gender specific messages

introduction
The use of terms referring to gender occur throughout the bible (e.g. mother, father, son, daughter, wife, husband).  Some apply to specific people.  Others provide information about a principle.  For instance:

• Characteristics of a wife … (Ps 31)
• How women should behave in church meetings … (1Co 14:34-35)
• Definition of a widow … (1Tim 5)
• How fathers need to treat their children … (Eph 6)

But how does reading Galatians 3:26-28 affect matters?

You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In other words, being part of God’s family means the divisions of heritage, social status, and gender are no longer relevant.  Does this mean you stop being a male or female?  No.  You still have the physical parts and the associated functions such as pregnancy and beard growing.  Then there are differences in hormones, emotions, etc.  So what exactly, does it mean for gender to be no longer relevant?

what does the bible say?

The starting point is to consider yourself in just one category: a child of God.  Do a word search of the bible using the keywords child and God.  How many of them refer to a gender?  What is common among them?

• General information (Mt 5:9; Lk 20:36; Heb 12:7-8)
• Connection to Jesus (Jn 1:12; Gal 3:7; Gal 3:26; Heb 2:14; 1Jn 5:1)
• Where they come from (Jn 11:52; Rom 9:8).
• Connection to God’s Spirit (Rom 8:14)
• What God gives them (Rom 8:17-23; Gal 3:29; Eph 3:6)
• How to recognise them (Mt 5:9; Phil 2:15; 1Pe 1:14; 1Jn 2:28; 1Jn 3:9-10; 1Jn 5:18-19)

fathers and their children

Choose one of the passages from the introduction, for example Ephesians 6: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

If gender is relevant to this passage then it’s request only applies to men who are fathers.  Everyone else, including mothers, could be considered exempt and may therefore provoke children and not be responsible for the discipline of children. Such a world would make the efforts of a father impossible, so why even ask it of him.

If at the very least mothers also need to discipline their children and treat them in such a way that they are not provoked, then we must re-examine how God views things.

widows

Now read 1 Timothy 5: a widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband…continue reading.

Why does God repeatedly associate widows with orphans and strangers in his word?  Could it be they are each a group of vulnerable people in the community?  If gender is relevant to this passage then it’s request only applies to widowed women.  Vulnerable elderly men could be considered exempt and we may therefore ignore their needs.

But read the passage in context.  Why were female widows even brought to attention?  Was there a cultural context? Do we simply transfer the action word for word, or do we need to look at the intent between the lines?

conclusion

Whenever you read something in the bible or are given advice, look at the underlying truths.  If God treats his children equally, then we need to live that way too.  Matters of character, principle, ethics, justice, love apply to everyone.  Equally.

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homosexuality: a special sin?

introduction

Why are certain actions, attitudes, and ways people live viewed with a special kind of disdain?  Why are they given a level of badness above others?  Pedophilia, murder, rape, are just a few examples.

Another, and the example used here is homosexuality.  Why?  Because in recent years, not far behind when speaking of marriage, is the topic of whether or not homosexuals (people who sexually desire the same gender as themselves) should be entitled to marry, with the same legal privileges as heterosexual people (people who sexually desire the opposite gender to themselves).

NOTE: This exploration is not intended to prove whether or not homosexuality is acceptable or a sin.  Rather, it is an attempt to ask whether we are justified to judge and shun people based upon personal, social, or religious views.

marriage is for a male and female only

• “gay marriage” is bad  because…
• the act of homosexuality is bad, therefore …
• people who are homosexual are not normal and
• sometimes considered unsaved in a Christian sense

anyone should be allowed to marry (mm, ff, mf)

• I feel normal and/or I know people who are homosexual who are not bad.  In fact some state Jesus as their saviour. Therefore…
• I am normal, therefore…
• homosexuality is just part of who I am, therefore…
• when I want to get married I should be able to

quick analysis

The difficulty when entering this argument is both sides appear “right” in their own eyes. But have another look. A circular argument is occurring through the blurring of the lines between the person and their sexuality. We are equating the inner worth of a person with who they have sex with. Heterosexual marriage = good normal person. Homosexual = bad abnormal person. Therefore,

• if you disagree with gay marriage you probably have other judgments about the men and women involved
• if you are a man or woman who is homosexual you probably consider yourself an ordinary person because you know how you feel and think

what does the bible say?

There are four main passages in the bible that speak directly of homosexuality.  The first two mentions appear in this context as the Hebrew word shakab, meaning "to lie together sexually".  Both  appear in the same Old Testament book called Leviticus:

• “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin." (Lev 18:22)
• “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offense." (Lev 20:13)

The other two direct references to homosexuality is the Greek word arsenokoites, each within a different book of the New Testament:

Paul starts by explaining of our need to resolve disputes instead of taking legal action because that would prove our unwillingness to love one another. It is even better to simply accept the injustice put upon us and leave it at that (1 Co 6:1-8).

Why?  Because anyone, yes even you, who does wrong will not inherit God’s Kingdom!

The examples of wrongdoing Paul gives includes indulging in sexual sin, worshiping idols, committing adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, stealing, or being greedy, an alcoholic, abusive, or cheating (1 Co 6:9-10), murdering, slave trading, lying, breaking a promise, or simply having evil thoughts, deceit, lust, envy, slander, pride, being foolish (1 Tim 1:8-11; Mk 7:21-23), being hostile, quarreling, jealous, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, or wild parties (Gal 5:19-21).

Indeed, Jesus explained that all these things come from your inner parts and that it is this  inner stuff that defiles you well before you act upon it (Mk 7:21-23).

Read Matthew 5.  What is Jesus explaining?  Is it enough to point at people whose actions seem obvious because we can see them, or do we need to consider something else?  How can you apply what you learn here into the above list of 'wrongdoings'?

For example, finish the following sentence: “You have heard it said, no one who sleeps with another person of the same sex will enter God’s Kingdom, but I (Jesus) say to you …”

Paul then continues by speaking of our need to stop committing these acts once we realize who Jesus is and how he has caused us to be right with God (1 Co 6:12-20).  But does Paul declare one or more of the listed wrongdoings better or worse than any other? 

Why?

Which of these listed actions do you recognize in your life?  What about when you apply what you found by understanding Matthew 5 (the “you have heard it said” ones)?

Paul also explains that … God’s law, when used correctly is good because it helps people live correctly.  The law was "not intended for people who do what is right, but for people who are lawless, rebellious, ungodly, or sinful, anyone who does anything that contradicts the teaching of Jesus Christ” (1 Tim 5:8-11).

conclusion

So, if you found yourself guilty of any of the wrongdoings, then you are living in opposition to Jesus, and need God's law.  Does it matter whether you choose to include or exclude homosexuality in this list?  No.  There will be one or more other things you will be found guilty of.

Thank Jesus for his mercy.  For, even though Paul used to blaspheme his name, persecute, and kill his people, Jesus showed him who he is and why he came to earth.  By being forgiven, Paul became an example proving Jesus came to save sinners, all sinners, no matter how horrendous your actions (1 Tim 5:12-17).

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in or out?

It has come to my attention that some Christians filter who may and may not gather with them during such times as a home group or bible study. The reason  is the new person would change the dynamics (e,g, learning stlye, maturity, gender, age, personality, denominational background, etc) of the group or not cope with the existing dynamics.  Therefore their presence would be considered disruptive.

Whether or not this sounds reasonable, is it acceptable?

Does God treat people this way? Did Jesus when on earth? What if you did this happened to your children?

Imagine saying to someone "Sorry, you cannot come pray and seek God with us because we are concerned you presence will disrupt the established group. We are doing things you may not be able to understand and we don't want to make the effort to change how we operate."

How you would respond if someone told you that?

May our doors be open to anyone willing to seek Him. Regardless of denominational or ideological background. Regardless of age, gender, socio-econics, or level of spiritual maturity.

May our minds and heart be open to Him so that we do not consider ourselves more important than others.

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God is all about relationships?

Today, the church often preaches about how God is all about relationships and as such so must the church.  We therefore have become accustomed to filtering what we do through the lens of relationships.  For instance, we only have the right to speak into another persons life once we have a relationship with them.  This is despite the fact that our very presence can be enough to affect another person's life, without have ever spoken a word to them let alone having met them.

We have also made our theology of God all about relationship.  God is the father, son, and spirit in continual relationship.  Occasionally, some believers will take the bold step and suggest people are invited into this relationship.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not opposing the importance of relationships.

But what I am pointing out is two things.  First, treating relationship this way is like the story of the elephant, where different people describe the elephant according to which part they were looking at: a leg, a trunk, an ear etc.  And as such they each spoke of the elephant in terms of the piece they could see.  Alternatively, what if the elephant is up a tree?  What if what we are describing looks like what we would expect a certain part of the elephant to look like, but we our expectations keep us distracted from looking up?

If we are doing this with God in terms of relationships, then what are we making the cornerstone of our faith and why?

Thus, the second point.  Could it be because our culture and society lack genuine relationship causing it to be the cry of our collective heart?  Could there be something more than what we experience through individualism?  Irony, in a desire to overcome individualism, we segment God into parts, father, son, spirit and then resolve this in terms of relationship, where we relate to one or more as our needs determine.

Again, not disregarding or diminishing relationship, trinity, or God's attributes. Just wanting to prompt us to consider what we doing and why.

Oneness

Jesus prayed that we be one like he and the father are one.  Is there distinction?  We are called to mature so we may be as the full stature of Christ.  We are to be in him and he in us... etc

This is like describing the colour green.  Yes we know and can show that yellow and blue are the component parts, and in a sense when we interact with green, we interact with mixed parts of yellow and blue.  But the truth is when you look at a frog or a leaf, you don't think or behave like that.  You only treat it as green.  We are not even contemplating how the bits work together.

Again, it is like when we send a christmas card to a household or a wedding gift.  Though we recognise each person involved, our focus os on the family, the couple.  Our love is for them as a whole.  Indeed, you may even sign off using your own family's surname.

The mystery that is God, the Church, etc...  Breaking him/us down while not 'bad', misses something.  And if we are doing this because of something we are missing in ourselves, communally or individually, then hmmm.

I pray that we are resolved in ourselves on this matter so that we may be one with one another and one with God.  And as such, just One.

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