3 Perspectives:

2. 3 Perspectives: • Authoritarian(traditional) • Egalitarian(equal) • Complementarian

3. Biblical Foundations • Exegesis (what it meant to original hearers)Context & Comparing Scripture with Scripture • God is a Trinity of absolute equalityand yet diversity in function/role • Adam and Eve were made “in Their image” – Genesis 1:26 • Ruling and reigning together – Gen. 1:26

4. Headship exists in: • The Trinity, marriage and in the church • 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 11:4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head. 11:5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head. 11:6 For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head. 11:7 For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. 11:8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. 11:9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for man. 11:10 For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

5. Headship exists in: • The Trinity, marriage and in the church • 1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, 3:2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct. 3:3 Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewlery or fine clothes – 3:4 but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. 3:5 For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, 3:6 like Sarah who obeyedAbraham, calling him lord. You become her childrenwhen you do what is good and have no fear in doing so. 3:7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honour as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.

6. Headship exists in: • The Trinity, marriage and in the church • 5:21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 5:23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the saviour of the body. 5:24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 5:26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 5:27 so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

7. Headship exists in: • The Trinity, marriage and in the church • 5:28 In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 5:29 For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 5:30 for we are members of his body. 5:31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will becomeone flesh. 5:32 This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 5:33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

8. 1 Corinthians 14:34 • 14:34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says. 14:35 If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home, because it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church. • Contrast with 1 Cor. 11“every woman who prays or prophesies...” • Silent = evaluating prophecy in leadership contextmaking more sense of as “the law says” (see NET notes)

9. 1 Timothy 2 • 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. • “authority” = Gk. authenteo – “to assume a stance of independent authority, to give orders, to dictate to” (NET)NOTE- ONLY time this Gk. word used in whole NT“quiet” = “absolute silence or quiet demeanour” • Possible historical context may shed light... (See Dr. Gordon Fee on 1 Timonthy)

10. Elders in NT are men: • Titus 1:5 ....appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless.....  • This is an issue of headship- not in/equality • Adam, not Eve, carried the ultimate responsibilityfor the Fall – Romans 5:12-21

11. How do we do it @ LHC? • Locally we see men as elders who govern (rule and reign) with their wives in team • Deacons can be women- 1 Tim. 3:11; Rom 16 • To distinguish more clearly: the men carry final responsibility to govern- doctrine, direction and discipline • All areas of ministry are open to women includingNCMI trans-local team function- Eph. 4:11-12