Dr.

Nathan Paylor 2017 1 CWG Bible + Sexuality S1

CWG Bible & Sexuality Part One: Biblical Teaching

Before we begin a few important points of order.
Today we start a three-part series, Bible & Sexuality.
o 23rd Apr: Biblical teaching.
o 7th May: Awareness political, social, cultural issues.
o 21st May: Application.


[1] Introduction

LOOK: Eph 5:3-14
Pay special attention to vv12-14.
o On the one hand: the ground is treacherous (v.12).
o On the other hand: walking through it is necessary (v.13).
o On the third hand (!): theres a hint of Gospel promise
(v14).

LOOK: Gal 5:22-23
We must approach the subject with gentleness, and respond with
wisdom.



[2] Five Church Missteps

[2A] Misstep One: Perpetuating the Culture War.
A struggle for cultural dominance.
o Worldly, partisan, idolatrous.
o Very little to do with Christ he offended everyone!

[2B] Misstep Two: Trying to Stay in Jerusalem.
Trying to recreate bygone providence through petty legal
skirmishes.
o BUT were not living in Christian Britain.
o A better biblical analogue? Exiles in Babylon.



Dr. Nathan Paylor 2017 2 CWG Bible + Sexuality S1

[2C] Misstep Three: Selective Holiness.

Dont you know? Those who practice homosexuality will not
inherit the kingdom of God YES, BUT:
o Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the
greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom
of God [1 Cor 6:9-10]
Re: Ps 5:5.

[2D] Misstep Four: Confusing Symptoms for Causes.
The sexual revolution is the long-term root.
o The Church lost much of the moral high-ground by being
apathetic towards (or even capitulating on!) divorce.

[2E] Misstep Five: Praiselessness.
No, God never approves of sin.
But yes, God is always kind despite it.
o Sun shines on righteous & unrighteous [Matt 5:45].
o Rocks will cry out [Luke 19:40].



[3] Laying the Foundations

Two foundations in particular:
1. It is the nature of sinful man to turn inward.
2. It is the nature of our holy God to turn outward.

[3A] It is the nature of sinful man to turn inward.
The Edenic exchange explains how idolatry is at the heart of all
sin.
o Nature of sin: cf. Rom 1:30.
o False teaching: e.g. pelagianism.
o Other religions: e.g. Islam + Tawhid.
o Superstition: man has the right to define spiritual truth.
o Mysticism: privileging the inner life of man.
o Modern world: hubris of human rights.


Dr. Nathan Paylor 2017 3 CWG Bible + Sexuality S1

[3B] It is the nature of our holy God to turn outward.

To create / to reveal / to speak / to become flesh / to send / to
return.
This is the grace & kindness of God.
o The divine YES for his people.
o The divine NO to the world.

The ONLY thing that matters is whether God has spoken.
If not, we should all stay quiet.
But if so, then that trumps every feeling, opinion or conviction.

The LORD has made himself known [Ps 9:16] and this subject is no
exception.
Hes spoken INTO this subject (through the explicit teaching of
scripture).
Hes also spoken OVER this subject.
o The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary
for his own glory, mans salvation, faith and life, is either
expressly down in scripture [INTO], or by the good and
necessary consequences of scripture [OVER] [WCF I.6]

And what does this look like? How he has spoken into + over the
subject?
1. Jesus owns all human sexuality.
2. Because the living Word owns it
a. The written Word guides us towards certain kinds of
sexual expression, and away from others.
3. Much more than this
a. Theres such beauty waiting for us if wed only ask why
i. [Because human sexuality is Gospel-shaped.]



[4] Jesus Owns All Human Sexuality

LOOK: Col 1:15-18.


Dr. Nathan Paylor 2017 4 CWG Bible + Sexuality S1

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in
Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers all things
have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all
things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body,
the Church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He
might come to have first place in everything [Col 1:15-18]

DISCUSS: how is this relevant to human sexuality?

There are often two obstacles to receiving Biblical teaching on human
sexuality.

1. EITHER: we can make too much of sexuality.
a. Lust sex becomes all possessing.
b. Promiscuity sex becomes all consuming.
c. LGBTQ rights sex becomes all defining.
i. Basically, sex is everything.

2. OR: we can make too little of sexuality.
a. You Christians are obsessed with sex why would God
care? What would the Creator of the Universe be bothered
about what I do with my genitalia?!
i. Basically, sex is nothing really.

Col 1:15-20 does away with both these obstacles.

First obstacle (too much of sexuality):
o We dont own our sexuality.
Jesus created sex through + for himself;
Jesus is before sexuality and he holds it together;
Jesus is supreme over human sexuality.
o Human beings dont have the right to dictate or idolise
sexuality.
God gets to define it and Jesus gets the glory through
it.
Second obstacle (too little of sexuality):
o If sexuality is all about Jesus (along with everything else)
Then of COURSE God cares!
Dr. Nathan Paylor 2017 5 CWG Bible + Sexuality S1

We dont have the right to idolise.

We dont have the right to ignore.

God DOES have something to say why?
Because it concerns the glory of His Son



[5] Because the Living Word Owns It The Written Word
Guides Us Towards Certain Kinds of Sexual Expression, and
Away From Others.

[5A] Guiding Us Towards

Gen 1:26ff the Trinitarian imago Dei, I/Thou.
Gen 2:22-25 the created Image, I/Thou.

But Christianity is all about Jesus, he didnt say anything
Matt 19:4-6 Jesus theology of sex? Identical with Genesis.
o But no-one knew about orientation or faithful SSA back
then
John 2:23-25 wrong.