For generations, LGBTQ+ people have been told that the Bible is clear about us: Our relationships are sinful, our identities are contrary to God’s will, and faithful Christianity requires us to deny an essential part of who we are.
But is that really what the Bible says?
“Homosexuality & Transgender Identity: A Bible Study” takes a closer look at that question. Originally created by the Rev. Micah Royal and the Rev. Katherine Royal, this 10-session study examines some of the Bible passages most frequently used to condemn LGBTQ+ people — and asks what those passages actually meant to the people who first heard them.
The study begins with a larger question: Does the Bible reveal a God who discriminates against people because of who they are? From there, we’ll learn ways to approach Scripture that go beyond simply pulling an isolated verse from the page. We’ll consider historical and cultural context, differences in biblical translation, the history of interpretation, human experience and reason, and — most importantly — the life and teachings of Jesus as the lens through which Christians understand Scripture.
Along the way, the study tackles many of the familiar biblical arguments surrounding LGBTQ+ people. What was really happening in Sodom and Gomorrah? What did Leviticus mean by “abomination”? What is Paul describing when he writes about “unnatural” passions? What do difficult Greek words such as malakoi and arsenokoitai actually mean? And are these passages describing the loving, committed same-sex relationships we know today — or something very different?
The study also devotes a session specifically to transgender and intersex identity, exploring what Scripture says — and doesn’t say — about gender, eunuchs, bodily difference and our tendency to impose rigid categories on the people God created.
This isn’t a study that asks participants to ignore difficult passages of Scripture. Quite the opposite: It invites us to take the Bible seriously enough to examine those passages more deeply.
For LGBTQ+ Christians who have wondered whether they must choose between their faith and who God created them to be — and for family members, friends and allies who want to better understand these questions — this study offers another possibility: Perhaps the conflict isn’t between LGBTQ+ people and the Bible at all. Perhaps it’s between what Scripture actually says and what many of us have been taught that it says.
Join us on Mondays at 7pm Eastern via the Zoom link at the top of our Bible study homepage.