The Bible does not directly address the issue of gay adoption, as this practice was not common in biblical times. However, there are some principles and passages that can provide guidance for Christians thinking through this issue.
1. The Bible upholds heterosexual marriage as God’s design for family
Throughout Scripture, marriage is presented as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. God instituted marriage at creation when He designed Eve as a complement and companion for Adam (Genesis 2:18-24). Jesus affirmed this standard for marriage being between male and female in Matthew 19:4-6. The New Testament writers consistently point back to Genesis 1-2 as the paradigm for God’s design for marriage and family (Ephesians 5:31).
This heterosexual pattern for marriage and family is seen as the norm throughout the Bible. Passages regulating sexual behavior always presume opposite-sex relationships (Leviticus 18, 1 Corinthians 5-7). Godly marriages that produce children are seen as a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). While the Bible does not explicitly forbid same-sex marriage, the heterosexual pattern is presented as God’s design from Genesis to Revelation.
2. The Bible condemns homosexual behavior as sinful
In several key passages, the Bible clearly identifies same-sex relations as contrary to God’s standards of holiness and sexual ethics:
Leviticus 18:22 – “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.”
Romans 1:26-27 – “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
This consistent sexual ethic across the Old and New Testaments establishes that any sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman is considered immoral in God’s eyes. Therefore, a gay lifestyle or same-sex sexual activity would be regarded as sinful in Scripture.
3. Children are presented as a blessing from God through the covenant of marriage
The Bible regularly presents children as gifts from God to be nurtured in godly families. Psalm 127:3 declares that “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Jesus welcomed little children and used them as examples of humility and faith (Luke 18:15-17). Scripture commands parents to train children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
In the Bible, bearing and raising children is tied to the marital relationship. God’s original command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) still stands. Children conceived through sexual immorality are seen in a negative light (Deuteronomy 23:2). But when children come through holy matrimony, they are a blessing and sign of God’s favor (Psalm 127:3-5).
While the Bible does not forbid couples struggling with infertility from pursuing options like adoption, the norm presented is for couples to have their own biological children within marriage as part of God’s design for family.
4. Christians are called to care for orphans, widows, and the vulnerable
Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to show compassion and seek justice for the vulnerable in society. Israel’s law made robust provision for caring for widows, orphans, and sojourners in the land (Deuteronomy 24:17-22). God reserved some of His harshest condemnation for those who neglected or oppressed foreigners, orphans, and widows (Zechariah 7:8-10; Malachi 3:5). Jesus exemplified care for outcasts and children in His ministry.
James 1:27 defines true religion as caring for widows and orphans in their distress. The epistle of 1 John likewise commands Christians not to neglect tangibly providing for those in need.
This biblical emphasis on protecting the vulnerable could apply to the care of orphaned or abandoned children through adoption or foster care. But Scripture does not expressly command this specific method of care. Christians are called to generously support and advocate for the vulnerable but are not obligated to adopt.
5. Christians must exercise wisdom in matters the Bible does not directly address
The Bible does not directly address every situation that Christians encounter. In many modern realities, like gay adoption, followers of Christ must strive to apply biblical principles of marriage, sexuality, and caring for children with wisdom and discernment.
Where Scripture clearly establishes standards, like hetero marriage or sinful same-sex relations, Christians should align their thinking and actions with these moral foundations. But for complex situations without explicit biblical direction, Christians should thoughtfully seek to honor God’s word while also showing grace and pursuing justice in messy modern realities.
In matters not plainly covered in Scripture, believers should apply biblical values like showing compassion to the vulnerable while also exercising caution in affirming practices that may normalize sinful patterns. Prayer, sound counsel, intellectual humility, and listening to fellow Christians are essential in difficult matters of practical ethics.
6. Christians should promote biblical sexuality and family values in the public square
In places where unbiblical views of sexuality, marriage and family prevail, Christians have a duty to promote God’s design with conviction and kindness. Followers of Christ should advocate for public policies that uphold biblical principles for human flourishing.
This includes supporting natural marriage between one man and one woman as the ideal environment to raise children. It means celebrating the gift of children conceived and nurtured in godly families. And it involves protecting conscience rights for those who cannot in good faith assist others in ways that violate biblical morality regarding sexuality and family.
Christians should season their public witness with grace, avoiding harsh rhetoric. But upholding God’s design for marriage, gender and family in the public square honors Christ and offers true freedom to all.
7. Christians should show compassion to those impacted by sexual brokenness
In holding to biblical sexual ethics, Christians must also emulate the compassion of Christ. Same-sex attraction and gender confusion are human brokennesses stemming ultimately from mankind’s fall into sin. Followers of Jesus should weep with those who weep as sexual minorities deal with loneliness, marginalization and family estrangement.
While the Bible requires Christians to call all people to repentance and faith to inherit eternal life, this must be done with gentleness and respect (2 Timothy 2:24-26). God’s people should foster communities where sexual strugglers, including gay adoptive parents, feel safe enough to confess sins and seek change in the light of Christ’s mercy and healing grace.
8. The church should invest in solutions that care for vulnerable children within a biblical framework
Christians moved by compassion for vulnerable children cannot thoughtlessly affirm any and all solutions offered by the surrounding culture. The church has a duty to care for the orphaned and abandoned in ways that honor biblical principles.
This could include encouraging vibrant adoption and foster care systems rooted in natural marriage between a man and a woman. It may involve partnering with single parents to provide spiritual mentorship and material support for their families. Churches can recruit more couples to serve as foster parents. And ministries can provide family-based care models for children without parental guardians as preferable alternatives to institutionalization.
When addressing complex problems like orphan care, Christians must apply biblical sexual ethics while also looking for grace-filled solutions that work toward healing and restoration.
9. Christians should focus on whether gay adoption provides the optimal context for a child’s flourishing
In one sense, adoption into any stable home may be better than remaining parentless in an institution. But the church should still ask whether gay adoption aligns with God’s ideal contexts for childrearing grounded in natural marriage and biological family bonds.
A child welcomed into a same-sex family faces unique challenges like confusion over identity, pressures to affirm LGBT values, and severed connection from one gendered parent. Christians should thoughtfully assess if gay adoption serves the ultimate well-being and maturation of children, even as biblical sexual ethics are upheld.
Seeking the optimal nurturing environment for orphaned and abandoned children honors both strong families and human dignity. Christians should pursue solutions that work toward that high standard.
In matters not directly addressed by Scripture, followers of Jesus must seek wisdom, grace and transcendent reckonings of how best to affirm God’s design while also loving their neighbors. The church’s care for society’s most vulnerable – including orphaned and abandoned children – provides opportunities to shine Christ’s light in a fallen world.