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(v. 4). Jesus cites creation to affirm that humanity can
be divided into two categories, but only two. Jesus
not only affirms there are no other biological options
beyondmale and female, but there are also no historical
or biblical grounds to suggest that Jesus decoupled sex
from gender. From here, Jesus connects marriage to
God’s created intentions for men and women. The “for
this reason” of verse 5 assumes that God created them
for each other.
God’s creation of Eve is meant to end Adam’s
loneliness as there was nothing in creation that “fit” him
(Gen. 2:18). God brings the woman out of the man as
someone both intimately like him but different, a helper
corresponding to him (Gen. 2:20–22). As intimated
earlier in Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2 makes it clear that
both male and female constitute humanity and both
contribute uniquely, but complementarily, to one
another in constituting God’s image in humanity.
DIVINE DESIGN
Now that we have looked at Matthew’s purpose
generally and Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 specifically,
what are some of the implications for Christ-
followers today?
First, Matthew wants us to know that Jesus’ teaching
should be believed and taught by His disciples until
“the end of the age.” As an aside, the fact that elsewhere
Matthew makes it clear that the expression of sex or
gender changes in the era beyond the present age, “the
resurrection” (22:29–30), only makes it more clear
that what Jesus teaches in Matthew 19 is binding on
His disciples until He returns. Second, He teaches that
God’s creation design must shape our understanding
of ourselves and our relationships. Third, Jesus teaches
us that gender, as sex, is not constructed; it’s created.
Fourth, Jesus teaches that God made men and women
unique
from
each other but
for
each other at the
same time.
Fifth, Jesus leaves no room for any other gender
options, and He makes no distinction between
biological sex and gender. The idea that you could be
born biologically male or female but separate your
biology from your own ideas of your gender is a
concept foreign to Scripture and to the world of Jesus’
time, not to mention all cultures throughout history
until the late 20th century. Sixth, this suggests loving
your neighbor includes encouraging them to embrace
their sex and gender as one in the same and to treat
that aspect of their identity as something to celebrate,
nurture, express, and protect. Moreover, Jesus’ teaching
suggests that disconnecting biological sex from gender
distorts humanity, harms people, and strikes out against
God as Creator and His created design. Finally, Jesus
suggests that love cannot endorse and celebrate the
disintegration of God’s good gifts and the disintegration
of the person that results from it.
LIFE-SATISFYING TRUTH
Though there is much more that needs to be said,
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew assures me that my “naïve
90s’” take on sex and gender was not so naïve. At the
same time, Matthew affirms that the whole of Jesus’ life
was an expression of God’s desire to deliver sinners from
sin’s bondage (1:21; 20:28). Jesus eagerly and willingly
stepped into our mess at God’s behest to deliver us. All
that He taught and did was intended to point sinners
toward a right understanding of God, themselves, their
neighbors, and the world. As His followers, we should
love our neighbors struggling with gender confusion
(dysphoria) by acknowledging their struggle and
grieving over their suffering.
We should also come alongside those struggling
with gender identity, and the family members affected
by their struggle, as people who truly know the struggle
with sin. Yet, to love like Christ, our compassion must
be driven by Christ’s teaching about God’s intentions
for sex and gender. We cannot abandon someone to
their creation-nullifying desires, even if they abandon
the struggle against their desires and embrace them.
We must stay in their lives and lovingly contend for
God’s perspective on sex and gender because it’s both
good and right. As fixed points of compassion, let’s call
those we love back to what God created them to be and
longs for them to enjoy. Christ’s love also calls us to
protect the vulnerable when transsexuals and their allies
aggressively promote their creation-nullifying identity
as normative or attempt to force approval of it on others.
May Christ enable us all to hold “justice and mercy
and faithfulness” together (Matt. 23:23) as we bring
the life-satisfying truth of Christ to bear on a culture
increasingly at odds with God’s created purposes for sex
and gender.
Greg Couser
serves as Senior Professor of Bible and
Greek at Cedarville. He has been at Cedarville since
1994. He earned his Ph.D. in New Testament biblical
studies from University of Aberdeen (Scotland). Visit
cedarville.edu/couserto watch Dr. Couser’s chapel
message on this topic.
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