Apostle Paul opposed to all homosexuality
PHILIP Burnside (Writeback, August 16) states that homosexual acts at the time of the Apostle Paul’s writings “were associated with temple worship and were the only expression of homosexual activity that Paul would have been aware of”. This is simply inaccurate.
Same-sex practice in the Greco Roman period was rife and certainly not confined to cultic temple practice.
The first century Roman author Petronius, in a book entitled Satyricon, portrays two male lovers in a consensual mutual love relationship. Clement of Alexandria also refers to women-to-women marriage (Paidagogos 3.3.21.3).
The fact that Paul, in his condemnation of same-sex acts in Romans I, refers to same-sex intercourse as being “against nature” (vs26) strengthens the point that he is not simply referring to such activity in the context of temple worship; he is making a clear statement that all same-sex activity is against nature and violates the creator’s intention for male-female relations.
Concerning Paul’s condemnation of homosexual practice in 1 Corinthians (6:9) and 1 Timothy (1:10), I have yet to read a biblical scholar who interprets these passages in terms of Paul condemning such practice solely in the context of temple worship. Neither context of these passages suggests anything of the sort.
Finally, Mr Burnside’s conclusion is that “the absolute tenets of faith, love and compassion, as illustrated in the New Testament words of Jesus, remain fundamental”. This begs two questions: (1) Is the word of God, as set forth in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, as Presbyterians maintain (“the rule of faith”), or just the words of Jesus?
(2) Since Jesus took a very strict stance on sexual matters compared to the other rabbis and teachers of his day (Matthew 19:9), has Mr Burnside any evidence that Jesus would have taken a more lenient view and not upheld the prohibition on homosexual practice of the Old Testament, in which he was schooled?
D HOWARD GILPIN Moira, Co Down
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