Christian view on gay marriage
The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article
Tim Keller,
Vines, Matthew, God and the Homosexual Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books,
Wilson, Ken,A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media,
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 lesbian practice goes against God’s articulate will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.”
There are a number of other books that get 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 decipher volumes taking this position sound to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. The review of these
The Case Against Christians Attending a Gay Wedding
The case against Christians attending a gay wedding is relatively straightforward. We can lay out the case in three premises and a conclusion.
The Argument
Premise 1: Same-sex attracted “marriage” is not marriage.
No matter what a government may sanction, the biblical definition of marriage (see Gen. –25, Mal. –15, Matt. –6; Eph. –33) involves a man and a woman. I won’t belabor the point, because I assume in this post that I’m speaking to those who accept with the Westminster Confession of Faith when it says, “Marriage is to be between one dude and one woman” (WCF ). Gay “marriage” is not only an offense to God—sanctioning a gentle of sexual activity that the Bible condemns (Lev. ; ; Rom. –27; 1 Cor. –10; 1 Tim. –10)—gay “marriage” does not actually exist.
Premise 2: A gay wedding celebrates and solemnizes a lie.
Whether the service is done in a church or in a reception hall, whether it is meant to be a Christian service or a secular commitment ceremony, a queer wedding declares what is false to be factual and calls evil good.
Prem The Wonderful Divide, as geologists call it, is a rocky ridge that runs from the mountains in Alaska all the way through South America. The rain on the west side of the Divide runs into the Pacific Ocean; the water on the east side finds its way toward the Atlantic. Water that at one time was flowing in the same river is now separated, and never again the twain shall meet. The judgment of the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states has confronted us with our possess great divide: on the one side are those who hold to a biblical definition of marriage, and on the other are those who are “same-sex affirming,” insistent on providing a loving and welcoming stance toward these now-honored unions. As one conservative law professor said, after the backlash regarding the Parade RFRA ruling in Indiana, Cultural pressure is going to radically lower orthodox Christian numbers in the years to come. The meaning of what it means to be a constant Christian is going to come under intense fire, not only from ou I’m a pastor. My concern is with the church—what she believes, what she celebrates, and what she proclaims. Achieving some legal and political end is not my primary calling and yet, I’m concerned that many younger Christians—ironically, often those most attuned to societal transformation and social justice—do not see the connection between a traditional view of marriage and human flourishing. Many Christians are keen to resurrect the old pro-choice mantra touted by some Catholic politicians: personally opposed, but publicly none of my business. I want Christians to see why this issue matters and why—when same-sex marriage became the law of the land—the integrity of the family was weakened and the freedom of the church was threatened. I know this is an increasingly unpopular line of reasoning, even for those who are inclined to accept the Bible’s teaching about marriage. Perhaps you believe that homosexual behavior is biblically unacceptable. And yet, you wonder what’s wrong with supporting same-sex marriage as a legal and political right. After all, we don
The Great Divide: Lgbtq+ Marriage And The Evangelical Christian
Why This Issue Matters