By Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. In the fall of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s original creative intention for humanity … and therefore that homosexual practice goes against God’s express will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.”
There are a number of other books that take the opposite view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) have been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. The two most read volumes taking this position seem to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson.
Vines, Matthew, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books, 2014
Wilson, Ken, A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media, 2014.
The review of these two books will be longer than usual because the topic is so contested today and, while I disagree with the authors’ theses, a too-brief review can’t avoid appearing cursory and dismissive. Hence the length.
I see six basic arguments that these books and others like them make.
Knowing gay people personally.
Vines and Wilson relate stories of people who were sure that the Bible condemned homosexuality. However, they were brought to a change of mind through getting to know gay people personally. It is certainly important for Christians who are not gay to hear the hearts and stories of people who are attracted to the same sex.
And when I see people discarding their older beliefs that homosexuality is sinful after engaging with loving, wise, gay people, I’m inclined to agree that those earlier views were likely defective. In fact, they must have been essentially a form of bigotry. They could not have been based on theological or ethical principles, or on an understanding of historical biblical teaching. They must have been grounded instead on a stereotype of gay people as worse sinners than others (which is itself a shallow theology of sin.) So I say good riddance to bigotry. However, the reality of bigotry cannot itself prove that the Bible never forbids homosexuality. We have to look to the text to determine that.
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So what it really all comes down to is this. If you do not like gays and lesbians you can use the Bible to justify your position. If you think that being gay or lesbian is natural or normal then the Bible is seen as cultural. If you think the church should include everyone then there are ways to justify that.
So cut the baloney. Admit either your prejudice and such or admit you want to discriminate against people who are different.
But using Scripture to justify hatred and judgment—-now that is just pathetic. O yes, throw in all you comments about apostasy and heresy.
Having read Timothy Keller’s excellent “The Reason for God”, I’m pleased to see him weigh in on this subject. His analysis is compassionate, non-judgmental, and faithful to The Word.
The culmination of God’s creation was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Adam nor Eve and Eve! Therefore, any relationship that is different than male-female represents a dead-end as far as procreation and creation is concerned and therefore subject to God’s judgment!!
I hope this is a better answer: Individual Christians, or even whole churches, might discriminate against gays and lesbians, wrongfully, or the actions or appearance of some gays and lesbians might make some Christians uncomfortable. But gays and lesbians should be welcome in any right thinking church, if they go there in an attitude of worship or seeking. The Bible doesn’t say that homosexual acts are worse than any other sin, or unforgiveable. They constitute a sin like every other sin. Everyone sins in his or her own way, every day. Think of what the Catholics call the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, envy, laziness, gluttony, anger and pride. On a bad day, you might commit every one of those, and never give it a thought. Yet all are considered sinful. Conservative minded Christians just tend to take the Bible literally, and resist any effort to explain away a sin, or to say that it no longer applies. And they don’t think that liberal churches are doing anyone any favor, when they do explain them away.
Thank the Lord for the PCA, and Tim Keller, and also for the
EPC and ECO, beacons of light in a sea of the selfish, the rebellious, and the self deceived.
The Bible is very clear that the model for marriage is Adam and Eve. Therefore only men named Adam should be able to marry only women named Eve. It’s right there in the Bible, people!
There is only one unforgivable sin and that is to turn your back to the Holy Spirit! However, homosexuality is set forth particularly in the Bible as an abomination to the Lord!
I wasn’t arguing in favor of homosexuality. Merely saying that churches do not, or ought not to, turn their backs on gays and lesbians who come to them in the right spirit.
You are absolutely right! The Church has the responsibility of ministering to every sinner who is contrite in the right spirit. Everyone has their own cross to bear.