Colin Ambler/cvnznews.com
A growing trend overseas is finding its way onto New Zealand phones and social media feeds. In short video clips and viral posts, some online influencers are making a bold claim: Jesus never condemned homosexuality, but Paul did. Therefore, they argue, Christians should follow Jesus and ignore Paul.
The argument sounds simple. Its implications are anything but.
At its heart, this isn’t really a debate about sexuality. It is a debate about biblical authority. If Christians can dismiss the teachings of one apostle whenever they clash with modern values, what prevents the same approach being applied to any other part of Scripture?
The New Testament presents Jesus and Paul as partners in God’s redemptive plan, not rivals competing for authority. Jesus affirmed the authority of Scripture and declared that He had come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them. When questioned about marriage, He pointed back to God’s design in Genesis: male and female united as one flesh. He also warned against sexual immorality.
Paul did not arrive later with a competing message. He testified that his gospel came through a revelation of Jesus Christ, and the early church recognised his apostolic calling. Significantly, Peter referred to Paul’s letters as Scripture and warned that some people would distort their meaning.
That warning remains relevant today.
Social media has created a generation of self-appointed theologians. A confident speaker, a smartphone camera, and a large following can quickly give the appearance of authority. Complex biblical questions are compressed into sixty-second clips designed to generate views rather than careful understanding.
The danger for New Zealand Christians is not simply that these messages are produced overseas. It is that they are only a click away. Through TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, overseas theological trends now arrive in New Zealand almost instantly.
The Bereans provide a better example. Rather than accepting or rejecting claims based on popularity, they examined the Scriptures carefully to determine whether what they were hearing was true.
That remains the responsibility of every believer today.
Christians should test every teacher, whether they stand behind a pulpit or appear on a phone screen. The question is not whether a message is popular, persuasive, or culturally acceptable. The question is whether it faithfully reflects the whole counsel of God’s Word.
Influencers can point people toward the Bible. They must never become a substitute for it.
1 Comment
There is a simple rebuttal for this one – John 1 says that Jesus was the Word and the Word was there from the beginning. Jesus also affirmed the Moses and the prophets (what we now call the Old Testament) which is very explicit in this.