In this study, we will look at
transgenderism.
We hear the term in the media; see
characters in movies and the children in fed
gov schools are being indoctrinated into its
acceptance. Restrooms in many
places are now so-called gender neutral.
Going into a restroom is now left up
to a person’s personal assessment of what
their sex is. This new standard of
individual
subjective assessment of sexual status is
problematic.
Past societal norms are being
bludgeoned apart by the new social justice
warriors. States, fed gov agencies
are in full swing behind eradicating the
biblical norms and the past moral consensus.
The only standard used is that of the
individual or who can scream the loudest
on a college campus. This standard of
subjective individualism as the
interpretive norm is full-blown autonomous
humanism.
The
Bible God’s revelation to man is the only
objective standard for determining
right and wrong.
Hence, as in previous studies,
we
will look at definitions, scriptures,
lexical data, and commentary evidence and
confessional support for the glorifying of
God in how we live.
Transgenderism:
Transsexualism, also known as
transgenderism, Gender Identity Disorder
(GID), or gender dysphoria, is a
feeling that your
biological/genetic/physiological gender does
not match the
gender you identify with and/or perceive
yourself to be.
Transsexuals/transgenders often describe
themselves as feeling “trapped” in a
body that does not match their true gender.
They often practice
transvestism/transvestitism and may also
seek hormone therapy and/or gender
reassignment surgery to bring their bodies
into conformity with their perceived
gender. *
Is there a societal event that
has
triggered the transgender movement? In the
modern era, it may very well be that
feminism is partially the cause of gender
confusion. Feminism would be a cause because
of feminism’s idea of radical equality and
its corollary that there is no male
supremacy
by a man over a woman. This assertion is
speculative; nevertheless, ideas have
consequences, and there can be a causal
connection, for example, legalized
abortion and the progression to calls for
infanticide.
Transgenderism
a biblical evaluation:
Transgenderism must be dealt
with primarily
as an issue of biblical conformity. Besides
the sinful nature, one should not
rule out factors such as fed gov school
indoctrination, media propaganda, side
effects of pharmaceutical drugs, imbalanced
diets. In addition, sexual
molestation as a young person by an adult
and hormone therapies as possible
contributing factors to gender confusion.
These possible extenuating factors in
no way lessens the requirement of biblical
fidelity on the part of individuals.
It is possible that someone can struggle
with gender confusion without becoming
transsexual.
The Bible does not directly
mention the
word transgenderism. The passage referred to
most often is Deuteronomy 22:5 in
discussions of transgenderism. This passage
is undoubtedly relevant to the
issue of transgenderism. 1 Corinthians 6:9
is also uniquely important passage as
will be seen. In the additional biblical
passages consulted in this study, it
is evident that men and women are
distinguished clearly in Scripture, and this
fact most certainly has to bear on the
subject.
What do the
Scriptures say?
This
distinction between men and women is seen
right from
the beginning:
“So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.”
(Genesis 1:27)
As said, the
passage most often referred to is:
“The woman shall not wear that
which
pertaineth unto a man; neither shall a man
put on a woman's garment: for all
that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy
God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)
From the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary on this section of
Scripture:
“De 22:5-12. The Sex to Be
Distinguished by Apparel.
5. The woman shall not wear
that
which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a
man put on a woman's
garment—Though disguises were assumed at
certain times in heathen temples, it
is probable that a reference was made to
unbecoming levities practiced in common
life. They were properly forbidden; for the
adoption of the habiliments of the
one sex by the other is an outrage on
decency, obliterates the distinctions of
nature by fostering softness and effeminacy
in the man, impudence and boldness
in the woman as well as levity and hypocrisy
in both; and, in short, it opens
the door to an influx of so many evils that
all who wear the dress of another
sex are pronounced ‘an abomination unto the
Lord.’” (1)
In the Gospel
of Mark, we see confirmation of the
creational
norm:
“But from the beginning of the
creation God made them male and female.”
(Mark 10:6)
Apostolic
directives to husbands and wives add
further
confirmation:
“Wives, submit yourselves unto
your
own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife, even
as Christ is the head of the church: and he
is the savior of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in everything.” (Ephesians
5:22–24)
“Likewise, ye wives, be in
subjection
to your own husbands; that, if any obey not
the word, they also may without the
word be won by the conversation of the
wives.” (1 Pet 3:1)
A Pauline
message to churches concerning apostolic
instructions that also distinguish the
sexes:
“Let your women keep silence in
the
churches: for it is not permitted unto them
to speak; but they are commanded to
be under obedience as also saith the law.
And if they will learn anything, let
them ask their husbands at home: for it is a
shame for women to speak in the
church.” (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35)
“A bishop then must be
blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of
good behaviour, given to
hospitality, apt to teach.” “Let the deacons
be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses
well.” (1 Timothy 3:2, 12)
“That the aged men be sober,
grave,
temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in
patience. The aged women likewise,
that they be in behaviour as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given
to much wine, teachers of good things; That
they may teach the young women to
be sober, to love their husbands, to love
their children, To be discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to
their own husbands, that the word of
God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise
exhort to be sober minded.” (Titus
2:2–6)
Paul
continues, and exhorts Timothy to esteem
and reassure
older men as fathers, younger men as
brothers, older women as mothers, and
younger women as sisters:
“Rebuke not an elder, but
intreat
him as a father; and the younger men as
brethren; the elder women as mothers;
the younger as sisters, with all purity.” (1
Timothy 5:1–2).
The next two
passages assume that we can distinguish
men and
women:
“Likewise,
ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands.” (1 Peter 3:1).
“Let the
woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over the man, but to
be in silence.” (1 Timothy 2:11,
12)
Men and women, distinguished
in
worship:
“Every man
praying or prophesying, having his head
covered, dishonoureth his head. But
every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with
her head uncovered dishonoureth
her head: for that is even all one as if she
were shaven. For if the woman be
not covered, let her also be shorn: but if
it be a shame for a woman to be
shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a
man indeed ought not to cover his
head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory
of God: but the woman is the glory
of the man. For the man is not of the woman:
but the woman of the man. Neither
was the man created for the woman; but the
woman for the man. For this cause
ought the woman to have power on her head
because of the angels. Nevertheless
neither is the man without the woman,
neither the woman without the man, in the
Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even
so is the man also by the woman, but
all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is
it comely that a woman pray unto God
uncovered?” (1 Corinthians 11:4-13)
Comments:
Thus far, it
is clear that the Scriptures give no support
for transgenderism as an accepted
Christian lifestyle. God created both men
and women; they have different roles
in marriage and the church.
A conclusion thus far:
“It is
significant that Genesis 1:26–28 appoints
the binary categories male and female
using the anatomical (rather than social)
terms of gender: “male (zakar)
and female (neqebah) he created them” (v.
27). We believe this is done because
it is the anatomical sex of the individual,
which indicates his or her gender
calling. The social role of manhood (Heb., ’ish)
or womanhood (Heb., ’ishah)
is
determined by the person’s anatomical sex.”
(2)
The warnings of judgment in
Scripture:
“Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness through
the lusts of their own hearts, to
dishonour their own bodies between
themselves: Who changed the truth of God
into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God
gave them up unto vile affections:
for even their women did change the natural
use into that which is against
nature: And likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust one toward another; men with
men working that which is unseemly,
and receiving in themselves that recompense
of their error which was meet.”
(Romans 1:24-27)
As mentioned at the start, 1
Corinthians 6:9 is particularly relevant:
“Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind.” (1
Corinthians 6:9)
Regarding the word
effeminate:
Vine's Expository
Dictionary of New
Testament Words:
1 Strong's
Number: g3120 Greek: malakos
Effeminate: “soft,
soft to the touch” (Lat., mollis,
Eng., “mollify,” “emollient,” etc.), is used
(a) of
raiment, Mat 11:8 (twice); Luke 7:25;
(b)
metaphorically, in a bad sense, 1Cr 6:9,
“effeminate,” not simply of a male who
practices forms of lewdness, but persons in
general, who are guilty of
addiction to sins of the flesh, voluptuous.
(3)
Strong's Concordance
3120 malakos:
malakos: soft, effeminate
Original
Word: μαλακός,
ή, όν
Part of
Speech: Adjective
Transliteration:
malakos
Phonetic
Spelling: (mal-ak-os')
Short
Definition: soft, effeminate
Definition:
(a) soft, (b) of persons: soft, delicate,
effeminate.
Some Bible translations
connect the
word effeminate with homosexuality. For
example:
“Or do you
not know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men
who practice homosexuality.” (1 Corinthians
6:9 ESV)
“Do you not
know that the wicked will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor men who submit
to or perform homosexual acts.” (1
Corinthians 6:9 Berean Study Bible)
Comments:
For those
identifying as transgender, the Bible
categorizes it under the general heading
of homosexuality. Two points, first, this
passage from 1 Corinthians is listed
under the heading of a biblical warning. Second, all must heed the warning to
flee
from sexual immorality.
There is
hope for those struggling with these type of
temptations as seen in Paul’s
writing in the past tense wording used in
the next passage.
“And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye
are sanctified, but ye are justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians
6:11)
For those
struggling with transgenderism, there is
hope. You are not alone. Everyone is
to flee from sexual sins.
“Flee
from sexual immorality (porneia).
Every other sin a person
commits is outside the body, but the
sexually immoral person sins against his
own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18ESV)
Strong's Concordance on
fornication,
sexual immorality:
porneia: fornication 4202
Original
Word: πορνεία,
ας, ἡ
Part of
Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration:
porneia
Phonetic
Spelling: (por-ni'-ah)
Short
Definition: fornication, idolatry
Definition:
fornication, whoredom, met: idolatry.
The word porneia
is broader than fornication, and
includes homosexuality, adultery,
transgenderism and other sexual sins. The
transgender individual is to “flee from
sexual immorality” just like the
apostle calls everyone. The Scriptures give
no support for anyone living in any
type of sexual immorality.
As seen from
the Bible passages covered in this study,
men and women are differentiated, and
God has ordained these differences.
Therefore, someone struggling with gender
confusion needs to come to terms with
created personhood and God’s purposes.
Confessional support for the
above exposition.
The Westminster Larger
Catechism Question
139:
Question139.
What are the sins forbidden in the seventh
commandment?
Answer. The sins forbidden in
the
seventh commandment, besides the neglect of
the duties required,1 are,
adultery, fornication,2 rape, incest,3
sodomy, and all unnatural lusts;4 all
unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes,
and affections;5 all corrupt or
filthy communications, or listening
thereunto;6 wanton looks,7 impudent or
light behaviour, immodest apparel;8
prohibiting of lawful,9 and dispensing with
unlawful marriages;10 allowing, tolerating,
keeping of stews, and resorting to
them;11 entangling vows of single life,12
undue delay of marriage,13 having
more wives or husbands than one at the same
time;14 unjust divorce,15 or
desertion;16 idleness, gluttony,
drunkenness,17 unchaste company;18
lascivious
songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage
plays;19 and all other provocations to,
or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves
or others.20
Scriptural
proofs:
1 Proverbs 5:7: And now, O
sons,
listen to me, and do not depart from the
words of my mouth.
2 Hebrews 13:4: Let marriage be
held
in honor among all, and let the marriage bed
be undefiled, for God will judge
the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Galatians 5:19: Now the works of the flesh
are evident: sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality.
3 2 Samuel 13:14: But he would
not
listen to her, and being stronger than she,
he violated her and lay with her. 1
Corinthians 5:1: It is actually reported
that there is sexual immorality among
you, and of a kind that is not tolerated
even among pagans, for a man has his
father's wife.
4 Romans 1:24, 26-27: Therefore
God gave
them up in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, to the dishonoring of their
bodies among themselves. ... For this reason
God gave them up to dishonorable
passions. For their women exchanged natural
relations for those that are
contrary to nature; and the men likewise
gave up natural relations with women
and were consumed with passion for one
another, men committing shameless acts
with men and receiving in themselves the due
penalty for their error. Leviticus
20:15-16: If a man lies with an animal, he
shall surely be put to death, and
you shall kill the animal. If a woman
approaches any animal and lies with it,
you shall kill the woman and the animal;
they shall surely be put to death;
their blood is upon them.
5 Matthew 5:28: But I say to
you
that everyone who looks at a woman with
lustful intent has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. Matthew
15:19: For out of the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
Colossians 3:5: Put to death therefore what
is earthly in you: sexual
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is
idolatry.
6 Ephesians 5:3-4: But sexual
immorality and all impurity or covetousness
must not even be named among you,
as is proper among saints. Let there be no
filthiness nor foolish talk nor
crude joking, which are out of place, but
instead let there be thanksgiving.
Proverbs 7:5, 21-22: To keep you from the
forbidden woman, from the adulteress
with her smooth words. ... With much
seductive speech she persuades him; with
her smooth talk she compels him. All at once
he follows her, as an ox goes to
the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast.
7 Isaiah 3:16: The LORD said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing
along as they go, tinkling with
their feet. 2 Peter 2:14: They have eyes
full of adultery, insatiable for sin.
They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts
trained in greed. Accursed
children!
8 Proverbs 7:10, 13: And
behold, the
woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute,
wily of heart. ... She seizes him and
kisses him, and with bold face she says to
him.
9 1 Timothy 4:3: Who forbid
marriage
and require abstinence from foods that God
created to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and know
the truth.
10 Leviticus 18:1-21: Click to
read
passage. Mark 6:18: For John had been saying
to Herod, "It is not lawful
for you to have your brother's wife. Malachi
2:11-12: Judah has been faithless,
and abomination has been committed in Israel
and in Jerusalem. For Judah has
profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he
loves, and has married the
daughter of a foreign god. May the LORD cut
off from the tents of Jacob any
descendant of the man who does this, who
brings an offering to the LORD of
hosts!
11 1 Kings 15:12: He put away
the
male cult prostitutes out of the land and
removed all the idols that his
fathers had made. 2 Kings 23:7: And he broke
down the houses of the male cult
prostitutes who were in the house of the
LORD, where the women wove hangings
for the Asherah. Deuteronomy 23:17-18: None
of the daughters of Israel shall be
a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of
Israel shall be a cult prostitute.
You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute
or the wages of a dog into the
house of the LORD your God in payment for
any vow, for both of these are an
abomination to the LORD your God. Leviticus
19:29: Do not profane your daughter
by making her a prostitute, lest the land
fall into prostitution and the land
become full of depravity. Jeremiah 5:7: How
can I pardon you? Your children
have forsaken me and have sworn by those who
are no gods. When I fed them to
the full, they committed adultery and
trooped to the houses of whores. Proverbs
7:24-27: And now, O sons, listen to me, and
be attentive to the words of my
mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her
ways; do not stray into her paths,
for many a victim has she laid low, and all
her slain are a mighty throng. Her
house is the way to Sheol, going down to the
chambers of death.
12 Matthew 19:10-11: The
disciples
said to him, "If such is the case of a man
with his wife, it is better not
to marry." But he said to them, "Not
everyone can receive this
saying, but only those to whom it is given."
13 1 Corinthians 7:7-9: I wish
that
all were as I myself am. But each has his
own gift from God, one of one kind
and one of another. To the unmarried and the
widows I say that it is good for
them to remain single as I am. But if they
cannot exercise self-control, they
should marry. For it is better to marry than
to burn with passion. Genesis
38:26: Then Judah identified them and said,
"She is more righteous than I,
since I did not give her to my son Shelah."
And he did not know her again.
14 Malachi 2:14-15: But you
say,
"Why does he not?" Because the LORD was
witness between you and the
wife of your youth, to whom you have been
faithless, though she is your
companion and your wife by covenant. Did he
not make them one, with a portion
of the Spirit in their union? And what was
the one God seeking? Godly
offspring. So guard yourselves in your
spirit, and let none of you be faithless
to the wife of your youth. Matthew 19:5: And
said, "Therefore a man shall
leave his father and his mother and hold
fast to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh"?
15 Malachi 2:16: "For the man
who does not love his wife but divorces her,
says the LORD, the God of Israel,
covers his garment with violence, says the
LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves
in your spirit, and do not be faithless."
Matthew 5:32: But I say to you
that everyone who divorces his wife, except
on the ground of sexual immorality,
makes her commit adultery, and whoever
marries a divorced woman commits
adultery.
16 1 Corinthians 7:12-13: To
the
rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any
brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with
him, he should not divorce her. If
any woman has a husband who is an
unbeliever, and he consents to live with
her,
she should not divorce him.
17 Ezekiel 16:49: Behold, this
was
the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her
daughters had pride, excess of
food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid
the poor and needy. Proverbs
23:30-33: Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine. Do
not look at wine when it is red, when it
sparkles in the cup and goes down
smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder. Your
eyes will see strange things, and your heart
utter perverse things.
18 Genesis 39:19: As soon as
his
master heard the words that his wife spoke
to him, "This is the way your
servant treated me," his anger was kindled.
Proverbs 5:8: Keep your way
far from her, and do not go near the door of
her house.
19 Ephesians 5:4: Let there be
no
filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude
joking, which are out of place, but
instead let there be thanksgiving. Ezekiel
23:14-16: But she carried her
whoring further. She saw men portrayed on
the wall, the images of the Chaldeans
portrayed in vermilion, wearing belts on
their waists, with flowing turbans on
their heads, all of them having the
appearance of officers, a likeness of
Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea.
When she saw them, she lusted after
them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
Isaiah 23:15-17: In that day Tyre
will be forgotten for seventy years, like
the days of one king. At the end of
seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in
the song of the prostitute:
"Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten
prostitute! Make sweet
melody; sing many songs, that you may be
remembered." At the end of
seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and
she will return to her wages and
will prostitute herself with all the
kingdoms of the world on the face of the
earth. Isaiah 3:16: The LORD said: Because
the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks, glancing
wantonly with their eyes, mincing
along as they go, tinkling with their feet.
Mark 6:22: For when Herodias's
daughter came in and danced, she pleased
Herod and his guests. And the king
said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you
wish, and I will give it to
you." 1 Peter 4:3: For the time that is past
suffices for doing what the
Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality,
passions, drunkenness, orgies,
drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
20 2 Kings 9:30: When Jehu came
to
Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she
painted her eyes and adorned her head and
looked out of the window. Jeremiah 4:30: And
you, O desolate one, what do you
mean that you dress in scarlet, that you
adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In
vain you beautify yourself. Your
lovers despise you; they seek your life.
Ezekiel 23:40: They even sent for men
to come from afar, to whom a messenger was
sent; and behold, they came. For
them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes,
and adorned yourself with ornaments.
Never
forget:
“Study to shew thyself approved
unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Notes:
1.Jamieson, Fausset
and Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Zondervan,
1977) p. 157.
2.North
America, Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church. Gender as Calling: The Gospel
& Gender Identity (Kindle
Locations 388-392). Crown & Covenant
Publications. Page Location 385 Kindle
Edition.
3.W.
E. Vine, An
Expository Dictionary of New
Testament Words, (Iowa Falls, Iowa,
Riverside Book and Bible House), p.
349.
Mr. Kettler has previously
published
articles in the Chalcedon Report and
Contra Mundum. He and his
wife Marea attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA
Church. Mr. Kettler is the author
of the book defending the Reformed Faith
against attacks, titled: The
Religion That Started in a Hat.
Available at:
www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com
For more study:
*
https://www.gotquestions.org/
Many
articles on the topic of transgenderism and
political ramifications at
For
one of
the best experts on sexual sins and those
struggling with sexual sins, see
Rosaria
Butterfield
at https://rosariabutterfield.com/
Gender as
Calling: The Gospel & Gender Identity
This
booklet offers an introduction to the
development of the transgender movement
and its terminology, a critique of the
philosophies that undergird it, and a
loving, biblical response. Purchase at
https://www.crownandcovenant.com/product_p/ds536.htm
also available at Amazon in the Kindle
format.