Problem: According to some pro-homosexual interpreters, Isaiah 56:3 prophesied homosexuals will be brought into the kingdom of God. The Lord said, “to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off” ( niv ). Should this be taken to mean that Isaiah predicted the day of acceptance for homosexuals into God’s kingdom?

Solution: The Bible makes no predictions about homosexuals being accepted into the kingdom of God. First of all, Isaiah’s prophecy is about “eunuchs,” not homosexuals. And enunuchs are asexual, not homosexual.

Second, the “eunuchs” spoken of are probably spiritual, not physical. Jesus spoke of spiritual “eunuchs” who had given up the possibility of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God ( Matt. 19:11–12 ).

Third, this is a classic example of reading one’s beliefs into the text (isogesis), rather than reading the meaning out of the text (exegesis). This is the very thing homosexuals charge heterosexuals of doing with Scripture.

Finally, the Bible says emphatically that “neither fornicators ... nor homosexuals ... will inherit the kingdom of God” ( 1 Cor. 6:9 ). The Scriptures repeatedly and consistently condemn homosexual practices

Expanded from Lev. 18:22 ; Rom. 1:26:
Problem:

The law against homosexuality is found in the levitical law (

Lev. 18:22

) along with laws against eating pork and shrimp (

Lev. 11:2–3

,

10

). But these ceremonial laws have been done away with (

Acts 10:15

). This being the case, some insist that the laws prohibiting homosexual activity are no longer binding either.

Solution:

The laws against homosexual practices are not merely ceremonial. Simply because the Mosaic prohibition against homosexuality is mentioned in Leviticus does not mean that it was part of the ceremonial law that has passed away.

First of all, if laws against homosexuality were merely ceremonial (and therefore abolished), then rape, incest, and beastiality would not be morally wrong either, since they are condemned in the same chapter with homosexual sins (

Lev. 18:6–14

,

22–23

).

Second, homosexual sins among Gentiles were also condemned by God (

Rom. 1:26

), and they did not have the ceremonial law (

Rom. 2:12–15

). It was for this very reason that God brought judgment on the Canaanites (

Gen. 18:1–3

,

25

).

Third, even in the Jewish levitical law there was a difference in punishment for violating the ceremonial law of eating pork or shrimp (which was a few days isolation) and that for homosexuality which was capital punishment (

Lev. 18:29

).

Fourth, Jesus changed the dietary laws of the OT (

Mark 7:18

;

Acts 10:15

), but the moral prohibitions against homosexuality are still enjoined on believers in the NT (

Rom. 1:26–27

;

1 Cor. 6:9

;

1 Tim. 1:10

;

Jude 7

).

. God loves all persons, including homosexuals. But He hates homosexuality.