God’s Design for Gender Distinctions and Why They Matter
“If we can’t have clarity on God’s design for gender distinctions in the Church, how can we effectively shine the light of truth in a culture that has lost its way on this issue? It only takes a moment of reading current headlines to see that our world is being turned inside out and upside down regarding God’s design for gender. ”
The topic of gender roles in the church has become the pin in the proverbial grenade. You pull it out and there is sure to be an explosion of feelings, opinions, and emotional reactions. I suppose that’s why so many churches avoid teaching on this subject. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve only recently begun to understand the gravity of this issue. Two years ago I couldn’t have told you the difference between complementarianism and egalitarianism. I knew the two viewpoints existed, but I could never keep their definitions straight, nor was I certain where I stood on the matter. I knew there were theological arguments for both sides, so I assumed as long as a person drew their conclusions from Scripture it didn’t matter where they landed on the topic. I had plenty of room for both viewpoints in my paradigm as I assumed it simply boiled down to one’s preference. I now realize how misguided my thinking was. God is not a God of confusion; if you think about it, the two viewpoints cannot both be true. I’ve heard so many people say that the bible is unclear on this topic, yet when I looked at the Word myself, that is not what I found. The Bible is incredibly clear on this issue. Perhaps the challenge is in how we approach the Word of God. Do we filter Scripture through our own sensitivity filter before we decide what it means? Or do we lay aside our personal bias and receive God’s Word with humility, allowing it to have its proper place of authority over us?
The book of James gives us clear instruction on how we are to receive God’s Word:
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” - James 1:19-21
I always thought this passage was God’s advice for how to interact with people we disagree with. While indeed helpful, that is not the context of what is being taught. These verses are actually God’s instructions for how we are to receive His Word. We must first be quick to listen to it rather than react and become defensive. Then, we must be slow to speak God’s Word, realizing there is a greater accountability for those who teach; not many should become teachers. (James 3:1) Lastly, we are told to be slow to anger. We must receive the Word in a posture of humility and trust that God is God and we are not. I think it’s important that we take James’ instruction to heart when approaching this volatile topic. If the Bible says something different than what we feel comfortable with or what we have always believed about this issue, are we willing to yield to His Word and be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry?
Without any further ado, let's take a look at the two viewpoints. “Summarized by The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, complementarianism is the viewpoint that God restricts women from serving in certain church leadership roles and instead calls women to serve in equally important, but complementary roles. Summarized by Christians for Biblical Equality, egalitarianism is the viewpoint that there are no biblical gender-based restrictions on ministry in the church.” (gotquestions.org) In our current cultural climate where equality is king, egalitarianism seems to be the obvious choice between the two viewpoints and the one that is most widely practiced in our churches. However, our position on this issue should not be based on a cultural norm, preference, or feelings, but on what the bible teaches. If Christ is the head of the Church, then it is Him, His created design, and His Word that should determine how we walk out His prescribed instructions for proper ordering and conduct of His Church. Granted, this is a secondary issue that does not determine one’s salvation, however, It’s an issue that matters now more than ever. If we can’t have clarity on God’s design for gender distinctions in the Church, how can we effectively shine the light of truth in a culture that has lost its way on this issue? It only takes a moment of reading current headlines to see that our world is being turned inside out and upside down regarding God’s design for gender. From a Supreme Court justice who cannot answer the question, “what is a woman?”, to the forced use of preferred pronouns, to non-binary birth certificates, transgender athletes competing in female sports, and the controversial practice of gender affirming surgeries and therapies on children who have not yet gone through puberty - it all feels dystopian. When disoriented by darkness, we must go back to the beginning and turn on the light of God’s Word to illuminate our understanding.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
- John 1:1-5
According to this scripture, Jesus was preexistent with God before the creation of the world. It is through Him that everything was made. He is supreme over all creation. When we take the name, “Christian”, we are identifying ourselves as a follower of Christ. This means we willingly submit to His Lordship over us and over the creation that He made. Instead of attempting to undo His design, thinking we know better than God, we must trust that He lovingly, sovereignly determined whether we would be male or female, and assigned us our corresponding functions in the home and the Church. We must approach His Word with the appropriate level of humility and awareness of our proper place in the order of things; He is the Creator, we are the created. Going back to the beginning we are given an intimate look at the intention of God’s divine design for male and female.
The creation account is recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis. Chapter one chronicles God’s order of creation, starting with the heavens and the earth, and climaxing with God making Man and Woman in His image and assigning them to the duty of subduing and filling the earth. He expresses His satisfaction over what He made by beholding that it was “very good”. Chapter two zooms in for a more detailed account of how and in what order God created Man and Woman. God formed Adam first, placed him in the Garden of Eden and assigned him his vocation of tending and keeping the Garden. He also instructed Adam that he could eat from any tree in the Garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, lest he die. Then God brought before Adam every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens to see what he would call them. After Adam named all the creatures God had created, it was found that there was not a helper suitable for him. So God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While he slept, God took one of his ribs and formed it into a woman. When God presented her to Adam, he exclaimed, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” - Genesis 2:23. At this point the first marriage was established as God refers to Adam and Eve as man and wife and instructs the man to hold fast to his wife and become one flesh. It’s important to note that God made male and female and assigned them their roles before the fall.
We are not given exact details regarding the roles assigned to Adam and Eve, but can ascertain that God uniquely designed Eve’s body to bear and nourish a child, thus fulfilling the mandate to multiply. Likewise, Adam’s body was uniquely designed with the strength to till the land, thus fulfilling the mandate to subdue the earth. Certainly Adam and Eve had an interdependence on one another to fulfill their mandates, however, it’s apparent that God designed them with unique abilities that the other one did not possess. They were not interchangeable. They were meant to complement one another. While their distinct roles are not directly stated in the text, it is implied and confirmed by the corresponding punishments God laid out for them in the curse after the fall. As a consequence for being deceived by the Serpent and disobeying God, Eve was given the punishment of pain in childbirth and the frustration of having a desire to control her husband while he rules over her. Adam was condemned to much difficulty and anguish in fulfilling his mandate of tilling the earth. The ground from which he came was now cursed and to that ground he would return when he died, as sin and death were now part of the equation. These observations are significant because they reveal the scheme of the devil. His goal is complete destruction and distortion of God’s good design. It’s interesting to note that his first strategic attack against God’s creation was aimed at destroying the once harmonious relationship between man and woman.
In our fallen state, defined roles can feel offensive. No one likes the idea of being fenced in. We strive for autonomy and prefer the authority of self over the authority of God. Even objective truth is considered oppressive these days. I understand the discomfort of limitations, but I can attest that there is a paradoxical comfort found when we surrender control and trust to the One who made us, loves us, and gave Himself for us. (I will share more about this at the end of this post) When considering the two viewpoints it’s important to know what Scriptures they use to build their argument on. The cornerstone verse that egalitarians build their argument upon is Galatians 3:28,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28
Unfortunately, using this verse as a basis for abolishing gender distinctions in the Church does damage to the text. When this verse is read in context it’s abundantly clear that Paul is referring to salvation being available to all without any descrimination based on ethnicity, economic status, or gender. To apply this to gender roles in the Church is taking it beyond the scope of the argument Paul was making. Egalitarians also suggest that gender distinctions are a result of the fallenness of our relationships and now that we are “in Christ' they have been removed. This is problematic because gender roles were established by God before the fall, not after.
One of the critical passages complementarians build their argument on is 1 Timothy 2:11-14. It’s important to examine this passage in its context as well. Paul conveys his purpose for writing this letter to Timothy when he states in 1 Timothy 3:14-15 that his reason for writing was so they would know how one ought to behave in the household of God. With that in mind, we know that this instruction was given to women so they would know how to conduct themselves in the church,
“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” - 1 Timothy 2:11-14
Many egalitarian scholars argue that this passage was culturally circumstantial. They claim that Paul was addressing an issue that was going on in that church at that particular time. However, Paul clearly states the reason for his instruction in verse 13, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve…” The reason for his instruction was rooted in creation, not culture. In addition, similar instructions are consistently given to women regarding their conduct at church and in the home throughout Scripture. (See: 1 Corinthians 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Peter 3:1-6; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:3-5) It’s clear that God wants both men and women to know their telos - their purpose and place in His created order - and when received with a heart that fully trusts and believes in the wise, loving intention of God’s good design - this can be a beautiful, powerful thing.
These distinctions between male and female are not meant to create contention but harmony. They reveal the mystery of the gospel by emulating the picture of Christ’s sacrificial love for His bride, the Church, and the Church’s humble submission to His Lordship. Each joyfully and willingly playing their part in order to put God’s glory on display in the home and in the Church. The difference in roles do not indicate a disparity in value. We see this equal but different distinction patterned in the hierarchy of the Trinity,
“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” - 1 Corinthians 11:3
If Jesus models submission in the context of the Trinity, then we as women should not view submission as a negative thing.
We must be careful not to project our brokenness unto God. Without question the sinfulness of man has distorted and abused God’s good design for gender distinctions. It has been the source of sin, pain, and evil in the Church. It’s a natural response for women to push back against this, however, I fear we are in danger of throwing the baby out with bath water. We shouldn’t dismiss God’s instructions because sinful men have done a bad job of carrying them out. In our flesh we are powerless, but when we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) When we understand the power of the gospel and how Jesus' death on the cross has set us free from the power of sin and death, we can live godly lives that are no longer bound by the pattern and consequences of the fall. We can flourish and thrive within the parameters of God’s original design. Furthermore, it’s God’s intent for His Church to be the conduit through which His wisdom is revealed.
“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
- Ephesians 3:8-10
This is why it’s so imperative that our churches accurately portray God’s order and design to the world. When we do this, our homes, churches and lives will be truly blessed.
This feels incredibly vulnerable to share here, but I feel I will not do God or this blog post justice if I’m not completely transparent about the pitfalls of my flesh while serving on staff at an egalitarian church. When biblical standards are held loosely there is a cascade of brokenness that follows. Just as Scripture is clear about women’s roles in the Church it is also clear about the qualifications for Pastors in the Church. (*note: the word “overseer” is interchangeable with the words “elder”, and “pastor”)
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” - 1 Timothy 3:1-7
It’s clear from this list of qualifications that God’s expectation for the man who fills the role of Pastor / Overseer is incredibly high. When we make exceptions to this list we compromise our effectiveness and diminish the respect that is due to the one who holds this title. The title of “Pastor” should not be given out loosely. Many staff people at my previous church, including myself, were bestowed the title of “Pastor” if they oversaw a ministry department. This created some blurry lines and often caused confusion in my heart. I struggled with jealousy and ambition, comparing myself to others and desiring more opportunities. I often felt frustrated by the incongruence of being told that I was a leader yet rarely being included in leadership decisions that were made primarily by men. It felt like there was a latent fear that if a female staff person were given a little inclusion, she would want more, thus opening the floodgates to something that would be difficult to control. I don’t blame them for this. The ambiguity was painful. It felt like we were playing church with blindfolds on, no one knowing for sure where the lines were drawn. When I compare this experience to my last two years at a complementarian church, the difference is dramatic.
As an attendee and volunteer at my current church I can honestly say that I have never felt so loved, valued, and utilized in the Body of Christ. I have been warmly embraced by leadership and given every opportunity to serve and use my gifts. The only place I cannot serve is in the office of Elder or Pastor and I am 100% okay with that. This is especially easy to accept when the men who fill those roles are biblically qualified to do so. I have nothing but deep love and respect for them and desire with all my heart to support, pray for, and serve them to the best of my ability. I no longer serve from a place of ambition, but from a genuine desire to glorify God. I know clearly where my boundaries are and I am overjoyed to operate within them. I believe this is the fruit of a church that faithfully follows God’s prescriptive instructions for His Church and walks them out in faith, humility, and obedience.
