This article first appeared in The Christian Post. The Church at large is reeling from more and more exposure of sin in the lives of its leaders, whose greed, sexual immorality, abusive behavior, and lust for attention have left many weary and wary. Photo by Mic Narra on Unsplash In the charismatic world, the list of problems includes failed “prophecies” from those claiming to speak for God. It’s no wonder that even many continuationists have become gun-shy about the supernatural. To be clear, by “continuationists” (more commonly, charismatics), I mean those who believe the Holy Continue Reading
Are Egalitarians and Liberal Feminists Basically the Same?
In a recent Bare Marriage article, author and blogger Sheila Gregoire describes how complementarian Matt Chandler moved the goal posts to make egalitarianism sound extreme by putting it on one end of the spectrum, patriarchy at the other end, and complementarianism in the (allegedly reasonable) middle. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay In truth, male rule (patriarchy) and female rule (gynarchy) occupy extreme ends of the spectrum, with equality between men and women smack dab in the middle. However, since complementarians consistently present their view as the only legitimately Continue Reading
Ephesians 5:22 doesn’t mean what we’ve been told
Christians who share a high view of Scripture hold differing views on marriage. Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash Complementarians believe husbands are to exercise headship, while wives are to submit to their leadership. Biblical mutualists (egalitarians) believe husbands and wives are created to work together as a team, deferring to one another’s strengths and gifts regardless of gender. A casual reading of Ephesians 5:22-24 in some English translations seems to support the complementarian view. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is Continue Reading
Honor culture sounds pretty, but it repeatedly whitewashes abuse
I’ve never attended Bethel Church or their school of ministry, and I’ve only listened to a handful of sermons by Bill Johnson. Photo Credit: The Spruce / Jacob Fox However, as a lifelong Pentecostal/Charismatic, I’m aware that Bethel’s influence has saturated charismatic culture for decades. One concept Bethel promotes is creating and maintaining a “culture of honor.” This sounds like a beautiful and biblical idea, since human beings should honor one another as the image of God—but what does it really mean? In Bethel’s view, current forms of church leadership should be Continue Reading