Can Christians
agree to disagree /on our culture’s most controversial
topics?
Well, when it
comes to certain issues, the answer
is no.
For years, a steady drumbeat of Christian pastors, musicians, and
authors have announced () they’ve “evolved” on the issue of homosexuality.
Authors like Matthew Vines and more recently, Jen Hatmaker, musician
Nicole Nordeman and Yale philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff argue that
the Bible doesn’t actually condemn same-sex “marriage.” Christians, they
say, should bless such unions as “holy.”
Many of them have said that even if we don’t agree, we shouldn’t make
it a big deal. We can “agree to disagree,” they say. Typically, they
offer one of three reasons.
First, this issue, they say, is like the mode of baptism, or worship
styles, or wine versus grape juice in the Lord’s Supper. In other words,
homosexuality is a matter of preference, an area where believers can
respect one another’s differences.
But this doesn’t make sense for either side. Advocates of
same-sex “marriage” say it’s a human right. If that’s true, the
traditional view is not just mistaken, it’s dangerous!
Opponents say
that acts of homosexuality are sinful.
If that’s true, then Christians
can’t agree to disagree either.
Second, we often hear that the Church is evolving on this issue,
especially every time a Christian celebrity changes their minds. But the
vast majority of evangelicals still hold to the traditional view, and
they’re not changing their minds anytime soon. As my “BreakPoint This
Week” cohost, Ed Stetzer, points out in Christianity Today, “Evangelical
organizations across the spectrum are making clear where they stand on
marriage.” Groups like the Council for Christian Colleges and
Universities, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Christianity Today, and
even more progressive social-justice-minded organizations like World
Vision and Fuller Seminary, have all unambiguously committed to hold the
line on this issue.
As
have denominations. Virtually every evangelical communion has
reaffirmed God’s design for sex and marriage. Even in the United
Methodist Church, long considered a stronghold of liberal theology, and
in the worldwide Anglican communion, the marriage debate has taken a
conservative turn as traditional members in Africa and elsewhere exert
their influence.
But, some will reply, “If Christians don’t all agree on what marriage
is, you can’t say there’s such a thing as ‘the Christian position.’”
But Christian truth isn’t made of what [people //who call themselves
Christians] say.
It’s revealed truth, made known through creation,
through Scripture, ultimately through Christ
—each of which are quite
clear about what makes us male and female, what marriage is, and about
sexual morality.
Which is why Christians never questioned marriage until culturally
yesterday. A post-sexual revolution claim just a few years old does
nothing to negate the consistent Christian witness about marriage
throughout all of history.
Which brings up the final argument, “If marriage is a core part of
Christian teaching,” we hear, “why isn’t it in the creeds or the
councils? Why did no one talk about it until now?” The answer is,
because no one questioned what marriage is until now—anywhere, much less
in the Church.
Throughout history, the need to clarify certain Christian doctrines
has almost always arisen because of challenges. No one thought we needed
a canon, until Marcion suggested some books weren’t Scripture. No one
thought we needed to clarify Jesus’ place in the Godhead, until the
Arian heresy. In each case, what was upheld wasn’t a theological
innovation, but a clarification of the consistent Christian teaching.
So next time someone says, let’s just agree to disagree about this
issue, say, “No. Instead, let’s agree to love each other and to pursue
the truth together.” That’s a much better way forward.
Further Reading and Information
No, We Can’t ‘Agree to Disagree’ on Marriage: And Here’s Why
As John has articulated, marriage between one man and one woman is at
the core of Christian teaching. Be equipped to speak clarifying truth
on this challenge to biblical orthodoxy by clicking on the links below.
Resources
What’s Really Going On with Evangelicals and Same-Sex Marriage
Trevin Wax | thegospelcoalition.org | November 2, 2016
Evangelicals Across the Spectrum Are Clarifying Marriage as a Core Belief
Ed Stetzer | ChristianityToday.com | November 1, 2016
Available at the online bookstore
Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage
John Stonestreet, Sean McDowell | Baker Books | July 2014