How Christians Should Think About Blessing Same‐Sex Relationships

Recent declarations at the end of 2023 stirred intense conversation among believers: first, a statement from the pope suggesting Roman Catholic priests may “bless” same‑sex couples; and shortly afterward, a call from Burundi’s president advocating severe punishment for people who identify as homosexual. These reactions could not be more different one perceived as affirmation, the other as condemnation and both raise urgent pastoral questions for the church.

How should Christians respond? What does Scripture truly teach about “blessing” relationships that the Bible defines as outside God’s design? And how should the church love people in such relationships without endorsing behavior Scripture calls sin?

Blessing and the New Covenant

In the Old Testament, certain behaviors including same‑sex relations under the old covenant were punishable by death (e.g., Leviticus 20:13). But the coming of Christ changed the way the people of God are to respond to sin.

Under the new covenant, believers are not called to carry out civil punishments on each other. When Paul addresses serious immorality within the church in 1 Corinthians 5, he does not call for execution. He calls for exclusion from the church body so that the sinner may repent and be restored. In the church, excommunication replaces capital punishment. That demonstrates the heart of Christ justice paired with mercy and points us toward spiritual discipline, not civil judgment.

So when leaders propose physical punishment even in the name of Scripture they err. The New Testament leads the church to spiritual discipline, righteousness, and loving correction, not violence.

What Do We Mean by “Blessing”?

The word bless appears repeatedly in the New Testament:

• “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28)

• “Bless those who persecute you” (Romans 12:14)

• “Do not repay evil for evil… but on the contrary, bless” (1 Peter 3:9)

These commands do not refer to liturgical rites or ritual confirmations of life circumstances. Instead, they describe the posture of a believer toward others friend or foe: pursuing their good, praying for them, seeking their eternal well‑being. Blessing in this biblical sense is redemptive, not celebratory of sin.

Inviting a priest to place sacramental words over a same‑sex union as though it were God’s intended design communicates affirmation rather than gospel love. Even if the Vatican’s language attempts nuance, the effect especially to those inside and outside the church is ambiguity about what Scripture teaches regarding marriage, sin, and obedience to God.

A “blessing” in the biblical sense is never meant to affirm and celebrate behavior Scripture calls sin. Our Lord Himself said not to “teach as doctrine the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9) when they contradict God’s word. If a blessing ceremony softens the church’s witness to the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin, it ultimately misleads rather than aids.

What True Blessing Looks Like

To bless someone biblically is to seek their temporal and eternal good with compassion, truth, and clarity. Paul writes in Romans 12:20 that if your enemy is hungry, you feed him; if thirsty, you give him drink so that “by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” That doesn’t mean harm it’s a figure of speech for awakening repentance, conscience, and recognition of the good they truly need.

This is the posture Jesus embodied:

• He spoke truth to those in sin,

• He called for repentance,

• He offered forgiveness, and

• He welcomed those who would follow Him.

He neither condoned sin nor refused the sinner. He invited all to turn from sin and turn to Him.

Love, Not Endorsement

The church loves people not by celebrating every choice they make, but by pointing them to Christ the only Savior who forgives sin and transforms lives. Loving same‑sex attracted people means caring for their souls, listening to their stories, and walking with them in compassion. It does not mean redefining marriage or blessing unions Scripture describes as outside of God’s design.

When we bless someone in the biblical sense, we want what God wants for them: repentance, restoration, and life in Christ. That blessing is costly, clear, and rooted in Scripture. It refuses both cultural pressure to redefine marriage and cultural cruelty that demeans human dignity.

A Balanced Christian Response

So how should Christians respond?

• With clarity: Uphold what Scripture teaches about marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman.

• With compassion: Love people who struggle with same‑sex attraction, recognizing their dignity as image‑bearers of God.

• With courage: Speak truth in love, not acquiescing to cultural definitions that conflict with biblical teaching.

• With grace: Remember that every human being ourselves included is dependent on the mercy of God (Romans 3:23–24).

Jesus calls His followers not simply to tolerate differences but to love sacrificially while calling all people to repentance and faith (Mark 1:15). That is neither cultural affirmation on one hand nor mob retribution on the other. It is the gospel the good news that saves.

Let us bless others, then, in the rich biblical sense seeking their good, calling them to holiness, and guiding them toward the only One who can transform hearts and restore souls. Share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.