Furthermore, the good of the church community must also be considered. What message is being sent by a church that effectively condones behavior that Scripture condemns? What effect will this have on other members of Christ’s body – particularly those who are vulnerable and impressionable? Paul’s concern – that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough” (1 Cor 5:6) – clearly has some application here. Having said that, and as we’ve already seen, needlessly imposing rigid gender stereotypes (e.g., that all men must have crew cuts or all women must wear skirts) is not helpful either. Provided that believers are operating and presenting themselves within accepted norms and cultural expectations for gender roles and gender expression, not all men and women need to look and dress the same way.
g) Bodily resurrection and life to come
The final piece of scriptural teaching relevant to our subject has to do with what is revealed about the nature of our resurrection bodies. Admittedly, there are all kinds of things we cannot know on this score (1 Cor 15:35-36). Nevertheless, in broad terms, the Bible affirms a principle of both continuity and transformation (1 Cor 15:42-44). That is, following the pattern of Jesus’ own resurrection, it is these earthly bodies that will be raised (continuity), but with different qualities and capacities (transformation). As Paul says, Christ “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21).
Curiously, the prospect of transformation has led some to speculate about the possibility of our being raised as either androgynous or monosexual or asexual beings. Given that our bodies are sexed in this world, and that the risen Jesus remains a man, it would require a very clear statement of Scripture to create the expectation that we will be raised as something other than eternally sexed (and therefore gendered) beings. But no such statement exists. Certainly, when read in their contexts, neither 1 Corinthians 6:13-15 nor Galatians 3:28 teaches any such thing. The point of the first passage is that Christians ought not to engage in sexually immoral behaviour because our bodies belong to Christ (1 Cor 6:13), are “members of Christ” (v. 15) and God intends to raise them (v. 14). The point of the second passage (in particular, the statement that “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”) is that both male and female believers in Christ are equally God’s children (Gal 3:26), have equally “put on Christ” (v. 27) and are equally Abraham’s offspring and inheritors of all that God has promised them (v. 29).87 In short, neither passage implies the elimination of sex/gender distinctions, either in this age or in the one to come.
The only passage that could possibly be thought to suggest such a possibility is Matthew 22:30 (and parallels), where Jesus says: “For in the resurrection neither do they marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like the angels.” But while this passage clearly affirms that marriage belongs to this age only, it says nothing about the elimination of human sexual distinctions. In fact, Jesus’ choice of words implies quite the opposite: as Augustine saw, “neither do they marry” can only refer to males and “nor are they given in marriage” can only refer to females.88 In other words, “[f]ar from saying that there will be no distinctions of gender in the new creation, Jesus said in essence that those who are male in heaven will not take a wife, nor will those who are female be given in marriage.”89
Scripture, then, gives us no reason to doubt and every reason to believe that we will be resurrected not simply as embodied beings, but as sexed (and therefore gendered) beings. We will certainly be changed (1 Cor 15:51-52), but not changed from men or women into something else. Rather we will be changed from mortal to immortal, perishable to imperishable men and women (1 Cor 15:53-54).90 While the eternal purpose of our sex distinctions is yet to be fully disclosed, the suggestion that it has to do with the way in which humanity as male and female images the unity and distinction within the Trinity is likely.91 Whatever the case, “men and women will always be beings-in-relation, even when the business of marrying and procreating has been fulfilled.”92
The glorious prospect of bodily resurrection has two implications.
(i) First, whatever disappointments, dysphorias and disabilities we may have to deal with in this life, it matters what we do with and to the bodies God has given us (as we have seen). In fact, while we should be willing to spend and be spent in the cause of our Master, we are nonetheless to love our bodies. As Paul says, “no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (Eph 5:29). Consequently, self-rejection and self-mutilation are not only tragic but also sinful. Those in Christ must, therefore, resist such temptations and instead fly to the throne of grace, where we can find “mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).
(ii) Second, in the resurrection every form of disease and disorder, sickness and sadness will be healed and banished once and for all. Little wonder that “we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:23). Indeed, says Paul, “in this hope we have been saved (Rom 8:24). What’s more, so wonderful will be the glory revealed both to us and in us that the sufferings of this present time will not be worth comparing to it (Rom 8:18). This is good news for all of God’s people, but particularly for those whose gender incongruence proves irresolvable in this life. Christians have a real hope that will not disappoint us. This is why we are called to wait for it with patience (Rom 8:25) and to fix our eyes not on what is seen and transient but on what is unseen and eternal (2 Cor 4:18).
Concluding Thoughts
How should we think about gender incongruence and the distress it produces? In light of the Bible’s teaching, and in the absence of any compelling evidence for regarding it as a type of intersex condition, genuine gender dysphoria is best regarded as a psychological disorder.93 In other words, despite what is sometimes claimed, there is no reason (either biblical or scientific) to believe that a person can have either the brain or soul of one sex and the body of the other. It may be a person’s strong feeling or deeply held conviction, but it is not an objective fact. As one of the tragic effects of the Fall, the gender dysphoric person is suffering from a pathology of the mind.
In and of itself, such a conclusion does little to remove the distress of those who suffer from a profound sense of gender incongruence. It does, however, lay some important foundations upon which to build a biblically informed, pastorally responsible and medically coherent therapeutic approach. It likewise provides a helpful interpretive grid through which we can make sense of the various social, political and ideological changes going on around us. For not only is the basic assumption of transgender ideology unsustainable but the goal of transitioning is unrealisable. “Transgendered men do not become women, nor do transgendered women become men.”94 As Dr Paul McHugh writes, the best they can ever hope to become is “counterfeits or impersonators of the sex with which they ‘identify’.”95
What, then, is our message to those who have sought to transition – socially, hormonally or surgically? First, they are to come to Jesus as they are. This means that in our evangelism we must not let the temporary overshadow the eternal. The greatest need of those who experience gender dysphoria or identify as transgender or have undergone SRS is not for their identity issues to be resolved (as wonderful as that would be), or their attempts at transitioning to be reversed (which may not be entirely possible), but to be reconciled to God and adopted as his children. In other words, like the rest of us, transsexuals, the transgendered and the gender confused need the gospel of Jesus Christ. For every human being has been created through and for Jesus Christ (Col 1:16), and will therefore be restless unless and until they find their rest in him (Augustine). But rest is precisely what Jesus promises to all who come to him in faith (Matt 11:28) – irrespective of their past sins or present burdens. This is the hope of the gospel: that true life, lasting peace and eternal comfort can be found in Jesus Christ.
Second, while we are invited to come to Jesus as we are, he is not content to leave us as we are. His goal is to restore us into his image and teach us to discern and do the will of God (Rom 12:2). For the reasons we’ve seen, this will necessarily entail living, as far as is possible, in conformity with our God-given sex. For those who have gone down the path of transitioning, this will mean ceasing CHT, cross-dressing and other forms of cross-gender identification. Some surgical steps may, of course, be irreversible. If so, as Russell Moore argues, the person may need to see themselves akin to a biblical eunuch; that is, as one wounded physically by past sin, but awaiting wholeness in the resurrection.96 Whatever the case, sensitive pastoral care and strong congregational support will be essential for anyone who, in obedience to Christ, is seeking to de-transition.
Finally, how should Christians respond to the transgender revolution that is currently sweeping the western world? If we truly love our neighbours, we will not withdraw from the public square, particularly if we understand the way in which “today’s uncontested nonsense becomes tomorrow’s accepted wisdom.”97 Therefore we must not only pray fervently for our world but, as part of our prophetic task, take up our apologetic responsibility to expose the vacuous foundations and corrosive effects of contemporary gender ideology. In addition to that, and where possible, we will work politically for ways of treating gender incongruence that don’t normalize a psychiatric disorder or incentivize self-harm, for public policies that don’t perpetuate gender confusion and facilitate social contagion, and for truly ‘safer’ schools programs that protect the dignity and interests of all children. As in our evangelism, engaging at this level will not always make us popular, indeed it may see some of us persecuted, prosecuted and even imprisoned. But as Albert Mohler reminds us, we cannot be silent.98 As has often been said, our calling as Christ’s followers is to present the truth with compassion but without compromise. May the Spirit of God enable us for this, for the love of God demands no less from us.