Statement Against Heterosexual Marriages Only
Statement
Dr. Reppmann states that the HSR interprets Genesis in a very narrow way. It equates the creation order with Natural law – all the standards are built in from the beginning.
Fixed natural law is not the best way to interpret Scripture. It overlooks human beings’ responsibility to be creative. The norm does not have all the content of human creativity. It’s instructive but not prescriptive.
He claims the report mis-applies Matt. 19. Jesus is not talking about the overall structure of sexuality. Jesus is responding to whether or not a man has a right to divorce for any reason he wants. The norm is covenant faithfulness. How are we to apply the norm in our time? Stable same-sex marriages are now a part of our experiences.
Concerning gender identity Reppmann claims it is man’s responsibility is to assign names and identities. It is a matter of on-going discernment. Gen. 2:19 describes what man calls the creatures. It is the mark of a growing person is to take on being a namer.
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Response
It is very difficult to adequately take on the topic of creation vs. nature in either an 11-minute video or a one-page response to that video. In the big picture, are creation and nature the only two options? How does Special Revelation relate to this?
Beginning at about the 8:10 mark Dr. Reppmann takes up the matter of gender identity. He says it is man’s responsibility to assign names and identities (Gen. 2:19). He states that it is the mark of a growing person to take on being a namer. Although not explicitly stated, one assumes he sees this as being true to the nature of something as opposed to an unchanging identity assigned at creation. Carrying the on-going responsibility of namer, does man have the freedom to name something woman that God has named man? Or, if a particular individual has been born with male genitalia, what must be true for that individual to in fact be a female, and not a male? Has that been clearly defined, anywhere? Or, with this supposed responsibility of being the namer, is it entirely up to each individual what they want to be?
Taking this approach, doesn’t it look like our understanding of nature is being granted the final word? Does this undermine the premise of taking the Bible as our only standard for faith and practice? It is true that the Reformed faith has always placed a high value on science. And, solid Reformed theology also holds to the Bible, Special Revelation, as being ultimately our only standard for faith and practice.
Starting at about the 6:12 mark Reppmann says the report mis-applies Matthew 19. He says Jesus is only discussing divorce there, not the nature of sexuality in general. He then goes on to say that the norm is covenantal faithfulness, and the question now is how to apply the norm in our time. He claims stable same-sex marriages are now part of our experience (7:30).
When Lev. 18:22 says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” How do we know that is no longer the norm? It is all inclusive, no male anywhere is to lie with another male. It doesn’t allow any exceptions. As the HSR points out, the words of Rom. 1 prohibit mutual, loving same-sex relationships (HSR 2021, section XII D, page 104). How is that not the norm any longer? If we take our experiences of stable relationships to be the deciding factor, one could just as well argue for polygamy as same-sex relationships. This approach proves too much.
The above does not solve the creation vs. nature question, but hopefully it does help to keep all necessary aspects in perspective as the church examines this matter of same-sex marriage.
One reply on “Creation vs. Nature”
It is very difficult to take Dr. Reppmann’s arguments seriously. It provokes thoughts about a serious lack of clarity on the part of the Holy Spirit, and thus also on the part of Jesus Christ. One may read Christ’s last warning expressed in e.g. Rev. 2:14 and Rev. 22: 14-15. Reppmann’s rhetoric is undermining the Word of God by actually declaring that it leaves room for different interpretations, i.e. what it means what he or she wants it to really mean. It is about time that many who want the Bible to say things differently, i.e. according to their fancy. Too many Christians become sensitive to opinions circulating in today’s world, a world growing anti-Christ by the day. This is not a theory, but a reality. The church is under attack from Satan who is very clever and convincing to reach his final goal: the destruction of the church. The spear he cleverly uses is the current issue of immorality.