Living Above the Gender Divide
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:26-28)
Introduction
I often read beyond my understanding, believing that the Lord, God can speak through anything, even “Russian Communism, a flute concerto, a blossoming shrub, or a dead dog,” (Barth CD) IV/3.1, §69 [22-23]. Recently I have been trying to understand a great teacher of the Church, Maximus Confessor who for his orthodoxy concerning the Incarnation had his tongue cut out and right hand cut off. Refusing to revoke his “good confession” to Jesus (1 Tim 6:12-13; Rev 19:10) he has received from all parts of the Church, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, the title “Confessor”. Making him a symbol of unity. Such men and women must be carefully noted. Spotting an article focussing on Jesus that places the transgender debate on a totally different lervel (https://www.sagotc.edu.au/sites/default/files/files/doru/Costache_-_Living_above_Gender.pdf) I went to the internet and commenced with Paul’s words (Col 3:26-28) quoted above.
The End is in The Beginning
When Jesu called Saul from heaven, he saw who the Lord as we will see him in eternity (Acts 9:3; 22:6; 26:13-19). Therefore, Paul’s words about “male and female” must be read from an end times/eschatological perspective. The S/spirit in such testimonies is often best seen by so-called “Christian creatives”. “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” (TS Elliot) The poetry of Elliot (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/what-should-christians-know-about-ts-eliot.html) is not always easy to grasp, yet his points to that in eternity, “In the beginning” (John 1:1; Gen 1:1), the plan of God included a conclusion where the most radical of divisions are mightily overcome in Christ. “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1:20). Heaven and earth, the visible and invisible, the unsubdued world and high civilisations will finally be united in Jesus as “(a plan) to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” (Eph 1:10 cf. Col 1:15ff.). John the seer records, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev 21:2) Given the present call of the Church to “make herself ready” for her Husband in eternity (Rev 19:7) we must presently be Living Above the Gender Divide.
The Beginning
Many conservative believers in their debates with the advocates of transgenderism harken back to the Genesis accounts where Adam/male and Eve/female are set in very goodness atop a cosmological pyramid as stewards of the universe (Gen 1:1-31). Jesus also authoritatively taught, “at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’” (Matt 19:4-5) This testimony should be enough for the Church to stand on in the midst of today’s moral chaos (https://ausprayernet.org.au/2026/01/20/australia-no-longer-has-a-biological-definition-of-man-and-woman-in-federal-law/. But, “reading the Bible backwards”, we should focus on the End in Revelation rather than the beginning in Genesis. Here is a text climatic for our thinking, praying and acting: “the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). “if we could examine these plans (of God), we would not see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus Christ in the Gospel’” (Goldsworthy). The reality of gender, as with all other things, must bow to the primacy of the slain Son. In practice, such humble obedience is a struggle both for “Christian feminists” and “muscular Christians” (https://solaecclesia.org/articles/complementarians-and-the-rise-of-second-wave-evangelical-feminism/).
Back to the Cross
When Luther famously said, “the cross is the test of everything” he meant precisely what he said. (http://www.lutheranlayman.com/2013/06/theologia-crucis-martin-luthers.html). How does the work of the cross relate to the death and resurrection of gender! I have long prophesied Christian marriage has a unique crucifying and unique glorifying ability. The essence of the new covenant gospel is proclaimed by the Lord himself: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt 26:28). Billions of Jesus’ followers have regularly heard these words but never applied them in their marriages! Total forgiveness and the holy reconciliation which they create is what will be consummated between the Lord of heaven and his Bride in eternity. We maritally resist this conclusion because “the offense of the cross” runs very deep (1 Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11). We choose to ignore that Israel as the Wife of God (Isa 54:5; Jer 3:14; Hosea) crucified her Lord and Husband as an attempted act of final rejection. But praise God for sovereign grace whereby the spiritual adultery of Israel was forgiven at the cross as was the spiritual fornication of us Gentiles (cf. Rev 18:3.) The power and reach of the cross extend beyond our limited experience to the reconciliation of the universe (Col 1:20) over which humanity in Christ is set!
Complete Unity
A Christian vison sees marriage pointing to the promised “regeneration of all things” (Matt 19:28) headed by the impeccable Lamb ruling the nations with a rod of iron with us (Mark 14:62; Ps 2:9) (Rev 2:27; 5:10; 12:5, 11; 19:11-15 ).This is the time long ago prophesied of the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). The many conflicts of marriage have the goal of sharpening the sword of the Spirit the Word of God (Eph 6:17) preparing us to rule and reign together with Jesus forever.
Conclusion
The end time life of mutual holiness to which Adam and Eve were called, but all have failed through a selfish misuse of pleasures, is the true Godly meaning of gender. The bipolarity of gender points to things eternal in the new universe ruled by Christ through his Church symbolised by the joys and struggles of marriage. Couples are called to unified prayer for their own spiritual growth in holiness, for their progeny, for the kingdom of God in the workplace and the world. Such prayers by faith open up a whole new vision of reality in Christ (1 Pet 3:7). The unification of the cosmos follows its sanctification before our common “Holy Father” (John 17:11, 21-23). Holy couples symbolise an eternity representing the deep spirituality of married life. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:32).