God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships

Matthew Vines

Apr 2014 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Matthew Vines

About this audiobook

“God and the Gay Christian is a game changer. Winsome, accessible, and carefully researched, every page is brought to life by the author’s clear love for Scripture and deep, persistent faith. With this book, Matthew Vines emerges as one of my generation’s most important Christian leaders, not only on matters of sexuality but also on what it means to follow Jesus with wisdom, humility, and grace.  Prepare to be challenged and enlightened, provoked and inspired. Read with an open heart and mind, and you are bound to be changed.”
— Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood and Faith Unraveled

As a young Christian man, Matthew Vines harbored the same basic hopes of most young people: to someday share his life with someone, to build a family of his own, to give and receive love. But when he realized he was gay, those hopes were called into question. The Bible, he’d been taught, condemned gay relationships.
 
Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality. With care and precision, Vines asked questions such as:
 
• Do biblical teachings on the marriage covenant preclude same-sex marriage or not?
• How should we apply the teachings of Jesus to the gay debate?
• What does the story of Sodom and Gomorrah really say about human relationships?
• Can celibacy be a calling when it is mandated, not chosen?
• What did Paul have in mind when he warned against same-sex relations?
 
Unique in its affirmation of both an orthodox faith and sexual diversity, God and the Gay Christian is likely to spark heated debate, sincere soul search­ing, even widespread cultural change. Not only is it a compelling interpretation of key biblical texts about same-sex relations, it is also the story of a young man navigating relationships with his family, his hometown church, and the Christian church at large as he expresses what it means to be a faithful gay Christian.

Ratings and reviews

The man that wrote this BOOK (ITS FAR FROM BEING A BIBLE) has found a way to get rich off of other people's ignorance. The BIBLE is very clear on homosexuality being a sin. Read Roman's 1:27. That one scripture will blast this stupid BOOK right off of the bookshelf and in to the trash where it belongs. Common sense tells a person that 2 men or 2 women together is sin. The BIBLE says they are burned in their lust. People that believe this trash are looking for a way to live their lives guilt free

I am in total agreement with the bible . Those who write books to console a person who claims to be gay/lesbian is leading innocent people to Hell. When I use the word innocent I'm not saying the sexual act is innocent. Its born in us that homosexuality is wrong . That's why those who claim to be gay/lesbian still try to hide it because deep inside their inner selves they know it's wrong. What I mean by innocent people is that many people who claim to be homosexual have no idea what the bible says about their life style and someone who claims to know the scriptures is misleading them . That is sad. Homosexuality is a very toxic sin. God loves us all and died for ALL . All people need to hear truth spoken . They need to be pointed to Jesus. When they seek Him and find Him then He will teach them His ways. The Holy Spirit will convict sin and change hearts and give knowledge. Christian's need to pray for homosexuals and those who lead them and deceit them. Because the Light is not in them.

The whole notion of using God's word to legitimise something it condemns, is ludicrous. The fact that the author has studied God's word in no way precludes the possibility of reaching a wrong conclusion. The author in question has a vested interest in justifying his penchant and in trying to convince others of the validity of his lifestyle. I think that people who live a lifestyle that is not Biblical should either repent or live their life and stop trying to make everyone else approve of them.

About the author

Matthew Vines is the founder of The Reformation Project, a Bible-based, non-profit organization that seeks to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. Matthew took a leave from his studies at Harvard University to research what the Bible says about homosexuality. His teaching on this topic has been featured in media worldwide, including USA Today, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matthew lives in Wichita, Kansas.