Liberty Theological Seminary

Comparison Paper: Complementarian and Egalitarian Viewpoints

A Paper Submitted to Dr. Debbie Benoit In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the course Introduction to Ministry for Women WMIN 500

By Deborah M. Baskin 2 March 2014

Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................3 Terms Defined ...............................................................................................................................3 Pros and Cons of Complementarian ............................................................................................4 Pros and Cons of Egalitarian ........................................................................................................7 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................10 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................12

Introduction Women serving in staff ministry positions present issues for debate that will not be solved in this short essay. Nevertheless, one can attempt to understand the two opposing viewpoints that are at the forefront of the conflict. First, a definition of the terms complementarian and egalitarian will be given. These will be followed by a concise discussion on the pros and cons of the two philosophies using scriptural support. The paper will conclude with a few thoughts of the views from the author. Terms Defined Dr. Benoit gave this definition of complementarianism, Men and women are created equal but they are given God-given distinct roles before the fall and after the fall.1 She defined egalitarianism as, Men and women are created equal with no role distinctions.2 A national survey defined the egalitarian viewpoint with this statement, God calls women to serve in all types of ministry leadership.3 In this survey, the complementarian viewpoint was designated with the following, God does not call women to serve in leadership positions over men.4 There are also extreme views on these terms. Some claim that complementarianism is blatant male chauvinism often referring to comments made in a book by Baptist evangelist John R. Rice where he asserted, Women are not so much created in the image of God, but in the image of

Debbie Benoit and Monica Rose Brennan, Presentation: Defining Complementarianism and Egalitarianism Part 1 (lecture, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2013), accessed January 30, 2014, http://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackbo ard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_19241_1. 2 Ibid. 3 Dennis J. Horton Resurgent Calvinism's Influence Among Baptist Ministry Students and Its Implications for Women in Ministry, Baptist History and Heritage 45, no. 2 (Spring, 2010): 23, accessed February 28, 2014,http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE%7CA237304088&v=2. 1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1. 4 Ibid.
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their husbands.5 Extreme views on egalitarianism adopt a radical feminist approach even wondering if God should be called Father.6 Still, two excellent definitions of the terms are found in the book How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership: Complementarian An evangelical person who not only believes that the Bible teaches difference or distinction between male and female, but that the primary difference is that females were created with the role to be in subjection to, under the final authority of, and led by males in the home and in the church. Egalitarian - Biblical equality between the genders that does not refer to an essential sameness or interchangeability of male and female. Rather, what is meant is that the Bible does not teach a stereotyped gender role subordination of a woman to a man. This is an equality of essential worth, rank, privilege, standing, and full humanity without stereotyped gender functions as part of each ones basic identity.7 Pros and Cons of Complementarian The term complementarian came about as the fundamentalist response to biblical equality. George W. Knight in his study, The New Testament Teaching on the Role Relationship of Men and Women, was one of the first conservative evangelical scholars to argue the point that women and men are equal but that their roles are different. In the roles they take at home and in church, women always submit to men, but the traditional idea that this is somehow based on the inferior nature of women is rejected.8 This term was coined in in 1976 and became more popular in 1991 with the publishing of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism.9 During this time the Council for Biblical Manhood and

Timothy George, A Peace Plan for the Gender War, Christianity Today 49, no. 11 (November 2005): 52, accessed February 28, 2014, http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:20 48/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001486968&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 6 Ibid., 53. 7 Alan F. Johnson and editor, How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2010), 18. 8 Alan G. Padgett, The Bible and Gender Troubles: American Evangelicals Debate Scripture and Submission, A Journal of Theology DIALOG 47, no. 1 (Spring, 2008): 23-24, accessed February 28, 2014,http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6385.2008.00364.x/abstract. 9 Ibid., 24.

Womanhood (CBMW) was formed. This group argued that taking back biblical equality (equal as far as salvation but with women being submissive to men in the home and church) was a type of feminism.10 Complementarian proponents believe that the Bible fully supports their ideology. Often the phrase scriptural inerrancy filters throughout their arguments. They seem to imply that only their interpretation of the scriptures is correct and if one dares to disagree with them then obviously that person has nearly committed blasphemy. This type of stance can serve to alienate the body of Christ and should be avoided. Fortunately, there are other complementarians who are resolved to work alongside those with differing viewpoints. Included in the complementarian arsenal of scriptural support are many passages. Often, the first verses used are taken from Genesis during the creation account. Genesis 2:18 stated, Then the LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.11 This scripture can be used to point out a couple of noteworthy matters. Man was created first in the order of creation giving him predominance over woman. They argue that this distinction between male and female roles stems from the created order that has existed since the Garden of Eden.12 Another supporting point made here is substantiated by the use of the word helper. The CBMW site asserted, Woman as "helper" is best understood as one who comes to complement (i.e., make complete something that is incomplete).13 However, a closer

Ibid. Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures will be taken from the New American Standard Bible. 12 Colleen Warner Colaner and Susan C. Warner, The Effect of Egalitarian and Complementarian Gender Role Attitudes On Career Aspirations in Evangelical Female Undergraduate College Students, Journal of Psychology and Theology 33, no. 3 (Fall, 2005): 225, accessed February 28, 2014, http://search.proquest.com/docview/223675829?accountid=12085. 13 Bruce Ware, Summaries of the Egalitarian and Complementarian Positions, The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, March 1, 2014, accessed March 1, 2014, http://cbmw.org/uncategorized/summaries-ofthe-egalitarian-and-complementarian-positions/.
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look at the word helper could reveal a different meaning that does not support the complementarian position. The word help is used to describe God in the following passage from Psalm 33:20, Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. The word help and helper in these two passages is translated from the same Hebrew base word 'ezer. According to Strongs this word means, help, succor, or one who helps. Additionally, in the Old Testament the word 'ezer is most often used in reference to God, who is definitely not someone who is low on the organizational chart.14 Therefore, to use the word 'ezer to justify the idea of a womans place of subservience could be categorized with a male who desires to be like or above God. As one moves into the New Testament, one of the most quoted passages to support the complementarian standpoint is 1 Timothy 2:11-13, A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. This scripture appears to be a trump card in the complementarian debate. One can imagine the salty old apostle telling his young impressionable colleague, once and for all, how to put those talkative, emotional, and easily deceived women in their place in the hierarchy of the church structure. This passage is in line with the created order idea of man being created before woman, thus giving him final authority. 1 Timothy 2:14 asserted, And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. This verse has probably been the backbone of some of the early church fathers theology when it came to defining the roles of women. Tertullian stated, Every woman is an Eve, the Devils gateway, the unsealer of the forbidden fruit tree whose sin

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Johnson, 179.

destroyed Gods image, man.15 Thomas Aquinas defined woman as a misshapen man.16 Most complementarians would not embrace these ideas from the church fathers, but there is a long history of church tradition that does seem to support that women are gullible and not fit for any true leadership position. Another passage used in supporting the view of submission is Ephesians 5:22. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Complementarians use this passage with the support of a new twist on the Trinity. Ecumenical and orthodox theology teaches that Jesus is equal in divinity to God the Father, yet the New Testament clearly teaches that in his role as savior and Messiah, Jesus is submissive to the One he called Abba however, such submission could not be temporary.17 This teaching on the Trinity serves to negate the egalitarian position of mutual submission.18 However, this instigates a major problem with the churchs doctrine on the Trinity affirmed in John 10:30, I and my Father are one. Therefore, if God and Christ are of the same substance and nature; they are not just equal in being but one being.19 The position of eternal submission does not seem to exist in the Trinity. Consequently, the argument of the Trinity could be used to support the egalitarian opinion. Pros and Cons of Egalitarian Padgett asserted, Ever since the Reformation, women and men have been arguing on the grounds of Scripture and right reason that women are called to ministry and gifted by the Spirit just as men are.20 Modern egalitarianism was revived in the 1960s. However, there were factions of the supporters that had some extreme dogma. Problems began in the 1988 when the

15 16

George, 52. Ibid. 17 Padgett, 24. 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid., 25. 20 Ibid., 22.

Evangelical Womens Caucus embraced gay rights alongside Christian feminism and when they began to question if a male God could provide salvation to women.21 In response to the liberal agenda, a more conservative and biblically sound organization was founded, Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), in 1990.22 Egalitarians use the scriptures to establish the fact that women were used and ordained by God as leaders in both the Old and New Testaments. Miriam, a prophet used by God, was first introduced as the sister who stood guard over Moses when he was hidden in the river. Exodus 2:4 asserted, His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. During the Exodus she is described as a prophetess in Exodus 15:20, Miriam the prophetess, Aarons sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. She was further elevated in Micah 6:4b when she was put at the same level as her brothers, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Miriam is one example of Gods use of women in leadership and ministry positions. Another example of a woman prophetess is found in 2 Kings 22:14-20: So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. She said to them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, thus says the LORD, Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your

21 22

Ibid., 24. Ibid.

fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place. So they brought back word to the king. King Josiah sent a priest, a scribe, and his servant to inquire of a woman what the Lord had to say. Nowhere is there any indication that any of these men were hesitant in seeking out a woman to hear the Lords message. Nowhere is there mention that woman was under a curse and could not be used to share Gods message with men. The Old Testament contains others stories as to how God used women as leaders, judges, prophets, and interceders on behalf of his people. There are not any scriptures to indicate that Deborah, Ruth, Miriam, Huldah, and numerous other women were Gods second choice as His chosen vessels. Women are also mentioned throughout the New Testament. They served as deaconesses, apostles, benefactors, and letter couriers. Paul served with women in establishing the early church. He often praised them in his letters. Romans 16: 7 asserted, Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. It is important to note the footnote that is included by the name Junias or Junia (fem). In all the early translations of the New Testament Junia was a woman. These included the Old Latin, the Vulgate, Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic and Syriac.23 Back in the 13th or early 14th century, Aegidius or Giles in Rome called Junia a male, and later Luther did the same thing.24 Junia was a woman in the Greek New Testament composite texts from Erasmus to Erwin Nestles edition of the Greek New Testament in 1927.25 However, in 1927 Nestle did a sex change to Junia by

Scot McKnight, Junia Is Not Alone: Breaking Our Silence About Women in the Bible and the Church Today (Englewood, CO: Patheos Press, 2011), loc 113 of 348, Amazon Kindle edition. 24 Ibid., loc 123 of 348. 25 Ibid., loc 133 of 348.

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redaction. He changed her name to Junias and claimed this was a man because a woman could not have been an apostle.26 One other important fact should be stated. Nowhere is there any evidence that a man was ever named Junias.27 One can postulate that Junia was an outstanding apostle and Paul commended her to the church. However, one still has to deal with the 1 Timothy 2 passage where Paul indicated that women should be silent and not teach or exercise authority over a man. One must first determine exactly what Paul meant by the word teach in this passage. In the book Hearing Her Voice: A Case for Women Giving Sermons, John Dickson provided a clear understanding as to what to teach meant in the first century church. The New Testament was not written but was in the process of being written. For Paul, teaching (in the technical sense) involved carefully preserving and laying down for the congregation the traditions handed on by the apostles.28 The Bible has now been written. When individuals teach or preach today, they are not writing new scriptures. They are offering understanding and clarity. It is essential when interpreting scriptures that one is careful not to make passages nullify each other. Either, Paul did use women (as evidenced by many New Testament scriptures that he penned) or he did not. One must look at the entire text and judiciously unpack the meaning. Conclusion Depending on ones bent and upbringing, a case can be made for both the complementarian and the egalitarian perspective. Instead of arguing over who can preach the gospel, the churchs time is better served by simply preaching the message of Christ. Timothy

Ibid., loc 132 of 348. Ibid., loc 65 of 348. 28 John Dickson, Hearing Her Voice: A Case for Women Giving Sermons (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervon, 2012), 1, Amazon Kindle edition.
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George stressed, The two sides may never come to full agreement This is not a call to give up our distinctives It is, rather, a call to disagree in genuine love and in the context of the great mission of the church to do justice, love, mercy, and walk humbly with our God.29 Let the believers remember the words of Paul in Philippians 1:15-18: Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Since both viewpoints uphold the apostle Pauls teaching, let the entire church now join him in rejoicing that the message of Christ is being proclaimed by both male and female voices.

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George, 56.

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Bibliography Benoit, Debbie, and Monica Rose Brennan. Presentation: Defining Complementarianism and Egalitarianism Part 1. Lecture, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2013. Accessed January 30, 2014.http://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/we bapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_19241_1. Dickson, John. Hearing Her Voice: A Case for Women Giving Sermons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.Amazon Kindle edition. George, Timothy. A Peace Plan for the Gender War. Christianity Today 49, no. 11 (November 2005): 50-56. Accessed February 28, 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh &AN=ATLA0001486968&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Horton, Dennis J. Resurgent Calvinism's Influence Among Baptist Ministry Students and Its Implications for Women in Ministry. Baptist History and Heritage 45, no. 2 (Spring, 2010): 20-33. Accessed February 28, 2014. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GAL E%7CA237304088&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1. Johnson, Alan F., and editor. How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2010. McKnight, Scot. Junia Is Not Alone: Breaking Our Silence About Women in the Bible and the Church Today. Englewood, CO: Patheos Press, 2011. Amazon Kindle edition. Padgett, Alan G. The Bible and Gender Troubles: American Evangelicals Debate Scripture and Submission.A Journal of Theology DIALOG 47, no. 1 (Spring, 2008): 21-26. Accessed February 28, 2014.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/j.15406385.2008.00364.x/abstract. Ware, Bruce. Summaries of the Egalitarian and Complementarian Positions. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. March 1, 2014. Accessed March 1, 2014.http://cbmw.org/uncategorized/summaries-of-the-egalitarian-and-complementarianpositions/. Warner Colaner, Colleen, and Susan C. Warner. The Effect of Egalitarian and Complementarian Gender Role Attitudes On Career Aspirations in Evangelical Female Undergraduate College Students. Journal of Psychology and Theology 33, no. 3 (Fall, 2005): 224-29. Accessed February 28, 2014.http://search.proquest.com/docview/223675829?accountid=12085.

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