How I Became Affirming, Pt. 1: Scripture

Editor’s Note: For Pride Month, I’ve updated and edited my four-part affirming series. If you’ve read it before, it does have new resources and content, so it’s not just a rehash. Also, I’ve added an audio component! You can now listen to this essay here on Substack or add it to your preferred podcast catcher. Directions for that are at the end of the essay, and anytime I add audio to any essay, and you’re subscribed, it will automatically update like any podcast. Magic! People often ask why I keep this behind a paywall; it’s for the comments. I want this to be a space where we can ask questions in good faith and help each other, but obviously, comments with any hint of homophobia or transphobia will be immediately removed. Onwards and upwards.

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This post is for the Bible nerds.

I had an entire post written about my own personal experience towards claiming an affirming¹ theology, but when I asked on socials for questions, one rose to the surface, so much so that I felt it was important to address it right out of the gate. If this question were the overarching one, any story about my own personal experience would be a distraction.

So let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?

“I am affirming, but want to be affirming with a high view of scripture. How?”

“Can you share some scripture that helped you in this shift?”

“It’s confusing how people on both sides use scripture to support their positions. Who’s using it out of context here? Both? Neither?”

“The Bible doesn’t change so I’m legit interested in verses and how you got here.”

“What is your view of scripture?”

“I don’t really think the church has had the right response, but why is homosexuality talked about with such strong terminology in scripture?”

“How do you reconcile being affirming with a plain-reading of the text?”

“I’ve read a lot of people who say ‘God is love’ and that’s how I know this is okay.” I would really love someone to offer exegesis as opposed to eisegesis on this subject.”

So what the people want to know: how the heck does one reconcile being affirming with what scripture says?

I think there are a lot of people who desperately desire this. They want to be affirming because they love a gay person, or they can’t reconcile an overarching message of love and belonging and welcome with…whatever it is we’re generally doing now. So this post is for you.