The Fallacy around Male Headship in the Home and in the Church

COMPLEMENTARIANISM - A FORM OF PATRIARCHY Complementarianism is a belief that limits the roles of a wife to those that won't infringe on her husband as head 'over' her. As such, Complementarianism is a form of patriarchy, but, unlike full-blown Patriarchy, which has women subject to men in every area of society, this version is…

Doesn’t the naming of Eve show that Adam had authority over her?

Q - Doesn’t the naming of Eve show that Adam had authority over her? A - No, both male and female were created in the image of God and they were given shared authority to rule (Gen 1:28). Brief explanation: There is a Jewish tradition that the one who does the naming of another has authority…

Isn’t the wife supposed to be the husband’s ‘helper’?

Q & A Q - Isn’t the wife supposed to be the husband’s ‘helper’? A – Yes and No. The woman that was made to be with Adam was called his ‘help meet’ (Greek EZER KENEGDO), not his ‘helpmate’. Brief explanation: Ezer (help) does not mean from a lesser being. The same term is used…

Doesn’t the Bible say that wives are to submit to their husbands as their ‘head’?

Q - Doesn’t the Bible say that wives are to submit to their husbands as their ‘head’? A - Yes and No. Yes, only if the term ‘head’ (Greek: kephale) is understood as ‘origin’ or ‘source’ without the meaning of rank. The Bible teaches mutual submission between spouses. Brief explanation: 1 Corinthians 11:3 reads: ‘But…

Can women be elders (leaders/pastors) in the church?

Q - Can women be elders (leaders/pastors) in the church? A - Yes, Paul says, ‘If anyone (Greek tis – a gender neutral term) wants to be an elder...’ Brief explanation: In Christ, we are restored to the equality at creation (Gen 1:28). Male rule came about as a result of the Fall (Gen 3:16),…

Doesn’t the Bible say that women are to ‘keep silent’ in church?

Q - Doesn’t the Bible say that women are to 'keep silent' in church? A – No. In fact it says just the opposite. Brief explanation: Paul was clearly exasperated that such an idea was proposed and responded with ‘What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?’ (See…

Women in the Church – Common Questions

CLICK ON THE QUESTION OR ANSWER FOR A FULLER EXPLANATION 1. Doesn’t the Bible say that women are to ‘keep silent’ in church? NO 2. Can women be elders (leaders/pastors) in the church? YES 3. Doesn’t the Bible say that wives are to submit to their husbands as their ‘head’? YES and NO 4. Isn’t…

Husbands (and wives), Deprive and Dominate or Supply and Share

Biblical texts are often used as proofs for our own particular set of Christian values. Among those are texts which appear to subject women to men and wives to their husbands. But do these texts mean what many have ascribed to them? Clarity for these texts are found in careful consideration of each passage in…

Equality in Marriage – 2

Continued from part 1 Countless times I have heard it preached that married women should submit to their husbands and that the man is the head of the home. It is preached straight from the scriptures. Are those who preach submission really preaching straight or are they preaching skew?In the past, Rob and I tried…

Kingdom Leadership: Leadership in the Body of Christ

Kingdom leadership exists where there is mutual submission and where no rank is given. Even if the truth is taught about the need for every member of the body to function, our leadership structures often give little or no place for their functioning. If any room is given, it is generally controlled by those in…