I've recently started using an AI tool called Notebook LM that
can take my podcasts and remake them as short videos.
I have been astonished by the quality of what it generates, so
I'm going to start posting them here.
Let me know what you think. You can watch the videos on
Spotify or YouTube, but even if you can't see the graphics, the
audio is quite amazing. Here is the first one I want to
share with you. It is based on episode 5 from
the original series and the AI redo just took my breath away.
OK, so this comes from a podcast series called The Bible and
Homosexuality, an LGBTQ Positive View by Elton Sherwin.
We're summarizing an episode titled What did Jesus Say about
Sexual and Gender Minorities? And the answer, as Sherwin
suggests, well, it might have been hiding in plain sight for
the last 2000 years. But before we even get into the
theology, I want to start with why this conversation matters so
much. This is a real review that was
left for the podcast we're talking about today.
It says, your podcasts helped me stop my suicidal thoughts.
You saved my life. It's just a gut punch, right?
It really shows that for so many people, this is not some
abstract debate. It's truly a matter of life and
death. You know, for the longest time,
the Christian conversation around this topic has really
fixated on just a handful of Old Testament verses.
People call them the clobber verses, and they're often used
to condemn gay people. Now, the author of our source
material, he actually started out by trying to refute those
specific verses, but that whole process led him to ask a much
deeper question. Forget all that for a second.
What did Jesus himself actually have to say about it?
And that one question, well, it changed everything for him.
He went from just trying to play defense, you know, neutralizing
the negative verses, to actively searching for a proactive,
affirming message from Jesus about sexual and gender
minorities. He eventually came to believe
that the Bible doesn't just not condemn them, but that it
actually suggests they were specifically created and are
uniquely blessed by God. So this brings us to a really
fascinating puzzle in the book of Matthew.
It's a passage that Jesus introduces in a way he never,
ever does anywhere else in the Bible.
It's like he's putting up a giant flashing neon sign that
says, hey, pay attention, this is really important.
And by the way, not everybody's going to get it.
This is the line. This is how he opens.
Just stop and think about that for a second.
Out of all the parables, all the sermons, all the teachings he
ever gave, this is the only time he kicks it off with a warning
like this. Not everyone can receive this.
He's basically telling his audience that what's coming next
requires a very special kind of understanding.
And here it is. This is the teaching he sets up
so carefully, Jesus says, For there are eunuchs who have been
so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made
eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves
eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
And then, just to make sure we get the point, he closes by
repeating that same challenge. Let the one who is able to
receive this, receive it. So yeah, the big question is,
what on earth is he talking about?
Who are these eunuchs? And why is this one specific
teaching wrapped in so much mystery and importance?
Well, according to our source, the answer is all about the
language. The whole key to cracking this
puzzle is understanding what that word eunuch actually meant
back then. Not what it means to us today,
but what it meant in the 1st century world.
And it turns out its meaning was way, way broader than we usually
think. And here is the absolute crucial
point. In antiquity, eunuch was
basically a catch all term. It was used for any man who just
didn't fit the standard mold of getting married to a woman and
having kids. This went far, far beyond the
idea of just physical castration.
I mean, the term covered a huge range of people.
It could be a high-ranking official in the court, a guy who
was seen as effeminate, someone who just wasn't attracted to
women, or even someone who simply chose to be celibate.
It was this big umbrella for any man who stood apart from what
was considered the procreative norm.
OK, and this is the absolute game changer from the source
material. You see, neither ancient Hebrew
nor Greek had a specific word for a homosexual.
It just wasn't a concept they had.
So what word would you use for someone who didn't fit the
sexual norm? You'd use eunuch.
The author argues that a much more accurate translation of
that word in this context isn't eunuch at all, but rather
sexually different. Now just look at this side by
side. The common translation we all
know says for there are eunuchs who have been so from birth.
But when you swap in that proposed translation, it becomes
for there are those who have been sexually different from
birth. All of a sudden the meaning is
radically different and feels a lot more relevant to our world
today. And the implication of that is
just profound. According to this
interpretation, Jesus is stating crystal clear that some people
are Born This Way. It's not a choice.
It's not a defect or a moral failing.
It is an intentional part of God's creation.
They are different from birth because that is exactly how God
made them. All right, so looking at this
passage through this completely new lens, the source material
leaves us with a final challenge.
It's kind of like a homework assignment, inviting us to take
this interpretation and really apply it for ourselves.
So let's quickly recap those 3 categories Jesus laid out, but
let's use our new translation. First, there are those who are
sexually different from birth. Second, those made so by others,
which, yeah, back then could mean castration, but you could
also interpret it more broadly today.
And third, those who choose this path for the sake of the Kingdom
of heaven. And that really brings us to the
final question to chew on. Who is Jesus talking about
today? If we read eunuch as sexually
different, how could these three ancient categories map onto the
incredibly diverse experiences within the modern LGBTQIA plus
community? It's a message that might have
been hidden for 2000 years, just waiting for those who are able
to receive. I'm Alton Sherwin, stay safe, be
brave, and God bless.