If you consistently follow complementarian theology to its natural end, the husband takes the place of God in his wife’s life. That is, the man’s relationship with God is a direct one—he makes ultimate decisions for his wife and family based on what he perceives to be the will of God. But in the complementarian model, is the same true of the woman? Does God not guide her as an individual too? Is she accountable for her actions, or is she only accountable for how well she submits to her husband? What about her ability to hear and interpret God’s will? The first women’s right’s convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, tackled this question head-on in their Declaration of Sentiments. Speaking of men, the authors wrote: “He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and her God.” Keep Reading…
This article originally appears in Arise, the blog of Christians for Biblical Equality International. Visit CBE International to read the original publication.
