Sexuality

Video Resources

Position Paper

What Is the Issue? 

Sexuality provides a significant religious flashpoint in the modern Western world. Social views regarding sexual morals have changed dramatically within the last 60 years. Sex outside of marriage is now considered normal, divorce rates have increased significantly and pornography and other sexually charged media are widespread. Homosexuality is widely seen as a social rights issue in modern society. These trends have placed culture on a collision course with the traditional teachings of the Church. 

Prior to engaging the immediate topic, we must first evaluate an even more significant question: Who holds authority? 

Modern secular voices teach that authority is relative, either entirely individualized or based on the social constructs of our society. These views place humanity in the position of authority, whether as individuals or as a collective. As such, they hold a fundamentally different view from the Christian faith, which teaches that God is the final authority and that His authority is seen in the person of Jesus as revealed in Scripture. 

Sexuality is a secondary topic, but with major implications. In other words, how we understand the question of authority will directly affect our view of sexuality. If we resolve the issue of authority, then the topic of sexuality becomes clear.  

Standing on the Authority of

Scripture and Christian History

In contrast to modern secular culture, we uphold the authority of God as our moral standard, as expressed in the person of Jesus and revealed in the Scriptures. God created us, and He alone knows how humanity can best thrive. His standards provide boundaries to protect us, enable us to live a rich life and reveal God to humanity. We believe God calls us to live according to His ways in our treatment of others and in our personal lives—including our sexuality. 

The Antioch Movement stands in agreement with the clear teaching of Scripture, which we hold as the final authority, as well as the nearly unanimous teaching of the Church since the New Testament era (1) and the majority of Christians around the world today in affirming the following: 

God-ordained marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. Sexual activity is a gift to be enjoyed solely within the context of marriage (2).

Extra-marital sexual activity, homosexuality, pornography and other forms of sexually explicit media fall outside of the boundaries God placed on sexual behavior. 

Modern Application 

Regarding the topic of homosexuality, Antioch has consistently upheld a stance of clarity and compassion. Clarity that the practice of homosexuality is sinful, and compassion toward those who sin sexually, experience sexual confusion or deal with unwanted sexual desires. 

Unfortunately, many people with a homosexual orientation have been treated horrifically by both the church and society at large. We believe any form of hatred, bullying or abuse is sinful and call on Christians to show love and compassion toward each person, including active homosexuals and those questioning their gender identity. 

At the same time, we provide clarity regarding a Christian view of human sexuality. We believe humankind flourishes when we live under the authority of God as revealed in Scripture, and the world suffers when we reject His boundaries. We believe the Church is the pillar and support of truth and has a God-given obligation to uphold the teaching of Scripture, even in the face of societal pressure or cultural disagreements. 

1. A common argument for those supporting homosexual behavior is that some people are “born this way,” and thus have no control over their sexuality. The extent to which this is true is disputable, but either way, it fits within the Christian teaching that all humankind is born with a sinful nature (3). We believe all men and women have a sinful nature. This is manifested differently in different people. This does not validate sin, but instead reveals the need for a Savior.

Furthermore, we believe a Christ-follower’s most fundamental identity is found in their adoption as a son or daughter of God, not in their sexuality (4).

2. Temptation is not sin and is common to all humanity (5). Jesus Himself was tempted by sin.6 Temptation, including homosexual attraction, is not sin and should never be a place of condemnation. Due to the social stigma surrounding homosexuality, many Christians have hidden their tendency toward same sex attraction. We believe the Church should be a safe place to share our temptation and support one another in our desire to live in freedom from all kinds of sinful behavior. 

3. Jesus provides grace to overcome temptation (7). Though we’re all tempted to sin, Scripture teaches us that God empowers us to overcome (8). This does not mean that everyone with homosexual attraction is guaranteed to develop heterosexual feelings (though many will), nor is this the goal of faith, but it does mean we can all live in freedom from sin. 

Freedom from sin is found first and foremost in the grace of God and is supported by Christian community (9). We joyfully support believers in their journey to freedom and growth in Christlike character.  

4. Homosexual behavior is not a “worse” sin than others, but it is still sin. We recognize that some manifestations of sin have received strong condemnation in Christian culture, such as homosexuality, while others have been rationalized or overlooked, such as greed or slander. We grieve over any place of hypocrisy in the church. We believe Jesus calls all believers to the life of a disciple (10). This life involves sacrifice and surrender for everyone, including, but certainly not limited to, our sexuality. 

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:38-39 

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25 

5. The Church should be a welcoming place for everyone, while also clearly teaching the Scripture (11). We wholeheartedly believe the best way to love people is to introduce them to Jesus and then encourage them to live as a disciple. 

As a result, we worry about attempts to normalize any lifestyle of sin (12), including sexual activity outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We also recognize everyone is on an imperfect journey of spiritual growth. We welcome anyone to attend our churches and pray they feel genuinely loved and accepted. We also call everyone to a life of surrender to Jesus and freedom from sin. 

6. We believe God created men and women as His image-bearers on earth and, as such, both men and women are of equal worth and dignity (13). Furthermore, we believe gender is an integral part of our humanity and is determined by our biological sex at conception. 

We recognize some people struggle to embrace their gender. We strive to show them love and compassion as they discover their God-given identity, first as a child of God and then in their God-given gender. 

We also recognize others have a physical disorder in their sex development. They are of equal worth before God and are not “lesser” Christians in any way. 

Conclusion

Our heart of compassion leads us to speak with clarity because we believe the clarity of Scripture guides us into the life of a disciple. At the same time, our clarity is never intended to condemn people and must always lead to compassionate support as the church community comes around those struggling to provide encouragement, comfort, mercy and hope. Additionally, we must humbly recognize every single one of us is saved by grace alone. 

In all of our teaching, we point people to Jesus—His love for us, the example of His life, His death to atone for our sin and His resurrection which empowers us to a new way of living. He is our hope, and He is our passion. 

— 

Notes 

  1. See Unchanging Witness: The Consistent Christian Teaching on Homosexuality in Scripture and Tradition by S. D. Fortson III and G. Grams for a scholarly review of the subject

  2. Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 7:21-22, Acts 15:20, Romans 1:22-27, I Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, 1 Timothy 1:8-11

  3. Romans 3:23, 5:12

  4. Romans 8:12-17

  5. 1 Corinthians 10:13

  6. Hebrews 4:15-16

  7. Romans 6:1-14, Titus 2:11-12

  8. Galatians 5:19-25

  9. James 5:16

  10. Matthew 16:25, Luke 17:33

  11. Matthew 9:10-13

  12. Timothy 4:3

  13. Genesis 1:27-28

Our Beliefs

  • We believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, living, eternally reliable Word of God equally in all parts, without error in its original manuscript, and it is our primary and authoritative source of revelation from God, superior to conscience and reason, though not contrary to reason. Therefore, the Bible is our final authority for faith and practice and is necessary for our daily lives as it continually points us toward the person of Jesus. [2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12]

  • We believe in one God who has revealed Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. [Romans 1:20]

    The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all co-eternal and all stand equally superior to time, free from the temporal distinctions of past and future.

    We believe in God the Father, Creator of all things visible and invisible. [Colossians 1:15, 16]

    We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who came into the world to reveal the Father and was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. Jesus Christ was the Creator of everything, for by Him all things were made. We further believe that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form and that He was very-God and very-Man. [John 1:1, 2, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37, 38]

    We believe in Jesus Christ’s pre-existence, incarnation, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary and atoning death, bodily resurrection, bodily ascension into heaven, exaltation, present rule at the right hand of God, coming personal return in power and great glory and everlasting Kingdom and dominion. [Acts 1:11; Acts 3:19-21; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4]

    We acknowledge His Lordship — that Jesus Christ is Lord over all things in heaven, on earth and under the earth. [Philippians 2:9, 10]

    We believe in the Holy Spirit, His present ministry, His indwelling, His empowering, His impartation of gifts for today and His transforming power in the lives of all believers. [1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 1:13, 14]

  • We believe man was created by a direct and immediate act of God. [Genesis 1:26, 27; Genesis 2:4]

    We believe man, by transgression, fell from the state of righteousness and holiness in which he was first created into total spiritual depravity, a state of death in trespasses and sins in which he is held as a slave of sin and an enemy of God. As such, he is unable to attain divine righteousness by his own efforts but must be redeemed and delivered by the power of the gospel. [Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4]

    We believe repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ are an integral part of God’s work of justification of the believer. Through faith in the shed blood of Christ, he or she is justified and made a partaker in the death of Christ. [Romans 5:1, 9]

    We believe it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. [Ephesians 2:8, 9]

    We further believe the emphasis for a continuous walk in grace should be on demonstrating righteousness and purity of heart, believing in the keeping power of God, walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh, living a lifestyle that demonstrates the character, standards and convictions of Jesus Christ and not being conformed to the world. [Jude 24; Romans 8:25; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 4:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2]

    We believe repentance is dependent upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit in the lives of sinners and believers and is also dependent upon their response. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which often accompanies the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, will result in the revelation of the sinfulness of self, which should lead to godly sorrow. [2 Corinthians 7:10; Psalm 51; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Romans 1:18-32; Matthew 9:12, 13]

    We believe that in the final judgment, which will accompany the return of Christ, every person will give an account to God of every aspect of this earthly life. Unbelievers will be separated from God for eternity in hell. Believers will experience the final resurrection and live eternally with Christ in the new heavens and the new earth. [1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15]

  • We believe in the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism as acts of our obedience and a testimony of our faith. [Matthew 3:6; Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29]

    We believe water baptism (by immersion) is an obedient response to the command of Jesus. Baptism is to be performed only upon repentant believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. [Matthew 28:18-20]

    We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. [Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6]

    We hold that the real evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is one’s response to the Word of God, a Christ-like life, showing forth Christ’s character and experiencing and manifesting the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. [John 16:13, 14; John 15:26; Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11]

  • Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.  The husband and wife are of equal worth before God since both are created in God’s image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the Church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his companion in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. [Genesis 1:27, 28; Genesis 2:20-25; Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 5:24; Genesis 2:20, 21; Titus 2:4, 5; Psalm 139:13-15]

  • We believe the Church is both universal and local. All believers form the Church in unity with all believers throughout history; and yet, the church is also local, with believers gathering in committed community and under the authority of Christ. [Ephesians 1:22, 23]

    Scripture describes the Church as:

    This language is intimate and reveals Jesus’ commitment to, and care for, His people. Furthermore, the Church is God’s instrument for revealing His purpose and the fullness of Jesus on earth for His glory. [Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 1:23]

Other Faith in
Practice Papers

  • Our desire as a church is to define more clearly God’s call for our body to emulate heaven by being a racially and ethnically diverse people that live out Kingdom Culture as a unified body. These clarity statements are not offered to appear socially conscious, nor are they offered to appease the initiatives of any group of people. They are offered to help people understand the direction of our church related to biblical Kingdom Culture. The statements also serve as accountability to our leadership to be intentional about the fulfillment of these statements. Biblical Kingdom Culture encompasses many aspects of how Christians should embrace societal concerns, but for clarity and forward movement, this statement primarily refers to racial issues.  

    READ FULL PAPER HERE

  • Revelation 7 presents a glorious picture of eternity declaring that every people group on the planet will worship God together, forever. All of mankind standing in a unified state may be so glorious that only the majesty of God Himself would outshine it. For now, humanity longs for the beauty of unity as people struggle with one another in almost every human endeavor. In recent years, race has been one of the greatest places where individuals struggle with one another. The racial tensions, particularly in western culture, have become so great that the cause of unity may seem hopeless to some. However, the reality is that the current strife that exists in our culture represents an invitation from the Lord to shine the light of Jesus more brightly than ever into the darkness of cultural divisions. While unity between the races is certainly a most difficult goal, it is not impossible according to the Word of God. 

    READ FULL PAPER HERE

  • Sexuality provides a significant religious flashpoint in the modern Western world. Social views regarding sexual morals have changed dramatically within the last 60 years. Sex outside of marriage is now considered normal, divorce rates have increased significantly and pornography and other sexually charged media are widespread. Homosexuality is widely seen as a social rights issue in modern society. These trends have placed culture on a collision course with the traditional teachings of the Church. 

    READ FULL PAPER HERE

  • The purpose of this article is to address the Antioch Movement’s stance on the role of women in ministry. Our heart is to release both men and women across Antioch into the fullness of their uniqueness, gifting and calling. The Scripture is our authority for faith and practice; therefore, we should always allow the Bible to interpret our lives rather than allowing our culture to interpret the Scriptures, and ultimately, our application. Biblical clarity gives our movement both strength and longevity. 

    READ FULL PAPER HERE

  • We believe the Bible speaks clearly regarding the value of life in the womb. We also acknowledge the complexity and sensitivity of the issues surrounding abortion, a subject that disproportionately affects women. We know that this topic is one laden with emotional weight, and we in no way seek to contribute to the pain or guilt someone might feel who has had, performed or contributed to an abortion. We also recognize there are valid concerns that many proponents of abortion are trying to address (e.g., systemic poverty, the pressures of being a single parent, etc.) and we seek to engage those issues with compassion. The goal of this paper is to outline a biblical approach that navigates the issue of abortion specifically. It is limited in its scope and is not intended to comprehensively address all of the attending and underlying issues. Though the content is brief and to the point, we hope to communicate the church’s stance with empathy. Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and the church must walk in the same manner.

    READ FULL PAPER HERE