During late 2001 in the UCLA’s school newspaper, “Daily Bruin”, Russell
Bourne wrote a response to a Nov. 30th, 2001 article, “Submission
misinterprets Christianity”, by Connie Choe. In his response, Russell Bourne
attacks Christianity view of homosexuality by referring to Old Testament
passages that he tries to demonstrate as sinful if Christians do not obey them
today. We will examine here the scriptures he cited.
Scripture: “He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the
priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an
offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.” (Leviticus 1:9)
Question: Is bull sacrificing encouraged for today?
Answer: The context of this verse was God addressing to the
Israelites as evident in Leviticus 1:2 when God tells Moses, “speak to the
Israelites and say to them…” It is not for Christians today. Rather,
sacrifices of bull “is an illustration for the present time, indicating
that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the
conscience of the worshipper.” (Hebrews 9:9). Sacrifices of bulls and the
Law were only shadows of the reality (cf. Hebrews 10:1) but the reality is
found in Christ (cf. Colossians 2:17). The bull sacrifices actually points
towards Christ sacrifices for sins that is once and for all (See Hebrews
10:10) “and where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any
sacrifice for sin.” (Hebrews 10:18) Thus, the ritual of bull sacrifices is
over for today. Back to Outline
Scripture: “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as
menservants do.” (Exodus 21:7)
Question: Does the Bible encourage men to sell daughters into
slavery?
Answer: Exodus 21:7 begins with “if”, and this suggest a
theoretical case of what happens when a man sells his daughter, not an
actual encouragement for men to sell their daughters. Back
to Outline
Scripture:
“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around
you; from them you may buy slaves.” (Leviticus 25:44)
Question:
Does the Bible encourage possessing slaves from neighboring
countries today?
Answer:
This verse was God addressing to the Israelites (cf.
Leviticus 25:1-2) in a time of the theocracy of Israel (cf. Leviticus
25:38). For today, in the time of God’s grace to all nations, the Bible in
Philemon 1:16 gives an example stating, “no longer as a slave, but better
than a slave, as a dear brother…” Back
to Outline
Scripture: “But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and
scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living
creatures in the water—you are to detest.” (Leviticus 11:10)
Question: Would eating a shellfish be a sin?
Answer: No, not for today. “They are only a matter of food and
drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until
the time of the new order.” (Hebrews 9:10) Leviticus 11:10 only applied to
the Israelite and serves as an example of how God set aside the Jews to be
different and distinct and be His Holy people (see Leviticus 20:26). As
Christians in the New order or New Covenant, we find this command from
Scriptures: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God.” (1Corinthians 10:31) Back
to Outline
Scripture:
“The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it
is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely
divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You may not eat
their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”
(Leviticus 11:6-8)
Question: Is touching the skin of a dead pig a sin?
Answer: “These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every
living thing that moves in the water and every creature that moves about on
the ground,” (Leviticus 11:46) which the Lord gave to the Israelites (See
Leviticus 11:1-2) to set them apart as His nation (cf. Leviticus 20:20).
Touching a dead pig’s skin is not a sin today because of Jesus own
sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, “having canceled the written code,
with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he
took it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14) Back
to Outline
Scripture:
“Or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who
has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged
testicles.” (Leviticus 21:20)
Question:
Is approaching the altar of God with an eye defect such as
bad eyesight in need of glasses a sin?
Answer:
Context of this verse has God addressing the priests (see
Leviticus 21:1) of Israel in the time of the theocracy of Israel (cf.
Leviticus 25:38). Having an eye defect and approaching an altar is not a sin
today because the priests whom this law applied to, no longer exists today!
The high priest is now Jesus Christ who is up in Heaven (cf. Hebrews 4:14).
Thus, “for when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a
change of the law.” (Hebrews 7:12) The regulation in Leviticus 21:20 is
thus, no longer in effect. Back to Outline
Scripture:
“When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her
monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be
unclean till evening. Anything she lies on during her period will be
unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed
must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till
evening. Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and
bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed
or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean
till evening. If a man lies with her and her monthly flow touches him, he
will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean.”
(Leviticus 15:19-24)
Question:
Is it a sin to come into contact with a woman during her
period?
Answer:
This was a command for the Israelites (see Leviticus 15:1)
that were a part of the Old Covenant. Due to man’s fault with the Old
Covenant God had in place a New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:8) through His Son,
Jesus Christ. Contact with a woman in her period is not a sin for us today
since “by calling this covenant ‘new’, he has made the first one
obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” (Hebrews
8:13) Back to Outline
Scripture:
“Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges
of your beard.” (Leviticus 19:27)
Question:
Is it a sin to get your hair trim?
Answer:
This was a command to Israel (Leviticus 19:1-2) and only
applied to the time before Christ. The Law, with similar regulations such as
the one discussed here have been set aside. (Cf. Hebrews 7:18) Thus, we find
in scriptures, “now that faith has come, we are no longer under the
supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:25) Back
to Outline
Scripture:
“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your
holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it must be
put to death.” (Exodus 35:2)
Question:
Is working on the Sabbath a sin?
Answer:
This was Moses commanding the Israelites (see Exodus 35:1)
and also a part of the Levitical law (cf. Leviticus 23:1-3). The Sabbath
must first be understood from what Jesus Christ the Lord of the Sabbath
himself (cf. Mark 2:28) says about it in Mark 2:27= “The Sabbath was made
for man, not man for the Sabbath.” We must approach the Sabbath with this
understanding. The Sabbath, being a Levitical Law, was not reaffirmed in the
New Testament as being under the New Covenant. Thus through Christ, “by
abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations”
(Ephesians 1:15a), Christians are not bound to the Sabbath anymore, just as
a Christians are no longer bound to the Old Covenant law but to be under
Grace instead. Back to Outline
