Where is all this headed? #2

Today I’d like to write about two philosophical and theological positions: patriarchalism (as defined by the feminists and egalitarians) and egalitarianism. Let me say up front that if Patriarchalism is what is represented by feminists were true, I would be against it from top to bottom. So, what I’m writing here is not regarding what Biblical patriarchy is (Father Rule), but the straw man that feminists are fighting against. Both ideologies ungodly patriarchalism and all Egalitarianism) are sinful. The both in ditches, just on opposite sides of the road.

There have been men, cultures, whole societies even that have been built on ungodly patriarchal foundations and philosophies. The basic reason is that ungodly patriarchy is based on power and might rather than love and grace. This is evil. Might doesn’t make right. God makes right.

However, egalitarianism is the exact same thing coming from the women instead of from the men. For eons, men have dominated women because they are sinful and want what they want. They have used their size and strength to ensure that this situation continues. But something happened in our society (Vietnam, communism, music, world wars, etc.) such that everyone noticed what was going on and our culture condemned injustice and power and authority as a cultural movement. Some sentiments heard repeatedly in the 60’s were things like, “we are anti-establishment,” “down with the Man,” “the government and anything that seeks to control us is bad and needs to be controlled itself.” So, nowadays, those who were the underdog (the hippies and protesters, etc.) have the authority and power. The difference is that in addition to using size and strength to control others, these new leaders use shame and the fear to control. The result is called, in its strict form, feminism. The “light” version is called egalitarianism. Everyone is supposed to be equal in every respect. Who could object to such a nice sentiment?

Some might say this describes secular egalitarianism, Christian egalitarianism is different. But this article is here to tell you that the Christian version is just an extension of the same paganism. It’s just operating in the church. Egalitarian Christians (an oxymoron, I think) believed the lie that the world told them and brought it into the church. Now, they are looking as diligently as they can to prove that it is Biblical. The problem is that neither patriarchalism nor egalitarianism is taught in the Bible. So, egalitarians tilt at patriarchal windmills and twist and spin Scripture to back their side.

Here’s the problem with both ungodly patriarchalism and egalitarianism: They are both denials of how the Bible says he made the world and how people should be living before the face of God. One says men should dominate. The other says women should dominate. Oh, I know, what is actually said is that women and men are the same.

Let’s check this out with a short case study:

Pat and Wilbur are a young couple. They decide to take a trip to the supermarket. Before and as they go, several decisions will need to be made. Which car will they take (they have two)? Who will drive? Which route will they take? Will they take a cart of a basket? Will they check out with a checker or will they do it themselves? The real question is who will decide? Of course, you will say, these are silly examples. What is the egalitarian answer? No one is in charge. No one gets to pick. There are no God-given roles. I’m serious. How do Pat and Wilbur get to and through the market?

Maybe they take turns, “You picked last time, it’s my turn this time.” But what if Pat reeeeeallly wants her way this time? What if both Pat and Wilbur reeeeeally want their own way? Maybe they should flip a coin. “I’ll flip. Oh, wait, no, you flip.” “Uh, uh, my coin.”

In both systems, things will run along really smoothly as long as Pat and Wilbur agree on everything. But God put us in a world filled with sin. And Pat and Wilbur are both sinners. And this means that Pat and Wilbur both want what they want and therefore do what they do. And sometimes, even if they don’t really care which route they take to the store, they aren’t going to let the other tell them what to do. And their pride won’t let either back down.

In the old patriarchal days, Wilbur would decide which car they would take to the market. In the new egalitarian system, Pat will decide.

But, no. They are both equal. No one has an advantage. But if that’s what you really believe, you’re living in la la land. Here’s why in the new system Pat will rule the family. Suppose Wilbur wants to take his car, Pat wants to take hers. In the old days, Wilbur would flex his manly muscles and bully his way to it. Now, he’s lost his ability to flex and so he must submit his will to his wife’s. She might condescend and take his car, but at the end of the discussion, in order to avoid being accused of something (insensitivity, bullying, not being loving or kind, etc.) Wilbur will “cave” to Pat’s desires, lower his head in humility, and do whatever Pat wants to do. Are Pat and Wilbur the same? Only on paper. It is impossible, in a sin-filled world, for husbands and wives to be the same (or any two people who disagree but need to work together). Someone must make the final decision, and someone has to go along with that decision. In a world where people don’t submit to God, the one with the power makes the decision. In a paternal world, men have the power. In an egalitarian world, women rule the day.

But is either ungodly patriarchalism or egalitarianism what God prescribes for us in the Bible? No! No! a thousand times no. Both systems assume the world’s view of how leadership and servanthood is established and maintained. The world’s system of might and right is illustrated by the game, King of the Hill. In that game, everyone tries to knock everyone else off the hill until they are alone at the top—the winner—the King of the Hill. Where God is not acknowledged, this is how everything is run. The top person in the government is the woman who got rid of all her competition. The top woman in business is the woman who arranged it so that she alone was at the top. The winner in a discussion is the one who shuts down her opponent and gets the others to slink away in ignominy and shame.

What does the Bible say instead?

But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:43–44)

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (Jn 15:13)

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:1–2)

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5:21)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. (Eph. 6:5–8)

And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. (Eph. 6:9)

(my emphasis throughout)

If we take all these passages, and I could have gone on and on, we don’t see equality anywhere. All we see is humility and service. Instead of knocking one another off the hill, we are to crawl under the hill and lift it up. We are to lay down our lives for one another. We serve one another as slaves serve masters in an ungodly patriarchal society, where they have no other choice. But we have a choice, even if we lived in that kind of culture, because we are imitating and obeying the creator of the universe who loves us and lays down his life to serve us.

This is not an isolated theme in Scripture. It is what everything in the Bible points to. Over and over again, the Bible tells us to imitate God.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross (Phil. 2:5–8).

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1).

God humbled himself, became a man, let men kill him and he did it because he loved us. In fact, his doing it was an act of love. In 1 Peter it tells us,

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds, you have been healed (1 Pet 2:21–24).

When Jesus was being nailed to the cross, his being nailed was an active act of love toward those who were pounding. This is God becoming a man. He was not becoming equal with us, he was getting down on his hands and knees, lowering himself below us, getting under the pile and lifting it up. And this is what he calls us to do and be as well.

The egalitarian agenda is an egregious and sinful philosophy. It strives to help us come out of the ungodly patriarchal ditch, but instead of rescuing us, it merely plunks us into the ditch on the other side of the road. The solution is to confess this heinous sin, repent of it, and follow Jesus.

Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash