by Panom Top
Despite being the oldest and best-selling book of all time, the Bible is viewed by many people today as archaic, obsolete, and irrelevant for a modern person. On the contrary, the Bible contains the most up-to-date and essential knowledge on many problems we are facing as a society, including the issues of gender and marriage.
Much of the information documented in the Bible is about God’s interaction with human beings for the past 6,000 years. Our technology and knowledge of the physical universe changes from time to time, but our human nature – just like the Divine nature – has remained the same. Therefore, the Bible is still a relevant source of guidance for many moral issues that the world is facing today.
Take for example the issue of gender and marriage. How many genders do you think there are today? The answer should be simple. Two! However, a quick internet search will reveal to you that apparently there are more than 72 “genders”.
It is evident that Western society is redefining what constitutes gender and marriage. Gender, instead of simply being a biological reality, is now seen as a socially constructed idea that should be left to each person to define, based on how they feel, thus explaining why there are more than 72 “genders”. Any person daring to disagree with this worldview is labelled as “homophobic” and “transphobic” or worse.
Let’s ask this most important question. What is the mind of God on the matter of gender and marriage? Are these merely social constructs, or does the Bible give us real answers that clear away unnecessary confusion?
The answers to these important questions are revealed right from the very beginning – in the book of Genesis. After God had finished creating animals each after its kind, He turned to the creation of his special creatures – mankind. In Genesis 1:26-28 God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…so God created man in His Own image; in the image of God, He created him: male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”
From this passage, we can clearly see that man was not just another animal, but he is the bearer of His Creator’s image. Man and woman were made after God’s kind to fulfill the very purpose of God in reproducing Himself and to have rulership over the rest of creation. Notice that there were only two genders mentioned; male and female. The first few chapters of Genesis show that a male is a man and a female is a woman. When joined in marriage, they become husband and wife and when they have children, they are called father and mother. We can also see that marriage was intended to be between man and woman for life. This is simple and easy to understand. No confusion. It is also consistent with the nature of God, who is not the author of confusion, but of decency and order (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40).
Sadly, mankind departed from God’s ways, and instead pursued sexual behaviours and activities contrary to God’s ordained purpose. Consequently, the pre-flood world was destroyed and only eight people survived. Before the flood, God instructed Noah to bring two of every living creature – male and female – in order to keep all species alive (Genesis 6:19-20). Here again, God made it clear that there are only two genders, not 72 fanciful gender ideologies. Those who entered the ark were in two pairs; male and female. It was Noah and his wife, Shem and his wife, Ham and his wife and Japheth and his wife. This is a clear demonstration that there are only two genders. Could you imagine having eight people of the same sex on the ark? The result would have been disastrous and the end of humanity! The sexual union between those of the same sex is an abomination to God and it is contrary to God’s purpose of reproducing Himself. Needless to say, same sex “marriages” cannot reproduce anything other than destruction and shame! (Lev 18:22, 20:13)
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ agreed that there are only two genders and that marriage is a union of man and woman for life (Matthew 19:4-6). Paul called any deviation from the purpose of these two genders as an “exchange of natural use for what is against nature” and “shameful” and added that God will judge those who practice such things (Romans 1:24-32).
The Bible may be an ancient book, but it contains wisdom and knowledge that does not become obsolete with the passage of time. It is truly the mind of the Creator, who knows what is best for humanity. As a young Christian in this wicked world, do not allow yourself to be confused by the negative trends which are contrary to the clear instructions of the Bible. When faced with a difficult question about life, always ask yourself, “What is the mind of God on this matter?” The mind of God on the issue of gender and marriage is clear and simple. There are only two genders; male and female. A male is a man, and a female is a woman. Marriage is between man and woman. Anything contrary to this simple truth is not of God.
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