These arguments were first asserted in the 1980s by John Boswell and Robin Scroggs. Their argument is that Paul and other biblical writers had no concept of an innate homosexual orientation, that they only knew of exploitative homosexual practices, and therefore they had no concept of mutual, loving, same-sex relationships. Vines and Wilson claim that scholarly research into the historical background show that biblical authors were not forbidding all same sex relationships, but only exploitative ones - pederasty, prostitution, and rape. We have to look to the text to determine that. However, the reality of bigotry cannot itself prove that the Bible never forbids homosexuality. They must have been grounded instead on a stereotype of gay people as worse sinners than others (which is itself a shallow theology of sin.) So I say good riddance to bigotry. They could not have been based on theological or ethical principles, or on an understanding of historical biblical teaching. In fact, they must have been essentially a form of bigotry. It is certainly important for Christians who are not gay to hear the hearts and stories of people who are attracted to the same sex.Īnd when I see people discarding their older beliefs that homosexuality is sinful after engaging with loving, wise, gay people, I’m inclined to agree that those earlier views were likely defective.

However, they were brought to a change of mind through getting to know gay people personally. Vines and Wilson relate stories of people who were sure that the Bible condemned homosexuality.

I see six basic arguments that these books and others like them make. The review of these two books will be longer than usual because the topic is so contested today and, while I disagree with the authors’ theses, a too-brief review can’t avoid appearing cursory and dismissive. The two most read volumes taking this position seem to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) have been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. There are a number of other books that take the opposite view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. and therefore that homosexual practice goes against God’s express will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.” In the fall of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s original creative intention for humanity. The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. Wilson, Ken, A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media, 2014. Vines, Matthew, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books, 2014

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