What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

The historic Christian reading is that sexual intimacy belongs in the marriage of a man and a woman. Leviticus 18:22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.Leviticus 18:22 · King James Version, Romans 1:26–27^1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ^1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.Romans 1:26–27 · King James Version, and 1 Corinthians 6:9–11^6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ^6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ^6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:9–11 · King James Version name same-sex sexual acts as sin, and in Matthew 19:4–6^19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ^19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ^19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.Matthew 19:4–6 · King James Version Jesus points back to the Creator making them male and female.

Key points

• Leviticus 18:22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.Leviticus 18:22 · King James Version says, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
• Romans 1:26–27^1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ^1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.Romans 1:26–27 · King James Version says women exchanged the natural use and men burned in lust toward men.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9–11^6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ^6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ^6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:9–11 · King James Version lists “abusers of themselves with mankind” among those who do not inherit the kingdom, and then says, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed.”
• In Matthew 19:4–6^19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ^19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ^19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.Matthew 19:4–6 · King James Version Jesus says the Creator made them male and female, and that the two become one flesh.
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357, says homosexual acts “Under no circumstances can they be approved,” and paragraph 2359 says homosexual persons “are called to chastity.”
• Churches have not all published the same recent statements. This page quotes the ones fetched. What does the Bible say about divorce? is the marriage covenant in Jesus’ words.

What the Bible says

Leviticus 18:22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.Leviticus 18:22 · King James Version (King James Version) says:

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 18:22 · King James Version

Romans 1:26–27^1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ^1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.Romans 1:26–27 · King James Version (King James Version) says:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Romans 1:26–27 · King James Version

1 Corinthians 6:9–11^6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ^6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ^6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:9–11 · King James Version (King James Version) names the acts and then the washing:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 · King James Version

In Matthew 19:4–6^19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ^19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ^19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.Matthew 19:4–6 · King James Version (King James Version) Jesus answers a question about divorce by going back to creation:

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Matthew 19:4–6 · King James Version

Mark 10:6–9^10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. ^10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; ^10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. ^10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.Mark 10:6–9 · King James Version says the same: from the beginning God made them male and female, and what God has joined, man is not to put asunder. Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.Genesis 1:27 · King James Version and Genesis 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.Genesis 2:24 · King James Version are the lines he is using.

Where churches stand

The comparison below quotes published statements. It does not rank the churches after the quotations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America reports that its 2025 Churchwide Assembly amended the sexuality social statement, and the page fetched does not print the statement. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order text was not on the page fetched. The United Methodist Social Principles page fetched speaks about marriage and does not print a paragraph on homosexual acts; the marriage sentence is quoted on divorce. Global Methodist, Assemblies of God, Episcopal, and Anglican Church in North America pages were not available as the documents named, so they are not quoted.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357, says:

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

Paragraph 2358 says the inclination is “objectively disordered,” and that men and women with deep-seated homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” and that every sign of unjust discrimination should be avoided. Paragraph 2359 says:

Homosexual persons are called to chastity.

The Southern Baptist Convention resolution of June 1, 2016 says:

WHEREAS, In the beginning God created male and female in His image as the crowning act of Creation (Genesis 1:26–27); and WHEREAS, Marriage is between one man and one woman, ordered by God toward the union of the spouses, the means of procreation, formative of family, and foundational to the common good of society (Genesis 1:28, 2:18–24);

The same resolution encourages churches to love neighbors who identify as transgender and to encourage those who struggle with gender identity or same-sex attraction but have chosen holiness. The Baptist Faith and Message page itself was not fetched (the request was refused), so this quotation is the resolution’s own sentence.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod FAQ, a synod answer page rather than a new confession, says:

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believes the Bible teaches homosexual behavior is contrary to God’s Word and will, and the LCMS seeks to minister to those who are struggling with homosexual inclinations.

The Presbyterian Church in America, 5th General Assembly, 1977, states:

The act of homosexuality is a sin according to God’s Word

and that churches should lead the person to confession and repentance, and that a practicing homosexual continuing in this sin “would not be a fit candidate for ordination or membership in the Presbyterian Church in America.”

The Orthodox Church in America says Jesus insisted “that one unique marriage between man and woman was God’s will from the beginning,” and:

Sexual intercourse is to be protected as a sacred expression of love within the community of heterosexual monogamous marriage in which alone it can be that for which God has given it to human beings for their sanctification.

On homosexuality the same statement says:

Homosexuality is to be approached as the result of humanity’s rebellion against God, and so against its own nature and well-being. It is not to be taken as a way of living and acting for men and women made in God’s image and likeness.

It says persons with homosexual feelings “are to be treated with the understanding, acceptance, love, justice and mercy due to all human beings,” and that those who still justify the behavior “may not participate in the Church’s sacramental mysteries.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a Trinitarian church. The Family: A Proclamation to the World says:

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not a Trinitarian church. Their page What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality? says:

God created humans to engage in sex only within the arrangement of marriage between a male and a female. The Bible condemns sexual activity that is not between a husband and wife, whether it is homosexual or heterosexual conduct. While the Bible disapproves of homosexual acts, it does not condone hatred of homosexuals or homophobia.

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

I can’t become a Christian because of this

Some people hear these verses as a refusal of who they are, or as a license for contempt. 1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:11 · King James Version names people who had practiced the sins in the list and says they were washed. The Catholic catechism, the Southern Baptist resolution, the LCMS FAQ, the Orthodox statement, and the Jehovah’s Witness page each say, in the sentences already quoted, that the person is to be received without hatred. The Christian claim is that Jesus is God, that he died and rose, and that sexual sin is among the sins he washes. That confession is the deity of Christ and the resurrection.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Bible say same-sex attraction itself is the act?

Leviticus 18:22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.Leviticus 18:22 · King James Version and Romans 1:26–27^1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ^1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.Romans 1:26–27 · King James Version speak of the sexual act and the lust that drives it. 1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:11 · King James Version speaks to people who had been in the list and were washed. The churches quoted above separate the person, who is to be treated with respect, from the act, which they call sin.

Did Jesus mention homosexuality?

The Gospels do not use a later English word for it. In Matthew 19:4–6^19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ^19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ^19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.Matthew 19:4–6 · King James Version Jesus answers with the Creator’s male and female and with one flesh. Matthew 19:9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.Matthew 19:9 · King James Version names fornication as the exception he gives for divorce.

Can a person who has same-sex desires become a Christian?

1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.1 Corinthians 6:11 · King James Version says some in Corinth had been in that list and were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Christian confession is that Jesus is God and that he saves sinners. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16 · King James Version is the sentence.