Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up: Jesus and Human Sexuality

Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up: Jesus and Human Sexuality

Last updated on: August 30, 2022 at 2:02 pm by Dennis Knapp

Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up: Jesus and Human Sexuality 2022-08-30T14:02:14-06:00 Dennis Knapp

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Will the real Jesus please stand up…

Do you believe in Jesus? If you are a Christian, you believe Jesus exists still and will return some day. When Jesus returns, He will reveal to us what before was only known “through a mirror dimly.” We will know once and for all the real Jesus. But…is this the only way to know the real Jesus? Can we glean an understanding of the real Jesus from what is recorded in Sacred Scripture and the Tradition handed down to us by the apostles? Can we know what He thinks about human sexuality? I think we can.

Modern Christianity’s Reframing of Sexuality

One area that seems to draw much confusion regarding Jesus’ thoughts concerning human nature is sexuality. Many progressive Christians believe Jesus has no issue at all with modern gender theory and homosexuality. Some see the silence of Jesus on homosexuality as offering some leeway to accept modern homosexuality (and other forms of sexual expression) within the church. Others interpret away the traditional view of human sexuality out of the Scriptures. They claim the original authors did not have modern committed adult homosexual relationships in mind. References to its prohibition were either mistaken for inhospitality, as with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19), or homosexual sex for idol worship (Leviticus 20:13). Moreover, even St. Paul falls into this latter category in Romans 1:26-27. All this to show, according to Rev. Brandan J. Robertson:

Whether we’re speaking of heterosexual love or LGBTQ+ love, we would do well to embrace it as the divine gift that it is.

But can we embrace it as a “divine gift” if Jesus does not do so?

Jesus: the 1st Century Jew

What of Jesus? Did Jesus express views on human sexuality? Yes, He did. Jesus’ views on human sexuality were in line with those of all 1st century Jews. Matthew 19:4-5 states:

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

The two (male and female) shall become one flesh (sexual union). The two as one flesh can also mean the two becoming one literally, as two parents (male and female) progenerate a child that is half of each of them. Therefore, the only time Jesus mentions sexual relationships reflects a binary understand of sex. This view lines up with the traditional views of sex as taught in both the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus the Teacher

Furthermore, Jesus as God the Son, second person of the Divine Trinity, did not amend any verse progressives reinterpret to affirm LGBTQ+ love as a “divine gift.” Jesus is also a teacher. Jesus passed on knowledge to His disciples, who then passed on their knowledge, and so on. None of his disciples (future apostles) taught contrary to what Jesus taught. This is also true for the disciples of the apostles, the bishops. No one in the whole of Church history, not even the Protestant Reformers, understood human sexuality contrary to that taught by Jesus, none.

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up…

To conclude, clearly progressives believe in an anachronist Jesus. Their Jesus does not exist. They take His silence on the specific topic of homosexuality as acceptance. Furthermore, they reinterpret obvious biblical passages that clearly contradict their worldview through the lens of progressive understanding of human sexuality. Therefore, the result is the declaration of a behavior Jesus does not approve us as a “divine gift.” Now the real Jesus also offers grace and forgiveness. We all sin and fall short. Let us turn to this Jesus and ask for forgiveness for when we fall short. His grace is sufficient. “His power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Like what you read? Please check out my other writing here.

Please like and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

General Christian

Progressive Christian

History and Religion

Previous Post

August 27, 2022

Concerning Gender Confused Youth in the Catholic Church

Next Post

September 2, 2022 Questioning a Rational Animal: New Patheos Blogger Matthew Graham

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Arius Atheists Catholic Apologetics Catholic Culture Catholic History Catholic Humor Catholic Poetry Catholic Politics Catholic Theology Dr. James White Faith Alone Joe Heschmeyer Kamala Harris Martin Luther Pope Francis Preborn Children President Biden Science and Catholicism Sola Scriptura Synod of Synodality Trinity

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a large sheet that came down from heaven, filled with animals both clean and unclean. I changed Peter's understanding forever. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A heavenly message Peter's vision A dream A sign from God