Theme | March 2023

Under Reconstruction: How the Egalitarian Beachball Wrecks the Household of God

As pragmatic commitments lead the twenty-first century church to rebuild itself in novel ways, we want to recover what Scripture says about men, women, and the office of pastor. While women assuming the pastoral office is not new, it is not supported by a careful reading of Scripture. For some, the office of pastor is like a toy—a beachball that can be passed between men and women alike. But when we disobey the One who made us, we bring a wrecking ball to the household of God. Therefore, with our eyes fixed on his Word, we will take the month of March to examine God’s good design for men and women in church and to show why the pulpit is reserved for biblically qualified men.
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Table of Contents

Longform

The Egalitarian Beachball Is a Church Wrecking Ball

By David Schrock • Longform Essay • March 1
What looks colorful and playful . . . until it smashes into the household of God? It's a wrecking ball disguised as the Egalitarian Beachball, and its coming for the Southern Baptist Convention.
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Concise

Is the Slippery Slope Actually Slippery? Egalitarianism and the Open-and-Affirming Position

By Colin Smothers • Concise Article • March 2
Does embracing female pastors eventually lead to embracing practicing homosexual pastors? A lesson in hermeneutics.
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Concise

Paul’s Teaching on Women’s Roles in Titus 2:3–5

By Marny Köstenberger • Concise Article • March 3
Although our culture has become confused regarding the roles of men and women, Scripture provides an unchanging guide for these issues. So what does the Bible have to say about God's glorious purpose for women?
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Longform

On Complementarity

By Colin Smothers • Longform Essay • March 6
God's word and God's world both testify to complementarity between men and women. So, what exactly is complementarity and why does it promote flourishing for everyone?
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Podcast

2.10 David Schrock • Reading • “The Egalitarian Beachball Is a Church Wrecking Ball”

By David Schrock • Podcast Reading • March 6
What looks colorful and playful . . . until it smashes into the household of God? It's a wrecking ball disguised as the Egalitarian Beachball, and its coming for the Southern Baptist Convention.
Listen to Podcast
Concise

Paul’s Teaching on Male Elders in 1 Timothy 2–3 

By Andreas Köstenberger • Concise Article • March 7
Elders are to manage the household of God, but who does Scripture permit to hold the office of elder? And were these qualifications limited to the New Testament era, or are they binding for the church throughout time?
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Podcast

2.11 Colin Smothers • Reading • “On Complementarity”

By Colin Smothers • Podcast Reading • March 8
God's word and God's world both testify to complementarity between men and women. So, what exactly is complementarity and why does it promote flourishing for everyone?
Listen to Podcast
Concise

Women and Head Coverings: Explaining and Applying 1 Corinthians 11:2–16

By Andy Naselli • Concise Article • March 8
What do head coverings teach us about men and women? And how do we apply Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 in our culture today?
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Podcast

2.12 Colin Smothers, David Schrock, Trent Hunter • Interview • “On Complementarity”

By Colin Smothers, David Schrock, Trent Hunter • Podcast Interview • March 13
God's word and God's world both testify to complementarity between men and women. So, what exactly is complementarity and why does it promote flourishing for everyone?
Listen to Podcast
Concise

Women Teaching in Complementarian Churches

By Robert Lyon • Concise Article • March 13
It may come as a surprise that some complementarian churches actually affirm women preaching. How did they arrive at these conclusions? And what are the dangers of this position and its underlying arguments?
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Concise

The Conversation Behind the Conversation: How Ecclesiological Assumptions Shape Our Complementarianism

By Sam Emadi • Concise Article • March 14
How do our views on the church and spiritual gifts impact our thinking on roles of men and women in the church? As it turns out, in more ways than you might think.
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Concise

The Impossibility of Eldering: On the Good and Proper Role of Women in the Church

By Abigail Dodds • Concise Article • March 15
That God created us all either male or female is not an arbitrary bit of information, but actually shapes what our discipleship looks like. So, what is the proper role of women in God's good design?
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Concise

Creation, Men and Women, and the Household of God

By Todd Pruitt • Concise Article • March 16
God did not randomly assign roles for men and women in the church. Rather, these flow directly from his created order. Will we uphold the good design of Genesis 2, or continue the rebellion of Genesis 3?
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Concise

A Not-So-Biblical Survey of Women in the Bible: A Thirty-Seven Point Response to Andrew Hebert

By David Schrock • Concise Article • March 17
When imprecision about the Bible is amplified through social media, a viral tweet can do untold damage to biblical truth. In response to a pastor’s recent statement about women in the Bible, this article will put into context more than three dozen verses offered by this misleading tweet.
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Concise

Truth Be Told: Empirical Research Regarding Complementarian Institutional Vitality

By Linda Reed • Concise Article • March 20
They said, "If you hold to a complementarian position, your organization will die." But what does the empirical data actually show?
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Concise

An Interview on Male and Female He Created Them: A Study on Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage

By Denny Burk, David Closson, Colin Smothers • Concise Article • March 21
What is an accessible resource to help churches explain what God's Word says about manhood and womanhood? Enter Male and Female he Created Them
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Longform

Criteria for When a Woman Can Teach Among Christians

By Jonathan Leeman • Longform Essay • March 22
Does Scripture permit a woman to teach a Sunday School class? What about lead a small group? While Scripture clearly teaches complementary roles for men and women, applying this teaching to various ministry settings requires careful thought. So, what does a faithful and wise complementarianism look like in practice?
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Podcast

2.13 Jonathan Leeman • Reading • “Criteria for When a Woman Can Teach Among Christians”

By Jonathan Leeman • Podcast Reading • March 22
Does Scripture permit a woman to teach a Sunday School class? What about lead a small group? While Scripture clearly teaches complementary roles for men and women, applying this teaching to various ministry settings requires careful thought. So, what does a faithful and wise complementarianism look like in practice?
Listen to Podcast
Longform

Poking Holes in the Egalitarian Beachball: Seven Arguments against Female Pastors

By Trent Hunter • Longform Essay • March 23
What do you say when your daughter turns to you and curiously asks, "So why can't women be pastors?" Through seven different responses to current arguments, our answer boils down to this: "Because we trust our good and wise God."
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Concise

Practical Complementarity

By Chad Lawrence • Concise Article • March 24
Must we sheepishly uphold Scripture's teaching on the roles of men and women, embarrassed by its "outdated" ideas? Absolutely not! The sweet song of complementarity causes homes to flourish, so we should gladly sing along.
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Podcast

2.14 Jonathan Leeman, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • “Criteria for When a Woman Can Teach Among Christians”

By Jonathan Leeman, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Podcast Interview • March 27
Does Scripture permit a woman to teach a Sunday School class? What about lead a small group? While Scripture clearly teaches complementary roles for men and women, applying this teaching to various ministry settings requires careful thought. So, what does a faithful and wise complementarianism look like in practice?
Listen to Podcast
Concise

Endless Repackagings of Egalitarianism: Four Important Book Reviews

By Michael Carlino • Concise Article • March 27
There is nothing new under the sun. How do four recent books give a new spin on an old sin?
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Concise

The Beauty of Biblically Broad Complementarianism

By Kevin DeYoung • Concise Article • March 29
What are the ABCDEs of differences between males and females, easy enough for a child to understand? They are Appearance, Body, Character, Demeanor, and (with a little cheating) Eager posture.
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Concise

What That Hideous Strength Teaches Us About Marriage and God

By Brad Green • Concise Article • March 31
While a science-fiction novel, C. S. Lewis's That Hideous Strength has much to teach us about our own reality. Namely, masculine leadership is not an obstacle to overcome but an aspect of God's good design.
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Concise

March Intermission: From Complementarianism to the Person and Work of Christ

By David Schrock • Concise Article • April 1
As the Bible's beautiful vision for men and women continues to be undermined by the egalitarian beach ball-turned-wrecking-ball, we provide here a recap of March 2023's articles and a preview of our glorious theme in April: our crucified and risen savior.
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Podcast

2.17 Mike Law Jr., David Schrock • Interview • “Female Pastors in the SBC: An Interview with Mike Law (March Encore)”

By Mike Law Jr., David Schrock • Podcast Interview • April 12
Listen in as Mike Law Jr. and David Schrock discuss the state of female pastors in the SBC.
Listen to Podcast
Concise

Encore: Skill, Talent, and the Call to be an “Excellent” Female Preacher

By Matt Kennedy • Concise Article • May 9
If a worldly "excellence" is our only goal, then bring on the female preachers. But if God desires faithfulness over flashiness, then our selection of preachers is based on qualifications, and not mere giftings.
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Concise

Encore: The SBC’s Gordian Knot Problem

By Jason Gray • Concise Article • May 11
In Greek mythology, a farmer named Gordias tied a knot that nobody could untie. The SBC has a Gordian Knot problem: almost a dozen strands that must be identified to be untied.
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Concise

Encore: Rick Warren and Twelve Points of Manipulative Rhetoric in His “Open Letter to All Southern Baptists”

By Glenn LaRue • Concise Article • June 13
Strong rhetoric sometimes masks weak arguments. Here are 12 points of manipulative rhetoric used by Rick Warren in the past which might very well show up in the future.
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Upcoming

Recommended

The Best Resources from Around the Web

Article

Why I Am a Complementarian

by Colin Smothers

Book

Men and Women, Equal Yet Different: A Brief Study of the Biblical Passages on Gender

by Alexander Strauch

Book

Man and Woman in Christ: An Examination of the Roles of Men and Women in Light of Scripture and the Social Sciences

by Stephen Clark

Sermon

Thoughts on Function, Office, and Other Things: Dr. Tom Schreiner on 1 Tim 2:12

by Tom Schreiner

Article

The Definitive Analysis of 1 Timothy 2:12

by Andy Naselli

Book

Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15

by Andreas Köstenberger and Tom Schreiner

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9Marks Journal

by 9Marks

Book

God’s Design for Man and Woman: A Biblical-Theological Survey

by Andreas Köstenberger and Margaret Köstenberger

Video

Priestesses in the Church?

by C. S. Lewis

Article

The Danvers Statement

by The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Sermon

The Beauty of Biblically Broad Complementarianism • Kevin DeYoung

by Kevin DeYoung

Article

Why Complementarianism Is Crucial to Discipleship

by Jonathan Leeman

Applying All the Scriptures to All of Life

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Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Editor-in-Chief: David Schrock  •  Theological Editors: Stephen Wellum, Ardel Caneday, Brad Green  •  Pastoral Editor: Trent Hunter  •  Managing Editor: Kevin McClure  •  Assistant Editor: Luke Uhl  

Editorial Email: Christisoverall@gmail.com

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