You shall become like gods
Ian Paul over at Psephizo has done a great job of dismantling the progressive attacks on Biblical teaching about sex and marriage. He makes two important points.
First, according to the vast majority of scholars, the biblical witness is clear. Where the Bible mentions homosexual behavior at all, it clearly condemns it. Renowned scholars Walter Brueggemann, Timothy Luke Johnson and Walter Wink support same-sex marriage but agree the Bible condemns homosexual activity.
These three at least have the intellectual honesty to accurately interpret Scripture rather than twist Scripture to bolster their case.
Second, for them and many other clergy, it’s not a question of what the Bible teaches, it’s a question of whether the Bible is right.
I think it important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good.
The Gospel is not to be confused with or identified with the Bible. The Bible contains all sorts of voices that are inimical to the good news of God’s love, mercy and justice.
As one principal of a theological college advised me, we need to balance what Jesus taught on sex and marriage with his more inclusive sayings. Our word rules over God’s Word. We have become like God, deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong.
Ultimately this is a battle over the authority of Scripture and not something we can agree to disagree on.
And so we are back in the Garden and the tempter is asking once again, “Did God say?”
