As we near the end of 2023, it’s time once again for me to collect the ten most popular posts of the year for you. It’s interesting to see how the need to understand the issues surrounding gender and sexuality has grown radically since 2020. Just compare the top ten posts in 2020, 2021, and 2022 with this year’s list, and you’ll see a definite trend. The topics below indicate this has been a difficult and confusing time for many, and I’m thankful so many Christians want to understand the issues and respond to the culture in a way that reflects the truth and honors God.
You can catch up on what you missed below, and we’ll see you back here in 2024!
- Why My LDS Friend Isn’t Trying to Convert Me to Mormonism – “He kept reiterating that he loves what the evangelical churches are doing in Utah and fully supports them…. John is as faithful as any member of the LDS church can be. Yet, his goal wasn’t to try to convince us Mormonism is true. He was content knowing we were good people doing good things. Honestly, I shouldn’t have been shocked. Understanding the Mormon view of the afterlife helps us to understand why.”
- The Devil Is Real – “Recently, the devil visited the Grammys. From the amount of press coverage, it seems he won an award. If you haven’t seen Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s controversial live performance of the song ‘Unholy,’ don’t bother. It’s not worth your time. However, the celebration of this performance does bring up two points that are worth our attention.”
- Pro-Gay Theology, the Film 1946, and the Multiverse – “Imagine…that the makers of the film 1946…travel back in time and show up at the RSV translation team’s meeting to prevent the committee from translating arsenokoitai as ‘homosexuals.’ If they were to succeed, what would the new timeline of history look like? Specifically, if the word ‘homosexuals’ never occurred in any Bible verse, what changes would result in the new future? What would the Bible’s teaching on marriage, homosexuality, and sexual ethics look like today?”
- Why We Follow Some Old Testament Laws but Not Others – “Critics accuse Christians of conveniently picking and choosing from Old Testament laws. We’re quick to ‘clobber’ gay people with verses from Leviticus, they say, yet we don’t keep kosher ourselves. The complaint, though, is based on a misunderstanding about the Mosaic Covenant that even Christians fall prey to.”
- Problems with Preferred Pronouns – “All we’re being asked to do is change one word. It’s a simple request. Just use a different pronoun. It might seem like a no-brainer for a believer to comply. Why cause unnecessary tension by refusing a request to be courteous? … But it’s not that simple…. Here are some things to consider.”
- Why I Changed My Mind about Deconstruction – “I don’t believe [deconstruction is a neutral process] anymore. While writing The Deconstruction of Christianity with Alisa Childers, we discovered some fundamental beliefs that undergird the deconstruction process. Moreover, these ideas are antithetical to the Christian worldview. This helps explain why so many who deconstruct their faith end up leaving the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Here are three reasons why I changed my mind about deconstruction.”
- Did Jephthah Kill His Daughter to Fulfill a Vow to God? – “One strange story that’s always troubled me is found in Judges 11. It’s the story of Jephthah…. What’s going on in this passage? Did Jephthah kill his daughter to fulfill a vow to God? … There are three clues within the text that suggest something different happened with Jephthah’s daughter.”
- A Response to an Employer’s Request for Pronouns – “I recently spoke to a Stand to Reason supporter who received a company-wide email saying leaders were expected to display their pronouns. After considering the cost and thinking carefully through his response, this is what he told his employers…. I thought this was such a good response, hitting some key points.”
- What Is a Woman? – “Numerous definitions for ‘woman’ have surfaced over the last few years. I’ve noticed that these definitions fall into one of three categories: They’re either circular, absurd, or accurate.”
- An Assessment of Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference – “The conference was deeply problematic because of the false and somewhat hidden premise that permeated most of the teaching: Followers of Christ can participate in homosexual sex, same-sex marriage, or transgender ‘transitioning.’ That premise undergirds three serious concerns I have with the Unconditional Conference.” (You can also download a PDF version of this article.)