Commentary: The Bible is the Unchanging Word of God

I recently read an article written by Rev. James R. McCormick, a retired United Methodist pastor from Cumming, Georgia.  In his article titled “Be Careful Using the Bible” he attempts to put forth a modern concept that the Bible is not a reliable source for every moral dispute, particularly when it comes to changing cultural norms such as America’s acceptance of the LGBTQ community. McCormick puts it this way, “Often God is cited as supporting whatever values are normative at that time in history. Those are “timely” standards — standards valued for a time — but not necessarily “timeless” standards that are applicable for all time and all circumstances.”   Basically, he is saying that God is not self-revelatory but rather decides how He should be based on how we are at different phases throughout history.  A father that allows his son to make mistakes so that he can learn from the repercussions of those mistake does not do so because he supports the mistakes!  I assume that Rev. McCormick surely agrees that some Biblical standards are timeless such as “Thou shalt not murder.”  (But no doubt there are those who will produce a bizarre hypothetical situational ethics dilemma in which it would appear that even murder can be justified!)  But I do agree with Rev. McCormick that we must be careful using the Bible, for that is precisely what the Bible itself says in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

There are many blatant examples of Biblical ignorance even among learned theologians.  For instance, some may think that the Bible affirms Abraham having sexual relations with Hagar, Sarah’s maid, in order to produce his first son, Ishmael. This is simply not true. The Bible in no way affirms Abraham’s having a child by Hagar.  The Bible is a record book of what took place, and it does record that Abraham willingly had sex with Sarah’s maid at Sarah’s request!  The fact that our patriarchal forefathers are recorded in the Bible as having sinned, made bad judgements, or failed to behave in a faithful manner does not at all mean the Bible affirms or condones what they did!  

Some like to point out that King Solomon, who was legendary for his great wisdom in a certain period of his life, was legendary for having 700 wives and 300 concubines as if that was a culturally normal thing that God supported for a monarch in Solomon’s day.  Again, Solomon was never praised for his excessive licentious behavior, and he in fact lost favor with God due to his rebellion which included building temples of worship to the false gods of some of his wives. 

Some, ignorantly try to make the case for not using the Bible’s standards for cultural changing values by pointing out that in ancient Israel, eating shellfish and wearing clothing of two different fabrics at the same time were called “abominations.” To this I say, “Yes, eating shellfish is still prohibited for those who want to live according to the Bible, and the health benefits for not eating pork or shellfish is today being proven by science and molecular biology.  The timeless dietary laws were kept by Jesus and his followers and by many people ever since the Law was given.  Many Believers today are beginning to realize we should have never abandoned them. (A true study of Peter’s vision in Acts 10 will reveal the lesson was not about food!)  As for wearing mixed fabrics, studies are revealing the benefits of wearing 100% cotton or 100% linen, and the chemicals and toxins in modern mixed fabrics are having negative health effects on our bodies, especially for people with allergies and skin conditions.

Many people today can site examples of traditions and practices for which the Bible gets blamed for establishing.  Rev. McCormick recalled that “As a child, I was not allowed to have playing cards in our house. Dancing and even going to the movies were frowned upon, and drinking alcoholic beverages was not allowed. I was told that Jesus and his disciples drank only grape juice! Today, all of those things are permissible even by religious people, showing that moral standards do evolve.”  All of that may be true for Rev. McCormick and many others, but none of those practices have anything to do with the moral absolutes taught in the Bible.  And just like the Pharisees did, many religious leaders, rabbis and preachers have given very bad interpretations of the Torah which over the millennia have led to legalisms that have nothing to do with the spirit of God’s laws.  This is exactly what Jesus railed against.    

I will agree that our moral standards have evolved, but not for the better.  They have actually “devolved” and eroded as our standards have moved further and further away from God’s standards.  And the fact that “religious’ people have allowed that does not make it right in the least.  The little poem attributed to the 18^th century English poet Alexander Pope says it all: “Sin is a monster of such awful mien that to be hated need only be seen.  But seen too often, familiar with face, we first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

But the main focus of Rev. McCormick’s article was to pose the question that since the Bible’s standards are not timeless, then why not accept that the Bible’s standards for human sexual behavior and marriage practices are just as non-applicable for today’s LGBTQ culture?  But his primary question is reasoned on a very faulty premise--that Biblical standards can only speak to the cultural values of the ancient times in which they were written.  What happened to the unchanging nature of God? (Psalm 102:27 But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.  Malachi 3:6 For I, the LORD, do not change.  Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Just to name a few.) The Bible was written over a period of 1400 to 1800 years.  Were God’s Biblical standards righteous only during Biblical times because there was not a well-organized, vocal opposition large enough to challenge the Word of God as we see today?

So, how are those who do uphold the Bible as God’s timeless Word supposed to view and respond to the LGBTQ community in America today?  Again, the Bible itself gives us our instructions.  We are to love the LGBTQ community and pray for them earnestly that they will come to a repentance of sin and return to the standards established by God for righteous living lest they and the culture that embraces their behavior pay the price for their sin.  Jesus came to pay that price, but it doesn’t apply to anyone without turning away from the sin for which the Son of God paid with his own life.  Homosexual behavior is a choice. Yes, any sinful behavior is most definitely a choice.  And we as a nation will reap the consequences of God’s judgement eventually, if not already. 

Many scientists and psychologists today believe that same-gender orientation is not a matter of choice.  The predominant teaching today is anti-Bible, and that teaching has become a very intense war that is now being waged on two ironically opposing fronts.  One front claims that homosexuality is not a choice, that boys and girls can be born with an irrevocable assignment to be homosexual just the same as a child being born Black or White has no choice.  And religion is even brought in to support that claim by saying that God made them that way.  Surely, opposite-gender tendencies by nature and/or nurture may be present in an individual, but homosexual behavior, or heterosexual behavior for that matter, is still a choice behavior like playing sports if one so chooses.  Unless you are being raped or held at gunpoint, you don’t have to engage in someone else’s sexual sin.  And now ironically, the other front claims almost the opposite!  It claims that a same-sex preference is not something you are born with, but rather your gender and sexual preference is just that—a preference choice that you can make and act upon virtually at will.  A boy can have sex with another boy and not be considered a homosexual because the boy has decided that he is now a girl!

Rev. McCormick concludes his article with this:

“Almost everyone affirms close, caring relationships between men and between women. We become concerned only when the sexual component is added. Why? All close relationships are much more than sexual. Even heterosexual marriage is about friendship, mutuality and caring. We should wrestle with the reality that close, same-sex friendships are applauded; it is only when the sexual component is added that we become concerned. Again, why? Why not have the same moral standards for same-gender relationships as for heterosexual relationships: no promiscuity, no coercion, no insensitivity. Instead, seek commitment, faithfulness, mutual sensitivity, caring and support. Who does that hurt?”

Oh, so now we read about Biblical moral standards of “commitment, faithfulness, mutual sensitivity, caring and support”?  Are these also "timely" or "timeless" standards as well, depending on the times?  The bottom line truth is simply that you can’t have it both ways.  It is an abomination to try and make sin look virtuous.  Of course there are homosexual couples who only have sex exclusively with each other!  This is to be applauded?  This is supposed to justify the breaking of God’s laws for natural affections between a man and a woman within the boundaries of marriage?

So why should I speak up or say anything about all this?  Rev. McCormick wants to know, “Who does that hurt?”  It hurts the heart of God to see that roaring lion called Satan destroying the lives of the ones that he created and to whom He gave the breath of life.  He came into this sinful world Himself to redeem and reclaim those who will come to Him in true repentance.   No doubt my words here are offensive to some, but I found Rev. McCormick’s comments offensive because they do not accurately reflect the Word of God as I understand it, and I have for too long been silent.  I hear and see how the world attacks the Word of God everyday.  But to hear it from a pastor just really breaks my heart and let’s me know just how far away from God we are as a people.  Sometimes you just have to articulate your convictions and for me, this is where I stand.