Tackling Tradition 48: Christ & Human Sexuality

Christopher Yuan thinks that the reason the Gospels don’t depict Christ talking about particular topics, this means that because rabbinic tradition had control of the situation, there was nothing to address. 

So what he’s saying is that Ecclesiastical Tradition is their & our rule of faith? Because something was universally condemned in rabbinic literature (commentary on the meaning of Scripture & tradition), there was no need to address these issues.   

There’s a lot wrong with that argument.  

First, Ecclesiastical Tradition can be universally wrong, & nobody sees fit to address it or those who do are few & far between until the LORD sees fit to address it.   Error becomes monolithic.  

For example, the Apostolic Age to the days of Jan Hus on up to the Magisterial Reformation is full of a lot of theological discussion that grew over the course of over a millennium — thus the need for the Reformation.    Ecclesiastical Tradition is not our rule of faith as Protestants for that very reason. 

Second, you’re making an argument from silence - because Yeshua was silent, there was obviously nothing to debate.   That’s a non-sequitur.   

Ecclesiastical Tradition’s lockdown kept certain questions from arising.  That’s true — but we aren’t just talking about human sexuality here, we are also talking about Scripture, namely the content of the New Testament in general & the Gospels in particular.    One of the defining characteristics of Scripture is that Scripture in the NT takes the form of letters, & letters are occasioned.  

 

What we have in the Gospels amounts biographical narrative that takes the form of edited teaching modules.  The reason Yeshua doesn’t appear to say much about these issues has a lot to do with what the authors believed was important enough to include (John 21) & the needs of the receiving churches.   

 

The NT canon comes to us in the form of a suzerain covenant. 

Shema: Gospels

Historical Prologue: Acts 

General Stipulations: Paul, Hebrews 

Specific Stipulations & Document Clause: Pastorals, including Jude. 

Witnesses, Covenant Renewal & Victory: Revelation 

Shema is about God’s & Christ’s identity.  The authors’ purpose is to identify Yeshua & address broader issues pertinent within His own ministry & lay the foundation for what followed.   In Shema, the focus is on God & the backbone of the Law & Gospel.  

Thus, we would expect this topic to be part of the Stipulations section, not Shema, & there is it is in Romans (Stipulations)! 

You also are speaking out of two sides of your mouth.   On this very page, you use Matthew 19 as an example of how the Gospels **do** address this issue.  Which narrative is true?  

This issue does not require running to Matthew & Genesis to point to the human image in God’s decretal design (What Is) to reason to God’s moral will as to sexual ethics (What Ought To Be). 

Romans 1:18 - 32 provides us with an inerrant & infallible commentary on Leviticus 18.   They follow the same exact outline.  

Leviticus 18:

Shema/Prologue (Lev. 18:1 - 5)

General & Specific Prohibitions (Lev.18: 6 -23) 

Document Clause, Witnesses, & Victory (Lev. 18: 24 - 30), which refers to statutes & rules & charges the people as witnesses & proclaims victory over the nations (& Israel should they behave like the nations)

Romans interprets Lev. 18 & vice versa.

Romans 1:18 - 32:

Paul is following the outline of Leviticus 18, following the form of a Hebraic lawsuit.

Shema and Decalogue (1:18 - 21) God’s Image testifies to His attributes & Law.

God created people. His temple bears His Image & runs according to His Law & Gospel.

Historical Prologue (1:22 - 23)

They suppressed God’s image & authority substituting their own, & made idols that looked & behaved like themselves.

Stipulations/Prohibitions (1:24 - 28)  In Canaan & Rome, people did heterosexual & homosexual sex for their gods.  At times they deployed animals too.  (Lev. 18: 6 - 23).  

Document Clause, Covenant Sanctions/Renewal & Witnesses, Victory (Q: 29 - 32)

Kitchen sink immorality will lead to Rome’s burning, just as it did to Sodom, Egypt, Israel, Babylon, &tc.

The text is about how we are supposed to think.  God’s created order testifies to His image & authority.   God indicts us for suppressing His image & authority & supplanting it with our own & other created images & reasoning accordingly.  When you teach that human anatomy, physiology, &/or psychology is a proper warrant for sexual ethics, you are teaching the opposite of what the Bible teaches, which is why so many like Chris Yuan run to Genesis as an interpretive grid to impose on the text.   Well, yeah that’s what Romans teaches — but 2nd Temple Tradition taught this, & Matthew 19 & Genesis say this…all the while doing sexual ethics out of the human image itself.