Repentance is heeding the call of Jesus, following henceforth, and making restitution where justice demands it. Her repentance is just like mine or yours: Change course and follow Jesus.

Who says that people born male must be called by masculine pronouns? Who says that if I have surgically or chemically altered my body that I must tell my daughters? I may have confusedly or even sinfully had some surgery, but the pronouns and pinafores are merely a matter or convention.

Repentance is not going back to replow every acre you ever planted. If nobody was injured by John-Joan’s previous sins, then there is no restitution to do. You strongly imply that in order to be “honest” today that I must make “the church” aware of the specific sins of my past…but do you apply this reasoning to other categories of sinners? Do you require the people who have slept three-to-a-bed to disclose that to the church, in the name of honesty? Or is a man who once did it with other men now a liar among the faithful merely because he’s repented and came into the fold?

You have described a person living an orderly and admirable life, even against the tide of whatever drove them to the strange act of “trangederizing.” The truth of the whole matter is that John-Joan is exactly what he-she is right now.

“Honey, your Mom is really a man and there is nothing you or I can do about it. Just thought in fairness to you that I should force you to deal with that fact. Hope that give you closure. Goodnight Sweetheart, see you on Labor Day!”

That might make some pastor or professor feel good about themselves, but does it really have anything whatever to do with the righteousness that is from God through Jesus Christ?

If you wanted to further demonstrate your “evil genius,” then after the class affirmed the “John” solution, change the question - now Joan doesn’t feel inclined to return to John at all, but still expresses a desire to follow Christ as Lord and to unite with the church. Does anyone then doubt the first view?

You hinted at this, but a decision on the gender-identity issues would have to be settled before presenting the candidate to the church for baptism and membership. However, would you ignore the issue and focus on the need for repentance in general, hoping that the Spirit would change his mind post-conversion? Or, would you make the gender issue key to repentance and conversion as Jesus’ seemed to do with wealth in his exchange with the rich, young, ruler?

I appreciate your thoughts and agree with your conclusions whole-heartedly (especially the conclusion of your friend that you have an evil genius side). However, in your question you required your students to “[u]se Scripture, Christian theology, and wisdom to demonstrate not just your final decisions, but how you arrived at them.” Your use of Christian theology and wisdom is clear. I am not aware of any Scriptures dealing with this issue, but, in the next part of your answer, can you provide us with a little more Scriptural reference similar to your answer in part 1? Thanks.

Steven