Bible and homosexuality. We talk about it with biblical scholar Alberto Maggi

Interview by Silvia Lanzi of 5 April 2011

Is the Bible often cited as the main source of condemnation of homosexual attitudes? Is it really like that? I asked Father Alberto Maggi*, biblical scholar and theologian.
Here's what he told me: “When dealing with the Bible, Sacred Scripture for Jews and Christians, you need to have great honesty, spiritual, theological, scientific, intellectual. One of the most egregious and instrumental errors is to search among the sea of ​​texts contained in the Bible for a phrase, a statement in favor of one's own thesis or against that of others.

Or look in the Bible for explanations of topics that are not covered in it, confusing this sacred book with texts on scientific subjects that go beyond what is covered in Sacred Scripture.

The Bible is essentially a book of theology. In it there are no news stories that concern history, but truths that concern faith.

For this reason it is not possible to approach the Bible as a book on archeology (even if it contains archaeological elements), trying to demonstrate one's theses, or on geography, topography.

Nor can we approach the Bible as if it were a text on astrophysics or biology."

Why this premise?

Because as a student of the Word of God I find myself in great difficulty when I am asked questions regarding the Bible's teaching on homosexuality, whether against or, more rarely, for.

An honest answer from a scientific point of view is that one cannot search the Bible for statements regarding topics that are not addressed in it.

The term homosexuality, absent in the Bible, the Italian translation of the German word Homosexualität (from the Greek omoios "similar", and from the Latin sexus,), was coined only in 1869 (before then the term used was sodomy with reference to the well-known episode narrated in Book of Genesis, chapter 19).

Precisely. The Sodom episode…

Going to look for traces of it in biblical passages is misleading as well as not honest from a scientific and theological point of view.

Seeking its condemnation in the episode of the destruction of Sodom means distorting the meaning of the passage, which is not a moral treatise (Lot offers his two virgin daughters to the men who wanted to abuse his guests without batting an eye), it does not concern sexuality or its abuses, but the transgression of the sacred duty of hospitality in the Bedouin civilization of the time.

The guest was considered so sacred that one was required to offer one's life for his safety. Likewise, it is not possible to find references or condemnations to homosexuality in the tables of the Law.

The much-quoted verse from the Book of Leviticus does not deal with homosexuality, in it the man who sleeps with a man as one does with a woman is considered abominable (Lev 18.22), but nothing is said about the woman who behaves the same way.

But, then, how should we read Paul's condemnation of homosexuality?

Even the passages in which Paul condemns certain depravities in his letters must be taken for what they are: condemnation of depravities. The term hetero was as unknown at that time as homosexual was, a man who married another man was simply one who deviated from his nature to experience exciting new passions.

In fact, Paul thunders against those who have abandoned "the natural relationship with women" (Rom 1.27), because in his culture this was what knowledge allowed, it would take centuries before the term and meaning of homosexuality was coined.

Father Maggi continues, when I ask him, instead, about episodes such as that of David and Jonathan, or the healing of the centurion, carried out by Jesus

It is not possible to find explicit references or condemnations to issues that did not exist at the time, nor is it possible, unless we force the meaning of the text, to find support for them.

The funeral song attributed to David in honor of his friend Jonathan, who died in battle together with his father, King Saul, contains the expression: “You were very dear to me; your friendship was precious to me, more than the love of a woman" (2 Sam 1.26), it is a praise to friendship, not to the love between the two.

A friendship between men, or between equals, was more important than the relationship with a being considered inferior such as a woman.

Finally, the healing carried out by Jesus for the servant of the centurion of Capernaum cannot be used as evidence in favor of Christ's understanding attitude towards a love relationship between the two, unless, here too, the text is distorted.

In fact, in Matthew's passage we speak of servant, in Greek pais, which also means boy and can be translated both as "my servant" and "my boy" (Mt 8.5-13).

But there is no mention of the centurion's affection towards him, as is instead expressed in the Gospel of Luke, where, however, he is no longer a servant, but rather a slave (Gr. doulos), this one being "dear" or "precious" to his master (Lk 7,1-10).

If you want to talk about Christ's behavior towards homosexuals, you cannot therefore rely on texts that are either anachronistic or go beyond the topic.

“Great story”, I think ironically, but so what?

Then we can instead resort to the behavior of Jesus for those who in his era were marginalized, rejected, despised, such as tax collectors or lepers - categories of people who were considered responsible for their own impurity and for whom there was no possibility of salvation.

Jesus welcomes everyone and offers love to everyone, demonstrating that these categories of people do not have to purify themselves to be worthy of approaching him but it is by welcoming him that they are purified, that is, placed in full communion with the Lord, because, by the God of Jesus, as Peter will profess, “no man should be called profane or unclean” (Acts 10:28).

Father Maggi concludes by telling me: 'maybe you will be disappointed and maybe you expected something else... but this is what I was able and able to do'.

Disappointed? If it is true that tax collectors and lepers are brought up by Jesus as an example of faith, I wouldn't say so...

* Father Alberto Maggi is Director of Center for Biblical Studies «G. Vannucci», takes care of the dissemination, at a popular level, of scientific research in the biblical sector through writings, radio and television broadcasts and conferences in Italy and abroad.
He studied at the Pontifical Theological Faculties Marianum and Gregoriana (Rome) and at the École Biblique et Archéologique française in Jerusalem. He collaborates with the magazine Rocca and edited the program La Buona Notizia è per tutti for Vatican Radio!
He is currently working on the translation and commentary of the Gospel of John and, together with Ricardo Pérez, that of Matthew.