Did Jesus Experience A Same-Sex Relationship?

Originally published by Communities @ Washington Times

SAN DIEGO, June 28, 2011 —New York’s decision to legally recognize same-sex marriage may be the most widely discussed issue regarding homosexuality this past month, but it’s certainly not the most controversial. Out Smart Magazine, which describes itself as “Houston’s gay, lesbian, bi and trans magazine” recently published an interesting interview with Catholic author and psychologist, G.C. Bryan. Here is a portion of the article:

“For some people, the Bible is clear: Jesus had a gay partner. For generations, scholars have debated the meaning of the line in the Gospel of John (13:23), which states: ‘Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.’ While most believe it refers to a platonic love between Jesus’ follower and cousin, John, others see the love between the men as a romantic partnership.

G.C. Bryan, a Catholic, practicing psychologist, and former school principal, has used this and other verses from the Bible to assemble a story about the relationship between Jesus and John in his book, The Purple Triangle.

‘With my understanding of scripture, and by talking to spiritual people, it became very clear to me that Jesus was human, and that many people put him on a pedestal and treated him like a god,’ he said.

The story of Jesus and John revealed in the scriptures is far from being a sordid tale of lust and sin; in fact, Bryan sees it as a positive example of a same-sex relationship. With some encouragement, he decided to release the book.

‘I have spoken with spiritual friends, Buddhists, and Catholic priests who feel it’s important to put the story out so there’s a broader interpretation of Jesus [that leaves open the possibility] that he could have been gay, and could have had a partner. That leads to the next step that we’re all sons and daughters of God, without exception,’” said Bryan (Out Smart Magazine.Com, 6-9-11).

Probably not too many people have heard of G.C. Bryan, but many will recall a 2010 statement made by a much more familiar pop figure, Elton John:

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East — you’re as good as dead” (Parade Magazine, On Line Edition, 2-18-10).

Of course, any person with a conscience should be in sympathetic agreement with at least a good deal of his statement. Elton John speaks accurately about the Middle East. He is also correct in describing Jesus’ character and willingness to forgive. As for Jesus being a “gay man,” Elton admitted to the mere expression of an opinion. Unfortunately his opinion displays complete unfamiliarity with Scripture, despite an appreciation for the cross.

Neither Elton John nor G.C. Bryan is the first to talk of Jesus that way. People have been either hinting at or dogmatically stating Jesus’ “same-sex tendency” for years, and a simple Google Search will showcase as many articles as one can possibly be searching for.

Just to break the suspense early on: Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that Jesus was of same-sex persuasion. Jesus was not gay; neither did He promote a homosexual lifestyle. Would He have shown compassion to homosexuals? Certainly. There are abundant examples of Jesus treating with compassion people who felt like outcasts from society, people lonely and disenfranchised. Jesus also offered forgiveness to anyone willing to turn from sin. But He was not gay.

“How can you say that? Jesus was silent on the whole subject, so how do you know what He felt about same-sex marriage or attraction?”

It’s true that our gospel accounts do not record Jesus speaking about homosexuality directly. But Jesus did confirm the divine inspiration of the Jewish Holy Scriptures (referred to in those days as The Law and The Prophets) and insisted that the Israelites continue to honor God’s Law.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:17-20).

Since Jesus was authenticating the entire law, His authentication included the specific law about homosexuality:

“‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable” (Lev 18:22).

Certainly a great debate exists in our country on the cause of same-sex persuasion, whether it is a learned behavior, a genetic predisposition, or a state for which there may be a variety of causes, genetic and psychological alike. Important as such a discussion may be, the purpose of this present article is merely to examine the teaching of Scripture. I respect those who do not believe in the Bible. It is only when somebody asserts that the Bible is saying something it does not actually say that I take issue, and these Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) are anything but silent on the subject of sexuality.

Moving on to the New Testament, Paul, while also preaching forgiveness for a whole litany of sins, did include homosexuality on his list. Before the discussion of mercy, he described the practice itself.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (Rom 1:26-27).

“Wait a minute! Should we trust Paul’s words? Paul wasn’t one of the original disciples of Jesus.”

No he was not, but Paul encountered the resurrected Christ later on (Acts 9). True, the original disciples were given special authority by Jesus (John 20:22-23). But keep in mind that one of these disciples, Peter, later authenticated the words of Paul, even to the point of equating Paul’s letters with Scripture!

“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

In summary, although Jesus did not directly comment on homosexuality, He did refer to the practice indirectly by speaking of the entire Law of Moses as a revelation from God. And Paul (authenticated by Jesus’ disciple Peter) directly addressed the subject.

“Then what about the other part of this discussion? Why was John called ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’?”

There were several Greek words for love during the New Testament era. The word for sexual love was eros from which we get the English word, erotic. Eros was not used of Jesus and John. Instead, the word in John 13:23 was agapao, a kind of love that went beyond emotion and stressed action, often sacrificial action, i.e., loving a person enough to lay down your life for him or her. This is not a sexual word nor even a romantic word. Indeed, it is the same word used of God in John 3:16 where the Gospel writer talks about God loving the entire world.

Having said all this, in our zeal to re-clarify the Bible’s standard about homosexuality, let us keep in mind that the primary message of the New Testament is not one of condemnation but rather forgiveness. God may not like the practice of homosexuality, but He loves homosexuals. He loves everybody and people who feel same-sex attraction are no more separated from God than anyone else. We are all guilty of sin and all of us experience impulses that we can choose to give in to or restrain. Yes, people are commanded to repent, but every human being is guilty of something and even when we turn to Jesus, we do so only by the mercy and help of God’s Spirit. There is no room for arrogance or looking down upon another’s struggle.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE

New International Version NIV

Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.