Executive Director's Column: Exposition of the Danvers Statement: Affirmation 4

The fourth affirmation of the Danvers Statement deals with the Fall and its primary effects on the relationship between men and women.

4. The Fall introduced distortion into the relationships between men and women.

The Fall introduces a vast array of distortions to the good and wise design of male headship that God intended. This is a key distinctive in the complementarian position. Those who oppose the Danvers Statement typically argue that the Fall brought about headship and submission between men and women and that this is overcome in Christ. The Danvers Statement argues that even prior to the Fall there was male headship in marriage and the Fall distorted this understanding of role relationships. This can be seen in the fact that no new relationships were introduced after the Fall; they are presumed.

First, with regard to Eve, there are two areas affected - childbearing and her relationship with her husband (Gen. 3:16). Her childbearing (in principle, an ability present before the Fall) will now be marked by pain. Her willingness to embrace the provision and protection of her God-given head (present before the Fall) will now be marked by a sinful desire regarding this headship. Egalitarians have wanted to say that the woman's curse by which her "desire" will be for her husband is the introduction of a wrongful, sinful sense of her submissiveness. But how can it be sinful to desire to help and to serve? Rather, the key to interpreting this text comes from Gen. 4:7 where the same wording is used. Here, sin's "desire" is clearly to take control of Cain, so God tells Cain he must master it. In Gen. 3:16, then, the woman's desire is for illegitimate control, attempting to resist her husband's God-created male headship over her.

Second, with regard to Adam, two areas are affected - work and his relationship with his wife (Gen. 3:16-17). His work (present before the Fall) will now be marked by hardship and difficulty. His role as head (present before the Fall) will now be marked by the necessity to rule in the relationship. Notice that before the Fall, the man could lead without the need to "rule over" the woman, because before the Fall, she willingly and joyfully followed his leadership. But now with sin, he is challenged, and he is faced with the necessity to rule.

In these areas - motherhood, work, and marital relationships - no new relationship is introduced. It is presumed that they existed prior to the Fall and then were distorted afterward, as a result of sin. The Danvers Statement elaborates as to what these distortions may look like in the home and church.

4a. In the home, the husband's loving, humble leadership tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife's intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.

To the extent that one partner dominates the relationship, various scenarios may be true. For instance, if a wife is a strong usurper, the husband may have a tendency to abdicate. If the husband is harsh and domineering, the wife may tend to adopt a servile position. The proper relationship, explicit in affirmation four, involves the "loving, humble headship" of the husband and the "intelligent, willing, submission" of the wife (1 Pet. 3, Eph. 5) .

4b. In the Church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries.

In the Church, the root problem is the same: a sinful resistance to biblically prescribed roles. For men, it takes the form of domination and power. The Bible teaches that the leadership positions of the church are to be held by men (1 Tim. 2) but this leadership should be governed by the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5) and by the example of Christ's relationship to the Church (Eph. 5). For women, it tends toward dissatisfaction and rejection of biblically ordained responsibilities. The Bible clearly prohibits women from teaching or having authority over men (1 Tim. 2) but certainly affirms the role of women in particular ministries especially as they relate to other women (Titus 2).