[Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and founder of 9Marks Ministries, recently presented a four-part series on the crucial nature of gender roles in the home and church. This week, Gender Blog will provide a synopsis of each of Mark's messages in four parts with a link to each sermon.] 

In this second installment in Dr. Dever's series on gender complementarity, he poses this question at the outset: "Are race and gender parallel issues?" His answer: in some ways. He quotes extensively and positively Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his largely God-saturated response to racial sin in the 1960's. Dever then applies much of King's passion to the need for a godly response to gender confusion in our culture today.

Dever traces the work of God in redeeming humanity through biblical and world history and shows its climax at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then, through a four-point concentric outline, he seeks to show how gender distinctives are God's good gift in redemption.

• Textually. First he recognizes how his text, Galatians 3:28, has been often mis-used as a mandate for a gender-blurring vision of humanity. Then he observes that Paul is not writing about uniform roles in the church, but rather about defining the Body of Christ spiritually. Here are Dever's words, "This verse is not about roles within the Body, but it is about our common initiation into the Body. It's not about common functions within the Body of Christ, our common privilege to be included in it."

  He goes on, "You are neither excluded nor included because of any of these attributes (in 3:28), but included by faith in Christ and excluded by trusting in yourself."

• Biblically. Dever widens the scope to incorporate a variety of Biblical examples of gender-honoring characters in Scripture. He notes how both Kings (David) and Queens (Esther) exist under authority and within God-designed roles. He highlights the broad biblical witness that God placed gender into creation as a good gift to humanity.

• Theologically. Here the theological themes of authority and submission are celebrated as blessings within God's creation. Dever argues that redemption does not remove authority structures, but purifies and sanctifies those structures. "Authority used well blesses those under it." Further, he notes that Christianity is a religion of submission. The 2^nd Person of the Trinity, the Son, is eternally submissive to the Father while remaining equal in essence. Christ calls for his followers to submit to him often. We are even called to submit to those unbelievers whom God has placed in authority over us. Submission is lovely to God. It need not be degrading nor prone to a power differential.

  Most profound for Dever is the insight that gender communicates accurate truth about God.  God in the triune relationship manifests the distinct but equal persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Two genders and the Spirit of unity that should exist between them reveal this triune mystery (Eph 5).

• Practically. In the local church, the same Spirit that saves us unites us. Men's ministry and women's ministry may have gender-specific events, but at root should be accomplished through the preaching of God's Word, baptism, the Lord's Table, membership and all the functions of a healthy church. Whether in the home or in the local church men leading women in love and women thoughtfully affirming that leadership in wisdom comprises God's redeemed design for gender.

Listen to entire message here.

Part I    Part II    Part III    Part IV

[Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and founder of 9Marks Ministries, recently presented a four-part series on the crucial nature of gender roles in the home and church. This week, Gender Blog will provide a synopsis of each of Mark's messages in four parts with a link to each sermon.]

God has woven within the fabric of creation the way in which He expects men and women to relate to and live with one another, Dever argues in his first message from Genesis 1:27.

Academics in the West have, over the past hundred years, sought to redefine our fundamental understanding of what it means to be male or female to the extent that basic views of courtship and marriage, monogamy and divorce, child-rearing and sex have shifted profoundly away from biblical teaching, Dever said. Thus, it is more critical than ever for Christians to have a clear-eyed biblical vision of gender, he said, because the implications of the way in which manhood and womanhood are understood, most importantly,  plays a significant role in our understanding of God.  

"With such diverse and quickly changing views of gender in the world, we must turn to Scripture to see what God has to say on these issues," Dever said. "The basic storyline of the Bible is not that everything is okay and God is here to encourage us when we hit hard times; no, it's that God created us in His image, but we have rejected His authority in our lives and thus have sinned against Him.  As a result, we are subject to God's judgment.  But God provided His Son as a substitute."

Dever unpacks a basic understanding of gender under four heads: the creation, the image of God, masculinity, femininity, popular confusions and the explanation of gender:

• The Creation. "God specifically creates a worshipper in His image, special from the rest of creation; male and female He created them.  This is the first poem in the Bible, and it starts with God.  God is the uncreated being in the universe; He is the One from which everything else has come. What is God like?  Look at people around you.  Talk to them.  While God is certainly not like us in every way, we learn something of Him by His creation of us.  The ability to think, to know, to communicate, to be in relationship is at the core of this description. Gender is no biological accident.  God's image is seen in male and female, individually and together.  The mystery of marriage speaks to the love between the persons of the trinity, and the perfect love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• The image of God. "Being made in the image of God is what distinguishes us from animals.  We see two creation acts in relation to mankind: physical creation, and a spirit breathed into man by God. Reproduction alone does not explain the reason for gender.  It is theological in nature; it helps reveal more of God's image in humanity when compared to the rest of creation."

• Masculinity. "Men are to take responsibility; men are called to initiate and protect.  Men are to be the head of their families.  Masculinity is to lead, not desert; to provide for, not take from; to protect, not kill.  Jesus perfectly exemplifies this." 

• Femininity. Biblical femininity is a disposition of affirming, receiving and nurturing the strength and leadership of worthy men.  The Bible does not teach that God created men and women as duplicates, but as complementary to one another.  The cultivation of good male leadership benefits women. 

• Popular confusions. "When the authority of the Bible is rejected or distorted, the beautiful differences between men and women are deserted.  As men try to put themselves first, or as women try to dominate, life becomes more like war.  The evil one hates all that is good and is working hard to distort the truth and beauty of God's creation. Alternative understandings of gender are promoted in our culture; more "flexible" norms are marketed.  Family units are now chosen instead of being biological in nature; sex is divorced from the responsibility of reproduction."

• The explanation of gender. Gender tells us something of God's own mutuality and unity, plurality and unity, the existence of differing roles with equal value. God has included hierarchy in the fabric of creation. God creates man to rule over creation in His stead. Whenever authority is correctly used, God's own character is reflected. Good authority is fruitful in the lives of others; it creates stability and promotes good for all. This is why abuse of authority is so terrible, whether in marriage or the church or in a ruler."

The entire audio message is available here.  

Part I    Part II    Part III    Part IV

One of the ways that CBMW helps proclaim God's glorious design for manhood and womanhood is by partnering with local churches, such as Denton Bible Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.  The pastors of this solidly complementarian congregation is committed to encouraging other churches and seminaries to take a firm biblical stand on gender issues. 

To this end, Denton Bible Church will be hosting a series of messages to address the question, "Can a Woman be in Authority Over a Man in the Local Church?"  Tommy Nelson (Senior Pastor of DBC), Dr. Bruce Ware (Professor of Christian Theology and past president of CBMW), and Dr. Russell Moore (Dean of the School of Theology at SBTS and JBMW contributor) will speak to this question on three consecutive Sundays in June.  Dr. Denny Burk (JBMW Editor) and David Kotter (CBMW Executive Director) will also be available with books, journals, other resources from CBMW.

More information on how to attend can be found on the conference page of the CBMW website.  Audio recordings of the speakers will be available afterwards to serve any who are unable to attend in person. 

In addition to contributing to Gender Blog, I also enjoy opportunities to represent CBMW as a conference exhibitor. One of the best parts of attending conferences for CBMW is getting to meet and fellowship with so many brothers and sisters in the Lord. It doesn't hurt that I am an extrovert — so these experiences are extremely life giving.

New Attitude 2008 was no different. One of the blessings of the fellowship is hearing about people's stories with regards to biblical manhood and womanhood. A complementarian commitment to biblical manhood and womanhood is becoming increasingly uncommon among youth. This is why I want to tell you a few encounters from the recent conference, that encouraged me that there is a generation rising up who desires to live how God has created us as men and women.  Please pray for us to continue to stand firm among a confused age. Though I have withheld names from the stories, these all represent real believers standing firm on gender issues.

RBMW in high school: A recent high school graduate found a copy of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in her house and started reading it. The topic intrigued her and now she is growing in her understanding of how God has created her to be. What a tremendous blessing that she is already learning these truths even before she leaves for The Master's College next year. May God increase her tribe!

Biblical manhood on the college campus: A man who serves with Campus Outreach came up for some materials for his ministry among college men. He told us that he is already discipling a group of six men through a study on biblical manhood. May God use him to bear much fruit for the kingdom in the lives of these men.

College, career, missions, and motherhood: A young woman came up to our table to talk with us about CBMW. In the course of the conversation she told us that she was studying Strategic Intelligence at college.  As she has pursued this career path, she has felt the pull towards motherhood. She has been wrestling through God's call on her life to be a mother, but also her desire to study and possibly go on the mission field. In this wrestling, God has opened up a door for her to study in Germany. What a blessing that in college she is responding to God's call to bring his Gospel to the nations, but also to her future family through motherhood.

Gender truth among the nations: In El Salvador God has used Dr. Russell Moore's Gender Matter's DVD to help bring a leadership change to a church. One pastor from the church bought the DVD last year at the Children Desiring God conference, and a woman from the church told us that she has watched it over and over again.

These are just a few of the stories of the many people that we met at New Attitude. These encounters are reminders that these issues matter in our lives. They are intensely practical in how we live and relate to one another, but most importantly in how we relate to God. This is where the theological rubber meets the road, and we praise God for the work that he has done in all of their lives. I hope to meet you and hear your personal story at the CBMW booth at an upcoming conference.

Yesterday Gender Blog examined the socio-political organization Trans Youth Family Allies (TYFA), a group that targets gender-confused children with a "define your own gender" message that neutralizes parental authority and seeks to "educate" adults on how children may "transition" toward a gender change. Hundreds of groups seek to "help" confused persons to "transition" away from their biological gender. TYFA's website lists dozens of its allies and today's post provides a very small sampling of those groups and their activities/goals.

This survey provides a brief, but illustrative cross-section of the advocacy/activist groups that labor to change society's fundamental understanding of gender and human nature. Please pray for us at CBMW as we continue to help Christians to think biblically about gender issues, that we will stand firm in graciously insisting on the truth of God's Word that "He made them male and female."

• GenderQueer Revolution.  GQR's stated purpose is to "celebrate gender giftedness in everyone." This organization seeks to "offer a safe haven" for those who consider themselves "neither male nor female, gay nor straight," whose "gender changes by the minute, day, hour or season." GQR's tangible activities include providing "sensitivity training" for businesses, community organizations, schools, universities and civic groups. GQR promises to provide "award-winning speakers" for such training.

•  National Transgender Advocacy Coalition. NTAC is a lobbying and advocacy organization in the United States dedicated to protecting the civil rights of "transgender" and "gender variant" people. NTAC touts itself as one of the founders of "Transgender Day of Remembrance," an occasion in the "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender" community set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice (or "transphobia"). The event is held on November 20. NTAC monitors gender-related bills that appear before Congress.

• Gemini Gender Group, Milwaukee, Wis. This is a local support group for "transgender people" in Milwaukee. There are numerous similar local groups in across the United States including Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, Idaho Equality and the Southern Arizona Transgender Alliance. The Gemini Gender Group's website defines a "transsexual," as "someone that is born with the brain gender opposite the body's gender," promising that "The brain's gender CANNOT be changed, but the body's gender CAN!"

• Social Welfare Action Alliance. SWAC is a national organization of progressive workers in social welfare. Under "What We Stand For," which serves as the group's mission statement, SWAC seeks to  "develop collaborative agendas for alternative social policies aimed at both incremental and fundamental social change." The group also seek to celebrate the life and work of progressive social pioneer Bertha Capen Reynolds (1885-1978), whom the SWAC website describes as " a socialist and a communist," and "a leader among radical social workers in the 1930s and 1940s." The website quotes a dissertation on Reynolds that argued she was influenced mainly by Christianity, Freudian psychological theories and Marxism.

Given the proliferation of social engineering organizations, the issue of gender has never been more fundamentally critical than it is in the 21^st century and, as TYFA and its allies seek to "educate" and "transition" both children and adults toward a radical redefinition of gender, the stakes have never been higher.