by Dave Hintz
As I write this article, the Episcopal Church of America is deliberating over the appointment of Gene Robinson as a bishop. What sets Gene Robinson apart as a media phenomenon and a crusader for a clerical reformation is his current thirteen year, non-celibate relationship with his male partner. When asked about any apparent discrepancies between his lifestyle and the Bible He quipped, "I think we have to push right through those seven brief biblical references or what seem to be references to homosexuality.”1 The logic is clear, the 23 Bible verses which trouble homosexual advocates (Gen. 18:20-21; Gen 19:1–11 ; Lev 18:22 ; 20:13 ; Rom 1:26–27 ; 1 Cor 6:9–11 ; 1 Tim 1:8–10 ) should be weighed against the 31,150 verses which make no mention of it. Further, biblical ethics found in the remaining 99.993% of the Bible would applaud a “faithful, monogamous, lifetime-intention relationship” 2 Moving a little closer to home, if one were to examine our own doctrinal statement, we would find no mention of homosexuality. Therefore, one could relegate this as a minor issue, that should not trouble or stir up strife within the church. Ingeniously, what these advocates have done is confine the locus of the debate upon the issue of homosexuality, and not biblical authority.
Wayne Grudem defines the authority of Scripture as, “all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.”3 When understood in the proper context, believers must submit to every word of the Bible. If God issues a command once, it is valid for all eternity. It would be laughable if the teen pled their innocence to drunken driving on the grounds that only .007% of all of the laws written in the U.S. make any mention of it. Yet, this is the position of the Gene Robinsons of the world. If their logic prevailed there would be no justification of opposing abortion, incest, and host of other heinous offences in which the Bible speaks only briefly. As men and women committed to upholding the Word of God and living in the age of tolerance our stance regarding its authority will become increasingly unpopular. Yet, we must hold fast knowing that we do not answer to the inhabitants of this world, but their creator.
Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. (NKJV)
