Same-sex Marriage

In the beginning, God created marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. The Bible records that “God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27, NRSV). God created Eve specifically because God realized that “it is not good for the man [Adam] to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18, NIV). After God made her and brought her to Adam he said, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24, NIV).

But real life—even life based on the ideal—often becomes complicated and messy. While the Bible forbids sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman, such as prostitution (Lev. 19:29), biblical characters practiced a number of traditions outside the Edenic model of one man with one woman. Abraham took concubines, women considered secondary wives (Gen. 25:6). The law of Moses includes provisions to protect the rights of Israelite young women sold as concubines (Exod. 21:7-11). Jacob married two women, a practice known as polygamy (Gen. 29:16-30). The law of Moses protected the inheritance rights of the firstborn sons born to marriages in which, like Jacob’s, one wife was favored over another (Deut. 21:15-17). All of these, to one degree or another, are the result of sin; none represent God’s ideal, and none can or should be used to justify other kinds of marriage relationships that are contrary to the Word of God.

No question, society’s views of sex, marriage, and gender have greatly changed over the years. Whether or not one personally thinks that these changes are for the better or for worse, they should not be the issue for the Christian. Breaking with the anti-biblical practices of our own surrounding cultures, we should always ask what God’s Word has to say on such matters (Rom. 12:1-2). Scripture indeed forbids categorically same-sex relationships and marriages (see Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:9-10).

As Christians we need to treat others, even those we don’t agree with, with dignity, respect, and love. Society, and even the church, has not always treated gay people fairly or justly, and that must change. But what must not change is the church’s faithful adherence to the teachings and standards revealed in God’s Word.

For a deeper understanding of the issue involved, we suggest people go to the following link: https://www.adventist.org/en/information/official-statements/statements/article/go/-/same-sex-unions/