Male and Female God Created Them

Rubel Shelly has given us a gift. In a time when a growing number of authors are working to rewrite biblical truths to suit the cultural moment, Shelly has written a thoroughly researched work directly addressing what Scripture says, and doesn't say, about LGBTQ issues. What many readers will find most refreshing is that the author expertly combines the meticulousness of a scholar with a pastor's heart. The contentious issues of our day demand that we take seriously the need to engage with a balance of both grace and truth. That balance is on full display in this book.

-Dr. Chad Ragsdale

Executive Vice President of Academics

Professor of New Testament and Hermeneutics

Ozark Christian College



This rich and robust work upholds the sexual ethic that has marked Christian faith overwhelmingly for two thousand years. It is both scholarly and pastoral, with more than fifty years of pastoral ministry behind it. A particularly important feature is the three chapters surveying recent historical work on same-sex behavior in the Greco-Roman world. This evidence counters the frequent claim that the biblical texts prohibiting homosexuality are referring to abusive and exploitative behavior and that biblical writers did not know of-and thus did not condemn-committed and loving relationships. This book will challenge and enlighten all who read it with an open mind.

-Dr. Leonard Allen

Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry

Lipscomb University



RUBEL SHELLY, educated at Harding School of Theology (MA, MTh) and Vanderbilt University (MA, PhD), has spent his adult life in both academic settings and local church ministry. He is the author of several books, including I Just Want to Be a Christian, Marriage & Divorce: A Redemptive Theology, and I Knew Jesus Before He Was a Christian.



Endorsements from:

Jimmy AdcoxDr. Leonard AllenJames D. Dvorak, PhDDr. Joshua GravesJohn Mark HicksRon HighfieldDr. Jerry Jones, ThDMark LanierDr. Mark E. MooreRonnie NormanMatt ProctorDr. Chad RagsdaleBob RussellChris SeidmanMatthew Sleeth, MD