Can you suggest reliable, sound Bible commentaries which are not anti-gay?

by Cyril
(Switzerland)

MacArthur New Testament Commentary

MacArthur New Testament Commentary



Most modern Bible commentaries tend to be anti-gay when dealing with the clobber passages and marriage. Those which are not anti-gay often tend to be more theologically liberal, which is not a good thing. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary set pictured below, in spite of being anti-gay, is one of the best sets since it covers every passage so thoroughly. It is conservative and scholarly but very readable and also has excellent cultural, historical and linguistic insights on the text.



The twelve volume set, Expositor's Bible Commentary, from Zondervan, is a good conservative evangelical commentary. While it provides little insight on the true meaning of the clobber passages, it has excellent info on the rest of scripture. It is difficult to find as a set since it is out of print right now so I've linked to the five volume New Testament commentary which is well worth purchasing.



Gay Christians must be wise as serpents, harmless as doves. We learn to use available resources and filter out anti-gay opinions from the truthful content. Much as a cow must learn to ignore brambles and weeds to focus on clover and grass, so gay Christians learn to recognize truth and error as we read and study Bible commentaries. Knowing what the Bible says helps us differentiate truth from error in Bible commentaries.

There are some good evangelical commentaries on the whole Bible which are not as anti-gay as modern commentaries. The good theologically conservative Bible commentaries tend to be older (written several hundred years ago) but now available online for FREE. I recommend excellent online resources like these,

Blue Letter Bible,


Studylight.org


to study the Hebrew and Greek words of the Bible, to see what other translations say and for their excellent FREE online Bible commentaries. You will find many helpful online Bible study resources including commentaries by:

Matthew Henry - on the entire Bible
John Gill - on the entire Bible
Adam Clarke - on the entire Bible
John Wesley
John Darby
John Lightfoot
Albert Barne's New Testament Notes
C.I. Scofield's Notes
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the Greek New Testament and more.

Buy a good study Bible


One of the most helpful things you can do for your Christian life is to purchase a good Study Bible. The explanatory notes, the cross references and language insights plus cultural and historical information and maps will revolutionize your Bible study and your Christian life. If you're tired of being ignorant of the Bible, do something about it. Buy a good study Bible and use it every day. Here are my Study Bible suggestions and here are two helpful study Bibles.

Imitation Leather - NKJV



Premium Calfskin Leather - ESV




Interesting Information Links


Helpful Links
for eDisciples

Do you know what it
means to believe in Jesus?

Would you like to know
FOR SURE you are saved?

Return to Gay Christian FAQ

From reliable sound Bible
commentaries which are not anti-gay
Return to
Gay Christian 101 Home Page

Comments for Can you suggest reliable, sound Bible commentaries which are not anti-gay?

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 24, 2009
 Bible Commentaries
by: Cyril

Rick-

Thanks for your quick and helpful information - exactly the stuff I needed. A special thanks for your valuable thoughts about differentiating truth from error in Bible commentaries.

Cyril
Nov 22, 2009
 Glad I could be helpful
by: Rick Brentlinger

Glad to be helpful Cyril. Its always a blessing hearing from you.
Jan 18, 2011
 I'm another anti-gay gutless wonder afraid to use my name
by: Anonymous

Oh right so if we water down sin it makes it ok now. Well if I says that murder or pedoifilia or lying is ok, it doesn't make it ok in God's sight. God's Word declares that is is wrong...

1 Corinthians 6:9-10-

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

It can't be justify because of an inclination. The fact is God's word is very clear and in the old testament it is clearly show when He burned up Soddam and Gomorrah because of their illicit homosexual acts.

Search your heart because God sees all sin as the same, My sin makes me just as bad a sinner as anyone else, homosexual or liar or adulterer.

The difference is I have repented of sin and I have turned away from it and ran towards Jesus trusting him as my Lord and Saviour.
Jan 18, 2011
 Study Pray Think before you write
by: Rick Brentlinger

It grieves my heart when I get Comments like yours. Why are you so proud of being lazy? Why are you so proud of your ignorance that you assume others are ignorant?

I encourage you to humble yourself and learn to study the Bible in context. Never assume that if you believe it, it must be true. Wise Christians do not believe everything they think.

Concerning the verse you cited, please Click on 1 Cor 6:9 on the NavBar and do some study. You will be surprised at what you learn.
Dec 11, 2011
 Re Anonymous comment
by: Anonymous

Rick, Did you check YOUR lexicon?
Mar 02, 2012
 Why don't gays just abandon Christianity?
by: Bob Seidensticker

Hey - it's your call. If Christianity is working for you, that's fine. It just seems to me, as an outsider, if much of Christianity is anti-gay and the Bible is cited as the predominant reason to reject same-sex marriage laws, that you might consider leaving it.
Aug 28, 2012
 Rick, I hope you will consider my thoughts
by: Chris

The sin of Homosexuality is directly addressed in the Bible, Romans 1:27. THe Holy Spirit of God is the one who reveals the truth of God's Word to us.

The first truth that He revealed to me is that I was a sinner in need of a Savior.

The second truth was that I needed to repent of my sins and by faith in Jesus Christ receive the gift of God's grace and forgiveness. I no longer run to sin but instead run away from it.

I would encourage Rick to examine his heart about this issue of homosexuality and be brutally honest with yourself and God. But remember, genuine repentance turns away from our self and to God which means we have to sincerely want to know what He says and what he desires for us and be willing to fully surrender ourselves to His will.

Rick's comment: Thanks for your thoughts, Chris. If you'll take the time to read them, I carefully address Romans 1:27 on about 15 pages of this website - use our search feature to locate the pages.

I also have my verse by verse commentary on Romans chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 free on this website.

Your comment on Romans 1:27 indicates you have not studied that verse or chapter in any depth.

On repentance and salvation, I think we are pretty much in agreement except that I should note: Repentance does not mean to turn from your sins. Repentance means a change of mind.

Your line of thought seems to be that if you and I disagree on the gay issue, then I must not be saved or am not sincere or that I have not fully surrendered myself to God's will. That is a dangerous way to think, especially given that you have not studied the gay issue and the clobber passages.

I encourage you to obey 2 Tim 2:15 as you learn to rightly divide the word of truth. Learning to deal with scripture in context will revolutionize your Christian life. Many thanks.
Feb 04, 2013
 What about what God thinks?
by: Mike Baggett

What a commentator thinks does not matter. You can look around and pay for someone to "ease your conscience." Read The Bible and either believe it or forget it. Mike Baggett

Rick's comment: Please don't be supercilious Mike. When God commanded preachers to "Preach the word," He did it with the intention that we should listen and pay heed to what they have to say. Commentaries are a way of preaching the word.

Commentaries are a way to obey Nehemiah 8:8. "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Commentaries are a way to help people understand the reading of God's word.

Don't you want to have a heart for God's truth like the Ethiopian eunuch? "And he said, How can I (understand), except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him." Acts 8:31
Jun 02, 2016
 An Honest Evaluation
by: Christian Smith

https://bible.org/article/review-mel-white-s-what-bible-says-and-doesn-t-say-about-homosexuality

Daniel B. Wallace has taught Greek and New Testament courses on a graduate school level since 1979. He has a Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently professor of New Testament Studies at his Alma mater.

His Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Zondervan, 1996) has become a standard textbook in colleges and seminaries. He is the senior New Testament editor of the NET Bible. Dr. Wallace is also the Executive Director for the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts.

You will not find a more compassionate, loving Christian professor than Dan Wallace. His scholarship is also world-class. Please read the article noted above.

Rick's comment: Hi Christian - I'll provide a brief answer to Dr. Wallace's interesting article. Thanks for pointing it out.

I. Dr. Wallace writes: "Paul in his argument in Romans 1: he doesn’t appeal to Leviticus, since we are no longer under the law. But he does appeal to Genesis 1 as his fundamental starting point for dealing with homosexuality."

Rick answers: 1. Has it occurred to Dr. Wallace that Paul doesn't appeal to Leviticus because first century Jews understood arsenos koiten and arsenokoites as references to shrine prostitution instead of references to homosexuality?

2. Has it occurred to Dr. Wallace that Paul uses the Greek word, akatharsian, nine of the ten times it is used in the NT?

In Romans 1:24, Paul uses akatharsian with particular intent because it already had a 300 year history of being used to describe idolatry and the shrine prostitution that accompanied idolatry. Paul also uses akatharsia in Romans 6:19 to describe shrine prostitutes who got saved out of idolatry.

II. Dr. Wallace writes: "So, here’s a question for pro-gay exegetes: On what basis would they condemn bestiality?"

Rick answers: 1. Based on the creation account in Genesis 2, which rejects beastiality and indicates Adam was not compatible with any of the animals.

2. Based on Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, where Moses analogizes shrine prostitution with incest and beastiality. He does not analogize homosexuality with incest and beastiality.

III. Dr. Wallace writes: "In sum, Rom 1.26-27 almost surely is speaking generically about homosexual behavior, and is condemning it absolutely. It is not restricted to temple prostitutes, nor pederasts, nor is it implicitly excusing those with a "natural inclination" toward homosexuality. The language is very clear that these specifics are not on the horizon."

Rick answers: 1. Along with creation language, Paul also uses the Greek word, akatharsian, which by the time Paul used it in Romans, had at least three centuries of usage to describe idolatrous worship and shrine prostitution.

2. Arguing that Paul focuses on idolatry and then suddenly shifts gears to condemn lesbians and gays, is inadequate exegesis or it may be Complegesis - reading anti-gay complementarity into verses so as to attack gays. And believing that only pro-gay apologists believe Paul was talking about shrine prostitutes is to deny historical reality.

Many non-gay and anti-gay conservative Christian scholars believe Paul was talking about shrine or temple prostitutes in Romans 1:26-27.

3. Greek speaking Christians like Aristides and Justin Martyr, who lived within 100 years of Paul, understood him to be condemning idolatry and shrine prostitution.

IV. Dr. Wallace writes: "White’s exegesis of 1 Cor 6.9 and 1 Tim 1.10 is, frankly, a whitewash over the real meaning of the text. He speaks of the ambiguity of malakos and arsenokoites. But he doesn’t mention that the authoritative lexicon of the NT, known as BDAG, does not speak so ambiguiously."

BDAG also notes that "Paul’s strictures against same-sex activity cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of alleged temple prostitution… or limited to contract w. boys for homoerotic service."

Rick answers: 1. I am aware of no citation in BDAG which supports their contention that Paul is describing homosexuals or homosexuality (and not shrine prostitutes) in Romans 1. I list the first 56 historical usages of the arsenokoit stem on my arsenokoites page.

2. Paul's use of the Greek word, akatharsian, in Romans 1:24, based on LXX usage of that word to describe idolatry and shrine prostitution, indicates that vs. 26-27 are a continuation and illustration of Paul's argument against idolatry.

3. Paul's use of the Greek word, latreuō in Romans 1:25, which we translate as, served. This word, in the Greek Septuagint, always refers to serving false gods. Paul used these words with purpose, to indicate he was referring to shrine prostitutes and their unholy worship of false gods.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Gay Christian FAQ.
Enjoy this page? Get the html to share it with others.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
Site Build It! Site Build It!