05 | Complementarian
We are deeply committed to the equality of men and women, to the shared identity of brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the complementary roles of men and women in marriage and the church.
Both men and women are created in the image of God and are therefore equal before God as persons, possessing the same moral dignity and value, and have equal access to God through faith in Christ. In the church, men and women relate to one another primarily as brothers and sisters, in relationships marked by honor, care, and sacrifice for one another. Men and women are together charged with the Great Commission, and are recipients of spiritual gifts designed to empower them for ministry in the church and world. Therefore, men and women are to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered to utilize their gifting in ministry, in service to the body of Christ and in mission to the world. While both husbands and wives are responsible to God for spiritual nurture and vitality in the home, God has given to the man primary responsibility for his wife and family in accordance with the servanthood and sacrificial love characterized by Jesus Christ. This principle of male headship should not be confused with, nor give any hint of, domineering control. Rather, it is to be the loving, tender, and nurturing care of a godly man who is himself under the kind and gentle authority of Jesus Christ. Men of qualified character may serve as elders of the local church, overseeing, shepherding, and protecting the church family under the headship of Jesus Christ. Both qualified men and qualified women may serve as deacons, leading ministry teams according to role and gifting.
Read Ephesians 5.1-2. What ought to characterize our relationships within the Family of God? What most stands out to you?
Read Ephesians 5.22-33. What ought to characterize our relationships within Marriage? What most stands out to you?
What is most difficult for you in these instructions? What sounds the most desirable?
For those married: Take a marriage inventory in your M/C - Where are we embodying this well? Where do we need to grow?
For those single: How can you support the marriages in your community? How can married people better support you?
June 12, 2022 - Steve Hart