–– Paul Schlehlein
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What do the following three worldwide occurrences have in common?
First, daycare centres across the globe have experienced explosive growth. In the Netherlands, for example, 85% of children under age four attend formal daycare. Every day in South Africa, more pre-schools and creches are being added to the already existing 43,000 early childhood development centres, with one company calling daycare the strongest target for business entrepreneurs.
Second, as of 1 June 2024, 27 countries have women serve as Heads of State, a significant rise from years past. Worldwide, over a quarter of all parliamentarians in lower houses are women, up from 11% in 1995, the highest percentage being Rwanda at 61%. Currently, the world boasts well over a dozen female defence ministers, including four in Africa—Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Togo, and South Africa.
Third, many if not most of the Protestant denominations around the world have embraced the ordination of women. To resist this modern trend, as the Southern Baptist Convention in the US has clumsily sought to do, is to earn the ire of the masses.
These three modern phenomena point to the rise of female leadership around the world in the home, the state, and the church, illustrating that feminism is currently prevailing as perhaps the greatest danger to God’s people.
Before we look at feminism, it is important to know that every era has faced unique threats and “isms” against the church. Consider the following fourteen examples:
A Brief Survey of False Teachings
In the first century, Docetism (from a Greek word meaning “seem”) taught that Jesus Christ did not have a real physical body but only appeared to suffer and die on the cross.
In the second century, a heretical Christian sect called Montanism stressed the outpouring of the Spirit upon its leader Montanus, leading to prophecies about the return of Christ and a heavy emphasis on asceticism.
Adoptionism taught that Jesus was not divine but a normal human being who only later was adopted to become the Son of God and a member of the Trinity.
In the third century, Modalism (also called Sabellianism or Monarchianism) denied the three distinct parts of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), teaching that God is not only one in essence but also one in being, the three names of the Trinity merely being three modes of one person.
Gnosticism, which comes from a Greek word meaning “knowledge”, believed that all physical matter is evil and therefore denied the humanity of Christ and emphasized salvation through special knowledge imparted only to the enlightened.
In the fourth century arose Arianism, named after Arius the priest from North Africa, which denied the deity of Christ and instead proffered him as God’s highest creation, of a different substance from God the Father (heteroousios) or a similar substance (homoiousios) but not of the same substance (homoousios). The Council of Nicaea condemned Arianism as heresy in 325. A few decades later in 381, the Council of Constantinople rejected subordinationism, which taught the Son and Holy Spirit are subordinate to the Father in nature and status.
With the fifth century came Pelagianism, named after the British monk Pelagius who, in contrast to Augustine’s preaching, taught that the human will is free to do good and can be saved by moral efforts apart from divine grace.
As the centuries passed, Satan paraded new heresies through the world and before the Church. Universalism teaches that all people will receive God’s salvation and no one will experience judgment. This is similar to pluralism, which says there are many ways to God, not only through Jesus—made popular recently through cultural icons like Oprah Winfrey and Desmond Tutu. Sacerdotalism, from a Latin word for priest, places an excessive dependence on the clergy for spiritual benefit, teaching that priests are indispensable mediators between God and man.
Modernism devalued the supernatural and believed doctrinal truths could change based on modern knowledge. Annihilationism (from a Latin word meaning “nothing”) teaches that unbelievers after death will not suffer eternally in hell but instead will be obliterated by God for their sins. Antinomianism (literally, “against the law”) teaches that since salvation comes through faith alone, a person is exempt from the moral obligations of the law.
The Rise of Feminism and What to Do
Now enter feminism, which advocates for the full and equal involvement of women in every realm of society, including the home, church, and public square. But not content with equal involvement, feminism now stands among the strongest proponents for abortion on demand and LGBT rights.
Just as thieves create new methods of larceny each day, Satan—the master deceiver—repackages old lies in new wrapping so as to dupe, delude and double-cross God’s people.
Has there ever existed in world history an era in which women have more firmly held the reins of leadership than in the present? There is no sphere in society today in which women do not seek to rule. How should Christians respond to this?
First, promote the beautiful unity and distinction between the sexes. Triangles never cease to have three sides and men and women never cease being their sex, no matter how hard they try. God designed a binary human race. In Matthew 19:4, Jesus said that from the beginning humans were created “male and female”. The Lord created men and women in His image (Gn. 1:27) and blessed them equally in value (Gal. 3:28).
But out of this equality came contrast, as God designed the woman as a helper, not a leader of the man. As 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 says, “For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” This does not mean God made women as nails, and men as hammers in order to pound them into submission. Rather, it means women are like stained glass windows, fragile in that they cannot bear the weight of the steeple, yet elegant and beautiful so as to shower the building with splendor and light.
Second, hold firmly to the biblical teaching of male leadership. First Timothy 2:11-14 says:
“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”
God specially designed men to lead the home (1Tm. 3:4), lead the church (Hb. 13:17) and lead society (Dt. 1:13). God designed women to be attracted to strong, masculine men and most will happily follow the man when he exercises godly leadership.
Finally, do not be surprised by feminism or other false teachings. Church history yields a wide range of attacks upon the deity of Christ, the Scriptures, and salvation by faith alone. It shouldn’t shock us when war is waged upon biblical gender roles.
Though feminism poses as a defender of women’s rights, it really hates women because it goads them into arenas where they were not designed to perform. Ducks are happiest when floating riverside. Why should they envy birds that dwell best in the air? God created men to provide and protect. He designed women to nurture and comfort. Let us be happy and content in these posts. May God protect us from today’s false “isms” and give us grace to follow His Word.