How to Address Questions Concerning Gender Roles

At CityView Church and the Network in which I’m involved, we hold to a position that is known as the "complimentary" view of gender roles—a belief that men are to lead in both church and home…and by "lead", we don't mean dominate or abuse, but to lead and love like Jesus (Ephesians 5:22-27).

Male leadership does not imply superiority on the part of the male or inferiority on the part of the female.  On the contrary, the idea of male headship in both church and home is 100% consistent with the understanding of equality of status and dignity given to both men and women in Genesis 1:26-27.

Thus, male headship is not in conflict with the incredible redemption found in the Gospel that prompts Paul to declare that we are "neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28-29).

Now...having said all this, I believe many complementarians do a terrible job of offering a defense for their views.  Thus, I would like to suggest a way to think through how we communicate these important truths to those that might be reasonably skeptical of male headship.

In light of former President Jimmy Carter's recent article related to this matter and having recently spoken on the subject of men and boys during our Fathers' Day service at CityView Church, I felt that an essay on this matter would be timely (and hopefully, helpful).

It is my conviction that those who hold to a male-headship view need to think through a defense of their views on three fronts.  First, we need to think through this subject biblically.  What does the Bible say on this matter?  What are the most basic and elemental texts that speak to gender roles?  If you can't make a scripturally sound defense of the complimentary view, it will be difficult to speak intelligently on the matter.

Not only should a complimentarian think through these things scripturally, but theologically.  What are the doctrinal implications of not holding to a complimenarian position?  What key doctrines will need to be adjusted to make way for the egalitarian view?  If you can't make a theological defense of male headship, it will be difficult to converse with those that want to think and speak philosophically on the matter. 

A final way in which one must think through matters related to male headship is personally.  How do you live out the tension of co-equal, yet different roles?  How does your behavior and attitude speak to a successfully sanctified out-working of scriptural gender roles?  How does your life fight against the notion that male headship necessitates a low view of women?  If you can't convey--in speech, attitude and action--a reasonable case for the consistency of male headship with equality of worth and dignity, you will be handicapped in any discussion you might have on this matter. 

It is my belief that if one is going to teach and persuade others of male-headship, one must have clarity on at least one key talking-point that addresses the issue for each of the aforementioned fronts--biblically, theologically and personally.  The truth is, some people will only be willing to discuss the matter from one angle.  Do you know how you would discuss male leadership in such a way that both persuades and conveys the Gospel?

To read the complete version of this article that includes examples of the key talking-points I tend to use, go HERE.