Should Christians Just Admit That The
Bible ‘Got It Wrong’ And Move On?
By Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr.
S
OMETIMES, a headline says it all. A recent article
appeared in USA Today by Oliver Thomas with such
a headline. It reads, “American churches must reject
literalism and admit we got it wrong on gay people.”
The article begins with a provocative statement:
“Churches will continue hemorrhaging members until
we face the truth: being a faithful Christian does not
mean accepting everything the Bible teaches.”
What teachings of the Bible does Thomas have in
mind that Christians must reject? He targets passages
that expressly condemn homosexuality and the entire
array of LGBTQ sexual ethics. Moreover, the source of
the Church’s error, he argues clearly, is not a misinterpre-
tation of the Scriptures. Rather, the Bible got it wrong—
the biblical authors were bound by time, culture, and
an antiquated worldview that wrongly encumbered and
vilified homosexual behavior.
Thomas laments the current positions held by many
evangelical Christians. He writes, “A sad thing is happen-
ing in America. The church is killing itself. A great
revelation has occurred that is bringing joy and happi-
ness to millions, but it is being met with resistance and
retrenchment from many of my colleagues inside the
church.” Oliver Thomas makes a bold claim by using the
word “revelation”—his argument is a revelatory argu-
ment which suggests that God has revealed new truth to
the world, but not through the Bible. The genesis of this
new revelation is sociological experience.
He explains the “what” behind the revelation, writ-
ing, “The revelation is that LGBTQ people are just like
the rest of us—only LGBTQ... People don’t choose their
sexual orientation any more than they choose their race
or gender. This is what lay behind a recent comment by
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, that Vice
President Mike Pence’s quarrel—if he has one—is not
with the mayor. ‘Your quarrel, sir,’ said the openly gay
Democratic presidential candidate, ‘is with my creator.’”
He also chronicles what he believes to be the tragic
developments in the United Methodist Church which
has, by his estimation, moved towards the wrong side
of history by affirming the traditional Christian teaching
on sexuality and gender.
Oliver Thomas believes that the source of the Church’s
modern troubles stems from an erroneous approach to
the Bible. “Here is the corner we have painted ourselves
into. The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it. Yet, the
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