Is there a scripture in the bible against homosexuality
Executive summary
The Bible contains a handful of passages that many readers and religious traditions have long understood as prohibiting same‑sex sexual activity—most often Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 in the Hebrew Bible and several Pauline texts in the New Testament (e.g., Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; 1 Timothy 1:10) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Scholarly debate, however, centers on translation, historical context and whether those passages address consensual same‑sex orientation as modern readers understand it, or instead target specific practices such as ritual impurity, pederasty, sexual violence, or other non‑consensual or culturally specific behaviors [5] [6] [1].
1. Clear biblical texts that have been read as prohibitions
Leviticus 18:22 (“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination”) and Leviticus 20:13 are the most explicit Old Testament verses commonly cited to prohibit male same‑sex intercourse, and the New Testament contains passages—Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, 1 Timothy 1:10, and Jude 7—that many traditional interpreters read as condemning same‑sex acts or labeling them “unnatural” or “shameful” [2] [1] [3] [4] [7].
2. How conservative and traditional sources read these verses
Conservative and many historic church teachings treat those citations as straightforward moral prohibitions: they list same‑sex sexual acts among behaviors contrary to God’s law and warn that such acts are sinful while still distinguishing between attractions and actions in pastoral practice [4] [3] [8]. Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant commentators continue to cite Leviticus and the Pauline letters as the scriptural basis for opposing same‑sex sexual behavior [4] [3].
3. Scholarly and affirming readings that complicate a simple “against homosexuality” claim
Academic and LGBTQ‑affirming interpreters argue the Bible never addresses modern concepts of sexual orientation and that terms like “homosexual” are recent (coined in the 19th century), so the ancient texts must be read by their original linguistic and cultural frames; they emphasize that some passages likely target temple prostitution, pederasty, rape, or purity codes rather than consensual adult same‑sex relationships [5] [6] [9]. Major scholarly surveys and specialized articles identify at least seven key texts historically used to condemn same‑sex practice and show how context and translation choices have shaped interpretation [10] [1].
4. Translation, genre and cultural context matter
Interpretive disputes turn on Greek and Hebrew words, genre and the social world of the ancient Near East and Greco‑Roman Mediterranean: Levitical prohibitions belong to a Holiness code that set Israel apart from neighboring practices; Romans 1 appears in a rhetorical polemic about idolatry and excess; and Genesis 19 (Sodom) has been read variously as a critique of hospitality failure, violence and social injustice rather than a straightforward sexual denunciation [1] [7] [6].
5. Where consensus exists and where uncertainty remains
Consensus is limited: most scholars agree the biblical texts address some forms of same‑sex sexual behavior, but there is no single uncontested reading that equates those ancient passages with a blanket condemnation of same‑sex orientation as understood today; many faith communities therefore reach divergent ethical conclusions by weighing whole‑Bible theology, historical context and contemporary understandings of sexuality [5] [1] [10].
6. Practical takeaway for readers interested in the question
The straightforward factual answer is that specific biblical verses have traditionally been read as prohibiting certain male same‑sex acts (Leviticus, Paul’s letters, Jude), but whether the Bible speaks “against homosexuality” as a modern identity is disputed and depends on translation choices, historical context, and hermeneutical commitments—positions documented in both conservative resources [4] [3] and affirming scholarship and advocacy [5] [6] [7].