Frank

Grant and Cheryl, I didn’t know what to make of kw’s “comments,” but I think your responses were appropriate, and so I won’t say any more about it. However, Grant, I think you need to understand where some of us are coming from, and why our response to hierarchical complementarians appears to be so, well, firm and uncompromising.

Many of us were at one time of that same persuasion ourselves, you know. Yet when someone challenged us, on the basis of Acts 2, 1 Cor 12-14, 2 Cor 5:11-21, and Gal 3:26-4:7 to carefully examine and rethink our position, because we cared about the truth, justice, righteousness and shalom of Christ’s present and coming kingdom, which is to be expressed in our individual and corporate lives as both citizens and representatives of his kingdom–because of this commitment, we investigated the inspired and authoritative Word of God, using the historical-cultural-grammatical method of interpretation, to see if our egalitarian friend’s challenge held any water. And lo and behold, the Spirit of truth revealed to us, through those same Scriptures, that our friends were right and we were wrong!

But what happened when we told other complementarians how we came to know the truth? They accused us of abandoning the inspiration and authority of Scripture, and of capitulating to a godless, secular and Scripture-twisting philosophy! And when we tried to reason with them from Scripture, we found that they were closed minded–unwilling to consider that the traditional inteprepretation might be wrong and demanding that we turn away from our error and folly.

Now, I don’t know much about Mr Duncan or his writings. But I do know John Piper and R.C. Sproul, whose writings on Christ’s atonement and the Attributes of God I have read with profit. And on most other issues, I would consider them orthodox. But as regards their teaching on the hierarchical relationships existing not only between men and women, but also those between the Three Persons of the Trinity–from my studies of Scripture, theology and Christian history, I would have to say they have become heterodox.

So as one trained to be a teacher, preacher and defender of the Gospel Faith, I am going to speak out against them on those points where I am convinced they have departed from orthodox Christianity, and I will make no apology for doing so. Now, Grant, you may still disagree with me about these issues, but I hope you understand why some of Mr. Duncan’s comments come across as insults and attacks against our intellectual, moral and spiritual integrity, to which we do not take very kindly.