that God created them male and female and bless them and told them to be fruitful and multiply. If one of the functions of marriage is to" be fruitful and multiply" then that requires one of each sex. Christ confirms the original proclamation on marriage in Matthew 19:4-6 "he who created them from the beginning made them male and female... for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh." So God created them male and female and commands that a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And then Christ adds "what God has joined together let no man separate." So by God's definition He has joined together male and female in marriage. The apostle Paul gives this same two sex definition/example of marriage in his instructions to husbands and wives found in Ephesians 5:21-33.

And lastly homosexual unions are prohibited by the Scripture and both the Old and New Testaments. Leviticus 18:22 states " you shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female..." this prohibition is repeated in Leviticus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 23:18. Paul echoes this will enunciation of homosexuality as a sin in Romans 1:26-27 (NASB95)


For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.


Paul condemns both the gay and lesbian lifestyle in these two verses by calling these practices "degrading passions", "unnatural", "indecent acts" and finally calling this lifestyle an "error". Later in 1 Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God and finally in first Timothy 1:10 homosexuality is classified with other sins as "contrary to sound teaching."

By looking at the biblical model of marriage, the definition of a marriage unit by God and scriptural prohibition against homosexuality it is evident that the Bible does not condone same-sex marriage. A Biblical argument cannot be fashioned to support such a union. Once again if you want to argue specific points please include your e-mail address. God bless you.