|
The world and especially India is witnessing a rapid rise in the number of trans*sexuals. The ratio of men opting *sex change is higher in comparison to women who are opting for *sex change. Knowledge of a few terms would help us understand the concept of eunuchs better and the biblical response to it.
TRANS*SEXUALS:
Someone who is anatomically of one *sex but adopts the characteristics, behavior and physical appearance, usually perceived as typical of a member of the opposite *sex, often as a prelude to having some form of *sex alterations physically
Someone who has the physical characteristics of one gender and the psychological characteristics, or a desire to be of the opposite gender and thus go through *sex alterations.
TRANSVESTITE:
Someone, especially a man, who dresses in clothes which are typical of the opposite *sex and derives *sexual pleasure by doing it. A transvestite usually does not go through any *sex change alterations.
EUNUCH:
A man who is castrated. The word castration refers to the removing of the testicles of a male person or animal.
The term trans*sexual can be referred to both men who desire to be women and women who desire to be men. The terms transvestites and eunuch are particularly used to address men who go through *sex alterations to become women.
There are various reasons for trans*sexualism and transvestitism, some of the most prominent causes are: *sexual abuses in childhood, parental up bringing (male children often brought like female child, and female child brought up like a male child- this is more famous in Asian countries, especially in India), Gender Identity Disorder etc.
GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER is a condition in which a person is usually assigned one gender, especially on the basis of their *sex at birth, but identifies as belonging to the opposite gender, and feels significant discomfort in dealing with this condition. In other words someone who is physically assigned one gender but psychologically and *sexually identifies himself or herself with the opposite gender.
Most of the trans*sexuals are trans*sexuals out of choice while some of them face difficulties due to some chromosomal / *sexual defects at birth, which is called HERMAPHRODITISM, the union of male and female *sexual organs in the same body, but either one of the *sexual characteristics dominating over the other.
The Hebrew word for the term Eunuch is ‘saris’. The noun, meaning “court official” or “household of a ruler” and often one who is castrated, has its origin in the Akkadian word, “saresi” , meaning “he the head of the king,” indicating a courtier or confidant. The meaning “castrated one” was secondary, arising from the preference of the rulers for such men in offices involving contact with the women of their households. The English word eunuch in the Greek eune ("bed") and ekhein ("to keep"), effectively "bed keeper. Those men who were in harem and also had a close contact with the king were usually castrated for safety of the royal courts. In the New Testament the word eunuch appears only in two places.
The concept of trans*sexualism or transvestism is addressed in a totally different sense in the Bible. The word eunuch appears many times in the bible, more frequently in the OT than in the NT. The meaning of the word eunuch in both Hebrew and Greek suggest that it is not appropriate to call all the eunuchs mentioned in the bible, especially OT as physically castrated eunuchs. But the probabilities of the “official” being “eunuch official” is more. In the New Testament, the word eunuch appears only in two places: Matthew 19:12 and Acts 8:27.
Derogatively the word eunuch means, a person who lacks power or effectiveness in some respect, especially with respect to reproducing. In other words men who were impotent were called eunuchs. The Bible (NT) not only calls castrated men and those born with *sexual defects as eunuchs but also those who are impotent and thus unable to have *sexual relationship and those who choose not to marry/ have *sexual relation, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. But the bible strictly condemns the act of castration either by choice or by force thus depriving someone of the ability to reproduce (Deuteronomy 25:11&12).
MINISTRY AMONG THE EUNUCHS:
Agape has a deep conviction and commitment to reach the Eunuchs with the love of Christ by accepting them as human and respect their longing to be accepted in the society.
By accepting them and respect their rights, we never compromise with their wrong practices to earn money and boldly we tell them the Biblical truth that they have to repent and live according to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Naturally they want to identify themselves as women and move with them. They live as groups and call each other as Mother, Sister etc which are only related with women.
Most of the young Eunuchs are earning by dancing in Marriages, Birthday parties and Temple festivals etc. Older Eunuchs go shop to shop and beg by clapping loudly.
Most of the Indian are having a superficial belief that if a Eunuch blesses it is like God blessing them directly. So, they earn enough money by blessing the newly wedded couples and newborn babies. Even they are invited in opening ceremonies of business establishments and house opening programmes and paid for it.
Many of the Eunuchs have male friends and some of them earn through sinful activities, which is not officially accepted by their society. This kind of groups face severe problems in the society and murders takes place while they have been taken to restaurants and lodges to be with their customers.
You can’t count them as commercial se*x workers as some of them earn in decent ways by selling vegetables and fruits and working as cooks in some big establishments. Since, earning money is little easy for them to live a rich life, they have no place in their heart to seek the true God.
To live their free life, most of the Eunuchs comes out of their parental houses and keep themselves away from their families. In some case by knowing that their son is a Eunuch, the parents themselves ill treat him and send him out of the house as having a eunuch in the family is an abomination to their family prestige.
Eunuchs are spread all over India, and particularly they live in mega cities. In villages and small towns they are easily being identified and put out of the society easily, they prefer cities. In the cities they have various access to earn more money and enjoy their freedom.
In Bangalore alone more than 5000 Eunuchs are living in different camps as families. Most of them are known to us and humbly we confess that Agape is the only mission, which has ministry among them. Many of the Christians feel that it will be too hard to reach them or there will be no meaning to try this. But we believe that nothing is too hard for the Lord.
Among the Eunuchs there are Hindus, Muslims and Christians, but they have their own religion and god and goddess, which is mostly related with Hinduism. They have a goddess called MATHAJI (mother) and god ARAVAN. They have several kinds of performances, poojahs (worship) and rituals. They have different big festivals in different parts of India, but their 3 days major yearly festival is in Tamil Nadu, which attracts several thousand Eunuchs and tourists from all over the world.
At all cost, they are living without hope of eternal life and they face terrible diseases like HIV and all kinds of venereal diseases. Many of them are dying without proper medical care, as they feel shy to go to doctors. Now we are introducing Christian Doctors who are compassionate towards them and guide them to proper medical treatment including praying for their healing through the power of our Lord.
We as a small mission, trying our level best to show the love of God by Word and Deeds, expecting the world wide Christians to pray for us and stand with us by all means to reach this particular people group and win them for the Lord’s Kingdom.
BIBLICAL REFERENCE ABOUT EUNUCHS:
Deuteronomy 23:1-2: (1) "No man who has been castrated…may be included among the Lord’s people. (2) No one born out of wedlock or any descendant of such a person, even in the tenth generation, may be included among the Lord’s people. (TEV)
NOTE: The Eunuchs are forbidden to enter in to the Temple and they were not considered as equal citizens with others and officially their names were not included in the list of families.
2 Kings: 9:32: Palace Officials (Eunuchs) (Ref: Jeremiah: 29:2; 34:19)
Jeremiah: 38:7: Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, a eunuch who worked in the royal palace… (Even though he was a foreigner had compassion and respect for the prophet Jeremiah and rescued him from the well by pleading with the king)
Isaiah: 39:7: Some of your own descendants will be taken away and made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylonia. (Ref: 2 Kings: 20:18)
NOTE: In the ancient days the Eunuchs were considered as sincere and faithful as they have no common interest like ordinary men. They were appointed in the king’s palaces to guard the queens and princesses and even many of them were given the job of looking after the treasury of the king.
According to Acts: 8, we see that a Eunuch was a financial officer or minister of the queen of Ethiopia.
Even though he was a Eunuch, he had the fear of God and was real seeker of the truths of the Word of God.
This Eunuch became a useful vessel of the Lord to establish the Kingdom of God in African continent in the first century.
We can’t just ignore the Eunuchs and we are under the obligation to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as He has died for them also.
Even though they are not considered either men or women, it is not really a barrier to become a child of God by putting their trust on Jesus.
The Eunuchs also have the body, soul and spirit; they are fully human and need to be reached with the love of Christ by all means and at any cost.
Isaiah 56:3-7: "(3) A foreigner (eunuch) who has joined the Lord’s people should not say: The Lord will not let me worship with His people. A man who has been castrated should never think that because he cannot have children, he could never be part of God’s people. (4) The Lord says to such a man: If you honor me by observing the Sabbath and if you do what pleases me and faithfully keep my covenant (5) then your name will be remembered in My Temple and among My people longer than if you had sons and daughters. You will be never forgotten. (6) And the Lord says to those foreigners (eunuchs) who become part of His people, who love Him and serve Him, who observe the Sabbath and faithfully keep His covenant. (7) I will bring you to Zion, My sacred hill, give you joy in my house of prayer, and accept the sacrifices you offer on my altar. My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations. (TEV)
NOTE: The Lord never established an eternal law to put away the Eunuchs from His house. Any Eunuch, who is willing to obey the Lord’s commandments and follow the Lord, will be accepted in the Temple of the Lord and the Lord says that the believing Eunuchs can have a special place in the Temple. The Lord promises that they will not be forgotten.
Daniel: 1: 3, 7-11,18: Ashpenaz, the chief official of king Nebuchadnezzar was a eunuch.
Matthew 19:12: For there are different reasons why men cannot marry, some because they were born that way, others because men made them that way and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so. (TEV)
NOTE: Mostly the Eunuchs have physical limitations to marry, while others not marry by their choice, because in their particular situation, they can serve God better as single person.
Jesus never taught or encourages avoiding marriage because it is inconvenient or takes away our freedom.
For our convenience or to avoid responsibilities if anybody chooses to be a single person it is totally selfishness and nothing to do with Christian teaching. They will not be considered as people of celibacy or a eunuch.
A good reason to remain single is to use the freedom to serve God. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 7.
WHAT WE ARE DOING PRESENTLY?
- Presently we are meeting with Eunuchs of Bangalore city. As they are living in groups, we found that it is easy to contact them with gospel in their own places.
- We are using various methods like friendship and neighborhood evangelism. Many of the Eunuchs are responding to the gospel. They are accepted in our homes as our friends.
- Our Pastors and Evangelists are visiting them regularly and befriending with them, so that we can use all opportunities to share the gospel. As they are mostly talented with singing and dancing, we teach them choruses and songs and screening Christian videos.
- It is our prayer to send 5 couples as dedicated missionaries among them and start a special service for them. Please pray for the right persons and the practical needs to see this vision come alive.
- As the society have a wrong understanding and rough attitude towards them, we never force them to attend the Church services. They have practical problems in public transports like being teased by others. But some of the Eunuchs take courage and make efforts to attend our Sunday services.
- We have taught our people to accept them as our own; they have the freedom to sit with our ladies. (In India it is our culture that men and women sit separately in public worship services).
|
