J. I. Packer on Same-Sex Marriage
David Kotter
March 12, 2008
Upholding a complementarian view of biblical manhood and womanhood increasingly requires personal commitment and sacrifice. Unfortunately, that trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Consider a current example from the Anglican Church.
Pastor and theologian J. I. Packer has taken a stand against same-sex marriage along with other pastors from his Anglican synod. On February 22, 2008 these pastors were served a Notice of Presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of the Ministry under Canon XIX. Over the next few months, this process will revoke the authority as ministers of Word and Sacrament which was conferred at their ordinations.
Dr. Packer is willing to hold to his biblical convictions in the face of such opposition because he considers the gender issue of same-sex marriage to be a "first order issue". He distinguishes primary and secondary issues as follows:
A matter of prime importance, on which it is vital that all Christians agree. There are secondary matters, on which honest Bible students disagree and it is possible to say on those things, or many of those things, these are secondary matters and disagreement on them is permissible.
In this light, he classifies same-sex marriage:
The folks that are affirming that gay unions are a form of holiness are happy to say that we can allow other Christians to disagree with us on this, as if it is a secondary matter. And at this point, persons like myself blow the whistle and churches like St. Johns blow the whistle and say, "No, it is not a secondary matter." Personal salvation depends on it.
In J. I. Packer's mind, blessing homosexual marriage as something holy is a direct contraction of Scripture. It contradicts Paul's writings in Romans and 1 Corinthians and directly attacks the authority of God's word. Packer believes there can be no compromise on this gender issue:
Because the Scripture teaching that is being denied is an element of the Gospel itself. That is God's message about how we sinners can be saved. If you refuse to repent at some point where the Gospel requires you to repent, then you're not walking according to the Gospel and what Paul says is that your soul is in danger. Now, I don't want to believe that, but I dare not disbelieve it. It is apostolic teaching; it is the Word of God.
