The Back Story
If you are Southern Baptist or like me and find yourself associating with Southern Baptist pastors, you were likely dialed into the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Because of its influence due to its sheer size, you will see Southern Baptist leaders on CNN, FOX News, and other media outlets. A quick check of your Twitter feed will reveal blue and white checkmarks next to some more influential leaders. Full disclosure, I received my Master of Divinity from a Southern Baptist seminary in 2010. And I am grateful for the professors and friends who challenged me while also caring for my soul during that time. But I digress.
From the cheap seats, it seems the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention was a bit contentious. Questions of how to care for victims of sexual abuse, CRT/I, and rampant allegations of sexual abuse cover-up marred the convention. The election for the next president of the convention was tight. In the final tally, The Southern Baptist Convention elected Alabama Pastor Ed Litton. Litton had to win a runoff with Georgia Pastor Mike Stone. Litton received 6,834 votes, 52 percent, to Stone’s 6,278 votes, 48 percent. The lead-up to the vote was filled with allegations and backroom denominational politics.
I do not know Litton or Stone. They do not know me. I can’t speak to their character or their pastoral ministry. To do so would be disingenuous. Also, I am not a Southern Baptist. Yes, I have Southern Baptist friends, but I am not a part of their denominational silo.
What I can speak to, and the purpose of this blog post is to challenge a statement made by the newly elected SBC president regarding sexual sin. I thought about writing on partialism, but I have recently written on the Trinity. In a sermon dated January 27, 2020, Pastor Litton said, “sexual sin is whispered compared to the shout God makes about greed and judgementalism” (see time stamp 29:17). Outgoing SBC president, JD Greer, made a similar statement about sexual sin.
Categorical Errors
Here is the problem I have with this kind of statement. God does not “shout” or whisper” about specific sins. He speaks about particular sins. At no point in Scripture, other than “the unforgivable sin” (Mark 3:28-30) is any distinction being made between various sins. In Litton’s sermon, he mentions how Jesus did not condemn a prostitute. And praise God for the mercy offered by Jesus! But what does Jesus say next to the prostitute (which Litton omits)?
From now on sin no more.
– John 8:11
The points I am trying to make is twofold. First, Jesus did not shy away from preaching against sin. Materialism, religious pride, greed, or sexual sin are offensive against a holy God. One sin may have a different consequence or penalty from the next sin, but the call from God is to go and sin no more. This is a high bar, which is why Christians need help from the Spirit. Second, saying God “whispers” about one sin and “shouts” about another sin is a categorical error. Should we shy away from preaching about gluttony, lying, or thievery because it does not rise to an extrabiblical superimposed metric of “shouting?” This kind of hermeneutic is dangerous. The categories of “whispering” and “shouting” enable a person to cherry-pick passages from Scripture and highlight any given topic on any given day. What hobby horse do you want to shout?
The Sufficiency of Scripture
I also think these categories undermine the sufficiency of Scripture. The sufficiency of Scripture means that the Bible is the only inspired, inerrant, and therefore final authority for Christians for faith and godliness.
The moment gradations are made between various sins, the pursuit of godliness is undermined along with the sufficiency of Scripture. How is all of Scripture fully sufficient if God whispers in some places but shouts in other places? The categories create a confusing apparatus in which the reader is trying to figure out what sins God hates more. Further, the moment gradations are made between various sins, judgment toward others increases. Think about it for a moment. Can you picture a situation where one person lies to their spouse, but he knows that person over there looks at porn? So he must not be that bad of a sinner. The consistent theme of the New Testament is that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Because of sin, a person needs to repent and seek forgiveness (Matthew 4:17; 21:32). Forgiveness is only offered through faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture is either sufficient to speak about all sin or none at all. The squishy middle allows for subjectivity.
Sexual Sin is Not “Whispered“
I have one final point. For the sake of argument, I’ll grant the categories. But here is the deal. The Bible, and God, do not whisper about sexual sin. Lust, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc. are condemned many times throughout the Scripture. Was Jesus whispering when he said this during his Sermon on the Mount?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”
– Matthew 5:27–30
Did Paul whisper when he wrote this in the Book of Romans,
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Romans 1:24–27
How about Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)? Did God “whisper” when he reigned down burning sulfur? I think not.
In Sum
On balance, are some themes in the Bible more dominant than others? Yes. You cannot read the Old Testament and not walk away realizing the sin of idolatry is the perpetual problem of God’s chosen people, Israel. At the end of the day, idolatry is the underlining issue in Romans 1:18-30. However, to say God whispers and shouts undermines God, his Word, and the pursuit of holiness for Christians.
Again, I don’t know Litton or Greer. I desire to assume the best about others, especially if I do not know them. May God use them to draw hell-bound sinners to Jesus and to ensure disciples of Jesus Christ conform to their Savior. But, I have no problem pushing back on ideas. The idea that God whispers and shouts about sin is patently false. It’s a categorical and hermeneutical error, and it should be rejected.