Untwisting the Bible, Part IV: Sodom and Gomorrah Was About Inhospitality and Greed

The biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah is a passage steeped in controversy, manipulated by those who wish to dilute its clear moral imperatives. Among the most egregious of these distortions is the assertion that the downfall of these ancient cities was not due to sexual immorality, specifically homosexuality, but rather to other sins like greed or lack of hospitality. This skewed interpretation has even found its way into evangelical circles, most notably voiced by J.D. Greear, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention during a sermon on Romans 1. He contended that the Bible merely "whispers about homosexuality" while it "shouts about greed" and other sins.

Now, I’m not saying that Greear would make the assertion that the narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah isn’t what it clearly says it is, however, Greear’s simple-minded assertion does serve as a Trojan horse for moral relativism in the Church. It would be remiss to deny that the Bible speaks against greed and other sins. However, the claim that it only "whispers" about homosexuality is a flagrant denial of the text's clarity. But it is clear that his views have been influenced by the progressive interpretation of Scripture.

But there is an even more extreme view that does make such claims, and they dangerously misrepresent the biblical text. The plain reading of the account in Genesis 19 leaves little room for such willful ignorance. The men of Sodom surrounded Lot's house and demanded that he bring out his male guests "so that we may know them"—a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Lot's response, offering his virgin daughters as an alternative, reveals that the crowd's intent was sexual in nature. How could this well-known event, which precipitated the fiery downfall of the entire city, be deemed a "whisper"?

But the New Testament also illuminates the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude 1:7 couldn't be clearer: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." The term used here for "sexual immorality" is the Greek word "ekporneusasai," rooted in "porneia," which refers to unlawful sexual acts. The term for "perversion" is "sarkos heteras," literally "strange flesh," reinforcing the interpretation that the sin was one of unnatural sexual relations.

Some would argue that Ezekiel 16:49-50 paints a different picture, that the sin of Sodom was pride or inhospitality: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." However, a holistic reading would understand these as ancillary sins, symptomatic of their greater moral depravity, not the primary cause of their destruction. And let's not overlook one inconvenient detail here—the very next verse in Ezekiel declares that they were "haughty and did detestable things before me."

The phrase "did detestable things before me" is vital for interpreting the sin of Sodom correctly. In the Old Testament, the term often translated as "detestable things" or “abominations” is "to'evah," a word used frequently to describe sexual immorality. This term appears in Leviticus 18 and 20, where it outlines various forms of unlawful sexual relations, including same-sex relations. The Hebrew terminology and context make it abundantly clear: the "detestable things" are, in this context, sexual sins.

Now, to say that they "did detestable things before me" isn't just an arbitrary cataloging of sin. It's a statement about the gravity of sinning openly in the presence of a Holy God, as if to challenge His very nature and authority. This further demonstrates that the core issue in Sodom and Gomorrah was a flagrant, high-handed violation of God's moral law, and not merely social injustices or ethical failures. It's as if the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah were flaunting their sin, undeterred by the knowledge that the eyes of the Lord were upon them.

The danger of reducing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah to mere social injustices or ethical shortcomings is that it neuters the gravity of sexual sin and, by extension, the holiness of God. God does not "whisper" about sins that defile His creation and mar His image—He declares them loudly and prescribes their consequences, not out of capriciousness but out of His moral perfection. Misrepresenting the story of Sodom and Gomorrah not only clouds our understanding of God's character but also paves the way for further compromise on critical doctrinal issues.

The biblical narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the severity of God's judgment. It challenges us to confront sin with the saving and regenerating power of the Gospel rather than to trivialize it to fit contemporary moral sensibilities and political correctness. And it beckons the Church to proclaim the full counsel of God, neither whispering nor shouting, but speaking the truth in love, guided by the unchanging Word in an ever-changing world.