Did the Apostle Paul Really Condemn Homosexuality?
Paul on Homosexuality unveils Paul’s view of homosexuality in light of the first-century environment in which his letters were written. For example, the book documents that the Jewish nation separated the commandments of their law into two groups: Justices and Jobs.
- The Justices were all the commandments based on the precept, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- The Jobs were all the rest.
| JUSTICES | JOBS |
| Do not murder | Do not eat shellfish |
| Do not steal | Do not wear garments made out of two fabrics |
| Do not lie | Men with genital injuries cannot enter the congregation |
| Do not rape | Do not engage in homosexual intercourse |
| Do not commit adultery | Do not have sex with your wife during her menstrual cycle |
Paul wrote that only the Justice are part of Jesus’ Law (Romans 13.8-9). This is why he wrote that the Jobs (“works of the law”) don’t exonerate anyone before God (Romans 3.20, 28). In the historical setting in which Paul wrote these words, he very specifically stated that none of the Jobs are required by Jesus’ Law—including keeping the Levitical prohibition on homosexuality.
