13 March 2013 by Rev Dr Steven Kau-
At a time when Christianity has been ridiculed and assaulted from every direction and prohibited from finding expressions in our normal way of life, I thought the people who were putting together The History Channel’s ‘The Bible’ mini series must be very brave or very foolish. Anyway, I was really proud of these guys for their guts in putting together something that society generally seems to frown upon. Perhaps there is still hope for humanity.
However, my elation totally changed when the first installment was shown. I was appalled to know that far more than merely utilizing creative license, the producers of this series woefully and sinfully altered not simply the biblical text but biblical truth. Among the many grave and concerning alterations, one particular omission really disturbed me and it seems important to highlight it, especially considering the current moral state of society.
The producers of ‘The Bible’ appear to have taken it upon themselves to alter the story of Sodom and the reason for God’s destruction of this city. It is unlikely they had no access to a dictionary so that they could look up the term “sodomy,” or perhaps they simply forgot to glance at the biblical narrative that clearly explains the sins of this city. Regardless of the reason, the unfortunate result is that the sin of homosexuality and God’s righteous judgment and wrath upon those who were impenitently engaged in this sin, were ignored. Instead, ‘The Bible’ reinterpreted the sins of Sodom as men behaving promiscuously with women, rather than with those of the same sex. There were other discrepancies in the telling of this narrative but this element strikes one as the most notable in a time when many are seeking to normalize the sin of homosexuality.
God was quite clear, however, about the sins of Sodom when He inspired Moses to record this story in Genesis 18 and 19. The men of the city sinfully sought out the two angels, who they knew only as strangers to their city, so that they might “know them.” The context implies their desired to know these men sexually. No doubt this is why Lot earlier implored them not to spend the night in the town square.
So consumed with their sinful lusts and unsatisfied with Lot’s cowardly offer of his two virgin daughters, the men nearly broke down the door of Lot’s house so that they could act upon their homosexual desires. It seems undeniable that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah acts as a vivid description and validation of Paul’s words in Romans 1:18-32.
Truly the men of Sodom were clear and real examples of those who had been given over to a debased mind “to do what ought not to be done.” In the world of today, there is a constant push for men to come to accept and even celebrate the sin of homosexuality. Scarcely a day goes by that the so-called gay “marriage” is not found in the headlines. From government to churches, the cry for tolerance of this sinful behavior is declared from every sector of society.
God does not create a person with homosexual desires. The Bible tells us that people become homosexuals because of sin (Romans 1:24-27) and ultimately because of their own choices. A person may be born with a greater susceptibility to homosexuality, just as some people are born with a tendency to violence and other sins. That does not excuse the person’s choosing to sin by giving in to sinful desires. If a person is born with a greater susceptibility to anger/rage, does that make it right for him to give into those desires? Of course not! The same is true of homosexuality.
The Christians know that the Bible cannot be denied. Thus, no matter what the culture proclaims, the man who hopes in the Lord and who trusts in and lives by the truth found in His Word, knows that such debauchery should never be celebrated as morally right. The Christian must stand firm on these truths of Scripture as found in the written Word, not as found in a television miniseries.
However, the Bible does not describe homosexuality as a “greater” sin than any other. All sin is offensive to God. Homosexuality is just one of the many things listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that will keep a person from the kingdom of God. According to the Bible, God’s forgiveness is just as available to a homosexual as it is to an adulterer, idol worshiper, murderer, thief etc. However, that person must repent and turn away from this sin. God also promises the strength for victory over sin, including homosexuality to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation. (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:13)
Rev. Dr. Steven Kau is the pastor of Faith Covenant Church. The church address is at 1-1 Jalan Putra Mahkota 7/5B, 47650 Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor. Sunday service in English starts at 10 am. His email contact – kausteven@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The views or opinions expressed by the columnists are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Christianity Malaysia.
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References for pictures:
http://tommartinatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/the-bible-miniseries.jpg
http://freechristimages.org/Images_Genesis/Sodom-and-Gomorrah-_John-Martin-1840.jpg
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