Doubting Thomas

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.  25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  ( John 20:24–30 , ESV) The most common explanation of this text is that Thomas was skeptical about the other Disciples’ testi...
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Pop Quiz! Romans 1:18 - 32

 Specifically what theory am I deploying?

Which words did I “‘make up?”

Answer these questions: According to Romans 1:18 - 32 …

1. What is the purpose of the created order?

To testify to God’s design for human sexuality so we can do sexual ethics? OR Is its purpose to testify to God’s existence, attributes, & authority as the basis for all ethics.

2. How did the nations wind up with idols with sexual characteristics? By looking to God’s image & authority or by looking to their own & others?

3. Does God indict humanity for suppressing His image & authority & supplanting it with their own & others or for failing to look at the human image & understanding & believing that the human image is heteronormative?

4. Apropos 3, since the text indicts humanity for suppressing His image & authority & supplanting it with their own & others, how can “natural” mean “heteronormative” if God has no sexual characteristics? How can God indict some people for refusing to understand & believe in heteronormativity by way of rejecting God’s created design expressed via human anatomy, physiology, &/or psychology while indicting us all for reasoning from the human image to worship & sexual ethics?

The answer is: Heteronormativity isn’t the subject of 1:26 - 27, because if so, you have to divorce worship ethics (theology about God’s image) from sexual ethics (theology about the human image) in a text that binds them together. God’s image — not ours — is the source of worship & sexual ethics, & since He has no sexual characteristics, “natural” has nothing to do with heteronormativity. If so, then God has sexual attributes.

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