Colby Martin - UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality

UnClobber

UnClobber

Rethinking Our Misuse of
the Bible on Homosexuality

C OLBY M ARTIN

2016 Colby Martin

Foreword 2016 Westminster John Knox Press

First edition

Published by Westminster John Knox Press

Louisville, Kentucky

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Common English Bible, Copyright 2011 by Common English Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Book design by Drew Stevens

Cover design by Barbara LeVan Fisher/levanfisherstudio.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Martin, Colby, author.

Title: Unclobber : rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality / Colby Martin.

Description: First edition. | Louisville, KY : Westminster John Knox Press, 2016. | Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016022696 (print) | LCCN 2016012000 (ebook) | ISBN 9781611647594 (ebk.) | ISBN 9780664262211 (alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: HomosexualityBiblical teaching.

Classification: LCC BS680.H67 (print) | LCC BS680.H67 M37 2016 (ebook) | DDC

220.8/306766dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016022696

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To Kate,

The fiercest, most inspiring warrior I know.

You have simultaneously softened me
and made me stronger than ever.

Thank you for the front row seat
to witness unconditional love.

An adventure, my love?

Always, my love.

CONTENTS

Reframing the Story of Sodom
Genesis 19

Redefining the Boundaries
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

Reconciling a Fractured Community
Romans 1:2627

Revisiting Forgotten Words
1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10

Scripture tells that we are to work out our faith with fear and trembling. In practice, this is incredibly difficult.

And since life is already hard, we prefer our faith to be easy. We want to go to church on Sunday for a break to sit back and (mostly) listen to our leaders. If our leaders teach something that feels off tune or insults our souls or other members of our human family something that seems to fly in the face of the God of love its tempting to let it go. Too afraid to rock the boat, too tired to wrestle, we dont raise our hands. We sit quietly and tune out, or do one of those silent, internal eye rolls.

That silence is a really big deal.

That silence forms the future of the church.

Our children and our friends cant see our internal discomfort. To them, our quiet translates as agreement. And weve missed our chance: to change, to do a new thing. God is always, always trying to do a new thing. And those twinges of discomfort are Gods invitations to co-create. Our refusal to wrestle, to engage, to challenge is our refusal to co-create with God.

The most repeated phrase in the Bible is fear not. And so, when we feel that something we are hearing doesnt resonate with the God of love, we must raise our hands. Even especially if our hands shake with fear and trembling. Apathy and passivity are the opposite of love. When we stay silent, we are making a big, bold decision. We are casting a loud vote for the status quo. Its a vote for fear over love. And the only thing necessary for the triumph of discrimination in the Christian faith is for doubtful Christians to stay quiet.

Colby Martin is one of my favorite hand-raisers. Colbys doubt that the will of God and the will of his human leaders were one and the same led him on a journey that took him into the desert and then toward the promised land. Colby saw that a whole lot of folks are trying harder to be good Christians than to be like Jesus a tricky proposition because the worlds definition of a good Christian is ever-changing. So Colby decided to quit trying to be a good Christian and start being like Jesus, and that has made all the difference because Jesus doesnt change. Jesus forever finds the outcast and brings her to the head of the table, invites her to lead. Jesus is the still, small voice forever leading us back to the truth toward grace and love for all.

Even when Jesus called Colby away from his fold, away from safety and security (doesnt he always?) Colby went. With the encouragement and bravery of his warrior wife, Kate, he followed. And he took God and his incredible mind for Scripture with him. And alone with Jesus and Kate Colby deepened his understanding of Scripture and love. The deeper it got, the wider it got (doesnt it always?) until it included everybody.

Everybodys in, baby.

Colby doesnt play it safe. He dives right into the deep end into the scary, wonderful, messy truth of a grace free for all.

UnClobber is the memoir of a brave, vulnerable, honest, beautiful couples dance with the God of the outcast; it is also a sharp, fresh, wise take on scripture. UnClobber will free its readers to love bigger and better and wiser.

As for ColbyI am so grateful that after a long road, this prophet has finally found a place to rest his fully human, absolutely divine head.

I have a feeling he has only just begun to love.

Glennon Doyle Melton
March 2016

UnClobber Did You Make That Up?