Dr. Couch, the Southern Baptist Convention a few years years ago added
to their doctrinal requirement for missionaries, that they agree that
wives should submit to their husbands' leadership in the home. Is this
true? And what do you think about this?
ANSWER: Bible doctrine is absolute and authoritative for all believers in
Christ. I believe, however, that a denominational or church "doctrinal
statement" should address the biblical departures of our day. (The
Conservative Theological Society doctrinal statement addresses current
doctrinal issues, such as feminism.) Feminism has as an evil agenda: the
destruction of the home and husband spiritual leadership in that home.
Male leadership of the family has never meant bullying the wife or the
children, though unfortunately that has happened all too often. The
scriptural directive to men has always been about loving leadership and
headship.
The Southern Baptist leaders a few years ago saw feminism creeping
into the churches. They added this statement about the roles of husband
and wife to stem the tide of liberal thinking. The statement was right,
and it is biblical.
Many SB missionaries who graduated from secular universities, and
liberal seminaries, could not stomach such a biblical stance and left
the mission field. In my opinion that was good. I want the people being
reached for Christ to know the "full council of God" on all doctrinal
issues. They left the mission field, or were dropped from the mission
board. Now in Texas, the "moderates" are trying to get them back on the
field and are funding this to happen.
Some years ago Dr. W. A. Criswell told me, that among Texas Baptists,
the word "moderate" was another term for liberal! He was right. He saw
all of this coming into the SB convention before he died.
In a big denomination the people ultimately sell their discernment
souls to the devil. They compromise their beliefs for unity. Unity must
be built on the plain teaching of the whole Bible. on the issue of the
home and the distinct roles of husband and wife, whatever happened to
the following verses of Scripture?
- God made the woman to be "a helper suitable" for her husband (Gen. 2:18).
- "Wives be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the wife" (Eph. 5:22-23).
- The "holy women" also, being submissive to their own husbands. ... Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord" (1 Pet. 3:5-7).
- "Encourage the young women to love their own husbands, to love their children, ... being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored" (Titus 2:4-5).
The problem is not that the Bible is not clear, it is that (1) many
are not studying it, and (2) many feel its teachings are not for today.
Secularism has destroyed obedience to Scripture. Some argue that the
verses above were "cultural" in nature and don't fit now. A study of the
contexts shows that most of the verses have a doctrinal base and not
simply a cultural base.
I hate to be so simplistic but the issue is really about submission
to Scripture. By the way, there are a ton of verses that tell how the
husband is to treat his family in a positive and loving way, and, shows
that he is not be a bully.
Mark my word, the SB convention will again move to the left. More and
more men come through the pipeline of liberal universities and attend
the elite seminaries that are also liberal leaning. Few seem to
understand what is happening.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
