3. What does the Bible say? There are a limited number of Bible passages that touch on trans. Deuteronomy 22:5 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 speak of cross dressing and those who have made themselves effeminate to attract other men. Matthew 19:12 talks about three different types of eunuchs, those born that way (intersex), those made that way (castrated) and those celibate for the kingdom. The wider context is a discussion about marriage in which Jesus reminds a questioner that we are made “male and female” in the image of God. The passage is an example of Jesus upholding the divine pattern while making space in our thinking for people and situations which do not fit neatly into that pattern. Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Act 8 is an important story on the inclusion of the marginalised in the fulfilment of the great commission. The man is described as Ethiopian, probably a gentile, and a person who did not fit within a binary understanding of gender. He was returning from the temple, where he was unlikely to have been welcomed to worship for any of the above reasons. However, he (the text identifies him as a ‘he’) encounters God on the way home. Isaiah 56:4-5 talks about eunuchs and is another example of the outsider being welcomed in, encouraging churches today to make room for the marginalised, whilst encouraging obedience. 10
The big story
In Transgender, Vaughan Roberts applies a classic biblical structure to the complex trans questions of our day. The creation narrative speaks of two distinct and compatible biological sexes. Cross-gender identification is a concern because it distorts the creational order of male and female. We live in a fallen world where not every biological or psychological experience is a reflection of God’s will. Within this narrative, gender dysphoria is understood as a result of living in a fallen world, not a result of personal moral choice. We have been offered the gift of redemption through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The bodily nature of the resurrection affirms the importance of the human body. As we continue to live in a fallen world we will struggle between our desires and the will of God. God does not rescue us from suffering but redeems us through it. In the new heavens and the new earth we will enjoy the restoration of our bodies and minds. As Oliver O’Donovan notes, “maleness and femaleness forever defines an important aspect of the relationship Christ has to all of us, His church.”v He goes on to note that “how our individual
