Obergefell: Practical Implications

By Larry Hoop - Posted at byFaith Online:

On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationally. Since then, many PCA sessions have been asking about how to respond to to the new situation this decision has created. In the weeks since the Obergefell decision I, like many others, have been involved in extensive conversations on the issue. I’ve spoken with a number of experienced PCA pastors and leaders, including Dr. Bryan Chapell, Rev. James Kessler, Dr. Paul Kooistra, Rev. Mike Khandjian, Dr. Charles McGowan, Rev. John Robertson, Rev. Scott Sauls, and Dr. Roy Taylor. What follows summarizes the advice I have heard from them (each has contributed something to this summary, though they might not endorse every statement in it):

We should not hesitate to declare boldly our belief that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.

As we do so, we should state clearly that our position originates from our conviction that Scripture is the inspired Word of God and our authority in matters of faith and practice and from our concern for the souls of all people, not from any animus toward the LGBTQ community. We should set any statements we make about same sex marriage in the larger context of the overall biblical teaching on marriage, which includes the following: ...

Read more here...