CREATION AND REDEMPTION: CREATING PATHS TO MODERN TENSIONS

The growing tension about the topic of women preaching, an online eruption causing immediate responses for views long expressed from pulpits and books, is at its heart a THEOLOGICAL tension. The views of women as being under submission, under a male head, and having no other role in life but to marry and have babies can all be tracked back to a theological view that men and women were CREATED unequal and woman's lot was always to be inferior or subordinate. This line of thinking created theological arguments of Christ being eternally subordinate in the Godhead, and a direct line to implementation of that construct of Head and Subordinate in the marriage relationship.  In this "camp" is the idea that the SON IS ETERNALLY SUBORDINATE TO THE FATHER IN ATHORITY ETC. So, therefore is the wife eternally subordinate to a male figure.

Scholar Richard Longnecker has noted that at the heart of many discussions and conflicts about the role of men and women in the Church,  is the question of how "we correlate the theological categories of creation and redemption."

Where "creation" is stressed, he goes on, "subordination and submission are usually emphasized - sometimes even silence."

Where "redemption" is stressed, he adds, "freedom, liberty, mutuality, and equality are emphasized."   

"Paul also lays emphasis on redemption in such a way as to indicate that what God has done in Christ transcends what is true simply because of creation." (New Testament Social Ethics for Today (Eerdmans, 1974)92). This hints at a vision of the Church redeemed, "in Christ," as being "post patriarchal. 

 (see his New Testament Ethics for Today (Eerdmans, 1974; pg. 92).

This suggests that the theologies developed supporting certain views may be driving the divergent understandings.

The Creation emphasis argues that God created Man, and Woman is eternally under the rule, control, or authority of Man. They use certain verses as "proof texts" to support this argument. 

In searching the history of the groups which tend most to utilize this argument - the Reformed, Calvinists, Neo versions of both, Theologically flexible Evangelicals, Adherents to the Eternal Subordination of the Son to the Father or Functional Hierarchy in the Trinity, and members of the New Apostolic Renewal network.

Marilyn A. Hudson, Huldah's Gate, COPYRIGHT 2026

CREATION	REDEMPTION
Premise: Hierarchy was part of creation and thus eternal.  Woman was created to be subordinate to the Man See  “The Danver’s Statement “ (1989) = Complementarianism	Premise: Hierarchy is part of the judgement of sin and therefore not eternal, especially to those in Christ.
Key Verses: Genesis 3:16 (Punishment for Sin) “… Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Ephesians 5:23 — The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. Ephesians 5:22–33 — Wives … submit to husbands; husbands are commanded to love sacrificially. 1 Peter 3:1–7 — Wives submit with a gentle spirit; husbands honor their wives. 1 Corinthians 11:8–9 — Woman was made from man and for man.	Key Verses:  Genesis 1: 26 (Creation Account) “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;  male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Ephesians 5:21 — Believers submit to one another in the fear of God. Galatians 3:28 — All are one in Christ
Submission of Woman to Husband	Mutuality of Submission
Headship, Authority, Control	Equality of Authority and Control
ESS (Eternal Submission of Son to Father) or  "eternal relations of authority and submission"; Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood at https://cbmw.org/	Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE International) at https://www.cbeinternational.org/
Functional Hierarchy within the Trinity (ESS).  This theological position influences and supports the idea that hierarchy was the intended design for Male/Female relationships. (see Affirmation #3 of the Danvers Statement)	Traditional Trinitarian Views (Equal within one substance). This theological position undergirds the mutuality of the New Testament. Even when forced to live under customs that made one inferior to another (i.e., slavery or marriage), the goal was to continue to express their liberty through voluntary  acts of love and grace to witness to the unbelieving.
John Calvin - “Submit yourselves. God has bound us so strongly to each other, that no man ought to endeavor to avoid subjection; and where love reigns, mutual services will be rendered. I do not except even kings and governors, whose very authority is held for the service of the community. It is highly proper that all should be exhorted to be subject to each other in their turn.” (Calvin, John. Calvin’s Writings On Ephesians: The Expansive Commentary Collection,104-105) ; “If the woman is under subjection, she is, consequently, prohibited from authority to teach in public. And unquestionably, whenever even natural propriety has been maintained, women have in all ages been excluded from the public management of affairs. It is the dictate of common sense, that female government is improper and unseemly.”    (John Calvin, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:34)   “On this account, all women are born that they may acknowledge themselves as inferior in consequence to the superiority of the male sex.” Commentary on 1 Corinthians (Calvin. 1 Corinthians 11)	Martin Luther -Before his marriage, he had a different take on women and marriage. “Although women are ashamed to admit such things, both Scripture and experience teach that among many thousands there is not one to whom God gives the grace to maintain pure chastity. A woman does not have the power [to do this] herself.” (Letter to Three Nuns, Wittenberg, 6 August 1524, WA, BR III, no. 766, pp. 326-328; in Karant-Nunn and Wiesner-Hanks, ibid., p. 141)   “For woman seems to be a creature somewhat different from man, in that she has dissimilar members, a varied form and a mind weaker than man. Although Eve was a most excellent and beautiful creature, like unto Adam in reference to the image of God, that is with respect to righteousness, wisdom and salvation, yet she was a woman.  For as the sun is more glorious than the moon, though the moon is a most glorious body, so woman, though she was a most beautiful work of God, yet she did not equal the glory of the male creature.”  (Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 2, Part V, 27b)   Martin Luther, after his marriage in 1525 - "Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave" (Table Talk, 1569)
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), is a Reformed Christian creed.	The Thirty‑Nine Articles (1571), doctrinal standard of the Church of England, a broader Anglican position that blends Reformed, Lutheran, and Catholic influences.
Ancient Theophilus of Antioch Tertullian Justin Martyr Irenaeus of Lyons Origen of Alexanderia Athanasius of Alexandria The Arian heresy (a fourth-century teaching of Arius of Alexandria (c. 250–336 AD) that the Son of God was a created being—the greatest of creatures but not eternally divine. Captured in the phrase “there was when he was not,” it denied that the Son shares the Father’s substance; this blends with several versions different functions of Christ such as the ESS)	Ancient Theophilus of Antioch Tertullian Justin Martyr Irenaeus of Lyons Origen of Alexanderia Athanasius of Alexandria Council of Nicea (325 AD) Council of Constantinople (c 310-367 AD) Gregory of Nyssa Augustine of Hippo John of Damascus Maximus the Confessor
Middle Ages to Reformation Heinrich Bullinger Theodore Beza Francisus Gomarus William Ames	Middles Ages to Reformation Richard of St. Victor St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Acquinas John Wycliffe Ulrich Zwingli Argula Van Grimback Marie Dentiere Katrina Zell Teresa of Avila Bathsua Makin
Reformation to Modern Era Westminster Confession  1646 (WCF) one of the foundational documents of Reformed Christianity.  Trinitarian aspect of the Son static as eternally begotten of the Father will led to a theology of Christ being eternally subordinate to God = ESS EFS) Johannes Coceceius Herman Witsius Thomas Cranmer John Knox John Ball Thomas Blake Patrick Gillespie Jonathan Edwards Frances Turretin Richard Baxter Geerhardus Vos Charles Hodge Charles Spurgeon Alexander McClaren John Owen George Whitefield John R. Rice (Baptist. Sword of the Lord) see Bobbed Hair, Bossy Wives, and Women Preachers R.C. Sproul Carl F. H. Henry Herbert Bavinck B.B. Warfield John Machen Karl Barth J.I. Packer Donald Bloesch Michael Horton Charles Ryrie (Role of Women in the Church. Originally published by Moody Press in 1970 and later revised by B&H Publishing Group, Ryrie’s book addresses the question: What can a woman do in the church of God?) Wayne Grudem ( 20th century - resurrects Eternal Functional Subordination and uses it as a lens to interpret Womanhood and Manhood, i.e. Complementarianism) Bruce Ware John Piper John McArthur	Reformation to Modern Era Margaret Fell Mary Astell Rachel Speght Juana Ines de la Cruz Elizabeth Bathhurst John Wesley , son of Susanna, ..”But may not women, as well as men, bear a part in this honorable service?” Undoubtedly they may; nay, they ought; it is meet, right, and their bounded duty. Herein there is no difference; “there is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus. “Indeed, it has long passed for a maxim with many, that “women are only to be seen, not heard.” And accordingly many of them are brought up in such a manner as if they were only designed for agreeable playthings. But is this doing honor to the sex? Or is it a real kindness to them? NO; it is the deepest unkindness; it is horrid cruelty; it is mere Turkish barbarity. And I know not how any woman of sense and spirit can submit to it. Let all you that have it in your power assert their right which the God of nature has given. You. yield not to the vile bondage any longer.  You, as well as men, are rational creatures. You, like them, were made in the image of God; you are equally candidates for immortality; you too are called of God, as you have time, to “do good unto all men.” Be “not disobedient to the heavenly calling.” Whenever you have opportunity, do all the good you can, particularly to your poor, sick neighbor. And everyone of you likewise “Shall receive your own reward, according to your own labor.” ( Sermon 98, “On Visiting the Sick”, III. 7.) Susanna Wesley Jerema Lee Phoebe Palmer Amada Berry Smith Catherine Booth Frances Elizabeth Willard Craig S Keener Ben Wittington

 

Richard Longnecker writing in his  book New Testament Social Ethics for Today (Eerdmans, 1974)92) noted: “"Paul also lays emphasis on redemption in such a way as to indicate that what God has done in Christ transcends what is true simply because of creation."

Prayer For Ordaining A Deaconess (circa 400 AD)

 The Apostolic Confessions  (AD 350-400) , deaconesses were working with the female converts (teaching, leading, helping them) and the Bishop is instructed to ordain  a faithful and holy woman for the ministering to these female members.

The prayer at the laying on of hands for this ordination was included...

"O Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of man and of woman, who didst replenish with Spirit Miriam, and Deborah, and Anna and Huldah.; who didst not distain that Thy only begotton Son should be born of a woman; who also in the tabernacle of the testimony, and in the temple, didst ordain women to be the keepers of the holy gates, - do thou now look down upon this thy servant , who is to be ordained to the office of  deaconess , and grant her thy holy spirit, and ‘cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,’ that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her deaconess, and grant her thy holy spirit, and ‘cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,’ that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her Thy Glory, and the praise of Thy Christ, with whom glory and adoration to be thee and the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.” – Anti-Nicene Fathers (7) 1075, pg. 492, found in Women in the Earliest Churches. Ben Withingerton (1988) 200.

When we break this prayer down it becomes clear that women were doing many ministries and pastoral tasks.

First note the nod to the women who were singled out as Prophets of God: Miriam, Deborah, Anna and Huldah. A clear recognition of the longtime presence of women in religious and community life as recognized ministry leaders.

Note that nod to cultural limitations concerning women "who didst not distain that Thy only begotten Son should be born of a woman."  Culture and its patriarchy in Rome and nearby lands devalued women. Aristotelian philosophy - highly influential to Clement, Tertullian and Origin, - called them accidents of nature. Not here, in the Church of Jesus Christ. The Savior was born of a woman. His female followers become his co-heirs with her male brothers in the new life in Christ. A place where their gender, race, and status no longer matter.

Note her clear label as a deacon "do thou now look down upon this thy servant , who is to be ordained to the office of deaconess."  Why? Women had been previously used by God in just such ways: "who also in the tabernacle of the testimony, and in the temple, didst ordain women to be the keepers of the holy gates."

She is anointed to service.  "...grant her thy holy spirit, and ‘cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,’ that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her."  

Her work in this ordination? "that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her [namely] Thy Glory, and the praise of Thy Christ, with whom glory and adoration to be thee and the Holy Spirit for ever."  The 'praise of Christ ' -given the role of deacon this probably refers to preaching and teaching.

In the early 500's, however, the now male dominated clergy and administration of the church forced women out of their New Testament deacon roles.  The influence of the Roman secular culture, always beating at the door of the emergent New Testament church, The Way, finally achieved the dominance it required to reshape the church into a Roman vision of appropriate behaviors. Influenced by the Greek philosophies that denigrated women, elevated men, and required strict social status and hierarchy, the Church of Jesus Christ going into the middle ages is very different from the church that saw "there is neither male or female..." in the Body of Christ. 

*See Councils of Nica (325) and compare to Councils of Orange (441), Epaon (517) and Orleans (533). Nicea noted many deaconesses but a century later the process of removing them was at work. Note also, the "Roman" form of Church is a topic of The Synod of Whitby. At that Christian administrative gathering (Northumbria/Yorkshire in 664), minor issues of tonsure and Celtic Church practices resulted in a vote to assume the Roman customs. This led to a removal of women Bishops and pastors in the Irish Church and the Romanization of many other customs and theology. 

HAVE PODCAST WILL LEAD YOU ASTRAY

One of the downfalls of the social media world in which we live is that the "crazy fringe" can be confused with people who actually know something. The idiot proclaiming some view or another with absolute certainty has had no filter, no criteria, and no challenges to those pronouncements. Their own understanding becomes their absolute call to authority.

People "outside" merely see one large landscape of "Christian" or "Evangelicals" etc.  Denominational doctrines, practices or heritage mean nothing.  Some groups further confuse the issue by blending and merging beliefs from several different rivers of theology to create a mishmash.  This modern syncretism flourishes in independent, non-denominational, and autonomous churches around the globe. 

Doug Wilson has become one well-known name as a supporter of Patriarchy and Christian Nationalist views with extreme political, social, and religious ideas.  His "disciples" have flourished. His ideas echo through social media with striking similarities as if a talking points document was shared by all. Some phrases repeat with odd regularity suggesting cliches more than key points.

Below is a list of some online personalities (Facebook, Reels, Podcasts) and rough identifications as to their theological "camps."  Most are pastors, but some are self-identified influencers, some counselors, some journalists, and some unclear.

Information was located via public online bios, descriptions, ads, and write ups in news sources.

As can be seen most of the voices being heard are not scholars, experts in reading the Greek and Hebrew, and similar fields. Most are pastors of non-denominational churches, or autonomous churches with a generally agreed upon set of doctrinal tenets.

The notes indicate when they were associated with radical or fringe groups, works they published along a specific range of studies, or similar notes.

Name	Locale	Affiliation	Notes (Assoc., Labels, etc.)
Brian Sauve	UT	Reformed Trad.	New Christendom Press (NPC)
Steve Anderson	AZ	N.I.F.B	Christian Nationalist
Doug Wilson	ID	Reformed Trad.	Christian Nationalist
Zachary Garris	NM	PCA Ref	Hyper-Masculinity
Larry Furtick	NC
Michael Spangler	NC	PCA	Elevation Worship
Andrew Iskar	TN	Reformed Trad.	New Christendom Press
Eric Conn	UT	Reformed Trad.	Hard Man Podcast
Andrew Torbar
Adam Maddison	WY/UT/ID	Baptist
Joel Durbin	AZ	Apologia Chr
Joel Webbon	TX	Baptist
David Eddington Dr.	AZ		Abused Men/ NCP
Matt Walsh	KY	Catholic	Theo Christian Fascist
Mark Driscoll	AZ	Reformed	Hyper-Masculinity
Dale Partridge	AZ	Reformed?	Hyper-Masculinity
John Eldridge	AZ	Reformed?	Anti-Feminist Writings
Joshua Hayes	GA	Influencer Online
Michael Foster	OH	Reformed?	Good to Be a Man of God
Josh Howerton	TX		Lakepoint, Dallas
Al Mohler	KY		SBTS, Pres.
Matt Chandler	TX	Baptist/Independent
Kevin DeYoung (Dr)	NC	Reformed Theo PCA
Noah Revoy
Jonathan Shelby		Steadfast Baptist Church
Jonny Ardavanis		Brentwood, TN	Studied under McArthur

They largely come from church groups self-labeling as part of the greater reformed tradition (Baptist, Conservative Presbyterians, non-denominational, etc.).  The major houses for publishing reformed works are Baker, Zondervan, and Eerdmans with a smattering of other companies.  The "New Christendom Press" was highlighted in Spring 2026 for an Arizona conference featuring a vendor of white supremist works.

The Hyper-Masculines are a group who regularly promote a more male-centric worship style, celebrate masculinity, and host frequent conferences to teach about Biblical Manhood and related topics. They usually have books and studies they are promoting as well.  They generally promote a highly patriarchal agenda as well. There are some exceptions, but they are not seen promoted among the people on this list based on surveys of websites, podcasts, reviews, etc.

Although they are "fringe" in the true sense of the word, their dominating presence on social media add them to the mix.  Just as one bad apple spoils the whole basket, a wide range of bad theologies promoted and shared indiscriminately, are a bad influence - and mostly lead to more bad theology and un-Biblical teachings.

For your next deep dive, explore the topics and see what you discover.

A RISING THREAT

A trend is in motion to bring back "patriarchy" and that is not good news. 

The term is often used to equate to benign things such as traditional values or previous generation culture norms. It is often seen as the only appropriate response to "feminism" which is seen solely as the tentacle of matriarchy. There is no "either/or" choice for the patriarchal people. There has to be someone in control - and it is either male and female, patriarchy or matriarchy. 

Oddly, for proponents of the Gospel of liberation and freedom the term egalitarian or even democracy is treated as a four-letter word. 

Patriarchy is a political-social construct. It was the driving force in the ancient world shaping the cultures of many lands. The Roman controlled culture of the New Testament will strongly influence how the emerging church processes behaviors. 

What causes this tension in the first place? One underlying problem is in how people view redemption and how they view the concept of the trinity. Richard Longenecker, noted scholar, has noted that this tension in views concerning creation and redemption is at the heart of the problem in church thinking. When creation order is stressed, subordination and submission are emphasized alongside later commands to silence. Where redemption is emphasized, the focus tends more toward freedom, mutuality and equality. 

"Paul also lays emphasis on redemption in such a way as to indicate that what God has done in Christ transcends what is true simply because of creation." (New Testament Social Ethics for Today (Eerdmans, 1974)92). This hints at a vision of the Church redeemed, "in Christ," as being "post patriarchal. 

The argument for greater participation of women in Christian faith is based either on the concept of humans created in God's image, given dominion, sinning and then being punished. That punishment will be interpreted as a) a woman will try to have power over a man (not really supported by the text) or b) her desire will be to her husband, but his ongoing response will be to rule over her instead of being in close relationship. 

Patriarchy births the decision to see an eternal hierarchy within the creation account, which in turn influences how people conceptualize the theology of the Trinity (eternal subordination of the Son to the Father theory) and how they interpret relational dynamics between men and women (woman eternally subordinate to the male rather than an equal creation in God's image and a co-heir with Christ). This beginning mind-set of eternal subordination versus a freedom via Christ to be true "co-heirs" with Christ illustrates the entire complementarian vs egalitarian tension.

Patriarchy is about power. It is the struggle with hubris and male mankind's greatest Achilles heel.  The emphasis among those preaching a Gospel of Patriarchy is about authority, dominance, control, leadership, and inflation of male worth over female worth as a natural order.

Christians are defined as "Christ like" and those characteristics promoted by Patriarchalism ignore the servant mentality of leadership (who would be greatest must be like a servant), as well as the expectations of demonstrations of daily love, mercy, grace, kindness, and sacrifice.  The focus is not on the Great Command to spread the Gospel but on maintaining a power structure and control. The focus is not on growing as disciples but safeguarding dominance in the marriage or home. The focus is not on loving and helping others but securing a position as the alpha male, dominant, and controlling head of a church or home.

Added to this level are pure ambassadors of social patriarchy. Not preachers, they are counselors, politicians, businessmen, and institutions that promote patriarchy as the best social structure.  They want to make voting a male only, head of the household activity, reduce women's access to education, and control "gatekeep" her interactions with other women or online.

They often define themselves as "high value" men who must be catered to by subservient wives or companions. Current events show that these two groups the Christian Patriarchs and the Social Patriarchs are joining forces.  Around them are also clustering white supremacists, antisemites, and other negative forces wooed by control an power.