What We Learn About Our Sexuality From Genesis 2

Westmont Mag A Return to Eden: Redeeming Sexuality

by Tremper Longman 3, Robert Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies.

An edited excerpt from his presentation in the March ix, 2011, chapel service.

Sexuality is a controversial topic; people disagree passionately about it, especially where to draw the line between legitimate and illegitimate sexual behavior. Speaking as a biblical scholar, I want to accost the question, "What does the Bible say about sex activity?"

Kickoff, why exercise we care what the Bible says about sex activity? Because we're Christians, nosotros believe the Bible is the identify where God speaks to united states of america most directly to reveal himself and his volition for our lives. It's the standard of faith and practice. God tin can speak to united states of america in other ways: through reason, feel, the Holy Spirit and nature — but not in contradiction to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. If our experience leads us to believe something that differs from the Bible, then it's non the Holy Spirit speaking but our desires. If someone says the Holy Spirit has told them something that scripture contradicts, I can be sure it's not the Holy Spirit.

What well-nigh the interpretation of Scripture? Is information technology a private affair? Are there so many possible interpretations that we just choose the i that suits our purposes? While it's truthful that parts of the Bible are legitimate areas of debate and uncertainty, there is much that is articulate and sure too. I consider the Bible'southward teaching virtually sexuality clear, particularly in reference to homosexuality. The Bible says a lot about sex, and I can't accost it all here — and I turn down to make homosexuality the sole subject area of my talk as that gives a wrong impression about the Bible.

Many consider the Bible a killjoy when it comes to sex. You tin't practise this, you tin't practise that. It'southward true that the Bible puts definite restrictions on sexual behavior, simply it does and then in the context of a commemoration of sexuality. God made u.s. sexual beings. He wired us to relish the pleasure of physical touch.

The story begins in the Garden of Eden, and Genesis 2:4-25 gives a close-upward expect at the creation of humanity. Genesis 1-ii tells us that God made everything, including humanity, but doesn't specify how he did then. Genesis ii narrates the story of the creation of Adam and Eve to inform us well-nigh God, ourselves and our world. The passage focuses on gender relationships and marriage.

At the kickoff of Genesis two, God creates Adam from the dust of the ground and his breath, a metaphorical description that emphasizes our special relationship with God despite the fact that nosotros're creatures. Adam then lives in Eden in harmony with God.

But God detects a problem: loneliness. For this reason, God creates Eve. The text highlights Eve's and Adam's equality before God. Being created from Adam'due south side means Eve volition be a helper who corresponds to him. The discussion "helper" doesn't mean valet, it describes someone who will exist his ally and equal.

At the end of Genesis ii, afterward Adam gives the start hymn of the Bible celebrating the arrival of Eve, he says, "This one is bone from my bone and mankind from my mankind! She will be called 'woman' because she was taken from 'man.'" The chapter ends by saying, "This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into ane." This passage defines marriage: leaving parents, forming a new primary loyalty, weaving together 2 lives through common experiences and communication. Being united into one refers to sexual intercourse, which is a sacramental moment. It's an outward sign of an inward reality.

The affiliate ends with Adam and Eve being naked in the garden and feeling no shame. They're non just physically naked, they're psychologically, spiritually and emotionally open without shame. They live in a harmonious relationship with God and each other.

But this changes in act two, the account of Adam and Eve'southward rebellion. Genesis iii tells us that sin and decease aren't part of created nature just a consequence of human rebellion. In particular, Adam and Eve rebel confronting God by asserting moral autonomy or independence. They swallow the fruit of the tree and know what is proficient and evil simply like God fifty-fifty though they understand what he wants. Their sin is not a lack of clarity apropos God'due south control; they challenge and decline information technology because they think they're smarter than he is. They — not God — will ascertain what is right and wrong, with horrible consequences for humanity. This approach remains a problem today when we take clear Biblical teaching on sexuality and determine nosotros know amend than God does.

The man and the adult female suffer consequences for their rebellion. The punishment God directs to the woman affects their relationship in a fundamental way. "Now your desire volition exist for your married man, just he will come up and rule you." This give-and-take "want" doesn't mean something romantic; it means the desire to control. It's the same rare word used in the adjacent chapter for Cain's desire to boss. The Biblical text is rooting the problems we have with each other in our sin.

Because of human rebellion and sin, Adam and Eve can no longer stand naked before each other but hide and cover up. Humans were created in a harmonious relationship with God, enjoying an intimacy with each other. Only because of our insistence that we, rather than God, ascertain what is correct and wrong, nosotros experience doubt, hurting and loneliness. Thank God the story doesn't end hither.

The Song of Songs gives the states a collection of dear poems in which an unnamed man and woman speak to each other rapturously. They oft savour intimate relationships in a garden, well-nigh of the time feeling no shame. The Vocal of Songs demonstrates that it's possible to feel sexual pleasure in this life in spite of sin and brokenness. It's a book near the redemption of sexuality.

The Bible speaks positively about sex. God made united states sexual beings and not but for the purpose of having babies. Here'south the controversial betoken: The Bible clearly states that sexual intercourse is reserved for union. The seventh commandment says, "Yous must non commit adultery."

Why would God desire to restrict the pleasures of sexual intimacy to marriage? Sex involves more than physical pleasance. It binds ii people together, torso and soul. To take sex with someone is to become completely vulnerable to them. Such relationships need to exist protected by legal commitments as the Bible indicates by calling spousal relationship a covenantal commitment. Sex activity and union are non just personal; they're non only a private thing. They involve other people, most pointedly your partner, but as well your friends, family and gild at big.

The biblical police specifically prohibits certain types of sexual relationships. The Ten Commandments give full general ethical principles, and the case police that follows applies them to specific situations. What does adultery mean? The case police force says there should be no sexual activity outside of marriage. If a man has sexual practice with a married woman, he and she, if she consents, will be seriously punished. If a human being has sex activity with an single adult female, he has to marry her. Some laws as well prohibit certain kinds of marriage.

Leviticus 18 and 20 list prohibited sexual relationships; well-nigh involve incest, but homosexuality is included. Leviticus 18:22 says, "Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin." Leviticus 20:19 repeats, "If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men accept committed a insufferable human activity." The passages are articulate. But modern readers and even some ministers and biblical interpreters have tried to obscure their meaning. I tin't address all their arguments hither.

I objection to this prohibition points to Old Testament laws that are no longer relevant. Nosotros don't offer sacrifices anymore or observe dietary restrictions or purity laws. We're non concerned with the Levitical prohibition of clothing made from more than one kind of material or sowing a field with two different types of seeds. Why should we care about the Old Testament law concerning homosexuality?

Jesus never disowned Old Testament constabulary; he affirmed it vigorously, including the sexual laws, when he stated in Matthew 5:17-19, "Do not remember I take come to abolish the police or the prophets. I accept not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not i alphabetic character, not 1 stroke of a alphabetic character, volition pass from the law until information technology's achieved. Therefore, whoever breaks 1 of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be chosen to the lowest degree in the kingdom of sky."

The New Testament makes it clear that the coming of Christ fulfilled sure laws that will no longer be observed. The sacrifices are shadows of the reality of Christ's sacrifice. The laws apropos food and mixtures were relevant when God'south people, the Israelites, were supposed to stay separate from the Gentiles. These laws are no longer kept in the New Testament.

But the moral law of the Quondam Testament continues to utilize. The New Testament explicitly joins vocalisation with the Old Testament in prohibiting homosexual relationships, making information technology clear that the laws in Leviticus 18 and xx are still valid. Paul wrote in Romans 1:24-27, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who'southward blest forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchange natural intercourse for unnatural and in the same fashion as well, the men giving upward natural intercourse with women were consumed with passion for one another."

There are modern attempts to edgeless the clear teaching of this passage besides. One of the most common argues that Paul isn't speaking of committed homosexual relationships but of pederasty, which was a common practise in the Greco-Roman world. But there is a perfectly good Greek word for pederasty, and Paul would have used it if he meant it.

Some wrongly suggest that people in the first century didn't know near homosexual orientation or committed homosexual relationships; indeed they did. Jesus never addressed homosexuality, then he must non be concerned about it. But Jesus affirmed all the constabulary and typically but spoke about things that were disputed in his culture; homosexuality wasn't. We can't pit Paul confronting Jesus. Paul'due south words are scripture just as much equally Jesus' words.

I could say more than, but I don't want to give the wrong impression that homosexual behavior is some kind of mega-sin in a unlike category from other sins. I'chiliad addressing it because it's being discussed in the Christian customs and there's confusion about what the Bible says. My sympathies become out to people who experience fear, loneliness and incertitude every bit they call up about their sexual orientation. We must consider how to support them in their struggles. Merely that shouldn't atomic number 82 us to obscure the Bible's clear teaching on sexuality.

Let me be clear. Having homosexual desires isn't condemned in the Bible; acting on them is. Having heterosexual desires toward a woman you're non married to isn't condemned; interim on them is. We need to exist a customs of people who back up each other. I would beloved to see Westmont — and even more the church — exist places where we can share our sexual struggles and brokenness whether homosexual or heterosexual and support each other every bit we seek to live a life pleasing to God. We're all broken. We're all sinners. Merely we shouldn't give ourselves a pass or ignore sin, nosotros should claiming ourselves and each other in love to be obedient. Our sin and brokenness should bulldoze usa to Christ who suffered for united states and understands our heart.

Genesis 2 teaches that we were created in a harmonious human relationship with God and each other. Genesis 3 explains that homo rebellion has shattered this harmony and intimacy. The Song of Songs speaks about the possibility of redeeming sexuality. But this side of heaven, it volition never exist perfect. Everyone, gay and straight, will experience hurting and brokenness in their sexuality. Paul holds up beingness single as the platonic for everyone betwixt the first and 2d coming of Christ, considering unattached people can focus on God and on ministry. There's nil wrong — and much correct — near heterosexual or homosexual Christians choosing to remain single and celibate.

Everyone, whether unmarried or married, has much to look forward to: a return to Eden and the vibrant, harmonious, intimate relationships experienced in the garden, described in Revelation 19:8 as a dandy wedlock supper. "For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. To her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, brilliant and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints."