Whatever Commandment There May Be

By Davian Aw

How should the overarching message of Christianity inform our response to the moral issues of our time?

This book challenges the belief that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings, providing intelligent, witty and meticulous study of the contextual and historical background behind those parts of Scripture.

The book also addresses some of the harmful myths and misconceptions about the LGBT community that still pervade many Christian circles, and calls for the church to respond in a way that exemplifies the love that Jesus stood for; even - perhaps especially - when we disagree.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Davian Aw
• Release date: Jun 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463633939

Davian Aw

Davian Aw is a Singaporean writer whose short fiction and poetry – for which he was nominated for the 2018 Rhysling Award – have appeared in a number of local and international publications. He serves on the worship team at Free Community Church and was co-facilitator for its 2015 run of Living Water, a support group for gay Christian men seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality. He was baptised at FCC on Easter 2018

Book preview

Whatever Commandment There May Be

A Christian response to homosexuality

(2018 Revised Edition)

By Davian Aw

On behalf of Free Community Church

Copyright © 2018 Davian Aw

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

For permission requests, contact us by email at [e-mail].

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Davian Aw

Table of Contents

Dedication

Preface

Genesis 19: Sodom and Gomorrah

Mutual Love and Consent

Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

Biology

Romans 1:26-27

Arsenokoitai and Malakoi

The Anatomy of Sin

Reparative Therapy and the Obligation of Celibacy

Temptation

On Suicide, Depression and Promiscuity in the LGBT Community

All the Law and the Prophets

Maximal Justice

Mere Christianity

About the Author

About Free Community Church

Notes

Dedication

In loving memory

Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao

Test all things; hold fast what is good.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Preface

I write this in the spirit of reconciliation.

I’ve long been unsettled by the misconceptions about homosexuality that pervade many Christian circles in Singapore. I respect the rights of others to hold differing opinions, but I cannot do so when these are based on assumptions I know to be wrong. This book is my attempt to correct the record, especially in light of the National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS)’s book on the subject by Dr. Roland Chia, Homosexuality: Questions and Answers (2014), which repeated many of those dangerous myths and misconceptions.

I will be presenting an overview of some of the contextual and historical background to parts of Scripture often used to condemn homosexuality, as well as how I think the overarching message of Christianity should inform our response to the moral issues at hand. While I’m far from the first author to write on this topic, there hasn’t yet been much of an effort to reach out to the Singaporean church, and I hope people will find it helpful to hear these other perspectives in a local context.

As always, I acknowledge my own limited understanding and welcome corrections.

Regardless of where we may disagree, I recognise that my fellow Christians are on the same journey as I am to live out the lives that Jesus calls us to.

I believe, in the end, we’re all seeking the truth.

Genesis 19: Sodom and Gomorrah

We start with Genesis 19, the first of six passages in the Bible typically cited to condemn homosexuality. In this chapter, we read of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, hosts three male guests (actually angels) at his house in Sodom. That night, all the men of the city surround the house, demanding that Lot bring out those men so that they can have sex with them. When Lot refuses, they threaten him and try to break down his door.

Many thus conclude that Sodom was destroyed for homosexuality; after all, those men wanted to have sex with men. Yet it is impossible to see this incident as anything other than attempted gang rape.

Nothing in this story suggests sexual attraction. Rape is a sexual act, but one not about sexual fulfilment as much as the violent domination of another person. Conquering soldiers in the ancient world would often rape their defeated enemies – not because they found them irresistibly attractive, but because it was a way to further humiliate and emasculate them by treating them ‘like women’. These days, we have the existence of prison rape, even though the majority of perpetrators are not gay and are not acting out of attraction, let alone love.

In the story, Lot offers his virgin daughters to the mob as a substitute. Some say this only makes sense if homosexuality was the wicked thing that he was referring to. However, not only would gay men have been completely uninterested in his daughters, but Lot himself explains his actions in the very same sentence (bolds mine):

Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.

– Genesis 19:8 (NIV)

Lot did not say, for they are men, and even raping women isn’t as bad as consensual sex between men. His concern instead was that these were his guests to whom he had promised protection, and he was determined to keep his word even to the extent of sacrificing his own daughters, who had no say in the matter.

The parallel story in Judges 19 supports this interpretation (bolds mine):

²²While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him. ²³The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. ²⁴Look,