Marriage roles have become the overriding theme

Because so many denominations and pastors have accepted complementarianism, marriage roles have become an overriding theme and even focal point of Christianity, diminishing the gospel of Christ.

The family has taken on a much larger priority in doctrine than it has for 2000 years. Christianity is now focused on the family and is swamped with male headship conferences, books on male leadership, and blogs that promote the gloriousness of “joyful” wifely submission.

Marriages are important, but they are not specifically important to the gospel. The entire body of Christ is important to the gospel. In reality, a marriage is a unit that produces and nurtures children, but has little function to the outside world.

The church body, on the other hand, has a major responsibility to the outside world. A husband ruling over his wife and children does not reflect the gospel. It is the body of Christ that reflects the intent of the gospel by looking outward to the world through teaching and ministries.

The body of Christ demonstrates the love of God

The body of Christ demonstrates the love of God through its actions: feeding the hungry, caring for the ill, loving our neighbor, proclaiming salvation, and showing justice. This is the way the church functions as the body of Christ.

The church is to be the presence of Christ. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:27-28). The body of Christ serves God through being filled with God’s spirit and using the gifts the Spirit gives to each Christian.

Instead of focusing on outreach, complementarian teaching focuses churches inwardly on man-decreed gender and marriage roles. This weakens the whole body of Christ, because it has become divided into male and female sections.

When the church, the body of Christ, is divided, it cannot reflect Christ’s relationship to the church. Jesus said that if a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand (Mark 3:25). A marriage that has specific roles for each spouse to play is divided against itself; they are not working in partnership, nor are they working within their gifting. Male headship distorts marriage, misrepresents salvation for women, creates enmity between the genders, and divides the entire body of Christ.

See Shirley Taylor in Baptizing Feminism Documentary Trailer.

Books by Shirley Taylor available in Print and Kindle on Amazon

The Biblical Marriage Myth: The Devil Comes Calling
The Power of a Book: The Street Evangelist
From Wife to Widow: What I know Now
Beyond the Grave: A Christian Dilemma
Raising the Hood: A Christian Look at Manhood and Womanhood
Women Equal – No Buts: Powered by the same Source
Dethroning Male Headship: 2nd Edition