It is reasonable, indeed necessary, to exercise diligence when addressing matters that profoundly affect a person's life. Among the passages most scrutinised and debated are those found in Leviticus, chapters eighteen and twenty. For brevity, this discussion will focus upon Leviticus 18:22, which reads: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination" (Lev. 18:22).
The term "abomination" strikes the reader with considerable force. It is derived from the Hebrew תּוֹעֵבָ֖ה, to'ebah, which while occasionally applied to matters of ritual impropriety (Deut. 14:3), predominantly conveys moral outrage. Instances in which to'ebah is rendered "abomination" include the following:
"You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination (to'ebah) to the Lord your God" (Deut. 7:25).
"You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination (to'ebah) to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods" (Deut. 12:31).
"You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination (to'ebah) to the Lord your God" (Deut. 17:1).
"For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination (to'ebah) to the Lord your God" (Deut. 25:16).
A second Hebrew term sometimes translated as "abomination" is שֶׁקֶץ, sheqets, primarily denoting ceremonial impurity or uncleanliness. Many discussions regarding the morality of homosexual acts reference this term. As Leviticus is the book of the priests, it addresses both ceremonial observances and ethical conduct, including sexual morality. Examples include:
"Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination (sheqets) to you" (Lev. 11:12).
"Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, such as human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any abominable (sheqets) unclean thing, and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people" (Lev. 7:21).
With this context in mind, Leviticus 18:22 can be examined more fully. The beginning of chapter eighteen establishes the universal character of the following laws, in contrast to purely ceremonial prescriptions:
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the Lord your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord'" (Lev. 18:1-5).
These commands are presented as binding upon all men, not merely the Israelites. The conclusion of the chapter reinforces the universality of the moral injunction:
"Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev. 18:24-28).
If these were purely ceremonial laws, they would have been directed to the Israelites alone, as with dietary prescriptions in Leviticus 11. The sexual prohibitions, however, are framed in a universal context, underscoring their ethical significance. From the Old Testament, we discern three spheres of law: civil, applying to the governance of Israel; ceremonial, intended to purify the heart and distinguish the people; and moral, concerned with right and wrong. The New Testament clarifies that the moral principles endure, while ceremonial prescriptions were fulfilled in Christ.
On the question of divorce, the Lord Himself affirmed: "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so" (Matt. 19:8). The hardness of heart evident in Israel's history helps to explain the broader context of ceremonial regulations. These regulations were not arbitrary; they were safeguards against the corrupting influence of surrounding nations, who frequently led Israel into idolatry and moral compromise.
Jesus Himself elucidated this in His teaching on defilement: "'Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?' And He said, 'What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man'" (Mark 7:18-23).
The Apostles, guided by the Spirit, understood this principle, as in the vision of St. Peter:
"The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'
"But Peter said, 'Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.'
"And a voice spoke to him again the second time, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again" (Acts 10:9-16).
The vision revealed the spiritual purpose behind dietary regulations: they symbolised the inclusion of Gentiles and taught separation from sin. As the Epistle of Barnabas affirms, the laws concerning animals carried moral and spiritual significance, not mere ritual restriction: "Is there then not a command of God [that] they should not eat [these things]? There is, but Moses spoke with a spiritual reference. For this reason, he named the swine, as much as to say, 'Thou shalt not join thyself to men who resemble swine.' For when they live in pleasure, they forget their Lord; but when they come to want, they acknowledge the Lord" (Epistle of Barnabas 10).
With the Messiah's coming, these ceremonial restrictions are fulfilled. Dietary laws and other symbolic observances are no longer required for salvation, yet the moral law endures. Hence, arguments equating moral abominations with ceremonial ones, as in the consumption of shrimp, misunderstand the distinctions revealed in Scripture and fulfilled in Christ.
Similarly, Deuteronomy 22:5, regarding garments, is not ceremonial but moral: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination (to'ebah) to the Lord your God." The moral scope of this law, along with the interchangeability of sex and gender in Scripture, affirms the depth of the command beyond mere ritual.
Taken together, these passages illuminate the Church's position and the biblical understanding of sexual ethics and gender. Questions remain welcome, and further discussion may be provided as needed.
Sources
Barnabas, Epistle of. The Apostolic Fathers. Translated by J.B. Lightfoot, Hendrickson, 2002.
Strong's Hebrew: 8263. שֶׁקֶץ (sheqets) -- Abomination, Detestable Thing." Bible Hub.
Strong's Hebrew: 8441. תּוֹעֵבָה (toebah) -- Abomination, Detestable Thing." Bible Hub.
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LGBT+ and the Church
SpiritualThis book will be addressing the LGBT+ issues and the Church. The primary chapters will discuss God's design, the sin and reasoning, and more, and will eventually begin going into a question series. In the question segment, it will address questions...
