Rebecca McLaughlin Profile picture
Sep 2, 2020 5 tweets 2 min read Read on X
This is one of my favourite points in #ReadingWhileBlack so far. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul urges prayer for kings & those in authority. This is often quoted to silence criticism of leaders today. But as @esaumccaulley notes, in the immediate context, Paul critiques Roman practices Image
Indeed, the idea that praying for someone entails never critiquing their actions makes no sense in any other context. For example, a pastor should absolutely pray for those under his care. But this doesn't mean he should never challenge them on their sin. Quite the reverse.
Paul himself was hardly an establishment guy. Several of his letters were written from prison. And when he experiences illegal beating & imprisonment in Acts 16, he doesn't let the authorities get away with it without recognizing their wrongdoing & apologizing (Acts 16:37-39).
Paul is clear in Romans 13:1-7 that Christians should not take their freedom in Christ as an excuse willfully to break the law. Christians should be good citizens, in as far as following the law is possible while upholding Christian ethics.
But as the apostles demonstrated, when those in authority are telling us to do things that are against Christian ethics & mission, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)

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More from @RebeccMcLaugh

Nov 15, 2023
I was raised in the Church of England & trained at a C of E seminary. This vote breaks my heart. It rejects the authority of scripture & far from blessing people who (like me) experience same-sex attraction it points them toward unrepentant sin that bars people from God's kingdom
It's not an agree-to-disagree issue or something on which scripture is unclear. I'm writing a book examining 10 arguments for same-sex marriage & none of them hold water. Read the Greek & Hebrew. Look at cultural context. Chart the scriptural trajectory. The Bible is still clear.
I didn't come to the Bible hoping it would rule out same-sex marriage. At one time in my life, I would have been more than happy to discover that it didn't. But the closer I've looked, the more sure I've become.
Read 8 tweets
May 20, 2023
Once upon a time, a there was a girl who went to Yale as an atheist in love with her high school girlfriend. But then she stole a copy of Mere Christianity, read it in the Yale library & put her trust in Jesus.
She knew from the first that the Bible was against same-sex sexual relationships, & that following Jesus meant she could never marry another woman. But Jesus was more precious to her than following her heart romantically. She fell in love with the Bible & read it voraciously.
She wanted to tell others about Jesus, so she joined staff with Cru. She wanted to know the Bible even better, so she went to seminary. Then a friend persuaded her to write a book based on her testimony to help people understand the goodness of Christian sexual ethics.
Read 6 tweets
May 19, 2023
In 2019, I had the privilege of speaking with @timkellernyc at an equipping event for Christians in NYC. He'd introduced himself the year before at a TGC event & said kind words about my first book, & we talked once on the phone in preparation for our joint event. 1/4
What struck me in each of our conversations was his genuine humility. He clearly cared first & foremost about people knowing Jesus, not about his own achievements. He also communicated the kind of respect for me as a woman that comes from years of actually respecting women. 2/4
I remember him saying on the phone, "I don't know you well yet, but I hope to get to know you better." I thought, "I'd love that too." Sadly for me, his cancer diagnosis meant I didn't have the chance to meet him again. But I'll always be thankful for his kind encouragement. 3/4.
Read 4 tweets
May 18, 2023
Some years ago, something my friend @RachelGilson said in a Q&A was taken out of context & used to wildly misrepresent her views on same-sex marriage for Christians. Apparently, this misrepresentation is still circulating, hence this statement👇
I nearly said "hence this clarifying statement." But the reality is that Rachel has been clear all along. So, really, it's just a short statement for the benefit of anyone who hasn't taken time to read anything she's written on the subject, or listen to any talk she's given.
And while we're here, if you haven't already read @RachelGilson's excellent book—Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, & What Comes Next—I highly recommend you grab a copy 👇
amazon.com/Born-Again-Thi…
Read 4 tweets
Mar 5, 2023
I'm thankful for this apology from @TGC president Julius Kim, re the extract from @butlerjosh forthcoming book. Before I knew of other people's public reactions, I & multiple other Keller Center fellows had expressed serious concern about the article 1/5
thegospelcoalition.org/article/sex-wo…
both in terms of its theology & in terms of how it seems to locate a woman's "very self" in her reproductive organs. As I read more of Beautiful Union in the last week, I found other areas of significant disagreement & I don't think the book achieves what Josh was aiming for. 2/5
I think it was the right decision for Josh to resign in light of this, for the online cohort he was going to lead on Beautiful Union to be cancelled, and for him no longer to speak on it at TGC23. But I don't see this as a reflection of Josh's character. 3/5
Read 5 tweets
Nov 15, 2021
Last night, I watched Adele being interviewed by Oprah & saying she'd divorced her husband not because she didn't love him anymore, but because she wasn't "in love" with him anymore. Oprah said what a great message it was to women out there who also aren't 100% happily married.
There is so much evidence to show that this is in fact a terrible message. Marriage is not about locking into a state of being perpetually "in love" with one's spouse. Marriage is about locking into a commitment to love someone precisely when you're not feeling all the feels.
Leaving a stable, loving, only ok marriage is not a recipe for happiness. The evidence suggests quite the reverse. And there's also a lot of evidence to suggest that unhappily married people who stick with it have a good chance of being happy 5 years later.
Read 5 tweets

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