The Brooksville Statement on Marriage
Definition
Marriage is beautiful
because God is glorious. God, in His infinite Trinitarian wisdom, created and
ordained marriage to display the mysterious union of Christ and His Church
(Ephesians 5:22-25). As the creator and author of marriage, God alone has the authority
to define it. This He did in the second chapter of Genesis where God, having
created both groom and bride, brought them together personally (2:22) and a
benediction was pronounced over the couple; “Therefore a man shall leave his father and
his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh” (2:24,
ESV). For this reason, Christian believers do now hold—and have always
held—that marriage is between one man and one woman; that it is sealed by the
exchange of covenant vows; and that it is intended for the whole of natural
life, until death.
On the Interpretation
of Scripture
We Christian believers
regard the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired, inerrant,
and infallible authority under which we live. We regard the clarity of
Scripture to be sufficient for us to interpret the Bible accurately on matters
of both faith and practice, using straightforward grammatical and historical
principles. For this reason, we reject all attempts to obscure or “reread” Biblical
passages which abundantly state the parameters of human sexuality. Sexual
relations are to be enjoyed as a gift, and exclusively, between a married man
and his own wife alone (Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4). Any alternate readings of
Scripture that intentionally or unintentionally obscure this foundational
Biblical presupposition are to be rejected.
On
Sin and Grace
While it is true that Christians
are called to hate transgression and iniquity, we find the sin within our
own hearts—and not the sin of our neighbors—to be the most egregious of
all. We lament and repent of our own sin first; be it in thought, word, or deed.
We welcome those of all races, genders, ethnicities, and sexual inclinations to
repent and believe in Jesus Christ and to worship in our churches. We
sympathize with all who struggle in temptation, and exhort them to pursue “the
obedience of faith” and embrace the new life given to the Redeemed by the Holy
Spirit. Accordingly, we continue to reject any and every sin that degrades God’s
glorious creation of marriage, including: adultery, fornication, rape, incest, homosexuality,
polygamy, lust, pornography, coercive abstinence while in the state of
marriage, and all forms of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Christians
are called to love—and not hate—our enemies and those who persecute us (Matt
5:44). Thus, we utterly disregard any attempt to mischaracterize our
convictions on the above matters as “hate speech,” for to tell the truth on
these matters is indeed a most loving and gracious act.
On Human Laws and
Ordinances
Moreover, mankind can
pass no law that redefines marriage any more than mortal man can pass a law
that declares the light of the sun to be dark, or the gravity of the earth to
be ceased. Though various laws may be passed by the agency of human pen and
ink; or judgments rendered from human courts (higher or lower); yet human
beings have not the prerogative, now or ever, to alter, change, or redefine
marriage.
On Civil Disobedience
Finally, then, we the
undersigned stand firm in our convictions on these matters and refuse to take any
such actions as would compel us to violate either Scripture or conscience--even
if so compelled by civil law--for “to go against conscience is neither
right nor safe.” Amen.
Rev. Matthew Everhard. Rev. David Franklin. Ruling elders: David Peeler, David Field, Gwynn Blair, Scott Knight, Doug Dempsey, and Dr. George Boring (clerk).
