A Biblical Response to Homosexuality

I tend to agree with our opinion about the opinions offered by the speakers. However, I have some reservations on several doctrinal issues based on your observation of the three videos. Although you were hesitant to agree with Bell and Wright, I find it easy to concur with their sentiments. We should judge them based on the context of their speeches and their motive of illustrating that Christ intended to raise a church here on earth symbolized as the kingdom of heaven in the parable of the ten virgins. I believe that this was a reflection of his character and the communion in heaven. If we ignore this, then there is no power in the everlasting gospel; the power to change lives, to convert a vile offender into a Christ-like person and Christ’s work on earth would have been needless. Instead, he should have carried us all to heaven and teach us there how to be like him. You also mentioned that the first video on Jesus and the kingdom is humanity-centered rather than Christ-centered based on the proportion of time dedicated to speaking on humanity or another standard. However, I think that the video was contrasting what we could become if we embraced the gospel of Christ about the kingdom and what the world has become by neglecting that lesson. Moreover, the comment on rewriting the gospel is not fair because it was an illustration if we could change the Lord's Prayer to read, as we want it but not as Christ intended it to be. Christ came to save humanity. He was God incarnate. He took upon the nature of humanity to save us. Paul in Hebrews chapter 2 comments on this by saying that he had to be like us, like a brother to us for him to be tempted like us and share in our grief for him to better represent us in heaven. In Philippians 2, Paul notes again that Christ was in the form of God, but he took upon himself the nature of man. Therefore, I see the gospel to be centered on the salvation of man. Christ did not come to save himself but us. He did not need it because he was one with the father even before creation as he prays in the gospel according to john "that I had with you before the world was created" (John 17:5). 

Response to Person 2 

I agree with you that Rob Bell parallels the history of Christianity and that of paganism as manifested and championed by the Roman rulers. Christianity borrowed many terminologies from the pagan religion to express their sanctified worship system. Equally, I do consent to the view that humanity is in a lost condition and only Christ can save us. However, I disagree that God does not love us equally. God's love for humanity is the same as illustrated in the parables of the lost sheep, coin and prodigal son. Also, in John 3:16 we read that God loved the world and the world in this context is every human that has existed since Adam to the end of time. By alluding to the book of Romans chapter 9, you are promoting the doctrine of predestination. This school of thought teaches that there are some ordained to death and others to salvation, but that is erroneous. God will be unfair, selfish and will be ranked with the human who loves those who do them good but hate those who hate them. I think we should analyze the videos based on their context and carefully divide the word of truth.