In the Old Testament, the Holiness Code in Leviticus (18:22, 20:13) categorizes male same-sex intercourse as an abomination (to'evah) within the ritual and ethical purity laws of ancient Israel, situated alongside prohibitions against idolatrous Canaanite practices.
In the New Testament epistles, the Apostle Paul refers to same-sex acts in Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:10, employing terms such as arsenokoitai and malakoi in the context of Greco-Roman culture, where relations were frequently tied to exploitation, idolatry, or unequal social hierarchies.
Today, historic conservative and traditional Christian traditions view these scriptures as a consistent universal affirmation of marriage exclusively between one man and one woman. In contrast, egalitarian and affirming scholars interpret the texts within their specific ancient context of pagan worship, pederasty, and promiscuity, arguing that loving, mutual, covenantal relationships were outside the conceptual horizon of the biblical authors.