KEYISSUE4: THEEQUALITY ANDDIFFERENCESBETWEENMEN AND
WOMENAREVERYGOOD
In today’s culture we might be embarrassed to talk about God-given
differences between men and women. We don’t want to be attacked
or laughed at. Perhaps we fear that someone will take offense.
(However, there is more acknowledgment of male/female differences
in the general culture today than there was a few years ago. A number
of secular books, such as John Gray’s Men Are from Mars, Women Are
from Venus,have once again made it acceptable to talk about at least
some differences between men and women, though the idea of a hus-
band’s authority and the wife’s submission within marriage still seems
to be taboo in the general culture.)^44 Nevertheless, the way God cre-
ated us as men and women, equal in His image and different in roles,
was “very good.” This fundamental statement of our excellence is
found in Genesis 1:31: “And God saw everything that he had made,
and behold, it was very good.”And if it is “very good,” then we can make
some other observations about the created order.
This created order is fair.Egalitarians argue that it is “not fair” for men
to have a leadership role in the family simply because they are men.
But if this difference is based on God’s assignment of roles from the
beginning, then it is fair. Does the Son say to the Father, “It’s not fair
for You to be in charge simply because You are the Father”? Does the
Son say to the Father, “You’ve been in charge for fifteen billion years,
and now it’s My turn for the next fifteen billion”? Absolutely not!
Rather, He fulfilled the Psalm that said, “I desire to do your will, O
my God; your law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8, ESV; compare Heb.
10:7). And of His relationship with the Father, He said, “I always do
what is pleasing to him” (John 8:29), and, “I have come down from
heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me”
(John 6:38). The order of relationships within the Trinity is fair. And
the order of relationships established by God for marriage is fair.
This created order is also best for us.It is best because it comes from
an all-wise Creator. This created order truly honors men and women.
It does not lead to abuse; it guards against it, because both men and
The Key Issues in the Manhood-Womanhood Controversy 63