By Matthew Everhard.
Martin Luther once wrote that if we are not defending the gospel at the very point that it is being attacked
in our own generation, we are not defending it at all. It is for this reason
that our 380-member church in the small, rural town of Brooksville, Florida
decided to act.
While we are immensely proud of a recent chicken-sandwich chain whose
founder boldly stated his convictions regarding traditional marriage, the
elders of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church feel that it is primarily the
church’s calling to defend biblical orthodoxy.
Our elders and I could not stand idly by while an attack on marriage—a thinly
veiled attack on the creation order and the Creator—rages before our very eyes.
The Brooksville Statement on Marriage is a 600-word declaration of conscience
that attempts to do three things. (1) First, we hope to clearly define marriage
in a generation in which the word “marriage” itself has lost all semblance of meaning.
(2) Second, we hoped to positively state our convictions regarding the delineations
of human sexuality, rather than make a polemical attack on those lifestyles
with which we ardently disagree. (3) Third, we hoped to speak a timely word of compassion
and grace in a world of “bumper sticker” one-liners and alleged hate-speech.
Our hope is that this small town church declaration would inspire
like-minded evangelical churches across the globe to adopt this (or a similar)
statement, in order to provide a desperately needed prophetic voice in veritable
wilderness of confusion.
The Brooksville Statement on Marriage
Definition
Marriage is beautiful because God is glorious. God, in His infinite
Trinitarian wisdom, created and ordained marriage to display the mysterious
union of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:22-25). As the creator and author
of marriage, God alone has the authority to define it. This He did in the
second chapter of Genesis where God, having created both groom and bride,
brought them together personally (2:22) and a benediction was pronounced over
the couple; “Therefore a man shall
leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become
one flesh” (2:24, ESV). For this reason, Christian believers do now
hold—and have always held—that marriage is between one man and one woman; that
it is sealed by the exchange of covenant vows; and that it is intended for the
whole of natural life, until death.
On the Interpretation of Scripture
We Christian believers regard the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments to be the inspired, inerrant, and infallible authority under which
we live. We regard the clarity of Scripture to be sufficient for us to
interpret the Bible accurately on matters of both faith and practice, using
straightforward grammatical and historical principles. For this reason, we
reject all attempts to obscure or “reread” Biblical passages which abundantly
state the parameters of human sexuality. Sexual relations are to be enjoyed as
a gift, and exclusively, between a married man and his own wife alone (Exodus
20:14; Hebrews 13:4). Any alternate readings of Scripture that intentionally or
unintentionally obscure this foundational Biblical presupposition are to be
rejected.
On Sin and Grace
While it is true that Christians are called to hate transgression and
iniquity, we find the sin within our own hearts—and not the sin of our
neighbors—to be the most egregious of all. We lament and repent of our own sin
first; be it in thought, word, or deed. We welcome those of all races, genders,
ethnicities, and sexual inclinations to repent and believe in Jesus Christ and
to worship in our churches. We sympathize with all who struggle in temptation,
and exhort them to pursue “the obedience of faith” and embrace the new life
given to the Redeemed by the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, we continue to reject
any and every sin that degrades God’s glorious creation of marriage, including:
adultery, fornication, rape, incest, homosexuality, polygamy, lust,
pornography, coercive abstinence while in the state of marriage, and all forms
of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Christians are called to love—and not
hate—our enemies and those who persecute us (Matt 5:44). Thus, we utterly
disregard any attempt to mischaracterize our convictions on the above matters
as “hate speech,” for to tell the truth on these matters is indeed a most
loving and gracious act.
On Human Laws and Ordinances
Moreover, mankind can pass no law that redefines marriage any more than
mortal man can pass a law that declares the light of the sun to be dark, or the
gravity of the earth to be ceased. Though various laws may be passed by the
agency of human pen and ink; or judgments rendered from human courts (higher or
lower); yet human beings have not the prerogative, now or ever, to alter,
change, or redefine marriage.
On Civil Disobedience
Finally, then, we the undersigned stand firm in our convictions on these
matters and refuse to take any such actions as would compel us to violate
either Scripture or conscience--even if so compelled by civil law--for
“to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” Amen.
Teaching Elders: Rev. Matthew Everhard. Rev. David Franklin. Ruling
Elders: David Peeler. David Field, Scott Knight, Doug Dempsey, Gwynn Blair, and
Dr. George Boring (clerk).
