Matthew Vines: Expressive Individualism, Queer Theology, and Our Identity in Christ 

Thank you, Matthew. I've been following you since that first video 10 years ago. You have given this 66 yo, CIS, BI guy, hope. Assurance, and validation of all I've felt about my acceptance by God. God has blessed you in so many ways. The Reformation Project is so needed for all of us LGBTQ who love God. Your materials renew my faith. Bless YOU.

Wow!! Bravo, Matthew! Super brave! 🎉❤ This is probably one of the gutsiest messages I’ve seen from you since your original RU-vid video that started it all! (BTW, Happy 10 Year Anniversary of The Reformation Project! I’m super honored and proud to be one of the original 50 members at that pivotal birthing stage a decade ago!) Look how far our culture has come in the past ten years! Your example and hard work is absolutely part of that! It’s been super encouraging, but I can see how continuing that fight is still important and part of continuing that fight is to gently point out where movements that may seem similar differ as they move along side by side. I’m so proud of you Matthew! I love how diplomatic you are and I thank you for the grace, love, and compassion you exude while speaking on these sensitive topics. Here’s to the next 10 years!! ❤🎉

Exceptionally well done presentation, thank you so much for your work

I heard of you years ago, said "That's interesting", and then just went on with my life. Since that time I have married, commtted myself to monogamy with my amazing husband, and have also found my way to God. But I have held off on choosing a specific church. This is in big part because I don't want a church that will try to pray the gay out of me, but at the same time I don't want a church that puts identity before God. I have no desire to attend a church that hangs a Pride flag. I am conservative in my politics as well. So at this time I feel lost not in my belief in God, but lost in my search for a church. It's interesting that, years later, I once again come across you as I travel this path to God.

Thank you Matthew for making this video available to the general public. I am only partly into the talk. So far I am loving everything I have been hearing as I have been of things you have addressed over the past 10 years. Thank you for being your authentic and virtuous self as a role model for so many others. Thank you are sharing that part of yourself with us. May God bless you richly in your ministry and education of others.

Thank you for such an amazing word, and in such an important moment in my life. May the Lord bless you Matthew, for your steadfast commitment to Christ, one that rejects the oppressive hierarchies of old and self-destructive hedonism of the modern. May the Lord bless you.

Very helpful information about queer theology. Thank you!

thank you Matthew for this nuanced speech about identity and queer theology !

I would have totally guessed wrong about what Queer Theology is. Thanks for clarifying this.

Such an important and thoughtful message. Thank you!

Thank you for your clear, well-reasoned, and inspiring exploration on identity! Bravo!

When I became Christian I found this very helpful. I have quite a few friends in the LGBT community and obviously I was worried about them.

I couldn’t be happier to see you mentioning TImothy Keller. The man was brilliant and he has had a lasting impact on me. Further, I’m also happy to see you clarifying this very important issue. For the Christian who happens to be gay, it’s so important to make it clear that Christ alone is the basis of our identity. Happy 10 years btw. When you announced it on social media all those years ago, I was the first person who commented. God bless you always.

Thank you, Matthew!

I'm curious why "Being true to your heart" needs to mean something negative. And do we want people to be inauthentic? My work as a spiritual director is to help people respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit to align their will with the will of God. That is what discernment is about. So, I'm not sure why "living my truth" for a Christian who is on a journey more deeply into the heart and will of God necessarily needs to be cast in a negative light as something to distance ourselves from. Also, I'm not sure why I need to spend energy changing my metaphors about my walk with Christ in my Christian community with my Christian siblings to make non-affirming people have to find something else to nit-pick about? Because that is often what they do. We twist ourselves into pretzels talking about what we're not, which is energy we could be using modeling Christlike love as we care for those in need and let those who blaspheme against the Sprit moving in our communities meet their reward.

God bless you Matthew.

Thank you and congratulations for such an intelligent, affirming and fluent presentation.

This needs timestamps for the key moments

This is an overall, good presentation; it was particularly useful for clarifying how queer theology differs from affirming theology. There were a few of issues that stuck out to me though. First, the assertion that queer theory/theology are a prime example of the idea of expressive identity. At first glance there may appear to be numerous similarities, but correlation doesn't equal causation, as they say. Imho the arguments of queer theory need to be engaged with on their own merit, not strawmanned. Second, that queer theory/theology necessarily leads to a new good/bad dichotomy. As you point out, queer theorists criticise the existence of the dividing line at all, so any sort of good or bad that might arise from queering the norm cannot be placed at the feet of Queer, it is necessarily a result of reaction against that process. One more thing I'll mention, you say there's no "sex in the park"-type of person; what is an exhibitionist then? If you only define sex as something people do with their genitals then may be there isn't, but i think queer theorists would have something to say about that too. Again, good talk, love what you're doing, hugs and blessing. Now, off to join the queer revolution.

Good

This so intellectually spiritual well done with love and compassion thank you!!!🙏✝️🕊🔥🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🫂😍😍😍😍😍

I appreciate thois message for it sdistinguishing attribute because I have had questions about what goes on with some otjher queer christians and what they accept.

Thanks for everything you do!

Some of the conservatives in the comments are getting triggered by this. This is what they need to hear

I can assure you that if you want to find support for your lifestyle in scripture you can. Mathew is jumping through some incredible hemeneutical hoops to arrive at his conclusions. Neither God nor Christ was confused as to what constituted a marriage nor the biblical relationship between man and women. I too have a biased reason for wanting what he says to be true. Both family and friends who I love dearly are falling into this false teaching. When it comes to scripture there are two ways to approach it; you are either over scripture or you are under it; which one choose will have a profound effect on your understanding. God bless each and everyone of you.

A reprobate mind, conforming to sin, consumed by fleshly desire. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭18‬-‭19‬

If you claim to be a Christian why don't you obey Him?

Yeshua said. ... Deny yourself , take up your cross and follow. Repent. from the abomination.

I worry that your message still runs the risk of leaving too many people behind

Very deceived. I pray the Lord would open his eyes.

You are not a follower of Jesus. You follow your flesh.

Sounds like a bunch of snakes got loose in that room. “Ssssss”

Matthew is hot. There I said it.