This component of my belief can be a touchy one. In an age where equality and oneness equate to sameness, this becomes a sore subject a lot of times. However, I believe it is clear from scripture and simply looking at nature that G-D created males and females different. He created them not to complete each other, but to complement each other. This is where I like to change Tom Cruise’s famous quote in Jerry Maguire from “YOU COMPLETE ME!” to “YOU COMPLEMENT ME!” Ha-ha, well it may not sound as cool but it gets the point across that only G-D can complete you. He alone can fulfill your needs and save you.
However, this does not mean that we were created to be alone, as Genesis 1, 2 lays out. Furthermore, the rest of the Bible is told about G-D’s story of creation, fall, redemption, sanctification, and glorification all in the context of growing together in a community of Israel, the Church, friends, and families.
Men and women have different roles, gifts, and talents. This is very much like how the church is gifted in different ways. Each individual is gifted in different ways. You could even break it down further that even brothers have different roles, gifts, and talents.
Men and women can equally have salvation in Christ, however there is a Biblical distinction still. This is very much like the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in essence, however, they have different roles. The Father leads, plans, and sends out the Son. The Son always obeys and follows the Father’s lead. The Holy Spirit is sent out by the Father and the Son to help us in growing to be more like Christ. On a side note, I really like how Wayne Grudem defines the work of the Holy Spirit in his book “Systematic Theology”, on page 634, below:
The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church.
So, they are all working together and are one, however, they have different roles.
Some things get distorted when speaking about men leading here. First, men are to lead with gentleness, compassion, and most of the time should be consulting their wives for any decisions made. The same goes for elders of a local church and their congregation. I really don’t like words like “domineering” and ”submission” because the meanings have been turned into negative connotations that normally make people think of the abuses and wrong use of power in leadership than what a Biblical meaning of the words are. We are all to submit to our L-rd Yeshua, however, no one thinks the same way about using the word “submit” in this context.
Women are to be patient, understanding, an encourager, and helper to their husbands as well, and not biting, attacking, or manipulating them to get their way. Women may very well be more gifted at certain roles than men at home and church. However, the Bible calls men to take on certain roles, such as being leaders in their homes and elders in the local church body. The elders are held accountable for leading the Church and making final decisions, just as husbands are held accountable for leading their families.
Basically, complementarianism believes that only men should be elders of the Church and should be heads of their family. This looks a little different in each Church and family depending on the circumstances.
Wayne Grudem and John Piper explain it thoroughly and well in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which can be found online at http://www.cbmw.org/Recovering-Biblical-Manhood-and-Womanhood/. Furthermore, the website for The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood has many resources and information to research this topic at http://www.cbmw.org/.
After researching this topic, I’ve found it a beautiful thing that G-D has created. However, everything created has been abused in some form or fashion. This gives us distorted pictures that makes us jump to negative conclusions. I would urge you to study it first.
The Village Church has some good articles on this topic, as well.
http://www.thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/whatiscomplementarianism.pdf
http://www.thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/husbandsastheprimarybreadwinners.pdf
I really think this article is great located at http://www.thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/article-womens-responsibility-and-authority-at-the-village-church.pdf. It breaks down very detailed roles of women’s responsibility at The Village Church. I hope this is encouraging.
I don’t really know how this works out in the areas of work and government. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with women leaders in the work place. It may be a hard thing and blur the lines of the family, if the woman is directly over her husband in the work place, though. I believe each married couple would need to discuss this depending on their circumstances. My hope is that we will grow in grace, hope, understanding, and love, in Christ Jesus.
This may be my shortest post:) Next time it is Christian Hedonism.
Grace and peace be with you,
In Messiah Yeshua,
Coley
Tags: Biblical Manhood, Biblical Womanhood, Complementarianism
January 8, 2012 at 8:40 pm |
[...] This said, I believe that Israel and the Church are distinct entities with different calls and roles. They are both people of G-D. I do not believe there is salvation outside of Yeshua, neither. At this point, you may bring up Galatians 3:28, “28 There is neither *Jew nor Greek, there is neither *slave nor free man, there is neither *male nor female ; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” However, this line also mentions “male nor female”. Does this mean that all females are male now? Or are all males female now? Or have we somehow become asexual? Is there no distinction or roles between male and females now? Well, I covered this in an earlier blog http://smoothcookies.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/my-faith-dissected-the-journey-complementarianism/. [...]