August 12, 2003

To the Editor of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate and the Editor of the Atlanta Journal/Constitution.

For the protestant Christian there is no greater authority than the scriptures. While these scriptures contain many a rule of conduct, they also clearly state that none of these rules apply to gentile Christians (who make up 99.99% of the Christian church today). According to Acts 15, the ecumenical Council of Jerusalem declared in a unanimous edict (seconded by God Himself) that the gentile Christians are not subject to scriptural law. Now Paul was recognized by the then authoritative Jerusalem church as apostle to the gentiles (Galatians 2:6-10) and as such had authority to interpret this edict to his gentile wards (compare Acts 15:28 & 29 with 1 Corinthians 10:23-30). However he was not given authority to supercede the edict by imposing his own rules or laws on these gentile Christians. Hence whether or not Paul, or any other New Testament writer, intended to proscribe homosexuality, is a moot question for the gentile Christian. Presumably only another ecumenical council (including now also the gentile Christians) could do that, and then only with the concurrence of God. The legal case is open and shut to those who respect the authority of scripture.

Best regards,

Philip McPherson Rudisill

As a PS for this web site rendering of this letter, I realize this more clearly now. Paul cites the command of Jesus as a restriction on divorce, even when one partner is not a Christian, but this is no more than an analysis of the meaning of marriage. (See here http://www.kantwesley.com/GentileChristian/A.1%20Appendix%20Divorce.html)

Hence there is no reason to assume that Paul ever thought that he had authority to impose any law (and it certainly does not seem coherent for him to have assumed such). And so even his specific commands were always as though to teenagers in the faith who needed direction and protection until they came to think for themselves very clearly what it meant to be a Christian and a follower of the Way.