Frankly, when I downloaded this book I was expecting a book about gender differences from a biblical standpoint to shed light on the chaos of modern culture. The opening lines, “The fact that men and women are different by design is no surprise to those who are committed to reality,” seemed to tell me I was heading the right direction. But the entire book ended up being about male headship/female submission. I have no problem with discussing these issues from a biblical viewpoint, but they were not what I was expecting.
You’ve got to hand it to MacArthur for tackling every difficult passage on male and female roles (Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5, Titus 2, 1 Peter 3, etc.). His very traditional views are hard for most modern women to hear since they (myself included) have been conditioned to feminist thinking in many areas. I agree with him that many women have put self-fulfillment outside the home above being faithful keepers of the home, but still found his cut-and-dry judgments to be irksome at times.
While mostly writing about marriage, MacArthur also addresses widowhood, singleness and women in ministry.
One quote: “Man’s authority over woman is delegated to him by God to be used for His purposes and in His way. As a fellow creature, man has no innate superiority to woman and has no right to use his authority tyrannically or selfishly. Male chauvinism is no more biblical than feminism. Both are perversions of God’s plan.” (p. 54)
You’ve got to hand it to MacArthur for tackling every difficult passage on male and female roles (Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5, Titus 2, 1 Peter 3, etc.). His very traditional views are hard for most modern women to hear since they (myself included) have been conditioned to feminist thinking in many areas. I agree with him that many women have put self-fulfillment outside the home above being faithful keepers of the home, but still found his cut-and-dry judgments to be irksome at times.
While mostly writing about marriage, MacArthur also addresses widowhood, singleness and women in ministry.
One quote: “Man’s authority over woman is delegated to him by God to be used for His purposes and in His way. As a fellow creature, man has no innate superiority to woman and has no right to use his authority tyrannically or selfishly. Male chauvinism is no more biblical than feminism. Both are perversions of God’s plan.” (p. 54)