>>15285380 pb
Christian churches have forfeited their moral authority concerning this since they have abandoned traditional symbols of the Bible; MacArthur included.
The literal-historical hermeneutic adopted by MacArthur and most, says that the Bible only speaks to the literal interpretation. As such they have sentimentalized marriage and lost the core of their teaching in doing so.
Gender identity comes from the concept of marriage, and marriage as taught by the Bible is a symbolic play that preaches the cross and him crucified. This is the power of God unto salvation which is forfeited by MacArthur.
Paul says that when he speaks of marriage, he foes not teach of marriage but of Christ and the church. Marriage is a symbol of Christ and the church.
When the man takes a vow, he can't keep it any more than he can keep any law given by God. He is representing the vow of Christ made to the church.
When the woman takes a vow, she cannot keep it any more than she can keep the law given by God. She represents the church, who is empowered by Christ within her to keep the vow.
A male-male marriage declares that man is like God. It is a rebellious message coming from the 'play' on the stage of the wedding.
When there is a female-female wedding; the play declares that Christ was a mere man.
Only a heterosexual marriage declares that Christ loves the church and died for her. Only this marriage is the preaching of the cross.
Marriage - IN THE CHURCH - should be nothing less.
Should we be involved in politics? In the US, absolutely. According to our founding documents the government derives it's power from the people, and the people have neglected it.
Gender identity. The scriptures teach against gender confusion for the same reason as that in marriage. In the Bible, every man participates in a prophetic riddle, shadow or prophecy of Christ. Every one. And every woman represents the church.
The lives of the people who wrote the literal Bible are the framework for God's teaching about himself. It was hidden in the shadow, and riddles of the literal history. Our continuing lives do the same.
If they mixed gender identity, they scrambled what God wished to teach about himself.
MacArthur has not been involved in other countries where men have played the role of female, such as in India, etc. Why? Because it's none of his business. The church has no place to dictate the lives of people outside the church, and in the church should be more about influencing lives by introducing them to Christ than by imposing rules.
In the church there should not be sex outside of marriage because we have chosen to preach Christ and him crucified through the symbol of marriage.
Outside the church people behave by their instinctive animal nature. Why should we care if a dog humps a tree? but it messes up the 'dinner theater' we IN THE CHURCH have chosen to participate in, which reveals the nature of God.
'Sentimental marriage' is not a core teaching of God. The preaching of the cross is. When you decouple the two, you lose your divine moral authority.
John… sensus plenior exists. Though you will not enter in, stop preventing others from doing so.