Home Op-Ed Calvin Robinson: a crisis of faith for the Anglican Church?

Calvin Robinson: a crisis of faith for the Anglican Church?

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What follows is one of the most articulate and powerful speeches you are likely to view this year. It is by Rev. Calvin Robinson, who recently argued at the Oxford Union as to why Christianity should not allow gay marriage, or even the blessing of same-sex unions.

Robinson’s twelve-minute talk is a model of graciousness, fidelity to historic Christian doctrine, and personal courage. And as such, it is rightly going viral on social media, amassing over 46,000 views in under a week. Robinson begins by stating:

We are up against the authorities.

Three bishops from the established church. That means that I am either wrong, and Christians have been teaching incorrectly for the last two-thousand years—or Jews and Christians for the last four to six thousand years—or we have church leaders attempting to drag the church into apostasy. 

Neither way is good. 

Robinson then goes on to succinctly outline the classic case for Biblical sexuality. That God’s design for those made in His image is for the life-long conventional union between one man and one woman.

As Robinson, rightly states:

Sex outside of marriage is a sin and that is the same of heterosexuals as it is for homosexuals. Although, the Bible is quite clear that same-sex relations are abhorrent. 

And before same smart Aleck starts asking me the question of whether I am wearing mixed fabrics, there is a difference between the moral laws and ceremonial laws. And Christ did come to fulfil the old laws. 

Both the issues of marriage and homosexuality however, are still addressed in the New Testament. In Paul’s epistles but also in the Gospels. Jesus does talk of marriage in both Mark and Matthew within the context of heterosexual union. 

So, my question to the bishops would be, “Do we not believe in the authority of Scriptures anymore? Can we pick and choose which parts of the Gospel we adhere to?

The church after all is Christ’s bride—as we heard earlier—Jesus is described as the bridegroom, so we may know how he relates to us. Two grooms would be pointless. Christ is already in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. It’s us He is inviting in. 

Two brides is what we are looking at here. The church is attempting to marry itself. To leave Christ out of the picture. 

The whole speech by Robinson is worth listening to and absorbing, for it is as compelling as it is concise. It is in his conclusion though, that Robinson really lands his knockout blow. Robinson declares:

Read it all in The Spectator