In discussions with other Christians on
their views of human sexuality I have come to realize that they very often
never reference the bible. One of the key areas that must be cited for a true
understanding of what the Church teaches on human sexuality is the Epistles of
St. Paul. If many Christians would only take the time to read the Epistles of
St. Paul I reckon we would have a much clearer understanding amongst Christians
of the truths about human sexuality. In
this short article I will briefly introduce St. Paul’s teachings on
extra-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, and contraception.
St.
Paul is very clear in his teaching that extra-marital sexual intercourse is
wrong. St. Paul teaches that the Christian becomes a member of Christ through
baptism and since he is a member of Christ he should not join himself to
anything that is impure. He warns that since the Christian body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit it should not be used for lust filled actions.
Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits
is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not
know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price. So
glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:18-20)
Just
as Christians are holy in Christ they must also remain holy. For St. Paul this
holiness is wrapped up in the preservation of purity in marriage rather than in
the disorder of lust.
Paul
also teaches against the sin of homosexual acts. St. Paul calls homosexual acts
unnatural, shameless, and improper conduct.
Their woman exchanged natural relations
for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and
were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with
men and receiving their own persons with due penalty for their error. And since
they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to
improper conduct.”(Romans 1:26-28)
St. Paul is further very
clear that those who practice homosexual acts will not enter the kingdom of
heaven.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor the
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminates, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor
the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom
of God. (1 Cor 6: 9-10)
While the words homosexual ajd
effeminates are often left out of modern biblical translations the original Greek
uses the two terms malakoi, translated effeminates, and arsenokoitai,
translated homosexuals. The condemnation of homosexual acts could not be clearer,
yet what is more confusing is the word effeminates. St. Thomas Aquinas
identifies this with masturbation.[1] Thus
St. Paul not only condemns homosexuality but also masturbation.
St.
Paul also teaches about the evils of abortion and contraception. St. Paul makes
clear reference to the fact that a child in the womb is a real child. “But when
he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace.”
(Gal 1:15) To destroy an innocent child is murder and wrong. St. Paul also
condemns birth control. In the fifth book of Galatians he condemns sorcery
(pharmakeia in the Greek.) In antiquity this word was identified with
witchdoctors who were known for making drugs that would either abort a child or
prevent a woman from becoming pregnant.[2]
St.
Paul clearly condemned extra-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, and
contraception. If only Christians would take the time to read St. Paul many
differences amongst the Christian Community over teachings on Human Sexuality
would be cleared up.
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