In the most recent edition of “Ask Pastor John,” Pastor John Piper answers this question: “Do you think complementarianism is so important to some people that they deny women more opportunities than the Bible denies them?” Listen below or visit the Desiring God website. [audio:http://media.desiringgod.org/audio/q_and_a/4141_do_you_think_complementarianism_is_so_important_to_some_people_that_they_deny_women_more_opportunities_than_the_bible_denies_them.mp3]
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Are Calvinism & Complementarianism Related?
A couple of weeks ago, we noted Molly Worthen‘s piece in the New York Times about Mark Driscoll and about the revival of Calvinism among evangelicals. In a letter to the editor in yesterday’s New York Times magazine, Douglas Groothuis took umbrage with one aspect of Worthen’s description of Calvinism. Here’s his complaint in his own words: “Mark Driscoll’s emphasis on gender hierarchy in the church is not a logical implication of his Calvinist beliefs, as your article states. Calvinism argues that women and men are equally depraved and unable to save themselves from God’s wrath. While many Calvinists teach that women are restricted in their opportunities to serve through…
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Complementarian Hypocrisy?
In my previous post, we were addressing the question raised by the “On Faith” forum in light of Sarah Palin’s candidacy (a joint venture of The Washington Post and Newsweek): “Women are not allowed to become clergy in many conservative religious groups. Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a nation and not a congregation?” In answer to that question, I noted that the Bible specifically enjoins believers to order their homes and their churches in light of a principle of male headship. There is no complementarian consensus, however, on how these matters apply outside of the home and the church. One other item is related to…
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Sarah Palin and Complementarianism
David Kotter, Executive Director of the Council for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, asks and answers the following question: “Does Governor Sarah Palin Present a Dilemma for Complementarians?” Among other things, he writes:
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Bruce Ware’s Complementarian Reading of Genesis
On Sunday, Dr. Bruce Ware delivered one of the finest, most succinct presentations of the Complementarian point of view that I have ever heard. His address was the second of a Complementarian series of sermons being hosted by Denton Bible Church (the first address is here). The message is deeply biblical and powerfully delivered. The audio is available from DBC’s website, or you can listen to it below. The substance of Ware’s address consists of ten reasons “why we should affirm that God designed there to be male headship” in the original created order. In essence, Dr. Ware explains how Genesis 1-3 teaches male headship as a part of God’s…
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Denton Bible Church Hosts Complementarian Event
Pastor Tommy Nelson is trying to get the word out about an upcoming series of messages that will be hosted by Denton Bible Church beginning on Sunday, June 15. There will be three messages delivered over three Sundays from three different speakers, each of whom will be addressing the question, “Can a woman be in authority over a man in the local church?” Here’s the line-up: June 15 – Pastor Tommy Nelson June 22 – Dr. Bruce Ware June 29 – Dr. Russell Moore If you are in the area for any or all of these Sundays, I would recommend attending Denton Bible Church. Pastor Nelson has written an open-letter…
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Complementarian Series from Mark Dever
Dr. Mark Dever is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C. He is a faithful pastor and expositor of God’s word, and I have benefitted greatly from his ministry over the years. Dr. Dever recently completed an excellent sermon series on gender roles, and all of the audio is available via his church’s website and podcast. The four sermons are listed below. Gender Identity in Creation – Genesis 1:27 Gender Identity in Redemption – Galatians 3:28 Gender Roles in the Family – Genesis 2:20-24 Gender Roles in the Church – 1 Timothy 2:12 The introduction to the sermon on 1 Timothy 2:12 is an adaptation of…
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Huckabee on SBC Complementarianism
In last night’s GOP debate (transcript), Mike Huckabee was asked about his support of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) statement of faith, which explicitly affirms complementarian principles. The following is a video of the exchange, but I have also included a transcript of the same at the bottom of this post.
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David Gushee Takes on Complementarians
David Gushee tries to undermine Complementarianism by suggesting that Complementarians do not live up to their own principles. He asks four questions that are supposed to reveal flaws in the Complementarian view. He writes: “I believe these types of questions expose weaknesses in complementarianism that cannot be mended from within that paradigm. These weaknesses contribute to my embrace of the egalitarian view.”
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Q&A on Complementarianism
A commenter in a previous post asked some questions about Complementarianism and how it plays out practically in various settings. I am happy to answer these queries, so I will list them here and respond to them in turn. For an overview of the Complementarian viewpoint that I am defending, see the Danver’s Statement.