is designed by Him to show equalityand differenceand unityall at the
same time. It is a great mystery how this can be so, and it is also a great
blessing and joy. Moreover, God has ordained that from that sexual
union comes the most amazing, the most astounding event—the cre-
ation of a new human being in the image of God.
Within this most intimate of human relationships, we show
equality and difference and unity and much God-likeness all at once.
Glory be to God!
KEYISSUE5: THISISAMATTER OFOBEDIENCE TO THEBIBLE
Why did the Southern Baptist Convention in June 1998, for the first
time since 1963, add to their statement of faith that men and women
are equal in God’s image but different in their roles in marriage?^45
Why, shortly after that, did more than a hundred Christian leaders sign
a full-page ad in USA Todaysaying, “Southern Baptists... you are
right! We stand with you!”^46 Why did Campus Crusade for Christ,
after forty years of no change in their doctrinal policies, endorse a sim-
ilar statement as the policy of their organization in 1999?^47 Clearly,
many Christian leaders are beginning to say, “The egalitarian view just
cannot be proven from Scripture.”
Twenty-five years ago there were many questions of differences
in interpretation, and both the egalitarian position and the comple-
mentarian position were found within evangelical groups. Over the
last twenty-five years, we have seen extensive discussion and argu-
ment of both views, and we have seen hundreds of articles and
books published. But it seems to me that people are beginning to
look at the situation differently. The egalitarian viewpoint, which
was novel within evangelicalism twenty-five years ago, has had
great opportunity to defend itself. The arguments are all out on the
table, and the detailed studies of words of the Bible, the technical
questions of grammar, and the extensive studies of background lit-
erature and history have been carried out. There are dozens and
dozens of egalitarian books denying differences in male and female
roles within marriage, but they now seem to be repeating the same
arguments over and over. The egalitarians have not had any new
The Key Issues in the Manhood-Womanhood Controversy 65