Peter spoke of those in his day who distorted God’s word and brought on their own destruction by manipulating (wresting/twisting) it to make it appear to teach things it didn’t, 2nd Peter 3:14-18. He referred to such people as untaught, unstable, and unprincipled.

I believe that a good ‘modern day’ example of what Peter was talking about is what some are now doing with a passage in Ezekiel in an attempt to defend the practice of homosexuality.

The text in question is Ezekiel 16:48-50, and reads as follows:

“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.”


It is now being said that since God only specifies here the sins of arrogance, laziness and apathy towards the poor that God never considered their ‘sexuality’ sinful. Nothing could be farther from the truth or more of a deceptive twisting of the overall report on Sodom.

Ezekiel said that those specified sins led the Sodomites to commit abominations. It appears evident that their arrogance and ease freed them from any sense of moral restraint.

Consider that God provided us with an account of what the men of the city did:

… the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” Genesis 19:4-5

If you have any doubt as to their intentions, rest assured that Lot did not. In a twisted attempt to defend his guests, and satisfy the mob’s demands, he offered them his two virgin daughters. Rather than accept the offer of the young virgins, the mob threatened to do worse to Lot than they had intended to do to the men.

What does God say about such behavior as the men of Sodom practiced?

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 18:22

If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of
them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their
blood guiltiness is upon them.     Leviticus 20:13


Interestingly, the Hebrew word used in both of the verses above that is translated respectively as abomination, and detestable act, is exactly the same word Ezekiel used to describe the acts of the Sodomites. And everyone knows what sodomy is.

Don’t be fooled. No matter how people try to defend fornication, adultery, pornography, the practice of homosexuality or other such things, God still defines them as sin.
Marty Kessler