The claim that “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” is one of the most common—and most misleading—assertions made by those attempting to harmonize the LGBTQ movement with Christianity.
It appears in Progressive pulpits, activist manifestos, and even church mission statements that promote “inclusion” over biblical truth.
At face value, the claim sounds reasonable. After all, if Jesus didn’t directly address homosexuality, doesn’t that suggest He didn’t consider it significant—or perhaps even disapproved of the Old Testament’s harsh stance?
This argument, however, is deeply flawed. It reflects not only a poor grasp of biblical content but a profound misunderstanding of who Jesus is and how Scripture works. It also fails to reckon with how God designed the human body, male and female, to function in sexual union—and how same-sex acts violate that design in both moral and biological terms.
In this article, we will use the principles of biblical hermeneutics to expose the theological shallowness and biological incoherence of this popular yet dangerous claim. In doing so, we will reaffirm the authority, coherence, and compassion of God’s design for human sexuality—rooted in creation, revealed in the Law, reinforced by Christ, and fulfilled in the gospel.
What Is Hermeneutics and Why Does It Matter?
Before examining the claim, we must define our terms. Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpreting texts—particularly the Bible. The word comes from the Greek hermēneuein, meaning to interpret or explain. Proper hermeneutics is essential for understanding not only what the Bible says, but what it means and how to apply it faithfully.
A sound hermeneutical method guards against three common errors:
- Prooftexting: quoting a verse without context to make it say something it doesn’t.
- Eisegesis: reading your own opinions or ideology into the text.
- Chronological snobbery: treating modern moral sensibilities as superior to ancient Scripture.
Key hermeneutical principles include:
- Context: Every passage must be read within its literary, historical, and theological setting.
- Scripture interprets Scripture: The Bible is internally consistent and must be interpreted as a whole.
- Authorial intent: Meaning is determined by the inspired author, not the reader’s feelings.
- Theological continuity: God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8); neither does His moral law.
- Christological focus: All Scripture ultimately points to Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27).
This last point is crucial: Jesus is not merely a wise man or reformer. He is the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, through whom all Scripture was inspired (John 1:1; Col. 1:16–17; 2 Tim. 3:16). That means the Law given to Moses, the words of the prophets, and the writings of Paul are all the voice of Christ.
The Progressive Argument: “Jesus Never Mentioned Homosexuality”
Progressive Christians and LGBTQ-affirming activists often phrase their argument like this:
“Jesus never once said anything about homosexuality. If it were a sin, He would have told us. His silence is proof that Christians are misinterpreting Scripture.”
Some go further and claim that Jesus was affirming toward sexual minorities or that His ministry to outcasts included LGBTQ individuals—though there is no textual evidence for either.
This line of argument depends heavily on red-letter reductionism—the idea that only the words attributed directly to Jesus in the Gospels are authoritative. But such a view ignores the fact that Jesus is not only the Messiah of the New Testament—He is the LORD of the Old Testament.
To say that Jesus didn’t address homosexuality is to ignore His divine authorship of the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
Hermeneutical Analysis of the Claim
Immediate Context: What Did Jesus Actually Say?
Jesus may not have used the modern term “homosexuality,” but He repeatedly affirmed the male-female sexual ethic rooted in Genesis. In Matthew 19:4–6, He says:
Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
This is not a passing remark. It is a deliberate affirmation of God’s design:
- Binary sex is grounded in creation (male and female);
- Marriage is heterosexual by definition (man and wife);
- Sexual union is for male-female covenantal relationship (one flesh).
Jesus appeals to Genesis 1 and 2 as divinely authoritative. He is not reinterpreting them—He is reaffirming them. This is Jesus’ most explicit statement on sexuality, and it excludes all other arrangements—same-sex, polygamous, or otherwise.
In Mark 7:21–23, Jesus also condemns porneia—translated as “sexual immorality”:
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality (porneia), theft, murder, adultery…
Porneia in first-century Judaism referred broadly to all sexual acts outside the male-female marriage covenant, including homosexual acts, bestiality, incest, and prostitution. Jesus didn’t have to list each sin individually—His Jewish audience knew what porneia meant.
Thus, the idea that Jesus “never addressed homosexuality” is hermeneutically illiterate.
Historical-Cultural Context: Jesus Among the Jews
Jesus spoke to first-century Jews who upheld the sexual moral code of Leviticus. Homosexual acts were explicitly condemned as abominations in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. These prohibitions were not ceremonial or civil—they were part of the moral law rooted in creation and tied to holiness (Lev. 18:24–30).
Had Jesus intended to overturn this moral standard, He would have said so explicitly—just as He did with dietary laws (Mark 7:19) and the Sabbath. But He didn’t. Instead, He reaffirmed that not “one jot or tittle” would pass from the Law until all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17–19).
In the absence of any revision, the only legitimate conclusion is that Jesus affirmed the sexual ethics of His Father—which is to say, His own, as the eternal Son.
Biblical Theology and Canonical Context: Jesus Is the Lawgiver
Here we reach the heart of the issue: Who is Jesus?
Progressives often treat Jesus as though He’s a soft-spoken rabbi correcting the harsh God of the Old Testament. But that dichotomy is false and heretical. Jesus is not the kind face of God—He is God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). He is not a break from the Old Testament, but its fulfillment (Matthew 5:17).
John 8:58 Before Abraham was, I AM.
This is a direct claim to deity. Jesus identifies Himself with the YHWH of Exodus 3—the One who gave the Law to Moses on Sinai. That means the laws against homosexual practice in Leviticus are not “someone else’s words”—they are Jesus’ words.
Therefore, to claim that Jesus is silent on homosexuality is to deny His divine identity and to divide the Trinity—a grave theological error.
God’s Design in Biology: Male and Female He Created Them
Apart from Scripture, the human body itself testifies to God’s design. Romans 1 speaks not only of moral rebellion but of natural revelation—what can be known about God from creation itself:
For what can be known about God is plain to them… For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God… their foolish hearts were darkened… and they exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature.
—Romans 1:19–27 (selected)
Here Paul declares that homosexual acts are “contrary to nature”—they violate the biological design that is observable in the male and female bodies. The human reproductive system is ordered for heterosexual union. Consider:
Male and female anatomy are complementary. The structure of male and female sex organs reflects mutual design for union and reproduction.
Procreative capacity only exists in male-female pairings. Despite all modern “gender” theories, only one arrangement produces life.
Homosexual acts are medically harmful. Anal intercourse between males introduces the risk of:
- Fecal contamination due to the anatomical design of the rectum
- Tearing and trauma to sensitive tissue not made for penetration
- Increased rates of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV)
Lesbian acts, though less biologically traumatic, still lack the design of union. They simulate sexual union without the anatomy that makes it possible.
To be blunt, the human body was not designed for same-sex sexual activity. Nature itself gives us witness to this truth. When someone says, “Jesus didn’t talk about gay sex,” they miss the fact that Jesus made the body (Colossians 1:16). And the body testifies to His will.
Scripture and nature speak with one voice: Male and female are divinely complementary, biologically coherent, and morally ordered.
The Pauline Epistles: The Voice of Christ Through His Apostle
Critics of Paul often attempt to dismiss his authority, claiming he was a “man of his time” or that his writings contradict Jesus. But this, too, is a false dichotomy. Paul was personally chosen and commissioned by the risen Christ (Acts 9), and his writings are Scripture (2 Peter 3:15–16).
In Romans 1:24–27, Paul describes homosexual acts as:
- “dishonorable passions”
- “contrary to nature”
- “shameless acts”
He does not single them out because they are the worst sins, but because they are clear examples of idolatry and rebellion against God’s created order.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul includes arsenokoitai (men who practice homosexuality) in a list of sins that exclude people from the kingdom—unless they are washed, sanctified, and justified.
The Greek term arsenokoitai comes from arsēn (man) and koitē (bed), and directly reflects the language of Leviticus 20:13 in the Greek Septuagint. This is no coincidence—Paul is rooting his sexual ethic in the Old Testament law of God, which is still morally binding.
Critics who attempt to limit Paul’s words to exploitative or abusive relationships are not using honest exegesis—they are importing foreign categories to distort the text.
Paul, like Jesus, upheld the male-female sexual ethic of creation. And since Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—his words are Christ’s words.
Rebutting the Misuse: The Dangers of Red-Letter Reductionism
Let’s summarize why the “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” argument fails:
1. It assumes Jesus is not God.
This argument implicitly treats Jesus as less than divine by separating His words from the rest of Scripture. But Jesus is the eternal Word (John 1:1). The Law of Moses, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Apostles all speak His Word.
2. It ignores what Jesus did say.
Jesus affirmed Genesis, condemned porneia, and reinforced the call to sexual purity. His silence on specific acts (e.g., incest, bestiality) is not approval—He upheld the full moral law of God.
3. It divorces Christ from the Law He gave.
The same Jesus who spoke the Beatitudes also thundered on Sinai. To say He didn’t “mention” something He had already spoken authoritatively in Leviticus is to deny His continuity as God the Son.
4. It ignores biology and creation order.
Christ not only gave the Law—He designed the body. Male and female bodies are made for union. Same-sex acts contradict this design and bring physical harm as well as spiritual disorder.
5. It distorts the gospel of grace.
Jesus came not to affirm sinners in their identity, but to save them from sin and restore them to God. The gospel is not about self-expression—it’s about transformation through repentance and faith.
The True Gospel: Grace Without Compromise
The message of Christ is both truth and grace—never one without the other.
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”
—John 8:11
This is Jesus’ pattern. He meets sinners where they are but does not leave them there. He offers mercy, but demands repentance.
The gospel is for all sinners—including those caught in homosexual desires or identity confusion. But it calls them not to affirmation, but to new life—freedom from bondage, restoration to God, and transformation into Christ’s image.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:11, after listing sexual sins:
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified…”
This is the message the church must recover: You can be changed. The blood of Christ cleanses. The Spirit empowers. The new birth is real.
But this cannot happen where sin is denied. To affirm what God condemns is to close the door to repentance and salvation.
Conclusion: Clarity, Courage, and Christ-Centered Compassion
To say “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” is not just hermeneutically wrong—it’s spiritually dangerous. It invites people to remain in sin under the false impression that Christ affirms them just as they are. But the Jesus of Scripture is not a mascot for modern identity politics. He is Lord of creation, Lawgiver at Sinai, Redeemer at the cross, and Judge of all the earth.
He made us male and female. He spoke the Law that calls homosexual acts sin. He died to forgive those sins. And He rose to give new life to those who repent.
True compassion tells the truth. False compassion whispers lies to broken people who need the healing power of God’s Word. May the church never exchange clarity for cultural applause.
Let us stand firm—with conviction, compassion, and courage—proclaiming that Christ is both Savior and King. And He has spoken.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
MMXXV
christiannewsjunkie@gmail.com
RELATED CONTENT
Concerning the Related Content section, I encourage everyone to evaluate the content carefully.
If I have listed the content, I think it is worthwhile viewing to educate yourself on the topic, but it may contain coarse language or some opinions I don’t agree with.
Realize that I sometimes use phrases like “trans man”, “trans woman”, “transgender” , “transition” or similar language for ease of communication. Obviously, as a conservative Christian, I don’t believe anyone has ever become the opposite sex. Unfortunately, we are forced to adopt the language of the left to discuss some topics without engaging in lengthy qualifying statements that make conversations awkward.
Feel free to offer your comments below. Respectful comments without expletives and personal attacks will be posted and I will respond to them.
Comments are closed after sixty days due to spamming issues from internet bots. You can always send me an email at christiannewsjunkie@gmail.com if you want to comment on something afterwards, though.
I will continue to add videos and other items to the Related Content section as opportunities present themselves.