Kristen

Heidi, what are your thoughts on the opening post? What about this part?
“I had come to believe that though it was important to understand isolated texts on their own terms, it was nevertheless futile to believe that the debate between egalitarians and traditional hierarchicalists could ever be settled by debating the exegesis and interpretation of individual texts in isolation. For me, the more significant question had become, how is the grand sweep of biblical or redemptive history to be understood? What is redemptive history all about, and how do the relevant texts fit into that?
When examined with that question in mind, it seemed to me that hierarchicalism, if consistently held and applied, was its own undoing. This view holds that women are by God’s design inherently disqualified from leading and teaching men. It goes against the creation order itself. (12.) But if that is indeed the case, scripture contradicts itself, because women throughout the biblical narrative did lead and teach men, with God’s apparent approval and blessing.”‘

Do you read your whole Bible together as one thing? Do you see its movement from Creation to Fall to New Creation? Do you take account of the cultural context? Do you understand the difference between teachings about the nature of the New Covenant Kingdom and the way believers in that Kingdom are to try to get along with the surrounding culture?
Or do you read isolated texts out of context and call them “clear,” and preach to us that we need to swallow your “clear” reading, as if that was all there was to it?
I’d rather do the former. If you want to do the latter, feel free– but I will continue to resist being pulled back under a yoke of bondage.

I submit to my husband– and he submits to me, per Eph. 5:21. I don’t see why that clear scripture is one you don’t want to accept.

If you want to submit unilaterally to your husband and make him your ruler instead of your partner, that’s fine. I’m not telling you how to live your life. But my husband and I have found what we believe is a better and more biblical way. Please let us follow our own consciences. The Holy Spirit never appointed you keeper of mine.