Sex: What does the Bible say about transgenders?
The Bible tells us that in the original creation of mankind God made male and female.
Genesis 1:27
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [Emphasis added]
Many centuries later (around 2458 BC), in the days of Noah and God’s judgment of man, still only two genders entered the ark.
Genesis 7:9
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. [Emphasis added]
As one would read through the entire Bible, at no point is there even mention of transgenders. Therefore, the whole idea of such a thing is a recent development in the history of man. The Bible knows no other gender categories besides male and female. While men and women in Scripture may express their masculinity and femininity in a diversity of ways, Scripture still operates with the binary categories of men and women. You are one or the other. As far as God is concerned, man has no choice at all in the matter of gender. This is all determined in the womb of the woman at the time of conception.
In the creation of the man and the woman, God made them to be complimentary of one another.
Genesis 2:18-22
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [Emphasis added]
God depicts the existence of a man and a woman as essential to His plan for creation. The two are neither identical nor interchangeable. But when the woman, who was taken out of man, joins again with the man in sexual union, there is a sense in which the two become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
This continued right on to be the case. Our Lord talked about it in His earthly ministry.
Matthew 19:5
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Nothing has changed on this at all. It is man’s thinking that changes, not his body. Dividing the human race into two genders was God’s work, not man’s! Man is capable of perverting it, but not changing it.
The objective of every believer who has accepted the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as the basis for salvation should be to grow and live under the directions of his Creator. That means conforming one’s thinking to the norms and standards set forth in God’s Word, the Bible. Because of the salvation we have by God’s grace, this is something every believer should want to do.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Emphasis added]
We must not allow ourselves to succumb to the lusts of our sinful nature. As believers, we now also have a new nature. We must determine to live a new life that’s contrary to what went on before our salvation.
Ephesians 4:17-18
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk [used to represent the unbelieving world of mankind], in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: [Emphasis added]
We must do everything we can to learn and live by God’s Word, knowing that whatever He expects of us is in our best interest. Violations of God’s Word always serve as a reproach to any nation.
Proverbs 14:34
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
When a country loses track of its moral base, it becomes vulnerable to the worst of perversions. Such is the case with every deviation from what God sees as normal and natural.
Leviticus 18:22
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Romans 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness [Man violates his own conscience.];
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, [This is what starts the chain of immorality of one sort or another.] neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools [In their arrogance they seek to justify their sinfulness.],
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
This represents homosexuality and every other form of sexual deviation, including transgenderism.
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men [homosexuality] working that which is unseemly [improper], and receiving in themselves that recompence [payback] of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, [This is the heart of their problem.] God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [things unbecoming or disgraceful];
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. [Emphasis added]
Yes, strong language is used for such behavior. Apart from faith in the provision God has made for their salvation, there is no hope for them. Their behavior bears public witness to their negative attitude toward the things of God.
I Corinthians 6:9-10
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Can God’s people do such things? Of course, they can! What would be the purpose of commanding God’s people not to do these things if they were incapable of doing them? It’s like asking the question, “Can Christians sin?” Of course! In some form, they do it every day, even if it’s only in their thinking. We are all sinful creatures with a need for God’s grace. As believers, we should not do these things. We are not to live like and perform the practices of unbelievers. But all of Paul’s letters are addressed to assemblies of believers who were doing these things that were contrary to the will of God. That’s why he commands them to refrain from acting like unbelievers. He knows very well their potential for doing so. Note even some of Paul’s last words about the kind of response he got at the end of his life from these who were God’s people.
II Timothy 1:15
15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. [Emphasis added]
More precisely what does he mean when he says they had turned against him? He’s talking about His teaching and the God Who authorized it. These people were rejecting of their own will the authority of God’s Word to preside in their lives. Do Christians ever do these things today? Of course, they do! Christians do this every day. Christians today are much as they were in Paul’s day. There’s no limit to the sinfulness and depravation man can sink to performing. People are fools to think otherwise.
Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [Emphasis added]
I John 1:10
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. [Emphasis added]
Verses that state principles like this apply to God’s people in every generation. The potential for sin of every kind is within us to the day we die. Even though we’ve been given a new nature, we still have the old one as a part of us. Only in the end will we be rescued from our body of sin.
Romans 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. [Emphasis added]
Yes, the day will finally come when we are delivered out of our body of sin and given a new sinless body like our Lord’s.
Philippians 3:21
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. [Emphasis added]
Yes, that’s my body and the body of every other believer he’s talking about. Until then we must always be alert to function within the framework of God’s stated will as given to us. That can only happen when we have God’s Word resident in us, and we choose to apply it. We must know sinfulness when we see it. We must never excuse it.
Even in people’s dress there can be deviations from God’s way.
Deuteronomy 22:5
5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God. [Emphasis added]
In every way, the lines are to be clearly drawn. There should always be clear distinctions between males and females.
I Corinthians 11:14-15
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. [Emphasis added]
We do not have an inalienable right to do as we please. Even with the hair there’s to be clear distinctions as to what’s male and what’s female. There was a time in America when these lines were clearly drawn. But as people took God’s Word less seriously, standards began to change, moving in the wrong direction. We must always realize as believers that we were redemptively bought with a dear price. We owe our Savior a life of obedience in every way. After all He’s done, is doing, and is going to do for us, we should gladly want to yield to His leadership in every area of our lives.
I Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. [Emphasis added]
We never need to be so foolish as to seek to justify our sinfulness before God. The fact that God the Holy Spirit lives within us should be manifested by everything we say and do. In the process, we stand only to be blessed in our relationship with Him.
