on biblical manhood and womanhood to their governing documents
is that I believe this is a “watershed issue.” Many years ago Francis
Schaeffer called the doctrine of biblical inerrancy a “watershed issue”
because the position that people took regarding inerrancy determined
where their teachings would lead in succeeding years. Schaeffer said
that the first people who make a mistake on a watershed issue do so
with only a very small step, and in all other areas of life they are godly
and orthodox. And this was the case with a number of scholars who
denied inerrancy in principle but did not change their beliefs on much
of anything else. However, the next generation of leaders and schol-
ars who come after them take the error much further. They see the
implications of the change and they are consistent in working it out
with regard to other matters of doctrine and practice, and thus they
fall into greater and greater deviation from the teachings of the Bible.
I believe it is the same with this issue today. This controversy is
the key to deeper issues and deeper commitments that touch every
part of life. Though many egalitarians today do not adopt the other
implications of their view (see discussion under “Key Issue 6,” below),
their followers will, and the next generation of leaders will go much
farther in the denial of the truths of Scripture or their failure to be sub-
ject to Scripture in other parts of life. I said earlier that I believe one
reason God has allowed this controversy into the church is so that we
can correct wrongful male chauvinism in our churches and families.
Now I need to say that I think there is another reason God has allowed
this controversy into the church, and that is to test our hearts. Will we
be faithful to Him and obey His Word or not?
In the Old Testament, God allowed false prophets to come among
the people, but He had told them, “you shall not listen to the words
of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the LORDyour God
is testing you, to know whether you love the LORDyour God with all
your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 13:3). Now I am certainly
not saying that egalitarians are the same as those in Old Testament
times who advocated serving other gods, for egalitarians within evan-
gelicalism do worship Jesus Christ as their Savior. But I am saying that
there is a principle of God’s actions in history in which He allows var-
68 BUILDINGSTRONGFAMILIES