His Word Today

³¹” Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31–32 (ESV)

“That the Bible describes one sin as ‘unforgiveable’ sparks fear in the hearts of those who worry that perhaps they have committed it. Although the gospel freely offers forgiveness to all who repent of their sins, there is a limit reached at the door of this one crime. The unforgiveable, or unpardonable, sin of which Jesus warned is identified as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus declared that this sin cannot be forgiven either in the present or in the future,” explains R. R. C. Sproul.

Today’s text is one of the most controversial and debated in the church. Biblical scholars has wrestled as to its meaning for centuries. The basic principle of context must be kept in mind in properly interpreting any portion of Scripture. The student of Scripture must keep both the grammatical, as well as historical, context in mind when reaching any interpretation of the biblical text. Today’s text is no exception

The Pharisees witnessed the miraculous work by Jesus done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet they continued to attribute this power to Satan (Matt. 9:32-34; 12:22-24). By doing so they were rejecting an explicit revelation of God’s authority and ability. The greatest display of this miraculous ability would be Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (John 2:18-22).

“The sin he (Jesus) was confronting was the Pharisees’ deliberate rejection of that which they knew to be of God (cf. John 11:48; Acts 4:16). They could not deny the reality of what the Holy Spirit had done through him, so they attributed to Satan a work that they knew was of God (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

“Someone never exposed to Christ’s divine power and presence might reject him in ignorance and be forgiven—assuming the unbelief gives way to genuine repentance. Even a Pharisee such as Saul of Tarsus could be forgiven for speaking against Jesus or persecuting his followers—because his unbelief stemmed from ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13). But those who know his claims are true and reject him anyway sin “against the Holy Spirit”—because it is the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ and makes his truth known to us (John 15:26; 16:14–15). No forgiveness was possible for these Pharisees who witnessed his miracles firsthand, knew the truth of his claims, and still blasphemed the Holy Spirit—because they had already rejected the fullest possible revelation.”

“We commit such sacrilege “only when we knowingly endeavor to extinguish the Spirit.” There can be no salvation if the work of the Spirit is knowingly rejected. This act reveals a heart so hard that repentance is impossible (Heb. 3:7–19),” states John Calvin.

“Pastors both past and present agree that a person who worries that he has committed the unforgiveable sin has not really done so. Those who do the unforgivable act are so calloused that they do not care about their spiritual state and therefore will never be troubled by the possibility that they have gone too far in their wickedness,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

 “Those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not,” Matthew Henry comments.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁸ “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. ³⁰ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:28–30 (ESV)

Jesus provided a three-fold response to the Pharisees accusation that He cast out demons by the power of Satan (Matt. 12:22-24). To begin with, Jesus reasoned to them that if He did cast out demons by Satan’s power, that would in effect be a self-defeating exercise (Matt. 12:25-26). The Devil would be destroying his own kingdom. Secondly, Jesus said that if that indeed was the case, then the same accusation could be leveled against the Pharisees’ fellow Jewish exorcists.

Thirdly, Jesus stated that the only way His exorcisms made any sense were that they were done by the Spirit of God. Since this was so, the kingdom of God was appearing to the Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees should have known better than to attribute Jesus’ power to Satan rather than God. However, so great was their hatred of Jesus that all they could think of was how to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14). Their true allegiance was conspicuous (Matt. 7:15-19).  

“Jesus’ amazing power over demons was due to the power of the Holy Spirit working through him (cf. 3:16). The kingdom of God is inaugurated, though not completely realized, in the ministry of Jesus. “Kingdom of God” occurs only five times in Matthew, compared to 32 occurrences of “kingdom of heaven,” which occurs in none of the other Gospel accounts. Jesus is not only the messianic Son of David (12:23) but the King who exercises God’s own kingdom power against Satan and his agents and overcomes the kingdom of Satan through his much greater power (see Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:10–20; Rev. 19:11–21),” explains one biblical commentator.

Jesus illustrated His miraculous ministry by the concept of overcoming a strong man. He said, “Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

Jesus was able to exorcize demons because He had bound Satan. He was able to bind Satan because He was/is more powerful than this fallen angel.

“Beginning with Jesus’ victory over Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (4:1–11), Jesus demonstrated that Satan was powerless to prevent him from proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating the reality of its presence through his work and his words. Satan’s house represents the sinful world over which, until the coming of Christ, he had such power. Jesus has come to plunder his house and rescue people for the kingdom of God (see Col. 1:13),” states the ESV Study Bible.

Finally, Jesus stated that those who were not for Him were against Him. Jesus does not accept a neutral opinion about Him. He is either LORD or He is not. There is no middle or neutral ground regarding the exclusivity of Jesus Christ’s personhood and work.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.” (Matthew 12:25–27 (ESV)

 Demon possession was common in Jesus’ day (Matt. 4:24). Today’s text continues the third recorded incident in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus healing a demon possessed individual (12:22-24; See Matt. 8:28-34; 9:32-34). However, the Pharisees responded by saying, ““It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons.” This was their typical response to Jesus’ miracles (Matt. 9:34).

What was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees? The text infers that Jesus may not have actually heard the Pharisees’ comment. However, He knew what they were thinking. This was an occurrence of Jesus displaying His deity by His omniscience (Matt. 9:1-4; John 2:24-25).

Jesus responded with three cause and effect statements to these religious leaders. Each statement builds upon the previous one. Jesus clearly displayed biblical understanding and logic of the truth.

First, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” It was absurd for the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the Devil since it is irrational for Satan to cast out his own minions and tear down his own kingdom. Such was the blind hatred the religious leaders had toward the Lord.

Building upon His previous statement, Jesus continued by saying, “And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? The obvious answer is that Satan’s kingdom cannot stand if he is attacking it.

Finally, Jesus said, “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ”If Jesus casts out  demons by the Devil’s power, then the followers of the Pharisees who did the same must also be acting under the Devil’s influence. This deduction the Pharisees could not support (v. 27).

“These teachers inconsistently accuse Jesus of being in Satan’s thrall while seeing God at work among their own students. Stubbornly and persistently, the Pharisees are attributing the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s ministry to the Devil,” concludes Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“A soul under Satan’s power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand! And if they said that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of the devils, they could not prove that their children cast them out by any other power. There are two great interests in the world; and when unclean spirits are cast out by the Holy Spirit, in the conversion of sinners to a life of faith and obedience, the kingdom of God is come unto us. All who do not aid or rejoice in such a change are against Christ,” explains Puritan commentator Matthew Henry.

Are you a converted sinner by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:1-10)? What spiritual fruit gives testimony that you are a member of God’s kingdom (Gal. 5:16-23; James 2:14-26; 2 Peter 1:3-11)?

Soli deo Gloria!  

²² “Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. ²³ And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons.” (Matthew 12:22–24 (ESV)

Demon possession was common in Jesus’ day (Matt. 4:24). Today’s text is the third recorded incident in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus healing a demon possessed individual (See Matt. 8:28-34; 9:32-34).

Since the man was blind and mute, someone brought him to Jesus. This is interesting because in Matthew 8:28-34, the demons reacted violently; not only towards other people but also towards Jesus. Regardless, Jesus healed the man from his demonic possession and restored his sight and speech.

Unlike the people in Matthew 8:34 who begged Jesus to leave their region, the people to this miracle were amazed and wonder if He was the prophesied Son of David.

“The Messiah of Jewish expectation, a descendant of David, was not a miracle worker, but since God was with Jesus in such extraordinary ways, it is not difficult to see how messianic hopes would be attached to him. David was also the only exorcist reported in the Old Testament (1 Sam 16:23),” explains commentator Craig Keener.

However, when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ““It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” This was their typical response to Jesus’ miracle (Matt. 9:34).

“The title Beelzebul, “Lord of the House,” probably alludes to “Beelzebub” (“lord of flies,” a possible corruption of Baal-zebul), the local deity of Ekron (2 Kings 1:2–3). The title was appropriately applied in early Judaism to Satan,” explains Keener.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3 (ESV)

These two verses, among many others, describe the spiritual condition of the lost. They fittingly describe the fallen condition of the religious Pharisees.

“Today’s passage reveals that Jesus’ healings and exorcisms prompt many to see Him as the son of David (vv. 22–23). Jesus’ miracles demonstrate the presence of the Father’s mighty arm; thus, the people recognize that He is the son of David who will rule the nations. But they fail so far to remember that the Messiah must first suffer vicariously for the sins of David’s line and the sins of His people before He ascends the throne,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

May we serve King Jesus today. Have a blessed one.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁵ Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶ and ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; ²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; ²¹ and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12:15–21 (ESV)

One of the characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel was his extensive use of Old Testament references. He did this as comprehensive evidence and fulfillment concerning the identity of the Messiah. Matthew showed his Jewish readers that the LORD’s covenant with Israel was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth (Matt. 1:18-23). Jesus Christ was/is the Messiah.

Following Jesus’ healing of the man with the withered hand, and knowing that the Pharisees were seeking to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14), He withdrew from where He was. Many, presumably sick, followed Him. Matthew recorded that Jesus healed them all but HeSer commanded them to not make Him known. This was because Jesus did not want His ministry to primarily be about displays of His miraculous power. He came to provide a substitutionary atonement on behalf of sinners.

Matthew commented that this was a fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1-4. Jesus came to bring justice to victory and hope to the Gentiles.

“If the people really knew what the Messiah would have to do, Jesus could proclaim Himself as the Christ. But the Israelites want a conquering king, not the Suffering Servant who goes to the cross before receiving the crown. Thus, as Matthew says in verses 17–21, Jesus’ hiding of Himself fulfills Isaiah 42:1–4. As the prophet predicted, the servant does not cry aloud; that is, He does not make His identity known at first. Christ will wait until He has fulfilled His mission to broadcast the truth about Himself far and wide (Matt. 28:18–20),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“The son of David comes first as the Suffering Servant unwilling to break the bruised reed and smother the smoldering wick (12:20) — to discard what may otherwise appear useless. His army will be made up of the broken and oppressed who through their suffering help usher in God’s kingdom.”

Even today, people misunderstand who Jesus Christ is and why He came to earth 2,000 years ago. There are really only three conclusions. He was either a liar and was not the Messiah, even though He claimed to be. Or, He was a lunatic who insanely thought He was God, but wasn’t. Or, He truly was who He claimed to be; Lord of heaven and earth. The evidence Matthew, and the three other New Testament Gospels, presents a clear and present verdict. Jesus Christ is Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁹ “He went on from there and entered their synagogue. ¹⁰ And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. ¹¹ He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.” (Matthew 12:9–14 (ESV)

Today’s title sounds like it could be the name for a Sherlock Holmes detective story. Rather, it is Matthew’s account of one of Jesus’ most dramatic and impacting miracles. Like any narrative, biblical or otherwise, today’s text contains the basic elements for a story: plot, setting, character, and theme.   

Matthew provides a straightforward narrative. Jesus, and presumably His disciples, left the grain fields (Matt. 12:1-8) and have entered their synagogue. Since Matthew identified the synagogue as theirs, it is presumed that this was either in the town of Nazareth or Capernaum. Both Mark and Luke record this event (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11).

The Pharisees question drives the plot: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Matthew comments that the Pharisees posed this question so they might accuse Jesus of breaking God’s Law; and their traditions. They knew how He would answer. The reason for their specific question was because attending the synagogue that Sabbath was a man with a withered hand. Withered (ξηρός; xeros) can mean either paralyzed or shrunken from illness or deformity.  

Jesus responded by saying, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Jesus posed a scenario to the questioners. The obvious answer would be that anyone would make the effort to rescue a sheep caught in a pit. Therefore, if it was a good thing to save a lamb, it would be better to heal a human being. Jesus emphatically declared that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He could make such a proclamation because He is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8).

Jesus then commanded the man to stretch out his hand. The man did so. Immediately, Jesus healed the man’s withered hand. Jesus restored it. To restore (ἀποκαθίστημι; apokathistemi) means to cure and to reinstate what previously existed or what was originally intended.

“In both instances — that of the disciples eating the grain and of Jesus healing the man’s withered hand — the scriptural principle that Jesus applies from God’s Word is that “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matt. 12:7).

The Pharisees response was also to be expected. The Pharisees went out of the synagogue and conspired against Jesus regarding how to destroy him.

When faced with the decision between doing what is good vs. what is best, always go with what is best. What is best, according to our Lord, is mercy rather than sacrifice.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

³ “He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: ⁴ how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:3–8 (ESV)

“The most proximate cause of the Pharisees’ antagonism toward Jesus, however, lay in His ignoring of their hundreds of elaborate but petty rules that they had devised for interpreting the law of God. Not only did they devise these hundreds of man-made rules, but they had also elevated them to the level of Scripture, so that to break one of their rules was to violate the law of God itself. And yet these rules not only obscured the true intent of God’s law, but also, in some cases, actually violated it (see Mark 7:9–13),” explains Jerry Bridges.  

“What really got the Pharisees upset with Jesus was the way He ignored their trivial and burdensome rules for keeping the Sabbath. The Pharisees objected to the disciples of Jesus plucking and eating heads of grain as they walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. According to their oral tradition, plucking the heads of grain and eating them was work — a violation of the Sabbath.”

In replying to the criticisms by the Pharisees, Jesus referred to the Old Testament Scriptures. The first was from I Samuel 21:1-6. This was when David’s hunger and need for food prompted him to transgress the ceremonial law by eating the Bread of Presence in the Tabernacle. Only the priests were allowed to eat the ceremonial bread.

Additionally, Jesus cited the example of the Old Testament priests. They labored on the Sabbath with the Sabbath offerings (Numbers 28:9-10). Yet God held them guiltless.

Jesus’ point to the religious leaders was that He was greater than David and the O.T. priests. He was also greater than the temple. He was/is the Lord of the universe.

Jesus said that what He desired, and still desires, is mercy and not sacrifice. Quoting from Hosea 6:1-6, Jesus condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and their perversion of the Sabbath. Their multiplication of traditions, regulations and restrictions minimized God’s merciful purpose in graciously providing salvation (Matt. 11:29-30; Mark 2:27).

Jesus concluded His comments by saying He alone was Lord of the Sabbath. This was an inescapable claim of deity—and as such it prompted the Pharisees’ violent outrage (Matt. 12:14).

“We need to be careful that we do not add our own man-made rules to the Scriptures. Some convictions that we hold dearly may be derived more from our particular Christian culture than derived from Scripture, and we need to learn to discern the differences. It is okay to have cultural convictions, but we should be careful that we do not elevate them to the same authority as Scripture. So much judgmentalism among Christians today occurs because we do this. But that is basically what the Pharisees were doing. So, let’s be careful that we are not modern-day Pharisees,” concludes Bridges.

Soli deo Gloria!

“At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1–2 (ESV)

We return to our study from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 12 continues the theme, begun in chapters 10-11, concerning the Mission of Jesus Christ the King of the Jews. This follows Matthew’s earlier treatment of the Advent of Jesus Christ the King of the Jews (1:1-4:25) and the Authority of Jesus Christ the King of the Jews (5:1-9:38).  

Matthew 12 chronicles Jesus’ mission as Lord over the Sabbath (12:1-13), facing opposition from religious leaders (12:14-45), and defining eternal life by spiritual, not physical, ancestry (12:46-50). Today, we begin studying Jesus’ Lordship of the Sabbath.

The word “sabbath” (σάββατον; sabbaton) is the day or rest and worship at the end of the seven-day week cycle. The Sabbath lasts from Friday evening until Saturday evening.

It was during this period of rest and worship that Jesus and His disciples traveled through some cultivated grain fields on the Sabbath. This is Matthew’s first mention of the Sabbath. “Though it is the behavior of the disciples which will come under scrutiny, it is Jesus who heads into the grain fields; and he will take responsibility for the subsequent action of the disciples,” explains commentator John Nolland.

As they traveled through the fields, Jesus’ hungry disciples began to pluck (τίλλω; tillo) or pull out the heads grain to eat. The tone of the text suggests that the disciples are seriously hungry, and not just mischievous (cf. 15:32; 21:18). Both Matthew and Luke explicitly make the eating of the grain would first have been separated from the husks by rubbing. Therefore, the suggestion of labor on the Sabbath.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” Apparently, the adversarial religious leaders were following Jesus and observing what He and His disciples did and said. This was probably so they could accuse Him and His followers of sin. For the Pharisees, the disciples’ action was a Sabbath violation.

“Matthew does not say how the Pharisees came to be in that particular grain field, but clearly they were in a position to observe what was done. They complain to Jesus, not the disciples, though it is not said that he was joining in the plucking and eating. But Jesus was the Master; it must be accepted that the disciples were acting with their Master’s approval. In any case it was Jesus who was the concern of the Pharisees. And in this instance, they were not acting on the basis of reliable reports; they were there and saw it for themselves. They were acting on sure knowledge. They said that what the disciples were doing was not lawful to do on a Sabbath,” states biblical scholar Leon Morris.

“Actually, no law prohibited the plucking of grain in order to eat on the Sabbath,” explains Dr. John MacArthur. “Gleaning handfuls of grain from a neighbor’s field to satisfy one’s hunger was explicitly permitted (Deut. 23:25). What was prohibited was labor for the sake of profit. Thus, a farmer could not harvest for profit on the Sabbath, but an individual could glean enough grain to eat.”

How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees accusation of violating the Law of God? How does this apply to believers in Christ today and our actions on the Lord’s Day of worship?

Soli deo Gloria!

In navigating the morass of Gender Identity, what resources are recommended for further study and a biblical perspective on this subject? The following authors and titles are submitted; courtesy of Ligonier Ministries.

Rewriting Gender? You, Your Family, Transgenderism and the Gospel by David Martin. The world today claims that your identity is entirely defined by you. As parents raising children in this world, how do we teach children the gospel and explain how it impacts gender identity?

This book of letters written to the author’s children follows the overarching story line of the Bible, making it clear that transgenderism is a symptom of a far deeper problem that only Jesus can heal. Written with biblical clarity, sensitivity, and an awareness that people affected by these issues are people who need Jesus, just like everyone else, this book will help parents who are looking for guidance on how to explain gender issues to their children.

Gender Ideology: What Christians Need to Know by Sharon James. The secular culture has embraced the idea that gender is something that can be decided by individuals. As Christians encounter colleagues, friends and family members who identify as a gender other than the one they were born, we need to be informed and equipped with knowledge about what the issues are, what different terms mean and what the Bible has to say about the subject.

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl R. Trueman. The subtitle is Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Dr. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College.

Dr. Trueman examines modern culture obsession with identity. Since the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015, sexual identity has dominated both public discourse and cultural trends—yet no historical phenomenon is its own cause. From Augustine to Karl Marx, various views and perspectives have contributed to the modern understanding of the self.

Trueman analyzes the development of the sexual revolution as a symptom—rather than the cause—of the human search for identity. Trueman surveys the past, brings clarity to the present, and gives guidance for the future as Christians navigate the culture in humanity’s ever-changing quest for identity.

Does God Care about Gender Identity? A Biblical Vision of Gender Identity by Samuel D. Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Metro Washington, DC, and author of The Spirit and Relational Anthropology in Paul. 

Since the beginning of humanity, people have recognized the distinct creation of the male and female gender in God’s design. But with today’s gender revolution, people are increasingly questioning who they are designed to be. In our society, gender identity has been divorced from biology and rerouted in psychology. Do the core teachings of the Bible uphold these modern ideas?

Dr. Ferguson carefully and compassionately compares the core beliefs and practices of the transgender movement with fundamental truths expressed in Scripture. Ferguson argues human identity is not determined by the individual but is given to us by our Creator, who designed our bodies and minds with purpose and encourages us to live in Christlikeness—choosing the path of God-given transformation over man-made transition. 

Soli deo Gloria!