Bodies the Church Could Not Control

Biblical Passages

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

⁹ Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, men who engage in illicit sex, ¹⁰ thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 12:22-23

²² On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect,

Reflection:

I will be the first to admit, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 has always been difficult since it is often used as a tool to chastise, marginalize and exclude LGBTQ bodies. The challenge is that when a biblical passage is read out of context, it creates an opportunity for the passage to be subject to mistranslation, misinterpretation, and subjective bias practices, rather than doing the work of studying the text to discover the intended meaning of the text in its historical context and setting.

This was Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth because they were seeking instruction and guidance on how to address a series of power struggles and disputes happening within the church, especially the alienation and marginalisation of the community’s most vulnerable members.

The good news is that if one reads 1 Corinthians in its entirety, one will get a fuller picture of Paul’s instruction and encouragement for the church to come together in harmony, “united in the same mind and same purpose.”

1 Corinthians 12: 23-23 is Paul’s reminder to the church every part of the Body of Christ, including LGBTQ bodies are equally important to other parts of the Body of Christ, as Eugene Peterson translated it, “it makes no difference whether the part if visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honour just as it is, without comparison. This begs the question: Why does the church seek to exclude and expel what it cannot control?

Pride is a reminder that living authentically and fully in LGBTQ bodies declares the church cannot control queer bodies created by God.

Prayer:

Creator God, give us the grace to bestow special honour on one another, ensuring none of us is invisible. In the name of Jesus, who welcomed the outcast. Amen.

Author: Rev. Brendan Y. Boone

About the Author: Rev. Boone is an ordained minister in Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) and has served churches in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the USA. He is currently the Leader of an MCC Spiritual Community, Discovering Common Ground, focused on building bridges among, between, and across faiths, religious, spiritual, and cultural lines.