In a response to evangelical feminism, John Piper and Wayne Grudem provide an important overview and practical application in this book. Herein, is insight on what biblical manhood and womanhood looks like from an evangelical, conservative viewpoint. The primary purpose is to recover and provide solutions on biblical manhood and womanhood as God created them to be, feel fully equal before God, family, and church. Their secondary purpose is to respond to evangelical feminism. Once again, my understanding of this topic was stretched and challenged. To follow are summaries of the key topic areas they address.
Prefaces
The 2006 Preface opens with the statement how radical feminism over the last 20 years has had a vast impact on our culture …show more content…
Gender distinctions are no longer important, following the evolution of feminism in the current culture. Additionally, there are men entering ministry with less formal training. These facts are impacting complementarians, causing there to be many variations, or splinters, of the complementarian viewpoint. Some of these variations are allowing the ordination of women. Many evangelicals are looking for middle ground in the debate between egalitarianism and complementarianism. However, the authors believe that any middle ground viewpoint is simply another version of …show more content…
It is not the final destiny. Our final destiny is after the resurrection. Scripture states in Mark 12:25, that marriage as we know it will no longer exist. For further encouragement, Piper states “In fact, there is some warrant for thinking that the kinds of self-denial involved in singleness could make one a candidate for greater capacities for love in the age to come.” (Piper, Grudem xviii) Secondly, consider that Jesus as a perfect fully human man was single. Jesus displays that the physical is simply one part of the person, not the complete person. Personhood is deeper. Jesus displays singleness with having deep friendships with men and women. Third and fourthly, singleness also provides more opportunity to focus on the ministry of Christ, as the Apostle Paul and other missionaries have displayed. One can have an undivided devotion to Christ and freedom in scheduling without anxiety. With this freedom, a single man or woman can be more reactionary to what is needed for the Lord in the moment, and get the most out of the time God gives them. The caution in this though for those that are married, to be careful not to abuse this situation and overuse a single’s availability of time, but encourage a balance of nurturing relationships. Renouncing marriage also provides more scheduling time for the sake of the
Prefaces
The 2006 Preface opens with the statement how radical feminism over the last 20 years has had a vast impact on our culture …show more content…
Gender distinctions are no longer important, following the evolution of feminism in the current culture. Additionally, there are men entering ministry with less formal training. These facts are impacting complementarians, causing there to be many variations, or splinters, of the complementarian viewpoint. Some of these variations are allowing the ordination of women. Many evangelicals are looking for middle ground in the debate between egalitarianism and complementarianism. However, the authors believe that any middle ground viewpoint is simply another version of …show more content…
It is not the final destiny. Our final destiny is after the resurrection. Scripture states in Mark 12:25, that marriage as we know it will no longer exist. For further encouragement, Piper states “In fact, there is some warrant for thinking that the kinds of self-denial involved in singleness could make one a candidate for greater capacities for love in the age to come.” (Piper, Grudem xviii) Secondly, consider that Jesus as a perfect fully human man was single. Jesus displays that the physical is simply one part of the person, not the complete person. Personhood is deeper. Jesus displays singleness with having deep friendships with men and women. Third and fourthly, singleness also provides more opportunity to focus on the ministry of Christ, as the Apostle Paul and other missionaries have displayed. One can have an undivided devotion to Christ and freedom in scheduling without anxiety. With this freedom, a single man or woman can be more reactionary to what is needed for the Lord in the moment, and get the most out of the time God gives them. The caution in this though for those that are married, to be careful not to abuse this situation and overuse a single’s availability of time, but encourage a balance of nurturing relationships. Renouncing marriage also provides more scheduling time for the sake of the