Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage? 21 Conversations from a Historically Christian View

Preston Sprinkle has created something remarkable: he has compiled arguably the most comprehensive list of contemporary biblically derived arguments in favor of same-sex marriages, then provided equally thoughtful and reasonable counterarguments. I think this book is a must-read for every minister, especially with the expanding globalization of our world.

Young people of every nation and culture are joining a global community online that predomi­nately accepts all who fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. The church may continue to bury its head in the sand, but the topic is here and here to stay, and Christianity is light-years behind in the conversation. This book can help you get up to speed.

There are so many nuances to this conversation that most Christians, even pastors, are not prepared to discuss. In the past few decades, LGBTQ+ Christians and those affirming that community have meticulously constructed exegetical models of Scripture to make the historically opposing camps of Christianity and LGBTQ+ compatible. Their arguments are well thought out and have caused many Christians to question their long-held beliefs. Sprinkle has collected 21 of the most common and compelling of these arguments against the traditional biblical view of marriage.

If you are a Christian who holds the traditional view of marriage, this book will help you be better versed in the biblical arguments for your beliefs. If you are sympathetic to the LGBTQ+ community, you will find value in this book too. Sprinkle goes to great lengths to give a fair and honest critique of both sides, so even if you disagree with his conclusions, you will find this book helpful in understanding the theology of both sides.

The book does have limitations. Sprinkle is upfront about those limitations. In the book’s preface he states the intent is to address arguments for and against the Bible’s stance on homosexual, or gay and lesbian, marriages. That means it does not address issues regarding bisexuality, transgender identity, or anything else in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The book does not even cover all aspects of homosexuality; the scope of the book is narrowly defining true biblical marriage.

Another, even more troubling limitation of the book is that I fear it will only be appreciated by a certain crowd listening to their own echo chamber. In the preface Sprinkle states that the book is written for three audiences: Christians who believe in the traditional view of biblical marriage, Christians who disagree, and Christians who are on the fence (13). Absent is any statement that the book is intended for a non-Christian audience—which is the author probably admitting the obvious: they are not interested.

To his credit, Sprinkle makes herculean efforts to be sensitive toward a non-Christian audience, but he fails at times. There were moments while reading the book that I winced, knowing that a word or phrase he used would be picked apart by my LGBTQ+ friends. One example is that he uses the term female throughout the book and primarily addresses the sexual differences between men and women (37); the LGBTQ+ community has largely rejected the term female in favor of woman,¹ and they emphasize a broader range of differences between genders than just sexual differences between men and women. Is this book likely to be favorably received by those in the LGBTQ+ community? Unlikely.

This is not necessarily a book for you to share as an apologetic resource or evangelistic tool. Rather, this book is essential reading for you to absorb and be better prepared to have more intelligent conversations with people of all beliefs and persuasions.