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Chapter 1: A Biblical Vision of Manhood and Womanhood as Created by God

1.1: Key Issue #1 – Equality: Men and women are equal in value and dignity. (25)

1.2: Key Issue #2 – Differences: Men and women have different roles in marriage as part of the created order. (29)

1.3: Key Issue #3 – The Trinity: The equality and differences between men and women reflect the equality and differences in the Trinity. (45)

1.4: Key Issue #4 – Goodness: The equality and differences between men and women are very good. (49)

1.5: Key Issue #5 – Obedience: This is a matter of obedience to the Bible. (50)

1.6: Key Issue #6 – Implications for all of life: This controversy is much bigger than we realize, because it touches all of life. (56)

Chapter 2: A Biblical Vision of Manhood and Womanhood in the Church

2.1: Equality in value and dignity (62)

2.2: Biblical passages that restrict some governing and teaching roles in the church to men (65)

2.3: The relationship between the family and the church (80)

2.4: The example of the apostles (81)

2.5: The history of male teaching and leadership throughout the whole Bible (82)

2.6: The history of the Church (82)

2.7: But what should women do in the Church? (84)

Chapter 3: Evangelical Feminist Claims from Genesis 1-3

Egalitarian claim 3.1: Created Equal: In Genesis 1, Adam and Eve were created equal; therefore, there could be no difference in role or authority between them. (103)

Answer 3.1a: We must distinguish different senses of “equal.” It is true that Adam and Eve were created equal in several ways, but equal value does not imply sameness in authority or roles. (104)
Answer 3.1b: Many relationships among people involve equal value but difference in roles and authority. (104)

Egalitarian claim 3.2: Authority Denies Equality: If there was male authority before the fall, then the male would be superior to the female and they could not be equal. (105)

Answer 3.2a: This blurs the discussion by using “equal” and “superior” in a vague, undefined way. (106)
Answer 3.2b: This argument assumes that difference in authority implies difference in value, but we know that is not true in human relationships. (106)
Answer 3.2c: We also know that difference in authority does not imply difference in value among the members of the Trinity. (106)

Egalitarian claim 3.3: Both Told to Rule: Adam and Eve were both told to rule over the creation. Therefore there was no difference in role or authority between them. (106)

Answer 3.3a: This claim takes something the Bible does say and adds to it something the Bible does not say. (107)
Answer 3.3b: The Bible does not teach everything in Genesis 1. The statements in Genesis 2 are also true. (107)
Answer 3.3c: In other parts of Scripture, commands given to groups do not deny the authority and leadership patterns that exist within those groups. (108)

Egalitarian claim 3.4: Male Headship a Result of the Fall: In Genesis 1–3, male headship did not come about until after the fall and is therefore a product of sin. (108)

Answer 3.4a: There are at least ten arguments that prove there was male headship before the fall. (109)
Answer 3.4b: It is true that oppressive male rule did not come about until after the fall, but male headship and unique male authority in marriage did exist before the fall. (109)
Answer 3.4c: Some egalitarians deny the truth and purity of the words of the Bible in order to deny male leadership before there was sin in the world. (110)

Egalitarian claim 3.5: Patriarchal Language: The Hebrew language of the Old Testament was “an expression of patriarchal culture.” (110)

Answer 3.5a: All the meanings of the statements of Scripture are from God. (110)

Egalitarian claim 3.6: Androgynous Adam: Adam was not male until Eve was created, but was rather just “a sexually undifferentiated human.” (111)

Answer 3.6a: If Adam was not male, then Eve would not have been created as female. (111)
Answer 3.6b: If Adam was not male or female, he could not be human. (111)
Answer 3.6c: If Adam was not male, he could not have represented us. (112)
Answer 3.6d: The Bible gives no support to this idea: (112)
Answer 3.6e: Is this view an indication of deeper egalitarian hostility toward human sexuality? (113)

Egalitarian claim 3.7: Genesis 1-2 Not Historically Accurate: The elements of male leadership or “patriarchy” seen in Genesis 1–2 do not actually portray the facts of the original creation, but are a literary device that the author inserted into the Genesis story. (113)

Answer 3.7a: This argument assumes that several facts reported in Genesis 2 are not true. (115)
Answer 3.7b: This egalitarian argument has to deny the historical truthfulness of a major section of Genesis 2. (116)

Egalitarian claim 3.8: Helper Implies Equality: The word helper, which is applied to Eve, implies that Eve is equal in status or even superior to Adam. (117)

Answer 3.8a: The word helper (Hebrew ‘ezer) is used of God, so the role of helper is an honorable one. (117)
Answer 3.8b: The word helper (Hebrew ‘ezer) cannot settle the question of superior or inferior authority or rank. (118)
Answer 3.8c: Eve’s creation as a “helper ...for him” indicates a created role as helper who would bring benefit to Adam. (118)

Egalitarian claim 3.9: Suitable Implies Superiority: The word suitable in the phrase “a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18) actually implies that Eve is “in front of” or even superior to Adam. (119)

Answer 3.9a: It true that some kind of equality is implied in this expression. (119)
Answer 3.9b: But the word does not signify “equality...in all respects” or superiority. (120)

Egalitarian claim 3.10: Creation From Adam's Side: Eve's creation from Adam’s side implies that they were equal, and there was no unique authority that Adam had over Eve. (121)

Answer 3.10a: Paul’s thinks this is important. (121)
Answer 3.10b: Equality does not disprove differences. (121)

Egalitarian claim 3.11: Prior Creation and Animal Rule: If prior creation gave authority to Adam, then the same logic would require that the animals rule over us, since they were created first. (122)

Answer 3.11a: Authority relationships among human beings apply only to human beings. (122)
Answer 3.11b: Paul views Adam’s prior creation as important for the relationship between men and women. (122)

Egalitarian claim 3.12: Adam's First Creation Insignificant: The fact that Adam was created before Eve implies nothing about male leadership in the home or the church. (123)

Answer 3.12a: These objections assume in various ways that Paul was wrong. (124)
Answer 3.12b: This objection removes the reason Paul does give and replaces it with a reason Paul does not give. (125)

Egalitarian claim 3.13: Man Leaves Father and Mother: The fact that a man leaves his father and mother shows there is no patriarchal system in view in Genesis 1–2. (126)

Answer 3.13a: Arguments against an extended patriarchal clan are “straw man” arguments. (126)
Answer 3.13b: This text shows that marriage establishes a new household and a new family. (127)
Answer 3.13c: This text shows that man takes the initiative in establishing a new family. (127)
Answer 3.13d: This text says nothing that argues against male leadership in marriage, unless foreign ideas are imported into the text. (127)

Egalitarian claim 3.14: The Serpent's Strategy: The fact that the serpent approached Eve first rather than Adam implies that Adam did not have authority over Eve. (127)

Answer 3.14a: This argument wrongly assumes that Satan has to attack the strongest person. (128)
Answer 3.14b: This argument wrongly assumes that Satan would respect God’s creation order. (128)

Chapter 4: Evangelical Feminist Claims from the Rest of the Old Testament

Egalitarian claim 4.1: Deborah: Deborah’s leadership in Israel (Judges 4) shows that God can call women to leadership roles.(131)

Answer 4.1a: We should be thankful for Deborah. (132)
Answer 4.1b: Deborah affirmed male leadership over God’s people. (132)
Answer 4.1c: The text does not say that Deborah ruled over God’s people or taught them publicly or led them militarily. (133)
Answer 4.1d: The Bible views Deborah’s judgeship as a rebuke against the absence of male leadership. (134)
Answer 4.1e: We must use caution in drawing examples to imitate from the book of Judges. (135)

Egalitarian claim 4.2: Women Prophets: Old Testament examples of women prophets like Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah give precedents for women in leadership roles today. (136)

Answer 4.2a: While there were women prophets in the Old Testament, no women taught God’s people because there were no women priests. (137)
Answer 4.2b: Women prophets always prophesied privately or prophesied to women. (138)

Egalitarian claim 4.3: Women As Governmental Leaders: Old Testament examples of women as leaders of the government over God’s people give precedents for women in all sorts of leadership roles today. (138)

Answer 4.3a: Instances where women seized ruling authority over God’s people in the Old Testament are always viewed negatively. (139)
Answer 4.3b: The Old Testament views the absence of male headship as a matter of shame and an indication of God’s judgment on a society. (139)
Answer 4.3c: These Old Testament examples should not be used to discourage women from holding office in civil government today. (140)

Egalitarian claim 4.4: Women Preachers: Psalm 68:11 and Isaiah 40:9 talk about women who were preachers, proclaiming God’s good news. (141)

Answer 4.4a: Psalm 68:11 talks about women who announce a victory in battle. (141)
Answer 4.4b: Isaiah 40:9 has feminine verbs because cities (like Jerusalem) are treated as grammatically feminine in Hebrew. (142)

Egalitarian claim 4.5: Miriam As Leader: Miriam served as a leader over Israel. (143)

Answer 4.5a: Miriam did not “lead” the people of Israel. (143)
Answer 4.5b: The people of Israel did not insist that Miriam be “at the helm.” (144)

Egalitarian claim 4.6: Godly Women: There were many godly women in the Old Testament who serve as examples of God’s blessing on the leadership of women. (145)

Answer 4.6a: The Old Testament provides many examples of faithful women who received God’s approval and blessing. (145)
Answer 4.6b: But the Old Testament never approves women taking authority over their husbands. (145)
Answer 4.6c: Instances where women seized ruling authority over God’s people in the Old Testament are always viewed negatively. (146)

Egalitarian claim 4.7: Male Leadership Caused Abuse: Old Testament examples of oppression and mistreatment of women were the result of male headship in the family (or patriarchy), and show male headship to be wrong. (146)

Answer 4.7a: These evils were the result of sin and the abuse of male headship, not of male headship in itself. (147)
Answer 4.7b. This approach imposes a biased filter that leads to misinterpretation of the Old Testament. (147)
Answer 4.7c: Polygamy was tolerated but not commanded by God in the Old Testament. (148)
Answer 4.7d: Gilbert Bilezikian maligns God’s Old Testament laws on adultery, saying the laws were unfair. (147)

Egalitarian claim 4.8: Abraham Obeyed Sarah: The Old Testament shows that Abraham obeyed Sarah several times. (151)

Answer 4.8a: Sarah never led her household or ruled over Abraham. (152)
Answer 4.8b: We are not free to take biblical statements and commands as a joke. (153)
Answer 4.8c: We are not free to take Sarah’s obedience as a negative example when Peter takes it as a positive example. (153)

Egalitarian claim 4.9: Abigail: The story of Abigail (1 Samuel 25) shows God’s approval of a wife who assumed authority in her family. (154)

Answer 4.9a: Bilezikian reads into the text of Scripture things that are not there. (154)

Egalitarian claim 4.10: The Proverbs 31 Wife: The description of “a good wife” in Proverbs 31 overturns male leadership in the family. (155)

Answer 4.10a: Bilezikian often inserts into the Biblical text things that are not there. (156)

Chapter 5: Evangelical Feminist Claims from the Gospels and Acts

Egalitarian claim 5.1: Jesus' Treatment Of Women: Jesus undermined the patriarchal nature of first-century Judaism through his positive treatment of women. (159)

Answer 5.1a: It is true that Jesus undermined abuses of male leadership found in some parts of Jewish society, and treated women with great respect and dignity. (160)
Answer 5.1b: But Jesus did not overthrow all male leadership, because he consistently called only men to the roles of governing and teaching God’s people. (161)

Egalitarian claim 5.2: Jesus And Mary: When Jesus praised Mary and corrected Martha (Luke 10:38–42), he overturned the expectations that a patriarchal culture placed on women. (161)

Answer 5.2a: Jesus overturned some expectations, but the text does not say he overturned all expectations. (162)
Answer 5.2b: This egalitarian argument imports ideas into the text that are not there. (163)

Egalitarian claim 5.3: First Witnesses To Resurrection: Women were the first witnesses to the resurrection (Matt. 28:1–10), showing their reliability and suitability as messengers of the Lord. Therefore they can surely be pastors. (164)

Answer 5.3a: Yes, women were the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, and this is a wonderful affirmation of the trustworthiness of women and their equal dignity as persons made in God’s image, in contrast to some ideas in first-century culture. (165)
Answer 5.3b: But to give testimony as an eyewitness of a historic event is not the same as functioning as a teacher or elder in a church. Women did not do this in the NT. (165)

Egalitarian claim 5.4: Jesus' Humanity Is Important, Not His Maleness: Jesus’ humanness, not his maleness, allowed him to represent all humanity, both men and women. (166)

Answer 5.4a: We are not free to pick and choose some attributes of Jesus’ person as important and some as unimportant. (166)
Answer 5.4b: The pattern of male headship from the beginning of creation argues for the importance of Jesus’ maleness to represent all believers. (166)
Answer 5.4c: Some complementarians argue that Christ’s maleness shows that all pastors should be male as representatives of Christ. But all complementarians see Christ’s maleness as indicating a pattern of male leadership among God’s people. (167)

Egalitarian claim 5.5: Servant Leadership is Important, Not Authoritative Leadership: Jesus taught servant leadership, and this is inconsistent with a male leadership pattern of use of power over others. (167)

Answer 5.5a: Jesus was both a servant and a leader with great authority. (168)
Answer 5.5b: Elders should likewise use authority with a servant heart. (168)

Egalitarian claim 5.6: Anticipate Heaven: Since Jesus taught that gender issues will no longer matter in the next life (Matt. 22:30), we should do what we can even now to eradicate many male–female distinctions. (168)

Answer 5.6a: We should obey the New Testament commands for the church age. (169)
Answer 5.6b: This reasoning would lead us to abolish marriage today as well! (169)
Answer 5.6c: The Bible says people will not marry in heaven, but it does not say there will be no male or female in heaven. (169)

Egalitarian claim 5.7: Cultural Reasons For Male Apostles: The fact that Jesus appointed only men to be apostles was a mere concession to the culture of his time; it is not normative for us today. (170)

Answer 5.7a: Jesus never compromised with the culture of his time in matters of moral right and wrong. (171)
Answer 5.7b: The maleness of the apostles established a permanent pattern for male leadership in the church. (172)
Answer 5.7c: But the Jewishness of the twelve apostles was only a temporary pattern because Jesus came first to the Jews. (172)

Egalitarian claim 5.8: No Special Authority For Apostles: There was no special authority for the twelve apostles, nor was the original group of twelve very significant. (173)

Answer 5.8a: The New Testament sees the original apostles as very significant. (173)
Answer 5.8b: Jesus himself chose a replacement for Judas. (174)
Answer 5.8c: The apostles had much greater authority than the rest of the church. (174)

Egalitarian claim 5.9: Gifts To All: Since the Holy Spirit is now poured out on all believers, both men and women (Acts 2:17–18), and since the Holy Spirit gives gifts to both men and women (1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10), there should be no restriction on the ministries available to both men and women. (175)

Answer 5.9a: I agree that the Holy Spirit gives both men and women spiritual gifts in this age. (175)
Answer 5.9b: However, the Holy Spirit works within the boundaries laid down in his Word, the Bible. (176)
Answer 5.9c: Women who have teaching and administrative gifts should be able to use them in many ministries that do not include being an elder or doing Bible teaching to assembled groups of men and women. (176)

Egalitarian claim 5.10: Priscilla Taught Apollos: Since Priscilla and Aquila both explained to Apollos “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26), women can teach men in the church. (177)

Answer 5.10a: Scripture encourages men and women to talk with each other about the Bible and Christian doctrine. (178)
Answer 5.10b: To say that there is no distinction between private and public teaching is to ignore the two fundamental factors of interpretation: the words of the text and the context. (178)
Answer 5.10c: Priscilla’s example does not give warrant for women to teach the Bible to the assembled church. (179)

Egalitarian claim 5.11: Priscilla Is Named First: Since Priscilla’s name is put before Aquila’s name, especially when they are in ministry situations, this indicates that she was the leader in their ministry team. (179)

Answer 5.11a: It is difficult to know what, if anything, was meant by the order of names. (180)

Egalitarian claim 5.12: Tabitha As Leader: Peter raised Tabitha from the dead because of her leadership role. (181)

Answer 5.12a: Bilezikian is importing into the Bible things that are not there. (181)

Chapter 6: Evangelical Feminist Claims about Marriage from the New Testament Epistles

Egalitarian claim 6.1: No Longer Male Or Female: Galatians 3:28—"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"—teaches that there is full gender equality in the kingdom of God. (183)

Answer 6.1a: Gal. 3:28 teaches unity among diverse members in the body of Christ, but it does not teach that we are all the same or have all the same roles. (184)
Answer 6.1b: Gal. 3:28 cannot teach that all role distinctions are abolished, because the NT still gives different commands telling how men and women should obey God. (185)
Answer 6.1c: There are social implications in Galatians 3:28, but other texts in the New Testament explain what they are and are not. (185)

Egalitarian claim 6.2: Seed Idea: Galatians 3:28 is a "seed idea" that would ultimately lead to the abolition of male headship once cultural changes made it possible to adopt a superior ethic to that of the New Testament. (186)

Answer 6.2a: We should not think we can "move beyond" the ethic of the New Testament to a higher ethic. (186)

Egalitarian claim 6.3: New Creation Pattern: Galatians 3:28 is a "new creation" pattern that overthrows the "old creation" patterns of male leadership in the home and church. (187)

Answer 6.3a: Male headship is part of the original good creation, and it is also part of the new creation in Christ. (187)

Egalitarian claim 6.4: Mutual Submission: The New Testament writers urged the mutual submission of husbands and wives to one another (Eph 5:21). Therefore there is no unique leadership role for the husband. (188)

Answer 6.4a: If by "mutual submission" someone means that husband and wife should love one another and be considerate of one another's needs, this is surely a Biblical idea, but it is not taught in this verse. (189)
Answer 6.4b: In the context that follows Ephesians 5:21, Paul explains what he means by "submitting to one another": he means wives should submit to husbands, children to parents, and servants to masters. (189)
Answer 6.4c: The egalitarian view of "mutual submission" is a novelty in the history of the church. (190)
Answer 6.4d: Husbands are never told to be subject to their wives. (191)
Answer 6.4e: The egalitarian position depends on giving a Greek term a meaning it has never been shown to have. (191)
Answer 6.4f: The term translated "one another" often means "some to others" and not "everyone to everyone." That is the sense it has to have here. (196)
Answer 6.4g: Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, and 1 Peter 3:1 do not allow the egalitarian sense of "mutual submission." (198)
Answer 6.4h: Conclusion: the egalitarian idea of "mutual submission" is not taught in this verse. (199)
Answer 6.4i: Should "mutual submission" be put in churches' policy statements? (199)

Egalitarian claim 6.5: Preliminary Movement: The New Testament commands regarding male headship are only a "preliminary movement" to partially correct the culture at that time, and the New Testament ethic regarding male headship needs further improvement. (200)

Answer 6.5a: This denies the Bible's moral authority, for it assumes that the New Testament's ethical standards should not be ours today. (200)

Egalitarian claim 6.6: "Head" Means "Source" Or "Preeminent One": In Ephesians 5:23, the word kephale ("head") does not mean "person in authority" but rather "source," as in "source of a river" (or perhaps "preeminent one"). (201)

Answer 6.6a: A word's meaning is found by examining its use in various contexts. Kephale is found in over fifty contexts where it refers to people who have authority over others of whom they are the "head." But it never once takes a meaning "source without authority," as egalitarians would like to make it mean. (202)
Answer 6.6b: Verses that refer to Christ as "head" cannot rightly be used to deny the idea of authority. (203)
Answer 6.6c: A listing of several ancient texts where one person is the "head" of another makes clear the meaning "person in authority over another." (204)
Answer 6.6d: The meaning "source" makes no sense in key passages like Ephesians 5:23, "the husband is the head of the wife." (206)
Answer 6.6e: All the recognized lexicons (dictionaries) for ancient Greek, or their editors, now give kephale the meaning "person in authority over" or something similar, but none give the meaning "source." (206)
Answer 6.6f: The meaning "one who does not take advantage of his body" is mentioned in no lexicon and proven by no ancient citation. (208)
Answer 6.6g: The meaning "preeminent one" is likewise mentioned in no lexicon and proven by no ancient citation. (209)

Egalitarian claim 6.7: 1 Corinthians 7:3-5: In 1 Corinthians 7:3–5 Paul establishes an egalitarian model within marriage. (211)

Answer 6.7a: This text modifies and restrains, but does not nullify, a husband's authority in marriage. (212)

Egalitarian claim 6.8: No Offense To Roman Leaders: Paul taught that wives should be subject to their husbands because he did not want to offend the patriarchal culture, and especially the Roman leaders, of that time. (212)

Answer 6.8a: Paul does not appeal to expectations of "powerbrokers" in the Roman culture but to the relationship between Christ and the church, and to the marriage of Adam and Eve before there was sin. Both of these are permanent reasons that transcend all cultures. (213)
Answer 6.8b: This argument assumes that Paul taught something wrong in order to advance the gospel, or else that he taught something and then contradicted it. (214)

Egalitarian claim 6.9: Submission Only For Evangelism: The purpose for a wife's submission to her husband at the time of the New Testament was evangelism, and since this purpose is no longer valid, wives need no longer be subject to their husbands. (214)

Answer 6.9a: This position says wives should not obey 1 Peter 3:1–2 today. (215)
Answer 6.9b: This position makes Christian evangelism into a bait-and-switch technique. (215)
Answer 6.9c: This position will lead people to disobey other New Testament commands. (215)
Answer 6.9d: This position minimizes other reasons for submission given in the New Testament. (216)

Egalitarian claim 6.10: Young And Uneducated Wives: Wives were to be subject to their husbands at the time of the New Testament because they were younger and less educated than their husbands, but this is not true today, so the command no longer applies. (217)

Answer 6.10a: These are not the reasons Paul gives, and they would not apply to all wives. (217)

Egalitarian claim 6.11: No Other Options: The Bible adopted male leadership because there were no competing options in society at that time, but there are other options today, so male headship in the family is not required. (218)

Answer 6.11a: The New Testament taught many things that were unpopular in the culture. (218)

Chapter 7: Evangelical Feminist Claims about the Church from the New Testament Epistles

Egalitarian claim 7.1: Phoebe As Leader: Romans 16:2 says that Phoebe was a "leader" or "ruler" of many people, and even of Paul himself. (220)

Answer 7.1a: We should be hesitant to accept an interpretation that is found in no English translation. (221)
Answer 7:1b: Recent Greek lexicons show the meaning "patron" or "helper" to be most likely. (222)
Answer 7.1c: Spencer has constructed a lexical "sleight of hand" argument, because she is not defining the noun prostatis but the related verb proistemi, and words don't take all the meanings of all the other words that are related to them. (222)

Egalitarian claim 7.2: Junia: There was even a woman apostle, Junia (Rom. 16:7). If a woman can be an apostle, she can hold any other church office as well. (223)

Answer 7.2a: The name that is spelled iounian in the Greek text of Romans 16:7 could be either a man's name or a woman's name simply according to the spelling. (224)
Answer 7.2b: In light of the most recent research in Greek grammar, the verse means, "Greet Andronicus and Junia(s)...well-known to the apostles." (224)
Answer 7.2c: There is very little comment on this name in the first four hundred years after the New Testament, and the comments are mixed regarding the gender of the name. (225)
Answer 7.2d: However, evidence from Latin seems to favor the view that this was a woman's name, Junia. (226)
Answer 7.2e: The word translated "apostles" could just mean "church messengers" here as it does elsewhere in Paul's writings. (226)
Answer 7.2f: In conclusion, the feminist claim that there was an apostle named Junia is built upon one uncertainty (the gender of the name) on top of another uncertainty (the meaning of "apostle" in this verse) on top of an improbable meaning of a phrase ("well known among" rather than "well known to"). (227)

Egalitarian claim 7.3: Women Could Prophesy: Women could prophesy in the New Testament (1 Cor 11:5), and this implies that they could also teach God's word and be pastors or elders. (227)

Answer 7.3a: Prophecy and teaching are not the same. They are always viewed as separate gifts in the New Testament. (228)
Answer 7.3b: Prophecy in the New Testament is reporting something God spontaneously brings to mind, while teaching is explaining and applying Scripture or the teachings of the apostles. (228)
Answer 7.3c. Therefore it makes sense to say that women could prophesy but not teach in the church. (230)
Answer 7.3d: The fact that people can learn from prophecies does not mean that prophets were the same as teachers. (230)
Answer 7.3e: Prophecy, like other spiritual gifts, was to be subject to the teaching authority of the elders. (231)
Answer 7.3f: Those who believe that the New Testament gift of prophecy was the same as fully inspired prophecy in the Old Testament still see a difference between prophecy and Bible teaching. (231)

Egalitarian claim 7.4: Nobody Obeys 1 Corinthians 14:34: Complementarians can't be consistent; 1 Corinthians 14:34 requires that women be silent in church, but everybody disobeys that command today, because women can sing, pray, read Scripture, and so forth. Similarly, other New Testament restrictions on women were for a particular circumstance, not for all time. (232)

Answer 7.4a: The passage does not require women to be completely silent. (232)
Answer 7.4b: This passage requires women to be silent with respect to the activity under discussion, which is the judging of prophecies. (233)
Answer 7.4c: This passage is consistent with other New Testament passages that reserve the task of teaching and governing the whole congregation to men. (235)

Egalitarian claim 7.5: 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Not Part Of Bible: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 is a later scribal interpolation that does not belong in the Bible. (235)

Answer 7.5a: No Greek manuscripts of the New Testament lack these verses, and they do not necessarily contradict what Paul wrote elsewhere. (236)
Answer 7.5b: This is a sophisticated academic procedure that results in removing the authority of part of the Word of God (236)

Egalitarian claim 7.6: A Quotation That Paul Rejects: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 are not Paul's words, but are a quotation from the Corinthians that Paul rejects. (238)

Answer 7.6a: It is precarious to consider a statement in the Bible a quotation that the author rejects unless we have strong evidence from the context. (238)
Answer 7.6b: These verses do not fit the pattern of other quotations from the Corinthians. (238)
Answer 7.6c: Bilezikian's (and Kaiser's) argument for the word "or" (Greek e) claims exactly the opposite of what the word means in contexts like this. (239)

Egalitarian claim 7.7: Disruptive Corinthian Women: Women in the Corinthian church were being noisy and disruptive, and that is the reason 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 tells women to be silent. (242)

Answer 7.7a: There is no evidence inside or outside the Bible to prove this theory. (243)
Answer 7.7b: This theory says Corinth is a special situation, but Paul applies his rule to "all the churches." (245)
Answer 7.7c: This "noisy women" theory does not make sense of Paul's solution. (245)
Answer 7.7d: This theory makes Paul's remedy unfair. (246)
Answer 7.7e: Paul does not give noisy women as a reason, but gives the Old Testament law. (246)

Egalitarian claim 7.8: Women As Paul's Coworkers: Women such as Euodia and Synteche (Phil. 4:2–3) were Paul's "coworkers" and therefore had significant leadership roles in the New Testament. (247)

Answer 7.8a: It is true that women were Paul's coworkers, but the title "coworker" does not imply that they had equal authority to Paul, or that they had the office of elder, or that they taught or governed in any New Testament churches. (248)
Answer 7.8b: Some coworkers do things that other coworkers do not do. (248)
Answer 7.8c: 1 Corinthians 16:16 does not tell Christians to be subject to every coworker. (249)

Egalitarian claim 7.9: Women Elders: Women elders are mentioned in Titus 2:3, which speaks of "older women." (251)

Answer 7.9a: The parallels with other groups of older and younger persons make this interpretation unlikely. (252)
Answer 7.9b: Spencer's interpretation is supported by no English translation and no lexicon. (252)

Egalitarian claim 7.10: Hebrews 11:2: Women are included in the "elders" mentioned in Hebrews 11:2. Therefore there were women elders. (253)

Answer 7.10a: The meaning "elders" does not fit the context. (253)

Egalitarian claim 7.11: Author Of Hebrews: It is very possible that a woman was the author of the book of Hebrews. (254)

Answer 7.11a: The author's identity as a man is revealed in Hebrews 11:32. (254)

Egalitarian claim 7.12: Elect Lady In 2 John: The "elect lady" in 2 John 1 is a woman in authority over a congregation. (254)

Answer 7.12a: It is much more likely that 2 John is addressed to a whole church. (255)

Egalitarian claim 7.13: "The Widows" Were Women Elders: The "widows" that Paul discusses in 1 Timothy 5:3–16 were actually female elders. (255)

Answer 7.13a: Older people are not automatically "elders." (256)
Answer 7.13b: The requirements for widows and elders are not the same. (256)
Answer 7.13c: Widows were given financial support because of need, not pay for ministry. (257)
Answer 7.13d: Wrongful gossip is not the same as rightful teaching. (257)
Answer 7.13e: Belleville's claims that widows had pastoral responsibility and taught the basics of the faith are incorrect. (258)

Egalitarian claim 7.14: Women Homeowners As Overseers: Women functioned as overseers of the churches that met in their homes. (261)

Answer 7.14a: In this section, as frequently elsewhere, Belleville goes beyond the text of Scripture and claims far more than it actually says. (261)
Answer 7.14b: A proliferation of unsubstantiated claims begins to look like grasping at straws. (262)

Egalitarian claim 7.15: Women Deacons4: Women such as Phoebe (Rom. 16:1) were deacons in the early church, and this shows that all leadership roles should be open to women. (263)

Answer 7.15a: Many people think there were women deacons in the New Testament, while many others think there were not. But in either case, the office of deacon in the New Testament does not include the governing and teaching authority that is reserved for elders. (263)
Answer 7.15b: If the people who govern local churches are called "deacons," then women should not be deacons today. (266)
Answer 7.15c: There were women deacons in some parts of the early church, but they did not have teaching authority in the churches. (266)

Egalitarian claim 7.16: Elders Lacked Authority: Elders and overseers in the New Testament did not have authority because authority belonged to the church, not to persons. (268)

Answer 7.16a: It is a mistake to say that because one specific word is missing, an entire idea is missing, because the New Testament authors are not limited to one specific Greek word to express the idea of authority in the church. (269)
Answer 7:16b: It is not true that no leadership position in the New Testament is linked with authority. (269)
Answer 7.16c: It is not true that there is "no lexical basis" for associating proistemi with exercise of rule or authority by elders. (269)
Answer 7.16d: Hebrews 13:17 says to obey leaders, not just to follow them. (270)
Answer 7.16e: 1 Peter 5:3 tells leaders not to be domineering. It does not tell them not to rule over people. (271)
Answer 7.16f: Something is seriously wrong with an argument that changes the meanings of all the key terms in all the relevant passages to something not supported by any standard English translation. (272)

Egalitarian claim 7.17: Teachers Today Lack Authority: Teachers today do not have the same authority as teachers in the New Testament, because we have the whole Bible now and the Bible is really our authority. (272)

Answer 7.17a: The authority of a teacher today is the same as at the time of the New Testament because Bible teaching always had to be based on the authority of the Bible, no matter how much of the Bible was available. (273)
Answer 7.17b: The authority of apostles was greater than that of teachers, and today the writings of the apostles (the New Testament) have taken the place of the living apostles in the New Testament church. (274)
Answer 7.17c: The primary authority for teachers today is the written Word of God. But in a secondary sense they have authority (a) because of congregational recognition of their trustworthiness as teachers, and (b) because of their own personal character qualities. (274)

Egalitarian claim 7.18: Paul Tells Women To Preach The Word: In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul tells all Christians, including women, to "preach the Word." (275)

Answer 7.18a: The commands in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 are all singular imperatives addressed specifically to Timothy. (277)

Chapter 8: Evangelical Feminist Claims about the Church from 1 Timothy 2

Egalitarian claim 8.1: Women Were Teaching False Doctrine: Women in Ephesus were teaching false doctrine, and this is the reason Paul prohibits women from teaching in 1 Timothy 2:11–15. But that was a specific command for that particular situation, and therefore it is not universally binding on us today. (280)

Answer 8.1a: The only false teachers named at Ephesus are men, not women. (281)
Answer 8.1b: No clear proof of women teaching false doctrine at Ephesus has been found either inside the Bible or outside the Bible. (282)
Answer 8.1c: Richard and Catherine Kroeger's claim of a Gnostic heresy that Eve was created before Adam has no persuasive historical basis. (284)
Answer 8.1d: If the fact that some people were teaching false doctrine disqualified everyone of the same gender, then all men would have been disqualified from teaching. (287)
Answer 8.1e: Paul gives the reason for his command, and it is the creation order (1 Timothy 2:13–14), not any false teaching by women. It is precarious to substitute a reason Paul does not give for what he does give. (287)
Answer 8.1f: The argument that no men were ever present with the women fails to consider the actual wording of this text. (287)

Egalitarian claim 8.2: Women Not Educated: The reference to Eve's deception in 1 Timothy 2:13 shows that Eve was less educated than Adam, just as the women in Ephesus were less educated than the men. But women today have as much education as men; therefore, 1 Timothy 2:11–15 does not apply to us today. (288)

Answer 8.2a: Many men and many women had basic literacy skills in the first century, and very few men or women had education beyond this. (289)
Answer 8.2b: The Bible never requires advanced degrees for people who teach God's word or have governing authority in the church. (291)
Answer 8.2c: It simply is not true that no women in the first-century churches were well enough educated to be teachers or rulers in the church, and therefore lack of education cannot be the reason for Paul's statement. (292)
Answer 8.2d: Lack of education is not the reason Paul gives for restricting teaching and governing roles to men. We should not deny the reason Paul gives and substitute a reason he does not give. (293)
Answer 8.2e: If lack of education were the reason, it would be unfair and inconsistent for Paul not to prohibit teaching by uneducated men. (293)
Answer 8.2f: The phrase, "Adam was formed first, then Eve," cannot be made to mean that Eve had less education than Adam without doing violence to the text. (293)

Egalitarian claim 8.3: Women Not Deceived Today: Women today are not as easily deceived as in the first century; therefore, 1 Timothy 2:12–14 does not apply to us today. (295)

Answer 8.3a: Paul makes no reference to his current culture, but to a characteristic of Eve that he sees as relevant for all women in all cultures. (296)

Egalitarian claim 8.4: Restricted To Husbands And Wives: 1 Timothy 2:11–15 applies only to husbands and wives, meaning essentially, "I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over her husband." (296)

Answer 8.4a: It is true that the Greek words used here can mean either "man" or "husband" and either "woman" or "wife" according to the context. But all the other New Testament passages where the words mean "husband" or "wife" are different from this passage, because in those passages, the meanings "husband" and "wife" are made very clear from decisive clues in the context. (297)
Answer 8.4b: No decisive clues from the context of 1 Timothy 2 would cause the original Greek readers to think that husbands and wives were meant here, and several clues would make them think of men and women in general. (298)
Answer 8.4c: It is unlikely that Paul would insert instructions about family life in the middle of a context devoted to opposing false teaching and to choosing officers for the whole church (1 Tim. 1–3). (299)

Egalitarian claim 8.5: Temporary Command: Paul's statement in 1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit..." uses a present tense verb that shows it to be a temporary command. It could be translated, "I am not now permitting a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man." (299)

Answer 8.5a: This argument misunderstands how Paul uses the present tense in commands. (300)
Answer 8.5b: This argument would soon lead people to avoid many of the commands of the New Testament. Here as elsewhere, egalitarians use a process of interpreting Scripture that will quickly nullify the authority of Scripture in the lives of Christians today. (301)

Egalitarian claim 8.6: Creation Appeals Not Decisive: Paul's appeal to creation is not decisive, since appeals to creation can be culturally relative. (302)

Answer 8.6a: Webb fails to realize what the apostle Paul realized, that the Bible nowhere limits us to these activities reported in the pre-Fall narrative. (302)
Answer 8.6b: Webb fails to realize that everything before the Fall is morally good. (303)

Egalitarian claim 8.7: Why No Primogeniture Today?: People who say 1 Timothy 2:13 is the basis for a transcultural principle should practice primogeniture today. But they don't, so one cannot base any transcultural principle on 1 Timothy 2:13. (303)

Answer 8.7a: The Bible does not base any other commands on Adam's creation before Eve, so we have no right to make up additional commands on our own. (303)

Egalitarian claim 8.8: "Not Domineer": "Not exercise authority" in 1 Timothy 2:12 means "not misuse authority" or "not domineer." (304)
Egalitarian claim 8.9: "Not Murder or Commit Violence": "Not exercise authority" in 1 Timothy 2:12 means "not murder" or "not commit violence." (304)
Egalitarian claim 8.10: "Not Proclaim Oneself Author Of A Man": "Not exercise authority" in 1 Timothy 2:12 means "not proclaim oneself author of a man," in accordance with an ancient Gnostic heresy that Eve was created first. (304)

Answer 8.8a (these answers also apply to claims 8.9 and 8.10): The most complete study of this word shows that its meaning is primarily neutral, "to exercise authority over." (307)
Answer 8.8b: The meaning "to murder" is not supported by the ancient evidence. (309)
Answer 8.8c: The meaning "to instigate violence" is not supported by the ancient evidence. (310)
Answer 8.8d: Richard and Catherine Kroeger's claim that authenteo means "to proclaim oneself author of a man" (related to a Gnostic heresy that Eve was created first) is not supported by the ancient evidence. (311)
Answer 8.8e: The grammatical structure of the sentence rules out any negative meaning (such as, "to misuse authority, to domineer, or to murder") and shows that the verb must have a positive meaning (such as "to exercise authority"). (314)
Answer 8.8f: The grammar of 1 Timothy 2:12 shows that two activities are in view, teaching and having authority, not just one activity of "authoritative teaching." (316)
Answer 8.8g: An extensive study of cognate words now confirms that the meaning of authenteo is primarily positive or neutral. (317)

Egalitarian claim 8.11: Gain Mastery: 1 Timothy 2:12 means, "I do not permit a woman to teach in order to gain mastery over a man." (318)
Answer 8.11a: Belleville has misrepresented her supporting verses and misunderstood Greek grammar. (318)

Egalitarian claim 8.12: Uncommon Word: In 1 Timothy 2:12, Paul does not use the common word for authority (exousia), but uses a relatively uncommon word authenteo. Since the word is rare, its meaning cannot be known with any certainty, and we should not put much weight on this verse. (319)

Answer 8.12a: Paul's use of a less common word does not mean that the word's meaning is uncertain or unknown. (320)

Egalitarian claim 8.13: Just Don'T Offend The Culture: Paul's main point in these restrictions on women teaching and governing was not to give offense to the culture of that time. Today, such activities by women would not give offense to our culture, so the restrictions do not apply. We have to distinguish between the main concern of a writer and the outward form that his command takes. (322)

Answer 8.13a: The activities of teaching and governing the church are not merely a changeable outward form of some deeper principle, but they are the principles themselves because they represent fundamental activities essential to the life of the church. (323)
Answer 8.13b: Not offending the culture is not the reason Paul gives for his commands. (323)
Answer 8.13c: This argument assumes that Paul taught something less than God's ideal in order to advance the gospel. (323)
Answer 8.13d: Some women had prominent roles in pagan religions in Ephesus. (324)

Egalitarian claim 8.14: Paul Was Wrong: Paul made a mistake in 1 Timothy 2 and reverted to his rabbinic background, failing to be consistent with his understanding of redemption in Christ. (325)

Answer 8.14a: This position is inconsistent with belief in the entire Bible as the Word of God, and is not a legitimate evangelical position. (325)

Egalitarian claim 8.15: The New Testament Misinterprets The Old Testament: In some passages, such as 1 Timothy 2:11–15, we may find that our understanding of the Old Testament is superior to that of a New Testament author. (326)

Answer 8.15a: This procedure denies the absolute authority of Scripture for us today and sets us up as an authority greater than Scripture. (326)
Answer 8.15b: The New Testament's interpretations of the Old Testament are God's interpretations of the Old Testament. (327)

Chapter 9: Evangelical Feminist Claims about How to Interpret and Apply the Bible

Egalitarian claim 9.1: Nobody Forbids Jewelry Or Braids: Complementarians are inconsistent, because they don't prohibit women from wearing jewelry or braided hair, but that prohibition is found in the very same paragraph in the Bible as the command about women not teaching or having authority over men (1 Tim. 2:9). We should realize that the whole section was binding only for that situation and culture. (330)

Answer 9.1a: This passage does not prohibit jewelry or braided hair; it prohibits ostentation or excessive emphasis on jewelry or braided hair as a woman's source of beauty. Christian women should still obey that understanding of this passage today. (331)
Answer 9.1b: This Egalitarian claim again comes dangerously close to denying the authority of Scripture. (331)

Egalitarian claim 9.2: Head Coverings: Just as the church has now learned that women do not have to wear head coverings as commanded in 1 Corinthians 11, so it needs to learn that women do not have to submit to their husbands or to give up leadership roles in the church to men. All of these were simply traditions Paul was following in that culture. (332)

Answer 9.2a: Paul is concerned about head covering because it is an outward symbol of something else. But the meaning of such a symbol will vary according to how people in a given culture understand it. It would be wrong to require the same symbol today if it carried a completely different meaning. (333)
Answer 9.2b: The most likely meaning of a woman wearing a head covering in first-century Corinth was to indicate that she was married. But no such meaning would be understood from a woman's head covering today. (334)
Answer 9.2c: Today we obey the head covering commands for women in 1 Corinthians 11 by encouraging married women to wear whatever symbolizes being married in their own cultures. (336)
Answer 9.2d: The situation is far different with male headship in marriage and the church. These are not just outward symbols that can vary from culture to culture, but they are the reality itself. (337)
Answer 9.2e: Christians who believe that 1 Corinthians 11 requires women for all times to have head coverings in church should obey this passage and not disregard it. (338)
Answer 9.2f: A woman's head covering in 1 Corinthians 11:10 is not a symbol of her authority to prophesy, but is a symbol of her husband's authority over her. (338)

Egalitarian claim 9.3: Slavery: Just as the church finally recognized that slavery was wrong, so it should now recognize that male headship in marriage and the church is wrong. (339)

Answer 9.3a: Slavery is very different from marriage and from the church. Marriage was part of God's original Creation, but slavery was not. The church is a wonderful creation of God, but slavery was not. (340)
Answer 9.3b: The New Testament never commanded slavery, but gave principles that regulated it and ultimately led to its abolition. (340)
Answer 9.3c: The fact that some Christians used the Bible to defend slavery in the past does not mean the Bible supports slavery. (341)
Answer 9.3d: The horrible abuses of human beings that occurred in American slavery made it an institution that was different in character from the first century institution of being a "slave" or "bondservant" (Greek doulos). (342)
Answer 9.3e: Defenders of slavery and modern day egalitarians are similar in one significant way. (344)

Egalitarian claim 9.4: Trajectory: Paul and other New Testament authors were moving in a trajectory toward full inclusion of women in leadership, but they didn't quite reach that goal by the time the New Testament was completed. Today we can see the direction they were heading and affirm the egalitarian conclusions they were heading toward. (345)

Answer 9.4a: This trajectory argument invalidates the Bible as our final authority. (346)
Answer 9.4b: This trajectory argument denies the doctrine of Scripture and the principle of sola Scriptura as they have been believed in the major confessions of faith. (346)
Answer 9.4c: This trajectory argument fails to understand the uniqueness of the New Testament in distinction from the Old Testament. (347)
Answer 9.4d: This trajectory argument is far different from later doctrinal formulations that were based on Scripture alone. (348)
Answer 9.4e: This trajectory argument would lead the church to ethical chaos where no one could tell which view is right. (348)
Answer 9.4f: This trajectory argument is similar to the view of the Roman Catholic Church, which bases doctrine not only on the Bible but also on the authoritative teachings of the church that have come after the Bible was written. (349)

Egalitarian claim 9.5: Redemptive-Movement Hermeneutic: William Webb's redemptive-movement hermeneutic shows that the submission texts and the male church leadership texts in the New Testament were culturally relative. (350)

Answer 9.5a: Webb's trajectory hermeneutic nullifies in principle the moral authority of the New Testament. (351)
Answer 9.5b: Webb's authority is not the teaching of the New Testament but the goal he thinks the New Testament was moving toward. (353)
Answer 9.5c: Webb wrongly claims that the New Testament itself endorses slavery. (354)
Answer 9.5d: Webb's trajectory argument denies the doctrine of Scripture and the principle of sola Scriptura as it has been believed in the major confessions of faith. (355)
Answer 9.5e: Webb's trajectory argument fails to understand the uniqueness of the New Testament in distinction from the Old Testament. (355)
Answer 9.5f: Webb's "trajectory argument" is far different from later doctrinal formulations that were based on Scripture alone. (355)
Answer 9.5g: Webb's "trajectory argument" is similar to the view of the Roman Catholic Church, which bases doctrine not only on the Bible but also on the authoritative teachings of the church that have come after the Bible was written. (356)
Answer 9.5h: Determining right and wrong in Webb's system is a subjective and indeterminate process that will lead to ethical chaos among Christians. (356)

Egalitarian claim 9.6: Don't Mimic The First Century: The New Testament contains many elements of first-century culture that are descriptive rather than prescriptive. We should not try to "play first century" in our modern church setting. (358)

Answer 9.6a: It is true that several elements of the New Testament are descriptive and we do not have to imitate them today, but these elements are usually reports of individual historical events and not moral commands given to whole churches. (359)
Answer 9.6b: There are a few commands given to whole churches that we do not obey in exactly the same form today (such as head coverings and holy kisses), but we do still follow the principle of interpersonal relationships represented in even those commands. (360)
Answer 9.6c: The New Testament commands about male leadership in the family and the church are not minor, incidental statements that might be culturally variable. They are grounded in fundamental truths about the nature of God, the nature of Christ's relationship to the church, and the nature of manhood and womanhood as God created it. (361)

Egalitarian claim 9.7: Clear Verses Trump Unclear Verses: We should follow the main teachings of Scripture when they appear to conflict with the incidental teachings. On this issue, we must interpret the few isolated, obscure passages of Scripture that appear to restrict women's ministry in the light of the many clear passages that open all ministry roles to both men and women. (361)

Answer 9.7a: The Bible has to say something only once for it to be true and God's word for us. (362)
Answer 9.7b: The passages that prohibit women from being elders and from teaching or having authority over men in the assembled church are not isolated passages. They occur in the heart of the main New Testament teachings about church office and about conduct in public worship. (362)
Answer 9.7c: The restriction of some church leadership functions to men is not based on just one or two passages but on a consistent pattern of God's approval of male leadership throughout the Bible. (363)
Answer 9.7d: The passages that restrict some church leadership functions to men have not been thought to be obscure or difficult to understand by the vast majority of the church throughout its history. Obscurity in this case is not in the text of Scripture but in the eye of the beholder. (363)
Answer 9.7e: By contrast, egalitarian claims that all church leadership roles should be open to women are based not on any direct teaching of Scripture but on doubtful inferences from passages where this topic is not even under discussion. (365)

Egalitarian claim 9.8: No Ordination In New Testament: Debates over the ordination of women are pointless, since the New Testament never speaks about ordination of pastors. (366)

Answer 9.8a: The idea of ordination is in the New Testament, even if the word is not. (366)

Egalitarian claim 9.9: It Depends On Which Verses You Emphasize: It all depends on which texts from the Bible you decide to take as normative. Egalitarians take equality texts as normative and that leads to an egalitarian conclusion. Complementarians take subordination texts as normative and that leads to complementarian conclusions. Both approaches are valid, both depend on the Bible, and both should be allowed within evangelicalism. (367)

Answer 9.9a: It is not true that the argument just depends on which texts we choose to take as "normative." All the texts in the Bible are God's words, and we cannot dismiss or choose to disregard any of them. (368)
Answer 9.9b: The complementarian position understands the "equality texts" in a way consistent with their own wording and context, not in a way that contradicts subordination in roles. (369)
Answer 9.9c: It is not a question of choosing what kind of texts will "limit" and "expand" in application. Rather, it is a question of being faithful to the applications originally intended by the authors of the texts themselves. (370)
Answer 9.9d: This Egalitarian claim dangerously hints at a new kind of liberalism in which people are free to "limit the application" of texts they dislike by appealing to vague principles such as equality, fairness, and justice. (370)

Egalitarian claim 9.10: Impossible To Figure Out What Scripture Teaches: Nobody can conclusively figure out what the Bible teaches about women in the church. It is a disputed issue that scholars will argue about forever, something like different views of the end times. We should therefore avoid the disputed verses and make a decision on other grounds. (371)

Answer 9.10a: Avoiding a decision on disputed passages effectively silences Scripture on this issue. (372)
Answer 9.10b: Avoiding disputed passages would never have kept false doctrine out of the church in the past, and it cannot keep it out today. (372)
Answer 9.10c: Much of the confusion about the meaning of these disputed verses is caused by misinformation. (373)
Answer 9.10d: Avoiding a decision on disputed passages essentially results in letting the egalitarian position win. (374)
Answer 9.10e: Do we really think that God does not want us to know what is right on this issue? (375)
Answer 9.10f: The entire Christian church for nineteen hundred years did not think these passages were difficult or unclear. (376)

Egalitarian claim 9.11: Stop Fighting About A Minor Issue: This is not a core issue, and it is not a major doctrine. We should stop fighting about this, allow different views and practices to exist in the church, and get on with more important ministries to a needy, hurting, lost world. (376)

Answer 9.11a: The basic question underlying this controversy is obedience to the Bible. That is a major doctrine and it is a core issue. (377)
Answer 9.11b: The teaching of Scripture on men and women is not a minor or trivial issue, but has a massive effect on how we live our lives. (378)
Answer 9.11c: If we allow different views and practices on this issue to exist in the church, we are essentially admitting that both views are right. But that is all egalitarians want—at least until they attain majority control, and then the complementarian view is not allowed. (379)
Answer 9.11d: When people say we should "stop fighting," it implies that complementarians are doing something wrong when we criticize egalitarians. But people who promote false doctrine will always say, "Let's stop fighting about this topic," because they want to stop the criticism. (381)

Egalitarian claim 9.12: Ok If Under the Authority of Pastor and Elders: If a woman is teaching "under the authority of the pastor or elders," she may teach the Scriptures to the assembled congregation. (381)

Answer 9.12a: Pastors and elders cannot give someone permission to disobey the Bible. (382)
Answer 9.12b: Paul does not say, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man unless she is under the authority of the elders." (383)
Answer 9.12c: To add, "unless you are under the authority of your elders" to any of Paul's directions to churches would empty Paul's commands of their divine authority and reduce them to the level of advice that Paul hoped people would follow most of the time. (383)
Answer 9.12d: This answer actually results in no differences between men and women regarding teaching the Bible to men. (383)

Egalitarian claim 9.13: We Are Not a Church: Because we are not a church, but rather a parachurch organization, New Testament restrictions against women teaching or having authority over men do not apply to us. (384)

Answer 9.13a: The argument, "We are not a church," has some truth in it, but it is not the whole truth. (384)
Answer 9.13b: The argument, "We are not a church," is a valid reason why parachurch organizations do not have to obey all the directions the New Testament gives to churches. (386)
Answer 9.13c: But in other areas the argument, "We are not a church," does not allow parachurch organizations to avoid obeying New Testament commands to churches. (387)
Answer 9.13d: Parachurch organizations should follow New Testament commands written to churches when they are doing the same activities that the command is talking about. (388)
Answer 9.13e: Organizations will need to seek God's wisdom to make the right decisions regarding the roles women fulfill within their organizations. (388)
Answer 9.13f: Bible teaching to assembled groups of Christian men and women outside the church is so similar to Bible teaching inside the church that it should be reserved for men. (389)
Answer 9.13g: Serving as a military chaplain is so similar to serving as the pastor of a church that it should be restricted to men. (389)
Answer 9.13h: Serving on the governing board of a parachurch organization is often quite different from serving as an elder in a church, and therefore qualified men and women should both be encouraged to do this. (389)
Answer 9.13i: But serving as a direct supervisor over employees in a ministry role is similar enough to the role of a pastor or elder that the responsibility should be restricted to men. (390)
Answer 9.13j: The commands in the New Testament do not say that Christians should follow them "only in church settings." (391)
Answer 9.13k: Right decisions about male leadership in parachurch situations will only be made by people who agree with and approve of the New Testament teachings about male leadership in the home and the church. (391)

Egalitarian claim 9:14: Male Headship Must Apply Everywhere or Nowhere: It is inconsistent for complementarians to apply the principles of male headship only to the home and the church. (392)

Answer 9.14a: Our standard must be what the Bible teaches, not some arbitrary idea of consistency. (392)

Egalitarian claim 9.15: Insecure Men Feel Threatened By Gifted Women: This controversy is not really about the interpretation of the Bible, but deep down it is ultimately a matter of feelings and emotions. Complementarians are really insecure men who feel threatened by strong, gifted women, and that is why they continue to make this issue a matter of controversy. (393)

Answer 9.15a: This is an ad hominem argument. (396)

Additional note to Chapter 9: How can we determine which moral commands of Scripture are culturally relative? (397)

Chapter 10: Evangelical Feminist Claims from Theology and from Ideas of Fairness and Justice

Egalitarian claim 10.1: The Priesthood Of All Believers: The New Testament doctrine of the priesthood of all believers means that both men and women are qualified to fill positions of leadership in the church. (403)

Answer 10.1a: There is a difference between priesthood and the office of pastor or elder. Even though all believers are priests in the sense that we can draw near to God in prayer and worship without an earthly temple or a human priest, not every believer is qualified to be an elder or pastor or teacher in the church. (404)
Answer 10.1b: The New Testament authors do not appeal to the priesthood of all believers when they discuss who is qualified to be a pastor or elder. They list several other qualifications, including maleness. (405)
Answer 10.1c: We should never use one part of Scripture to draw conclusions that deny or contradict other parts of Scripture, but that is what this Egalitarian claim does. (405)

Egalitarian claim 10.2: No Eternal Submission of the Son: Complementarians mistakenly appeal to the Son being subject to the Father within the Trinity. First, this subjection existed only during Jesus' life on earth. Second, if the Son was eternally subject to the Father, then he could not be fully God. Third, scholars differ on this aspect of Trinitarian doctrine, so it is not certain anyway. (405)

Answer 10.2a: There is substantial testimony in Scripture that the Son was subject to the Father before he came to live on earth. (406)
Answer 10.2b: Christ was also subject to the authority of the Father while he was on earth as a man. (408)
Answer 10.2c: What Christ gave up in coming to earth was glory and honor, not equal authority with the Father. (408)
Answer 10.2d: After Christ returned to heaven, he was still subject to the authority of the Father, and will be so forever. (409)
Answer 10.2e: The Son will forever be subject to the authority of the Father. (414)
Answer 10.2f: The Christian church throughout history has affirmed both the subordination of the Son to the Father with respect to their roles, and the equality of the Son with the Father with respect to their being. (415)
Answer 10.2g: But the Son was also fully God. Therefore the very nature of the Trinitarian God shows that equality in personhood and value and abilities can exist along with being subject to the authority of another. (423)
Answer 10.2h: Egalitarians who claim that Christ's subordination to the Father was only for his time on earth still must agree that Christ's full deity existed along with subordination to the authority of the Father. (425)
Answer 10.2i: Scholars who deny that the Son is eternally submissive to the Father do not prove their position from Scripture. (425)
Answer 10.2j: The idea of authority and submission never began; it existed forever in the very being of God. (429)

Egalitarian claim 10.3: Mutual Submission in the Trinity: Within the Trinity, the Father also submits to the Son, so there is no unique authority for the Father in relation to the Son. (429)

Answer 10.3a: Grenz has confused the categories under discussion. (430)
Answer 10.3b: No passage of Scripture and no recognized writer throughout the history of the church supports the idea of "mutual submission" in the Trinity. It is an egalitarian invention created to justify the egalitarian idea of mutual submission in marriage. (431)
Answer 10.3c: If the Father also submitted to the authority of the Son, it would destroy the Trinity, because there would be no Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but only Person A, Person A, and Person A. (433)

Egalitarian claim 10.4: No Parallel With Trinity: The comparison with the Trinity is invalid because Jesus' submission to the Father was voluntary and because there was never any disagreement among members of the Trinity. (433)

Answers 10.4a: The comparison with the Trinity is valid because the Bible appeals to women to decide to be subject to their husbands, and thus they, like Christ, should exercise a voluntary submission. (434)
Answer 10.4b: But the comparison with the Trinity does not give justification for a wife to choose not to submit to her husband. (435)
Answer 10.4c: The appeal to the Trinity is valid because Christ's submission was grounded in his existence as Son for all eternity. (435)
Answer 10.4d: The appeal to the Trinity is valid because it shows that there is authority and submission even among sinless persons. (436)

Egalitarian claim 10.5: Different Subordination: Analogies with other kinds of human subordination are not valid, because those are limited in function and duration and are based on human abilities or choices. But the subordination of women to men taught by complementarians is unlimited in function and duration, and is based on a woman's very being. (437)

Answer 10.5a: All analogies are imperfect, but they can still illustrate some truth. The truth that other examples of human subordination teach is that equality in being can exist along with difference in roles. (438)
Answer 10.5b: The Bible sometimes bases roles on a person's "being" alone, not on ability or human choice. This contradicts the heart of the egalitarian position, which is that only ability or choice should determine roles in marriage and the church. (438)

Egalitarian claim 10.6: Subordination In Essence: If female subordination is based on who a woman is (as female) rather than her ability or choice, then it is a subordination in essence. Therefore the complementarian position leads to the conclusion that women are lesser beings. (441)

Answer 10.6a: No, it is a subordination in function. (441)
Answer 10.6b: Women's submission to male headship is based on their having a different being, not an inferior being. (442)

Egalitarian claim 10.7: Not a Caste System: We live in a free society where access to high status positions is based on ability and voluntary choice, not a caste society where some people are excluded by birth (as they are in a complementarian view). (443)

Answer 10.7a: To frame the issue in terms of "higher status" and "lower status" skews the discussion and clouds the true issue. (443)
Answer 10.7b: The real issue is authority and submission, which may or may not coincide with honor and respect, depending on the situation. (444)
Answer 10.7c: The caste system is an evil, dehumanizing system not commanded by God, but marriage and the church are good institutions created by God and regulated by his wise commands. (444)
Answer 10.7d: To say that both complementarianism and the caste system determine roles "by birth" misstates and clouds the true issue. (444)
Answer 10.7e: It is wrong to say that we should determine roles for men and women in marriage and the church according to the political theories of a "free society" rather than according to the Bible. (445)

Egalitarian claim 10.8: Society Today Rejects Gender Restrictions: In a society where women can attain any other position open to men, it is not fair to keep them from pastoral ministry. (445)

Answer 10.8a: The Bible does not object to women in positions of leadership in other parts of society such as business, education, and government, but only restricts certain kinds of leadership to men in marriage and in the church. (446)
Answer 10.8b: Our ideas of "fairness" must be determined by what the Bible teaches, not by what society might say about leadership roles in the church or in other areas of life. (447)
Answer 10.8c: Many kinds of full-time ministry are available to women as well as men, and we should encourage women in these ministries. (448)

Egalitarian claim 10.9: Necessary For True Equality: Women can never be considered truly equal to men unless they can also be pastors. (449)

Answer 10.9a: It all depends on what is meant by "equal." This claim makes the mistake of thinking that "equality" has to mean "sameness" in every role. But we can be equal in many ways without being the same in every role. (449)
Answer 10.9b: The Bible emphasizes that the body of Christ has many members, and all have equal value before God, but they have many different gifts and functions. (450)

Egalitarian claim 10.10: Qualifications: Why should a woman who is better qualified to be a pastor be ruled out simply because she is a woman? (450)

Answer 10.10a: It is true that many women are gifted in teaching God's Word and have gifts of wisdom and maturity of judgment as well. (451)
Answer 10.10b: But God in his wisdom has said that one of the qualifications for teaching and governing over a church is to be a man. (451)
Answer 10.10c: Therefore, on the basis of the teaching of the whole Bible, we can say that no woman is "better qualified" to be a pastor or elder, since one of the qualifications is to be a man. (452)
Answer 10.10d: Women who have teaching gifts should be encouraged to use these in many other ways that are approved by Scripture. (452)

Egalitarian claim 10.11: Image of God: Both women and men leaders are needed to fully reflect the image of God. (452)

Answer 10.11a: This claim would lead us to deny that Jesus could fully reflect the image of God. (453)
Answer 10.11b: One aspect of reflecting God's image is to reflect differences in authority in human relationships. (453)
Answer 10:11c: The need to hear a woman's perspective on issues facing the church does not require that a church have women elders (454)

Egalitarian claim 10.12: Mission Field: It is inconsistent to restrict women from church leadership positions in the western world and at the same time approve of women having such positions on the mission field. (454)

Answer 10.12a: It is not right to say that the Bible is authoritative in one country and not in another. (455)
Answer 10.12b: Many kinds of women's ministries are approved by Scripture because they do not include teaching or governing over an assembled church or some equivalent activity. (455)

Chapter 11: Evangelical Feminist Claims from History and Experience

Egalitarian claim 11.1: Many Historical Precedents: There are many examples of women pastors and women preachers in church history, so the egalitarian position is not as novel as some people think. (457)

Answer 11.1a: While Hassey has emphasized isolated examples, the entire history of the church, and the entire history of evangelicalism in America, looks far different: The vast majority of churches, and of evangelicals in particular, clearly rejected the idea of women as pastors throughout church history. (459)
Answer 11.1b: Our authority must be what the Bible teaches, not what some Christians have done at various times in the past. (462)
Answer 11.1c: Hassey's argument would have evangelicals today reject the godly wisdom of the majorities in these movements and adopt the rejected views of the minorities instead. (462)
Answer 11.1d: Most early evangelical leaders who supported women's preaching were not egalitarians in the modern sense. (463)
Answer 11.1e: There was great diversity and freedom in early American evangelicalism, along with a strong tradition of local church autonomy that allowed for the ordination of some women in specific local churches. (463)
Answer 11.1f: The vast majority of evangelical churches and institutions did not approve of the ordination of women at any point in American history. The trend among several major denominations to approve the ordination of women only began in the 1950s, well after liberal theology had gained controlling influence in those denominations. (464)
Answer 11.1g: Early Bible institutes were founded to train lay workers, not pastors, although some women students later became pastors. (465)
Answer 11.1h: Early approval of women's preaching or women's ordination occurred more often in certain kinds of groups. (466)
Answer 11.1i: A broader perspective from the worldwide Christian church shows that egalitarianism is an unusual development primarily confined to European and American Protestantism in the last half of the twentieth century and is by no means representative of the church through history or around the world. (468)

Egalitarian claim 11.2: Many Denominations: Many denominations have studied this issue and approved women for ordination. This provides a pattern for others to follow. (469)

Answer 11.2a: All theologically liberal denominations have approved women's ordination. (469)
Answer 11.2b: Several denominations and organizations that are broadly tolerant of liberalism and that have leaders who have moved toward liberalism have approved women's ordination. (470)
Answer 11.2c: Women's ordination has also been approved by other groups that are not now theologically liberal but place extraordinary value on relating effectively to the culture, or place extraordinary value on the experience of effective ministry, and consequently place less value on maintaining doctrinal accuracy. (470)
Answer 11.2d: But nearly all denominations and organizations that have refused women's ordination share some common characteristics: (1) They hold firmly to the inerrancy of the Bible; (2) they are strongly truth-based and doctrinally vigilant; and (3) in many cases their leaders have personally fought and won battles with liberalism. (471)

Egalitarian claim 11.3: Art Work: Ancient art work shows the possibility of women bishops in the ancient church. (472)

Answer 11.3a: No expert in the study of ancient Christian art supports Kroeger's interpretation. (472)
Answer 11.3b: This idea is contrary to what we know of the role of women in the early church. (474)

Egalitarian claim 11.4: Blessing On Ministry: God has evidently blessed the ministries of many women, including women pastors. Who are we to oppose what God has so clearly blessed? (474)

Answer 11.4a: Of course there will be some good results when a woman prays, trusts God, and teaches God's Word, because God's Word has power and because God in his grace often blesses us in spite of our mistakes. But that does not make the mistakes right, and God may withdraw his protection and blessing at any time. (475)
Answer 11.4b: Arguments from the experience of blessing can go both ways: For two thousand years God has evidently blessed the ministries of millions of churches that have had only men as pastors and elders. Who are we to oppose what God has so clearly blessed? (476)
Answer 11.4c: Liberal denominations that ordain women pastors have continually declined in membership and income. (477)
Answer 11.4d: Having women as pastors or elders erodes male leadership and brings increasing feminization of both the home and the church. It also erodes the authority of Scripture because people see it being disobeyed. (478)
Answer 11.4e: What is right and wrong must be determined by the Bible, not by our experiences or our evaluation of the results of certain actions. (479)
Answer 11.4f: Determining right and wrong on the basis of human experience alone is the foundation of liberalism in theology. Feminism takes us in that direction. (479)
Answer 11.4g: Basing doctrinal decisions only on testimonies of personal experience will lead to all sorts of doctrinal errors. (480)
Answer 11.4h: In this controversy, God is asking us to decide if the Bible or experience will be our standard of truth. (480)

Egalitarian claim 11.5: Calling: If a woman has a genuine call from God for pastoral ministry, we have no right to oppose that call. (480)

Answer 11.5a: God never calls people to disobey his Word. Our decision on this matter must be based on the objective teaching of the Bible, not on some person's subjective experience, no matter how godly or sincere that person is. (481)
Answer 11.5b: What a woman perceives as a call from God to a pastoral ministry may be a genuine call to some other full-time ministry that is approved by Scripture. (482)

Egalitarian claim 11.6: Prophetic Voices: Many prophetic voices today are calling for a new release of women into ministry. (482)

Answer 11.6a: Prophecies today can be wrong. (482)
Answer 11.6b: Prophecies that contradict God's Word are wrong. (482)

Egalitarian claim 11.7: Unique Time: This is a unique time in history when the Holy Spirit is bringing about a world-wide revival. More people are becoming Christians today than at any time in history. Because of this unique time God is calling men and women alike to pastoral ministry. (483)

Answer 11.7a: The Bible was given to us as a guide for every period until Christ returns. (483)
Answer 11.7b: People who have said they can disobey God's Word because of unique circumstances have not been blessed by God. (484)
Answer 11.7c: This argument is just a way of saying that we are free to disobey Scripture in unusual times. That can never be right. (484)

Egalitarian claim 11.8: Manhood And Womanhood Aren't Really Different: Except for physical differences, everything that is true of men is also true of women, and everything that is true of women is also true of men. (484)

Answer 11.8a: This argument misunderstands the complementarian position. (487)
Answer 11.8b: The net result of this position is gender confusion. (488)

Chapter 12: Evangelical Feminist Claims that the Complementarian View is Harmful

Egalitarian claim 12.1: Abuse: Male leadership in the home and in the church leads to the abuse and repression of women. (490)

Answer 12.1a: Abuse of wives by husbands is a horrible evil that should be opposed by all who believe the Bible to be the Word of God. (491)
Answer 12.1b: It is not biblical male leadership but distortion and abuse of biblical male leadership that leads to the abuse and repression of women. (492)
Answer 12.1c: It is cruel to tell wives who are being physically abused simply to stay and endure the suffering. Such advice will often lead to more violence and harm against them and their children. (492)
Answer 12.1d: Biblical male headship, rightly understood, protects women from abuse and repression and truly honors them as equal in value before God. (493)
Answer 12.1e: Statistics claiming to connect male headship with abuse of women are misleading. (495)
Answer 12.1f: By contrast, feminism robs women of their femininity and womanhood as God created them, and is destructive to both men and women alike. (496)

Egalitarian claim 12.2: Loss of Workers: The complementarian view robs the church of half its workers. (496)

Answer 12.2a: The complementarian view does not rob the church of any workers, but encourages everyone to use their gifts in accordance with Scripture. (496)

Egalitarian claim 12.3: Mean Traditionalists: Some traditionalists are mean people, and so their view is wrong. (497)

Answer 12.3a: An ad hominem argument is an invalid way of disproving another position. (498)
Answer 12.3b: It is only fair to evaluate a position, not on the basis of its worst representatives, but by the words and actions of its best representatives. (498)

Egalitarian claim 12.4: Complementarians Are Troublemakers: Complementarians who keep talking about male leadership are just making trouble in the church. We should stop arguing about this issue and all get along with each other. (498)

Answer 12.4a: See Answers 9.11a – 9.11d. (376-381)

Chapter 13: Is Evangelical Feminism the New Doorway to Liberalism? Some Disturbing Warning Signs

13.1: The Connection between Liberalism and an Egalitarian View on Women in the Church (500)

13.2: Current Egalitarian Views that Deny the Authority of Scripture (505)

13.3: The Disturbing Destination: Denial of Anything Uniquely Masculine (508)

13.4: The Next step: God our Mother (509)

13.5: The Final Step: Approval of Homosexuality (513)

13.6: What is Ultimately at Stake: The Bible (517)

Chapter 14: The Current State of Evangelicalism Regarding Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

An Overview of Complementarian, Egalitarian, and Undecided Groups Today

14.1 Complementarian Groups (518)
        1. Two-Point Complementarian (518)
        2. One-Point Complementarian (520)

14.2 Egalitarian Groups (521)
        1. Liberal Denominations (521)
        2. Culturally Sensitive Egalitarians (521)
        3. Experience-Oriented Egalitarians (522)
        4. Leader-Influenced Egalitarians (523)

14.3 Undecided or Uncommitted (523)

14.4 Some Personal Observations
          on the Current Controversy (524)
        1. Male chauvinism has been the major problem through
             much of history (524)
        2. Egalitarianism is not advancing on the strength
             of exegetical arguments from Scripture. (526)
        3. How does the egalitarian position advance? (527)
               a. Incorrect interpretations of Scripture (527)
               b. Reading into Scripture things that aren't there (527)
               c. Incorrect assumptions about the
                   meanings of words in the Bible (527)
               d. Incorrect statements about the history
                   of the ancient or modern world (528)
               e. Methods of interpretation that reject the authority
                   of Scripture and lead toward liberalism (528)
               f. Rejecting Scripture as our authority and deciding
                  this question on the basis of experience and
                  personal inclination (529)
               g. Suppression of information (529)
        4. Egalitarianism has two significant allies (530)

14.5 Egalitarianism is an Engine that will Pull Many
          Destructive Consequences in its Train (531)

14.6 A strategy for Complementarians (532)

14.7 Expectations for the Future (534)

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