Is the bible concerned with feelings or actions? (Jesus, ritual)

[Francine]

In the Old Covenant, people were punished for actually committing murder or adultery. In the New Covenant, Jesus said even the anger that leads to murder is sinful, and even the lust that leads to adultery is adultery. So the NT seems to be about feelings as well as actions. Yet homosexuals who do not act on their feelings are said to be acceptable to God, to the point of letting even repentant gay pastors preach again. Why is the Old Covenant sin standard of actions rather than thoughts applied, uniquely it seems, to homosexuality?

[athanasius]

Originally Posted by Francine

In the Old Covenant, people were punished for actually committing murder or adultery. In the New Covenant, Jesus said even the anger that leads to murder is sinful, and even the lust that leads to adultery is adultery. So the NT seems to be about feelings as well as actions. Yet homosexuals who do not act on their feelings are said to be acceptable to God, to the point of letting even repentant gay pastors preach again. Why is the Old Covenant sin standard of actions rather than thoughts applied, uniquely it seems, to homosexuality?

Jesus was not just referring to feelings as feeling happen to all of us. But he was referring to the will and intention of the individual that come out of the feelings and eventually promote sinful actions. The Old covenant deal alot with ritual covenant Laws that were true but only a shadow and image of the fullness of truth and were meant to prepare us for Christ. Christ came to perfect and fulfill the laws(Matt 5:17). Christ new law is the law of love and obedience to him and his Church. In a sense it was always the heart, will, mind, and Action.

[Somkid]

There have been moments in life when I felt like killing someone however I did not act on it. Would this be the same concept?

[Sola'lor]

As you've said, the Law of Moses was about actions. The Law of the Gospel (the Higher Law) is about thoughts and actions. The Bible touched very little on homosexuality. This is one case where we rely on modern revelation to tell us God's will concerning homosexuality.