The Bible uses the term “perversion” to refer to something that deviates from God’s intended design and purpose. When something is called a perversion in Scripture, it means it is a corruption or distortion of something God created to be good. There are several key areas where the Bible speaks about perversion:
Sexual Perversion
One common usage of “perversion” in Scripture relates to sexual sins that go against God’s design for intimacy between a husband and wife. Several verses address sexual perversion:
– Romans 1:26-27 refers to homosexuality as “dishonorable passions” and “contrary to nature.” It is a perversion of God’s plan for men and women.
– 1 Corinthians 6:9 includes “homosexuals” in a list of sinners who will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they repent and find salvation in Christ. This indicates that homosexual acts are sinful perversions of God’s design for sex.
– Ephesians 5:3 instructs believers to avoid “sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness.” It classifies these acts as perversions that are “out of place” among God’s people.
– 2 Timothy 3:3 warns that in the end times people will be “without self-control” and “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Uncontrolled lust leads to perverted practices.
The consistent witness of Scripture upholds heterosexual marriage as the only God-ordained context for sexual intimacy. Any sex outside of marriage or between same-sex couples is classified as a perversion of God’s ideal plan.
Unnatural Desires
In addition to inappropriate sexual acts, the Bible speaks against unnatural desires and affections in general. Romans 1:26 calls homosexual lusts “dishonorable passions” and “contrary to nature.” And in 2 Timothy 3:3, lack of self-control can lead to all kinds of sinful desires.
When a person persists in perverted affections and gives full vent to them, it demonstrates they have departed from truth (Romans 1:18-32). They have allowed their sinful nature to take over rather than living according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-21). This is why Scripture urges believers to avoid conforming to evil desires and instead be transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2).
Unrighteousness
At its root, perversion refers to that which is unrighteous rather than righteous. The prophet Isaiah condemned the people of Judah for calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). They had embraced moral perversion.
Proverbs 17:15 similarly states that justifying and acquitting the guilty while condemning the innocent is a “perversion of justice.” In Exodus 23:2, God forbade His people from perverting justice by showing partiality to either the poor or the powerful when judging matters.
So behavior that goes against God’s standards of righteousness can be described as a perversion. This would include not only sexual immorality but also dishonesty, injustice, greed, and ungodly beliefs.
False Religion
The Bible often depicts idolatry and false religion as perversions of truth. In Romans 1:25, people “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” They perverted the rightful worship due to God by directing it toward idols.
The book of Acts records how the gospel encountered those who had embraced distorted teachings about God. It refers to Simon the sorcerer as someone who had “perverted the nation of Samaria” with his false practices (Acts 8:9-11). It also mentions corrupt individuals perverting the right ways of the Lord to make a profit (Acts 13:10).
So the promotion of false gods, abusive leadership, and greed in the name of religion constitutes a perversion of true worship and ministry.
Twisting Scripture
Since the Bible contains God’s words of truth, any misuse of Scripture that distorts its meaning can be considered a perversion.
2 Peter 3:16 warns against those who are “untaught and unstable” and who twist the apostles’ writings to their own destruction. Some pervert biblical truths because they lack proper understanding, while others do it intentionally for their own selfish gain. But either way, they take Scriptures out of context and make them say something contrary to the original intent.
No matter what kind of spiritual deception takes place, Paul urges believers to handle the word of God correctly rather than perverting it (2 Timothy 2:15). All teachings must be carefully compared to the light of Scripture to avoid unbiblical perversions.
Departure from the Faith
First Timothy 4:1-3 predicts that in the end times people will depart from the faith and devote themselves to deceitful spirits that promote false teachings. This “falling away” is a perversion and abandonment of sound biblical doctrine.
Second Peter 2 points to false prophets who secretly introduce destructive heresies and exploit people with deceptive words. It says “their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” Promoting doctrinal perversion carries serious consequences.
In summary, the Bible uses the term “perversion” for anything that departs from righteous standards, whether sexually, morally, doctrinally or in the practice of religion. We must be on guard against allowing sinful nature or deceitful spirits to twist God’s design and truth into something perverted.
Old Testament Examples of Perversion
The Old Testament provides many examples of behaviors or practices that Scripture classifies as perversions:
- The incident of men in Sodom desiring to have sex with Lot’s angel visitors (Genesis 19:5)
- When Judah slept with his daughter-in-law Tamar, thinking she was a shrine prostitute (Genesis 38:15-18)
- The warning against offering children to the false god Molech (Leviticus 18:21)
- Rules against marrying close relatives, which is called a “perversion” (Leviticus 18:6-17)
- Dabbling in witchcraft, mediums, and the occult (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)
- King Manasseh sacrificing his son and practicing many forms of idolatry (2 Kings 21:1-9)
- The people of Judah filling the land with violence, adultery, and religious corruption (Jeremiah 23:10)
- Ezekiel’s vision of image of jealousy at the entrance to the temple (Ezekiel 8:5-6)
All these examples involved departing from God’s laws in favor of sinful and idolatrous behavior that Scripture classifies as perverted.
New Testament Warnings Against Perversion
The New Testament authors frequently warn against forms of perversion that were impacting the early churches:
- Paul includes homosexuality/sodomy in lists of sins that violate God’s law (Romans 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
- He cautions against Christians being shaped by the evil desires of the surrounding culture (Romans 12:2)
- The book of Jude condemns the sexual immorality and twisting of God’s grace into license for perversion that occurred among false teachers (Jude 1:4)
- Peter predicts that false prophets will introduce destructive heresies, causing the way of truth to be maligned (2 Peter 2:1-2)
- John tells believers not to love the world or anything in the world, because sinful desires do not come from God (1 John 2:15-17)
- In Revelation, God condemns the church of Thyatira for tolerating “Jezebel,” a false prophetess misleading people into sexual immorality (Revelation 2:20)
The early church had to contend with sexual license, idolatry, greed, and doctrinal compromise threatening to pervert the gospel message. The New Testament authors respond by repeatedly affirming God’s standards of righteousness in contrast to sinful perversion.
Guarding Against Perversion
Since perversion runs counter to God’s holiness and design, Scripture calls Christians to actively guard against embracing or condoning twisted practices and beliefs. Here are some ways the Bible instructs us to avoid perversion:
- Set your mind on what is pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
- Avoid partnerships with those who compromise standards (2 Corinthians 6:14).
- Remove false teachers from the church (Romans 16:17-18).
- Carefully test every spirit to avoid deception (1 John 4:1-3).
- Confront and rebuke those promoting worldly thinking in the church (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
- Arm yourself with gospel truth to recognize doctrinal error (Ephesians 6:14).
While believers should reach out graciously to those caught in sin, we must not embrace perverted practices or let them spread unchecked in the church. Scripture calls us to vigilance in guarding against distortions of God’s truth.
Deliverance from Perversion Through Christ
For those already caught in perversion, the Bible offers hope of deliverance and restoration through Jesus Christ. By turning from sin and trusting in Christ’s atoning work, we gain power through the Holy Spirit to walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 reminds us that while some of the believers in Corinth has formerly practiced sexual immorality, idolatry, homosexuality, greed, and theft, they had been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has the power to cleanse people from sinful perversions and adopt them as His beloved children.
Titus 3:3-7 points to the kindness of God our Savior who saved us, “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” We can be rescued from pursuing perverted desires of the flesh through spiritual rebirth.
No matter how deeply someone may have fallen into perverted practices, Jesus Christ offers freedom through His cross and empowerment through His Spirit to walk in newness of life.
Conclusion
The term “perversion” as used in the Bible refers to anything that departs from God’s righteous standards and design. Sexual sin outside of marriage, homosexuality, and unrestrained lust are called out as perversions, as are unjust behavior, condoning of sin, idolatry, false religion, greed, and doctrinal distortion. Scripture repeatedly affirms God’s standards in contrast to perversions of truth. Followers of Christ must guard against allowing perversion to spread unchecked. Yet the Bible offers hope that through faith in Jesus, even those caught in perverted lifestyles can experience deliverance and transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit.