One of the two largest Christian bookstore in Australia has expressed reservation about stocking a gay study Bible written by a Classical Greek scholar and lexicographer, Dr. A. Nyland, who acknowledged controversy will follow the publication of it.
Koorong, a book distributor, was reported by a Fairfax publication that it was 'unlikely' to stock the gay study Bible because of its content. Meanwhile in the US, God's Word to Women, a US-based
Internet forum developed to equip women with a knowledge of God's word, in a press statement declared it had removed all of Dr. Nyland's work since her recent publication, the gay study Bible, was
contrary to the Scripture.
"Multitudes use modern culture in their valley of decision, debating over the homosexual lifestyle. This debate will never end until the authority and spirit of God's Word is the sole and final source from which our answers come," the press statement said.
"Because this recent work condones a lifestyle not approved in scripture, we have removed Ann Nyland's works from our site."
Acknowledging the critics, Dr. Nyland in an interview, published on the Gay and Lesbian Bible website, said the sale of the study
note would drop in some quarter given that it goes against their social-cultural values and beliefs.
In a testimony written about the study note, Dr. William McDonald from the University of England said the scrutiny conducted by
Dr. Nyland in her latest work showed there was no basis to exclude same sex relations in the Bible.
"Dr Nyland's close examination of the source materials shows beyond doubt that there is no textual basis in the Bible for the exclusion of same sex relations," he said.
However, a caveat was given by Dr. Nyland who wrote the study guide was not based on theological notes but rather it was 'solely'
based on the word meaning and context that took into account the latest academic scholarship.