Are all sins the same?

It’s complicated, says Ian Paul. He explains why the Bible give two different answers, and why it’s important for Christians come to the right conclusions on sexual ethics

When particular issues come up for debate, or are the focus of dispute among Christians, a question that is commonly lurking in the background - and might make its presence felt explicitly - is: “Why this issue? What about all the other things we might debate?”

Behind this question is a broader one of theological importance: are all contested issues of the same importance? And when it comes to questions of ethics, are all sins the same?

I believe scripture offers two quite distinct answers to this.