Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Wednesday Womanhood: Women's Ministry Pt. 3
The past 2 Wednesdays I have posted on the book Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt. This will be my last post on this book. If you have not purchased it yet, I highly recommend that you do. It is EXCELLENT. I will end this series with this quote on complementarianism and why this position is essential to a God-honoring women's ministry within the local church and in marriage. Next week I will post a series of introductions on another book that I recommended in THIS POST.
The complementarian position acknowledges that God created men and women equal in being but assigned different ---but equally valuable--- functions in His kingdom and that this gender distinctiveness complements, or harmonizes, to fulfill His purpose.
Complementarians believe that the Bible teaches that God has created men and women equal in their essential dignity and human personhood, but different and complementary in their function ---with male spiritual leadership in the home and believing community, the Church being understood as a part of God's design. That means that both men and women are image-bearers of the living God... We are equals before the cross, brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. But God has made us different. He has given certain functions and roles to men, and certain functions and roles to women, that are distinct.
By contrast, egalitarianism cannot come to grips with the uniquenesses of man created as male and female and asserts that there is no legitimate difference of role function between men and women in the home and church, at least not that allows for male spiritual leadership. Our conviction is that egalitarianism devalues God's creation design and redemptive calling of women. It wrongly equates any acknowledgment of role distinctions with inequality and discrimination.
...There is nothing more beautiful, satisfying, delightful, and God-glorifying than when men and women live and work together in complementarity.
Here is part one and part two of this series.
Comments
In the beginning, God made male and female and gave them authority over His creation, but not one over the other (Genesis 1:26). Men and women were different but equal in authority. Husband's authority over wives was the Curse (Genesis 3:16), and should never be held up as a model for marriage. In Ephesians 5:21, all Christians are enjoined to submit themselves one to another in the fear of God. The woman at the well preached to the men of her village and brought them to Jesus (John 4). In Ephesians 5:23, Paul said "head of", not "head over" and "head" doesn't mean "leader", but "source" or "origin". I grew up in patriarchy. There are many things about my upbringing that I wouldn't trade for anything; the attitude toward women wasn't one of them. There is a trend in Christianity today called complementarianism. The trouble is, it isn't complementary at all, it is patriarchy. Patriarchy doesn't "celebrate" the differences between male and female; it uses those differences against women to keep them down, thus patriarchy is against God and His Word. There are varying degrees of patriarchy, and some are softer than others, but they all have one thing in common: Men rule, women obey. This top-down gender heirarchy is responsible for much of the domestic violence in our country, although many patriarchs deplore that violence. All because of a misinterpretation of a few verses of Scripture. Women have such an inferiority complex due to bad theology and lies of the devil. Egalitarianism doesn't deny the differences between the sexes, but sees those differences in the light of the authority given to both male and female in creation. Bible women such as Deborah, Huldah, Phoebe the "diakonos", Priscilla, and Junia the Apostle show us what God can do with women even in the most anti-women patriarchal circumstances. For more on all this, please join us at Christians For Biblical Equality at cbeinternational.org for great discussions and publications.
Posted by: Kathryn | November 4, 2006 10:13 PM
Dear Kathryn,
I have been down this road before and I am not going to make this into a debate. I completely disagree with you and there is nothing in your hermeneutical gymnastics that will convince me to fall away from the truth. Read my archives if you want to see where I stand and why I will not jump through your hoops. May the Lord open your heart to His truth for His glory.
"Christians for Biblical equality" is not for me. Why? Because they jump through hoops and do gymnastics to arrive at man-centered conclusions about the Word of God that are completely inconsistant with what it teaches.
If you want a debate, go elsewhere. If you think I am dodging the issue, read my archives. Like I said... I have been down this road before. I don't dodge, dance, jump or flip... I just trust the Lord and His Word of Truth.
His servant for HIS glory,
Lisa
Posted by: lisa4given | November 5, 2006 02:30 PM
Lisa,
Amen, and handled with grace.
Jen
Posted by: joythruChrist | November 5, 2006 09:20 PM
The woman at the well preached to the men of her village and brought them to Jesus. Patriarchal women will never evangelize the world for Christ because they will not venture outside of their "role". Only women of the courage to step out on faith will do it. Only women like Deborah or Phoebe (Scripture). Modern-day women such as evangelists Joyce Meyer, Anne Graham Lotz, Billye Brim, and others are reaching the world. The Body of Christ as a whole will never do it until they release their women. Far preferable to run on two feet than to limp on one. Go, Christians For Biblical Equality!
Posted by: Kathryn | November 6, 2006 11:25 PM
No Kathryn... only women who are in direct disobedience to God and His Word, like Joyce Meyer, are compromising truth and heeping judgement on themselves... as are the men who are under these women's authority.
As my pastor has said so well, "this is not an issue of capability, but of responsibility."
Limping on one leg toward the truth, dear Kathryn, far surpasses running on two away from truth. Go ye elsewhere, 'christians' for unbiblical equality!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Posted by: lisa4given | November 6, 2006 11:49 PM