Kristen

Welcome, Amaranth, and thanks so much for giving your perspective. I find it illustrative of a point that I and other egalitarians have made about the New Testament (the writings of Paul in particular). Paul advised women to be “submissive to their husbands, that the word of may not be hindered,” in Titus 2. Paul said in several places in his letters that his mission was spreading the news about Christ, and he subordinated everything to that end. “I become all things to all people, that I might by any means save some.” His words about wifely submission must be viewed under that light. Paul’s position was that the surrounding culture would be upset if wives did not show submissiveness to the cultural authority granted to husbands. Wives should submit so that the message of the gospel would not be hindered. Slaves were to submit to their masters for the same reason. Paul’s position was not a ratification of the cultural authority of husbands or of the institution of slavery. It was a practical admonition for the furtherance of the gospel.
But TODAY, what hinders the gospel? The doctrine of male authority over women hinders the gospel– because I know you are not the only person who has rejected Christianity in recent years because of this very thing! What Christians are doing is ignoring the purpose of Paul’s words in order to focus on his literal meaning– thus negating his actual message of cultural accommodation for the sake of the gospel!
Complementarians who insist that egalitarians are simply “capitulating to the culture” in standing for equal treatment of women, are thus missing the point by miles. Egalitarians are not simply capitulating to the culture, but are using a hermeneutic that seeks to hold cultural assumptions separate from the actual message. However complementarians are ignoring the message of Paul that cultural sensitivities DO need to be taken into account.