>I came across this conclusion to a post seemingly against the Biblical mandate of patriarchy for family government:
Patriarchy is the result of man’s sinful desire to control and dominate and should be, by God’s grace, avoided at all costs.
(link)
I realize that there are many feminists (of both sexes) out there, but it is absolutely ridiculous to the point of absurdity to suggest that Christians should seek to rebel against God’s mandate of patriarchy. The article that concludes with the comment above shows a lack of sense so profound that, at first, I figured that the author must be joking.
The article is wrong on so many levels it is tough to summarize them.
1) Patriarchy is Not the Result of the Fall
Yes, the specific statement that Adam would rule over Eve was given upon the fall, but Eve was created under Adam’s headship: a help meet for him, from his rib. It was in Adam’s sin that mankind fell (not in Adam’s and Eve’s sin).
2) Human Government Necessary Because of Fall
However, further, human government is necessary because of sin. If men were angels, we would not need a government. This is true in all spheres of authority: it is necessary for children to have parents, for wives to have husbands, for servants to have masters, for citizens to have kings, and for the church to have elders.
3) The Powers that be are Ordained by God
This, again, is true in all spheres of authority. Parents are ordained over their children – husbands over their wives – masters over their servants – kings over their subjects – and the elders over the church.
Mr. Wade Burleson’s idea of trying to undermine the headship of husbands on the grounds of his misconception that this headship is the result of the fall is tragic and at the same time outlandish. Until the modern times, virtually every society on Earth has remained aware of the propriety of husbands ruling over their wives – the mythical race of the Amazons has to be discovered. That men are to be the rulers over their wives is something so clear that one might think Scriptural revelation unnecessary, because the general revelation in the light of nature is so clear. But sadly, its opponents are unafraid to publish their criticism of it.
Remember this, however: the Husband/Wife motif is one of the illustration of Christ’s role to us, believers. To the extent that you seek to undermine the husband’s headship role, you are (at least implicitly) undermining its analogy. If you think it bad for the husband to rule over the wife, you are questioning the model of Christ’s headship over the church. I doubt many of these egalitarian Christians would actually seek to dethrone Jesus from his rightful headship, but they do not realize that their opposition to Biblical patriarchy accomplishes that end, not only be opposing the explicit teaching of Scripture, but by demolishing the image of our relationship to our Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ.
-TurretinFan