study-part-1.html

PART I - A Study

UF Metropolitan Community Church- POSITION: Many people have been taught that the Bible condemns homosexuality. Metropolitan Community Church believes that this is not the truth. We believe that gay and lesbian people are completely loved and accepted by God. How can there be such a difference between parts of the Christian Church over this issue?

Largely because unproven ideas have been taught for centuries about some Scripture passages. In recent times, scholars have finally begun to study these passages in depth, with the support of historical and archaeological information about biblical times.

THEO'S RESPONSE: When Kings walk among men, red carpets are placed beneath their feet so they may stand undefiled among their subjects. But what do you do when your God walks among you? [Lev 26:12] God was not just Israel's king, he was their Deity. How do you set him above the common man; God who walks continually in the camp? You defile not the camp. You continually clean to a superlative standard; and inspect for exceptions and discrepancies.

God gave laws and ordinances whose very reason for being was to keep the camp clean, and undefiled, and fit for His presence; and it was a superlative standard. [Deu 4:8]

When God pronounced certain things unclean, it had nothing to do with men's appreciation of whether they were clean or not, but rather God's standard was the issue. There is nothing unclean about a beetle, but God declared creeping things as unclean, and forbade the Isrealites to handle them.

If a man and his wife made love of an evening, they were unclean, because God was in the camp; not because there is anything unclean about sexual expression between married partners. It is carnal, and therefore was pronounced as unclean.

"The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even." [Lev 15:18]

Even a man whose seed issued from him without copulation, was considered unclean, because God was in the camp. It had nothing to do with any "uncleaness" inherent with being a man.

This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith; [Lev 15:32]

If a man ate any animal that died of itself, or any animal which was killed by beasts, he was unclean, not because the dead animal was polluted, but because God was in the camp.

And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean. [Lev 17:15]

If a man was hanged his body could not remain all night on the tree, because God declared the land cursed by it; And God walked in the camp.

Deut 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. [Deu 21:23]

And if a man divorced his wife, and she remarry, he could not take her again to marry, after her husband dies, or divorces her. "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. " [Deu 24:1-4]

God made provision for every detail of cleanliness in the camp of Israel. Provision was even made for occasional uncleanness not foreseen, for example: "If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp: 11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again." [Deu 23:10-11]

Even the "camp latrene" was provided for: 12 "Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: 13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:" [Deu 23:12-13]

The reason was, God walked in the camp, and would not tollerete uncleanness: "For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee." [Deu 23:14]

So whether a thing was considered an abomination, or unclean, or pollution had nothing to do with the thing itself, it was forbidden because it was not fit for the presence of God in the camp. Some things were unclean morally, but God did not make allowances for the flesh. He demanded the highest standard of behaviour because of his presence in the camp.

But some moral behaviours were called "pollution" so that the land was "defiled" by the inhabitants who practiced such things; because God walked in the earth, and such was not allowed. But it was practiced anyway among some of the nations, So God cast them out of their lands, to cleanse the land of these "pollutions."

If God demanded that the camp be clean, in which he placed his foot, how much more do you suppose he expects His saints to be clean; We who are the temple of God, and in whom He dwells today?

Theo Book