Last updated 16:00, Wednesday, 09 July 2008

WHAT on earth’s going on in the Church of England? The national media is full of reports about the controversies that are tearing apart the Church of England.

Should practicing homosexuals be ordained? Should women be appointed bishops? Should the message of Christ be shared with Muslims?

With most people in the churches scratching their heads, others must be completely baffled. I want to explain roughly what’s going on.

It boils down to a leadership issue.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. He doesn’t just have the casting vote; his is the only voice that matters.

This begs the question, how is his voice heard? Two opposing answers to that question are currently at loggerheads.

Some say that his voice is heard definitively in the Bible. What he said 2000 years ago, challenging the culture of that day, he still says today.

Others insist that whilst the Bible certainly was the voice of Jesus 2000 years ago, his voice for today may be different. It is heard through listening carefully to the positive developments in the society around us.

Think of the debate about whether or not Jesus approves of homosexual practice.

I am not for a minute wanting to belittle the struggle faced by Christians with homosexual desires. But I have met a number of them who agree that the Bible is black and white on the issue of homosexual practice.

If Jesus’ voice is heard definitively in the Bible, the debate is over. Homosexual sex – which the Bible considers on a par with all sex out side marriage – is a sin to turn from, not a lifestyle choice to celebrate.

“But”, reply others, “That was then, this is now”. In today’s society, homosexual relationships can foster love, commitment and fulfilment. Surely Jesus wouldn’t deny anyone these things. Jesus has spoken a new word through today’s culture.

Which is it?

I make no claim to neutrality.

Jesus commissioned and trained a group of leaders. He expected future generations of his followers to accept their authority. These leaders teach us in the pages of the Bible. That’s where Christ’s voice is heard, definitively.

That authority is undermined when it is claimed that Jesus changes his word with the mood of society. Jesus gets demoted, and made slave to whatever cultural fashion the church wants to wear.

The media will put all sorts of spin on what’s going on in the church this month. But boil it down, and the issue is very simple. Will Jesus be allowed to lead his church, or must he too abide by the standards of today’s world?