Cheryl Schatz

Mark #56,
You said:

The church is cherished, loved, sacrificed for. She is free to accept and follow Christ as her head or she is free to reject Him.

Actually a Christian is not free to reject Christ’s authority. But we are given the opportunity to serve Him (freely) and to receive all that He gives us including His wisdom that allows us to make our own decisions that are wise. But there is punishment that comes to all who reject Christ’s authority. Where is the punishment that is allowed for wives who reject their husband’s authority? Are we really going to give the authority of God to the husband that would allow him to have power over and punish his own wife?

If egalitarians stop slandering the comp position as much as you criicise them doing it to you that would help.

Egalitarians do not slander the comp position regarding our position in Christ. But egals challenge the comp position where an authority is ascribed to the husband that would give him the “rights” of Christ to her. We continually claim that Christ has an authority that is not mimicked by the husband and Christ has a “rule” and “rights” that are not given to the husband. And those who submit to a “rule” of the husband may well be in danger of idolatry.

I guess the obvious point is that singleness in women was not an issue in the New Tetament era, so it’s hardly surprising that no instruction is given on the issue.

Actually that is not true. There were many widows in the church and their singleness was a very big issue in the church. There were instructions on the support to be given to widows but no instruction was ever given regarding who was to be in “authority over” these single women. Instead they were free to served the Lord without a personal “ruler” over them.