A Definition of Terms: Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism

 

Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism

by Pastor Terry L. Reese; 11/12/23

No More Moore!

Our society has sought over recent decades to redefine the roles traditionally ascribed to men & women within the context of both the home (Eph.5:22-33) and the Church (1Tim.2:8-15). Today, evangelicals are debating a basic question: “Are there distinct gender-based functions and restrictions that apply to local church ministry—OR, is there an absolute equality between the sexes that translates into an interchangeability of functions? Can women serve as pastors as well as men?” Within modern evangelicalism, there are two opposing camps…

 

A. Complementarianism. Masculinity & femininity are to be embraced as Divinely-ordained distinctions; the genders are designed by God to complement & complete one another (Gen. 2:18, 24). While Complementarians affirm the essential spiritual & intellectual equality of men and women as human beings who are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), they also affirm important gender-based distinctions when it comes to the exercise of their functional roles—particularly within the realms of the church (1Tim. 2:8-15 & 1Cor. 14:34) and the home (Gal. 5:22-33; 1 Cor. 11:3). Complementarians affirm the historic/traditional viewpoint that God has restricted women from standing in authority over men in certain leadership roles within the church—especially in regard to the pastorate. Rather, women are called to serve in different—but important—complementary roles within the local assembly. Basic Scriptures clearly teach complementarianism: 1Tim. 2:8-15 & 1Cor. 14:34; and the pastoral qualifications of Titus 1:6-9 & 1Tim. 3:1-7. Complementarianism, which is an exegetically-derived doctrine that is rooted in God's original design for Creation, IS what the Bible teaches--and also is thus what God-honoring and faithful Bible teachers have proclaimed throughout the centuries.

NOTE that complementarians are NOT declaring women to be inherently or qualitatively inferior--but rather, they ARE recognizing that God is a God of administrative order! In the same way, the Son--who, as Deity, is NOT inferior to the Father--willing submitted Himself unto the Father (1 Cor. 11:3), so too are Christian women called to submit unto their husbands and pastors.

 

B. Egalitarianism. The opposite view—which arose out of the scourge of postmodern evangelical feminism—affirms that there are NO gender-based restrictions with regard to local church ministry—and thus allows for women to serve as pastors, believing that there is a basic interchangeability of functions with regard to men and women. While the Bible does NOT teach such a viewpoint, our culture has steadily promoted its acceptance within the churches. The recent disturbances within the Southern Baptist Convention over the incompliance of the Saddleback mega-church with regard to this issue is a case in point. Often, Gal. 3:28 (which in context, speaks of salvation—not of the pastoral office) is misapplied in favor of Egalitarianism (as are other, off-topic and out-of-context texts)—even while clear texts such as 1 Tim. 2:12 are ignored and rejected. Rick Warren, the Pastor-emeritus of Saddleback who has fanned the flames of controversy by supporting the ordination of women, is typical of the advocates of this view, in that he defends his position by employing eisegesis--which involves cherry-picking Bible passages that seem to support one's extra-biblically derived pre-conceptions and presuppositions. Such "proof-texts" that Warren regularly employs include the following three examples--which he claims "convinced" him of the truth of egalitarianism: Matt. 28:19-20 (i.e., the Great Commission, which involves teaching, was given to all Christians); Acts 2:17-18 (there were presumably women at Pentecost, and the quotation speaks of "daughters" prophesying); and the Gospel narratives depict the women such as Mary Magdalene first functioning as proclaimers of our Lord's Resurrection. NOTE that Warren ignores specific Biblical instruction that bars women from the pulpit and turns to narratives that say NOTHING with regard to who is or is not qualified for the pastoral office!!!

This sin is of a most serious nature: God clearly and explicitly calls for Christians to observe appropriate and distinctive gender-based functions within the realms of both the home (Gal. 5:22-33) and the church (1 Tim. 2:8-15). Willful failure to observe God's prescribed patterns of order is an act of REBELLION (which is likened to the sin of witchcraft in 1 Sam. 15:23) and is conforming to the Luciferian image and likeness of the original Rebel (Isa. 14:12-15) who seduced the entire world by enticing our mother Eve to set aside her appropriately assigned role and leave the protection of her husband, Adam (Gen. 3).

9 Biblical-Worldview Responses unto Postmodern Transgender Confusion

 

9 Responses to Postmodern Trans-Ideology

by Pastor Terry Reese, Valley GBC; 10/27/23

 

1. The Bible presents a BINARY reality—Male & Female (Gen. 1:27, 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-5)—that was pronounced “VERY GOOD” (Gen. 1:31) in the beginning. As Jesus emphasized, this is God’s original, perfect design for humanity (Matt. 19:4-5): namely, one man & one woman, with differing complimentary roles (Eph. 5:22-33), joined for life (Matt. 19:6), resulting in the biological procreation of a Holy Seed unto the Lord (Gen. 1:28, 9:1; Ps. 127:3). 

 

2. “Gender-identity-disorder” exists; suffering people DO have these strange feelings! These subjective feelings are really experienced—but they do NOT point to a final, objective reality (i.e., the idea that the “true self” is trapped in the “wrong body”). We can have deranged “feelings” that are not in correspondence with reality (cf., the derangement of Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 4).

 

3. The Biblical framework of the Fall and its effects explains this derangement! The Fall has produced many consequences and ill-effects—invading the psychological, emotional, physical, environmental, social, and spiritual realms. We come into this world as broken, spiritually-dead, fallen creatures (Ps. 51:5, Eph. 2:1-3, 1 Cor. 2:14, Rom. 8:7)—hence, our “internal wiring is off!”

 

4. Regardless of the direct cause(s) or source(s) of Gender Disorder, such confusion is displeasing to God. It is ALWAYS SIN—i.e., missing the mark of Divine perfection. It is NEVER to be accepted as normative, embraced as an identity, or normalized—let alone justified (Isa. 5:20)! That which naturally proceeds from a fallen heart—born in a state of depravity (Gen.5:3)—is designated as evil by Jesus (Matt.15:19)!

 

5. The physical body is NOT simply a “disposable container” into which the “real you” (i.e., the soul/spirit) is poured. We have been created as a unity of body & spirit. A pagan radical dualism (Acts 17:32, 26:24) that rejects the eternal holistic unity of body & soul that is found in the Bible must itself be rejected. The body is part of the “real person” that will one day be resurrected! Even unbelievers will one day experience bodily resurrection--unto condemnation and judicial wrath (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-14).  

 

6. The reality of nature must be affirmed & accepted: a person CANNOT change their sex!  Gender is NOT a subjective, man-made, fabricated “social construct.” It is based upon an objective biological reality (i.e., having 2 X chromosomes vs. having an X & a Y chromosome). Hormone therapy, surgery, and cosmetics CANNOT change this reality. We cannot even authentically change our hair or skin color (Matt. 5:36, Jer. 13:23)—let alone our SEXUAL IDENTITY!

Even those men who are eunuchs (Matt. 19:12)—whether through birth defects or through surgical castration—are still MEN! Thus, gender involves something more than either fertility-potential or surgery!

 

7. We cannot thrive or FLOURISH—i.e., live in a “large” way (Ps. 119:45)—outside of the Scripturally-revealed will of God! Just as alcoholics cannot flourish by feeding their destructive sin habits and impulses, persons suffering with gender identity disorders cannot flourish or find peace by feeding their sin natures and denying their authentic, Divinely-created gender identities. Any attempt to hold out false prospects of achieving personal happiness unto self-identified "trans" persons through such sinful means such as surgical self-mutilation is CRUEL; it does NOT constitute "loving one’s neighbor."

 

8. We are called as Christians to exhibit BOTH conviction and compassion in relating to those individuals struggling with transgender disorders. We are not loving either God or our neighbors (Matt. 22:37-40) when we LIE to people and encourage them to follow sinful paths (Matt. 18:6-7). As believers, we MUST speak the plain TRUTH to such persons in LOVE (Eph. 4:15). Above all, first and foremost, we must speak the TRUTH!!!—and yet, we must be mindful that a heart-attitude of graciousness is the climate in which Truth flourishes! Parents, in particular, are called to rise above the prevailing culture and love their children in a holy and Biblical manner—and NOT support them in their sinful patterns and delusions. Note these wonderful comments from Focus on the Family’s Position Statement:

There has been a growing trend of parents raising their children without designating them male or female. A similar trend encourages parents of children who might not fit into typical social expressions of masculinity or femininity to raise them as the opposite sex. Instead, we encourage parents to lovingly help their children to embrace their bodily sexual reality. Christian parents can raise daughters who grow up to accept and enjoy their femininity, knowing deep down that being a girl is a good gift from God. Likewise, Christian families can raise sons to grow up to be healthy men who embrace their masculinity and see it as a good gift from God.

 

9. There is the promise of victory and ultimate deliverance for the LGBTQ person who turns in repentance to Christ. Despite a global “progressive” movement that opposes (and even seeks to criminalize) Biblically counselling LGBTQ folks to cast-off their wicked and sinful lifestyles, the Word of God offers them the genuine hope and certain prospect of salvation and deliverance if they turn in faith to JESUS (1 Cor. 6:9-11)!

Transgender Ideology & the Corruption of the Postmodern, "Politically-Correct" Medical Establishment

 

Trans Ideology & the Corruption of Medicine

by Pastor Terry Reese, Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; 10/19/23

 

I highly recommend that the reader consult the informative interview that Tucker Carlson conducted with Chris Moritz on Twitter/X, which can also be viewed on YouTube at Tucker Carlson Takes On 'Trans, Inc' - YouTube

The Numbers: Overall there are 1.6 mill. “trans” people in the US (ages 13 & over)—a number that has doubled over a decade. Of these, 300,000 are youth (13-17)—a doubling in the past 5 years! Clinics now offering “treatment” for such children has expanded from 0 (15 yrs. ago) to 100!

 

Gender-reassignment “therapies” have become a big-business in the USA—particularly since the passage of Obamacare* in 2010, resulting in an explosion of such procedures. Quietly written in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the requirement that insurances provide for necessary “gender affirming care.”

 

o   2010-16 saw a 50% increase in reassignment surgeries.

o   2016 saw an additional amendment to the ACA; gender identity could no longer be a basis for denial of coverage by private insurance companies. 2016-17 thus saw a 150% increase in expensive gender-reassignment surgeries!

o   The above measure was reversed by Trump (2020)—but sadly, reinstated by Biden in his first 100 days (2021).

 

The underlying progressive political agenda behind the promotion of such procedures is painfully evident in the widespread skirting of accepted medical and scientific standards with regard to gender-reassignment “therapies.” Note the following evidences:

 

o   There is no genetic basis (i.e., “trans-gene”) for this condition.

o   There have been NO peer-reviewed clinical studies on the long-term efficacy, consequences, or potentially debilitating effects of these procedures upon patients (pharmaceutical, surgical, etc.). Yet, we continue to pump-up patients—including developing children—with powerful drugs like testosterone, estrogen, and puberty blockers! Unprecedented!

o   The FDA has not approved a single pharma product used in gender-transition specifically for that purpose (some are approved for cancer therapy). These drugs are thus prescribed off-label (i.e., unauthorized)—yet, it’s being done!

o   The ONLY protocols currently being followed come from WPATH—a radical trans-advocacy group!

o   Meanwhile, the US medical establishment remains silent…

o   2013: the American Psychiatric Association ceased objectively classifying gender identity disorder as a mental illness.  

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: All this bears the marks of being agenda-driven by politically powerful postmodern progressives whose goal is to change the culture and annihilate Christianity.

 

Brainwashing/mass-marketing/propaganda. As with the homosexual community--which evolved from sodomy (a sinful act), to homosexuality (a clinical condition), to gay (a "legitimate" identity)--nomenclature has been successfully employed to reprogram our societal mindset with regard to the "Trans Community."

For most of the 20^th century, the abnormality that was formerly labelled transsexualism was viewed as psychiatric disorder—and was consequently treated as such by the psychiatric profession. A major shift occurred in 2013, however when the American Psychiatric Association amended its Diagnostic Statistic Manual of Mental Illness (DSM) and no longer classified what it had called gender identity disorder as an objective, psycho-sexual disorder—i.e., a mental illness. Henceforth, the favored terminology would be gender dysphoria—which speaks NOT of an abnormality or mental disorder, but rather, to the subjective feelings of discomfort that a “transgender” person (a normal condition) feels in reference to being “trapped” in the “wrong” body—as well as the feelings of stress that he/she faces in relating to a non-acceptant and prejudicial society.

 

*Note how public policy on LGBTQ issues was completely reshaped by a bisexual man—Barack Obama—who, as a 21-year old man, confessed in a 1982 letter (now in the custody of Emory University) to his then girlfriend, Alex McNear, that he regularly fantasized about having relations with other men, and that he was androgynous with regard to his own personal gender identity (cf., Rising Star, by David Garrow; 2017).

Postmodern Trans-Ideology: the Social Background

 

The Social Backdrop of Postmodern Gender Confusion

By Pastor Terry L. Reese (10/07/23)

 

A. Postmodernism: a relativistic way of perceiving reality; a skepticism towards our ability to perceive “Truth,” whether it be by means of traditional religious belief or through logical scientific inquiry. Reality is subjective, relative, and flexible.

B. Progressivism. MAN functions as his own savior, with the messianic ability to radically redeem and reconstruct human society, in accordance with natural “evolutionary” processes and human development.

C. Humanism: MAN—not God—is the measure of all things, creating his own standards and code of ethics; Man is “god.”

D. Radical individualism: “Life is all about MY personal happiness & autonomy—even God only exists to serve ME!”

 

E. Our de facto national “civil religion” in today’s America has been referred to as “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism:”

 

i. MORALISTIC (practical & pragmatic, promoting basic ethics):

Some sort of “God” exists who created the world and who watches over us. This “higher power” wants people to be good and nice to each other—as advocated all the world’s religions.

 

ii. THERAPEUTIC (you must always feel good about yourself):

The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about ourselves; it is NOT about bringing glory unto God or obeying Him, or being convicted of personal sin. “Good people” (i.e., just about everybody) will certainly all go to heaven.

 

iii. DEISM (God should have little to do with our daily lives):

We do NOT want or desire God to be particularly involved in our personal lives—EXCEPT when we need Him to resolve some sort of problem for us. God is kind of like a waiter or a genie—we only call on Him when we need something, and then dismiss Him.

 

As all of this relates to today’s Trans-Ideology: The secular attitude is that the human body is NOT something that belongs to God that is designed for His glory. Rather, it belongs to us as autonomous humans to do with whatever we want—or to redesign as we see fit, like a blank canvas. In severe contrast is the Biblical view: our bodies are given by God for His use and His glory (cf., Ps. 100:3, 1 Cor. 6:19).

"SELL IT LIKE CEREAL!" The Tactics & Astonishing Success of LGBTQ+

 

The Sinister Tactics and Astonishing Success of LGBTQ:

“SELL IT LIKE CEREAL!”

by Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA (9/23/23)

 

With remarkable skill & dexterity, LGBTQ activists and their fellow travelers, the progressive elites, have revolutionized modern society and permanently modified ages-old societal customs and institutions within the course of only a few decades. As advocated and predicted by neuro-psychologist Marshall Kirk and advertising executive Hunter Madsen in their book After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the '90s (1989), the mind-altering tactics of mass-marketing, propaganda, and large-scale societal brainwashing would effectively serve to rapidly change the mores & values of the prevailing culture.

  

I. The Tactics of Brainwashing & Propaganda.

The 3-steps of brainwashing allowed the LGBTQ+ agenda to be sold like cereal—employing mass-marketing tactics:

 

1.    desensitizing (i.e., getting us “used to” homosexuality through a sea of inundation; a form of “softening us up”); for example, every TV show would now feature a “normal” and positive LGBTQ character (e.g., Billy Crystal's character "Jody Dallas" on Soap--an intelligent, witty, and sensitive homosexual contemplating a sex change).  A quotation from After the Ball: 

 

      "The first order of business is desensitization of the American public concerning gays and gay rights. To desensitize the public is to help it view homosexuality with indifference instead of with keen emotion. Ideally, we would have straights register differences in sexual preference the way they register different tastes for ice cream or sports games: she likes strawberry and I like vanilla; he follows baseball and I follow football. No big deal." 

                                                                                                                                                           Recall Crassus in Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960), to the slave Antoninus:

      “Do you consider the eating of oysters to be moral and the eating of snails to be immoral?... “Of course not. It is all a matter of taste, isn't it?”... “And taste is not the same as appetite, and therefore not a question of morals.”                                                                                                                                                  

2.    jamming the opposition (i.e., anti-gay forces would be portrayed as ignorant, hateful, and villainous; cf., Norman Lear's "Archie Bunker")…

3.    conversion (the majority understands that it must positively embrace the “gay” and his lifestyle--or face societal censure).

 

This ultimately leads to coercion—everyone must obey!

 

II. The progressively evolving public embrace of same-sex-attraction, as witnessed by its changing terminologies…

1.    Originally called Sodomy—an act; potentially criminal in nature!

2.    Then, the term Homosexuality was coined in the late 19^th century—a condition (thus provoking sympathy).

3.    Finally, "Gay:" an identity—a legitimate minority—that deserves and demands wholehearted public acceptance.

 

Result: Such means have served to normalize sin, thus rapidly transforming what was once perceived as a crime against nature into a legitimate co-equal civil identity. All of this was achieved within a relatively brief span by a minority that didn’t even formally exist a century ago. Astonishing!

III. An organized agenda?

Regardless of how much of this agenda was or was not consciously planned and organized on the human level, we do know this: there is a behind-the-scenes, unseen, invisible source of organization at work here!

As always, the Enemy—the behind the scenes organizer—is spiritual in nature!

Eph 6:12 NAS95  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 

All of this is part of a battle of the MIND… Our minds are the battlefield, targeted by the Evil One…

 

John 8:44 NAS95  "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

 

Without the objective written Word of God, we are sunk--open to all manner of deception. Rationalism, empiricism, mysticism, and traditionalism will always fail you as sources of Truth! JESUS (the living Word) is Truth (John 14:6), and so is Holy Scripture (the written Word).

 

John 8:31-32 NAS95  So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

 

           John 17:17  "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” 

Ketanji Brown Jackson to Marsha Blackburn: "I CAN'T."

 

Justice Jackson (March, 2022): “I CAN’T.”

Pastor Terry Reese, Valley Grace Brethren Church of Armagh, PA; 9/17/23

“A man’s chromosomes cannot be engineered into female chromosomes. Altering one’s appearance cosmetically or surgically cannot change the underlying reality of a person’s biological make-up.”—Andrew T. Walker

A picture of our societal confusion with regard to the matter of gender and its alleged fluidity and subjective nature was on full display at last year’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, when Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was questioned by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on the basic issue of gender:

 Blackburn: Do you agree with Justice Ginsburg that there are physical differences between men and women that are enduring?

Jackson: Um, Senator. Respectfully, I’m not familiar with that particular quote or case, so it’s hard for me to comment as to whether…

Blackburn: Okay… Do you interpret Justice Ginsburg’s meaning of “men” and “women” as male and female?

Jackson: Again, because I don’t know the case, I don’t know how I’d interpret it. I need to read the whole…

Blackburn: Okay. Can you provide a definition for the word woman?

Jackson: Can I provide a definition?

Blackburn: Yeah.

Jackson: I can’t.

Blackburn: You can’t?

Jackson: Mm. Not in this context. I’m not a biologist.

 

Ultimately, Sen. Blackburn offered her assessment:

"…the fact that you can’t give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about."

 

Thus, Federal District & Appellate Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Harvard Law School grad and former editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review—who was praised by former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan for her vast intellect—cannot provide us with a working definition of what a woman is. Her stated reason? Because she’s not a biologist. Following this line of reasoning, one must suppose that we cannot define what a dog or a cat is—unless, of course, you are a professional veterinarian!

 

Let us consider the grim irony of all this: Justice Jackson was appointed by Joe Biden precisely because she IS a woman, in accordance with the Left’s penchant for identity politics—and yet, she professes not to even know what a woman is!

 

Blackburn’s opinion is correct: the goal of postmodern education is to teach young minds that truth is something unreal or inscrutable. The irony is that the motto of Jackson’s alma mater, Harvard, is VERITAS: TRUTH! But we can know the Truth: JESUS (John 14:6)!

A Biblical Response to Tyranny

 

A Biblical Response to Tyranny

by Pastor Terry Reese, Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; 8/23/23

 

Political Tyranny: a persistent problem that has always been with us—even from the early Cradles of Civilization that emerged out of Babel…

 

I. Human government and the will of God.

A. Human government is a necessity and is ordained of God (Rm. 13:4).

 

B. But exploitative, oppressive tyranny is not God’s will (Prov. 16:12). Like every other institution ordained of God (e.g., the home, the church), human government has been corrupted (1 Sam. 8:10-18).

 

C. Particularly obnoxious is the totalitarian state’s attempts to regulate and control the free expression of man’s spiritual life (e.g., Dan. 3 & 6, Rv.13:15). Jesus says some things do NOT belong to Caesar (Mtt.22:21)!

 

II. What can the Christian DO about it? What should he NOT do?

A. Negatively, things that believers are NOT called to engage in:

1. Pietistic indifference to temporal human affairs.

2. Lawless anarchy (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Pet. 2:13-15) or unnatural rebellion.

3. Promote a state-church/theocracy or worldly “social gospel.”

4. Total blind submission to Caesar; ultimate loyalty belongs to God.

 

B. Positively, those things that Christians ARE called to observe:

1. Recognize the identity of the real & ultimate enemy (Eph 6:11-12).

 

2. Do good in all things, spiritual & temporal (Matt. 22:39; Acts 10:38, Gal. 6:9-10), including recognizing our civic responsibilities (Jer. 29:7) and employing those resources and lawful opportunities that God has made available to us (note: millions of evangelicals don’t even vote!).

 

3. Resist evil in a biblical manner, practicing civil nonconformity (e.g., Ex. 1:15-21; Heb. 11:23-27, 31; 1 Kings 18:3-4; Dan. 3:15-18, 6:10; Acts 4:19-20, 5:28-29). Christians can and should employ godly means to resist a regime that commands or encourages evil & debases human dignity. But if a Christian does disobey Caesar, he must be prepared to accept the attending consequences—perhaps even the martyr’s path!

 

4. Obey the cultural mandate to serve as Salt & Light (Matt. 5:13-16). Stay informed, and inform others; preserve & enlighten the culture.

 

5. Uphold & maintain our personal testimony (1Pet. 2:15, Rom. 12:21)!

 

6. Fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)—our chief expression of “doing good”—which involves not only basic evangelism, but also teaching everything that Jesus taught & commanded (Acts 20:20, 27)!

 

7. Pray (1Tim. 2:1-2). God has power even over a king’s heart (Prov. 21:1)!