How did you decide that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was homosexual?

Did you miss a gay man getting saved in Acts 8?

Did you miss a gay man getting saved in Acts 8?

Rick Brentlinger Answers -


I appreciate your good question. After the Ethiopian eunuch expressed believing faith in Jesus Christ, Philip did not forbid him to be baptized but willingly baptized him. Deuteronomy 23:1 forbad entry into the Jewish congregation, of one “wounded in the stones” or with his “privy member cut off.”

This was understood by ancient Jews, to prohibit a castrated eunuch from entering the congregation of Israel. Because this prohibition was strictly observed among Jews, Philip would not have ignored the law of Moses by baptizing the Ethipian eunuch unless he had reason to believe the eunuch was not a physical eunuch but a born eunuch, with his body intact and in working order.

Remember that at this time in history, no one on earth knew that Jews and Gentiles were one body in Christ because God had not yet given that revelation to anyone.

The apostle Paul had not been saved when the events in Acts 8 took place and so, the New Testament book of Ephesians had not been written. The early church in Acts 8 was a largely Jewish group, who believed they were still required to keep Jewish law.

The Christian church was still arguing about keeping Jewish Law in Acts 15, seven chapters after the events in Acts 8.

Therefore, because Philip was willing to baptize the eunuch and admit him to membership in the Christian congregation, he must have known that the Ethiopian eunuch was not a physically castrated eunuch.

Since scripture calls him a eunuch, if he was not physically castrated, the only other option is that he was a born eunuch. He couldn't have been a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven's sake, Matthew 19:12, because he wasn't saved yet when Philip met him.

A physically intact, born eunuch, could enter the congregation of Israel, according to the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yebamoth, Folio 81a, and according to Jeremiah 34:15-19.

There is more information in my book about eunuchs, plus the Links below contain additional information. There is absolutely no question that the ancients used the term eunuch to include those who were same sex attracted.

More Links about eunuchs


The Ethiopian eunuch

Some eunuchs are gay

Homosexual eunuchs are part of history

Same sex attracted eunuchs are historical realities

Do you know how to be saved?

Original question:

I'm sorry, but nowhere in Acts chapter 8 does it speak of the Eunuch being a homosexual, it only talks about Philip showing the Eunuch how to get saved and then baptizing him. I was wondering how you came up with this assumption that the Eunuch was a homosexual?

Comments for How did you decide that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was homosexual?

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Nov 17, 2010
 Does'nt Prove Anything
by: Eddie

Homosexuality is a choice...a choice to sin. By saying that gays are born homosexual is saying that God creates sin.
Feb 12, 2011
 Incorrect
by: Anonymous

Sorry, but your reasoning does not make sense to me. Of course, Philip was teaching and baptizing people other than Jews. In earlier verses in chapter 8 of Acts, he was in Samaria preaching the word. Samarians were not considered part of the Jewish nation. Philip was a forerunner of Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

Also, just because the man was a eunuch, whether born or castrated, it does not make him a homosexual. You are asumming such just to make your argument. The Bible teaches over and over that homosexuality is unnatural and a sin. Even if someone is attracted to the same sex, they do not have to act upon that attraction and thus sin.
Feb 13, 2011
 Your Comments are not convincing
by: Rick Brentlinger

"Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob." -Isaiah 41:21

No strong reasons in these comments, just opinions based on falsehood, such as:

"The Bible teaches over and over that homosexuality is unnatural and a sin."

Really? Why no list of scriptures which, in context, support your assertion?

It would benefit you spiritually to reread my eunuchs pages several times. That should help you to understand my rock solid, rubber meets the road, Bible-based reasoning. Many thanks for stopping by!
Jan 19, 2012
 Verses
by: Anonymous

Leviticus 18:22

Leviticus 20:13

Romans 1:26-27

I Corinthians 6:9

I Timothy 1:8-11

Jude 1:6-7
Jan 19, 2012
 Sorry kiddo, you need verses IN CONTEXT
by: Rick Brentlinger

Someone needs to gently remind you that ignorance is not a fruit of the Spirit. The verses you listed do not, in context, say anything negative about gay relationships, despite your assumption that they do.

You see honey, some of us don't get our exercise by jumping to conclusions. We read and study and interpret scripture in context. You should try that sometime. It does wonders for your understanding of the Bible. And, it allows us to be honest before God.
Jan 24, 2012
 Misinterpretation
by: Anonymous

An eunuch is not a gay. Persons who have daily access to a monarch and his family used to be castrated so that they cannot “spoil” the blood line of the monarchy by having an affair with females that have royal blood. A gay is a person like you. Therefore, an eunuch person is completely different from a gay person.
Jan 24, 2012
 Repeating false teaching doesn't make it true
by: Rick Brentlinger

I struggle to understand why you are so lazy you will not study. Repeating false teaching, like your comment about eunuchs, makes you look dumb. Making false statements when you don't have the guts to put your name with them says a lot about your lack of character.

It also makes people wonder why you refuse to educate yourself. Will you ever obey 2 Timothy 2:15 and "study to shew thyself approved unto God?" I hope you will.

A good place to start is to read my Eunuchs pages, the Links which closed my answer at the top of this page.
Jan 13, 2013
 God loves everyone
by: Anonymous

Thanks for sharing this and keeping us with sharing the truth that God loves regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. If only more people could read their bible the right way to understand that the lies that have been spread by "religion" about LGBT people are simply lies.

But they have a special place in the Kingdom of God so they should expect to be fought by the devil. Too bad that some people who truly love God are blinded by lies and prefer to spread hatred instead of love.

Thanks again for this website!
Feb 08, 2013
 Time frame
by: Deray

The eunuch in acts was not under the law of Moses, remember Christ Jesus death put a end to most of that law, if not than we would still be sacrificing animals at a temple. Nothing homosexual about eunuchs, it is explained clearly in other scriptures, no where is homosexuality mentioned.

Many of those who would be called eunuchs at that time would be in the congregation today. That goes for the blind, mute, and many other handicapped.

Rick's comment: It would help if you took time to read the post before commenting. Not doing so makes you look silly and not very intelligent.
May 25, 2013
 Was the Eunuch a Homosexual?
by: Terry

A eunuch who was put in charge of the Queens treasury, or in any close and unsupervised relationship with the Queen or the harem was always homosexual. Whether a eunuch is castrated or not, a eunuch is capable of sex - and a heterosexual eunuch would not be allowed to have continual and unsupervised access to the Queen. Kings closely guarded their wives and concubines from any unsupervised association with heterosexual males.

Those eunuchs who were utilized in service to female royalty were always homosexual in orientation - to protect the Queen and the harem from any sexual activity except with the King. Homosexual eunuchs were considered "safe" because they were not sexually attracted to women.
Jul 10, 2016
 GOD
by: messenger of God

rick, please DO NOT USE THIS EARTHLY WISDOM TO TRY AND PROVE YOUR THINKING RIGHT...

Rick's comment: I'm posting your first sentence and deleting the rest of your comment. I have no respect for guys like you who pretend to speak for God but lack courage to put your real name with your silly message.
Aug 07, 2017
 Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch
by: Flora

The meaning of eunuch is a man who has had his sexual organs removed I did not say he was homosexual.

Rick's comment: Hi Flora - I encourage you to read more about eunuchs. There is a lot of truth about eunuchs that you have missed. Here is a good place to start.

Were some eunuchs gay men who hadn't been castrated?
Aug 23, 2018
 Flavor
by: Jeff

The author of the first response stated that at this time in Acts 8 nobody knew Jews and Gentiles were one because God had not revealed it yet. This is incorrect. Isaiah himself recorded Isaiah 42:6

(NKJV) "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,

Well maybe that’s not what this verse is saying.

Isaiah 49:6 (NKJV) Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' "

Paul’s theology of the oneness of the body of Christ came from Old Testament Scriptures.

As far as the Ethiopian’s state being from birth or not nobody knows because it’s not stated.

I believe that he was probably rejected at the temple because of his state of being and thus was feeling rejected by God. He had the book of Isaiah and wanted help understanding it so he went on a journey to find answers. Unfortunately the one place he thought would be able to help rejected him.

Matthew 7:7 (NKJV) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

God was faithful and provided answers from an different source, Philip.

Acts 8:35 (NKJV) Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture (Isaiah 53:7-8), preached Jesus to him.

Philip may have even gotten to Isaiah 56:3-6.

The man being a homosexual is another subject for another time.

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