Does the Bible Teach that Women are “Subordinate”?

 

I have been writing at length in recent weeks on the topics of Biblical womanhood, women being leaders, women teaching men, and submission in marriage. To continue on in our series and to further illustrate precisely why I am neither an egalitarian nor a complementarian (be looking for a full post containing an outline of all those reasons next week!), we are today looking at the question, “Does the Bible teach that women are subordinate?”

This is an important question to ask because the whole system of complementarianism hinges on this one point. Throughout the writings of complementarians such as John MacArthur, Nancy Demoss Wolgumuth, John Piper, Bruce Ware, and Wayne Grudem we find the words “subordinate” and “subordination” to refer to women time and time again. The reason why this is such prominent wording among complementarians is because complementarianism as a belief system rises or falls on the basis of the validity of their new doctrine known as the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS for short). I will further explain the false and dangerous doctrine of ESS in next week’s article, but for now, consider this interesting quote from ESS teacher and complementarianism founder Wayne Grudem:

Did you catch that? If the Son has not been and is not eternally subordinate to the Father (and He isn’t!), then Grudem admits that neither then can we say that wives are “subordinate” to their husbands. Interesting, isn’t it? This is precisely why I say that the answer to today’s question will either uphold or completely destroy the belief system known as complementarianism.

Now, before we get started, please know that I am not saying I do not believe in the complementary nature of God’s design of men and women. I do. As I’ve said before, I do not adhere to egalitarianism. But neither does that make me a complementarian. Because to be a complementarian, logically I would have to adhere to complementarianism. And the founders of that system (who are the ones which get to determine what it consists of, having founded it!) have determined that there is no complementarianism without the (false) doctrine of ESS.

Here is the full definition of the word “subordinate” according to the Oxford English Dictionary:

adjective

• lower in rank or position
• Of less or secondary importance

noun: subordinate, plural noun: subordinates

• a person under the authority or control of another within an organization

Now go back and read that definition again with Christ in mind, as well. Disturbing, isn’t it? Now, in regards to women, I have personally been lumped in together with my children before and referred to as being one of Owen’s “subordinates”. That is not Biblical. Period. Let’s go through each definition of this word and address them (I will do so in reference to women because that is the primary point of this article, but, again, read through what follows with Christ in mind, as well):

• Lower in rank or position.

In God’s eyes, are women “lower in rank or position” compared to men? No. While we do see God’s design for marriage as one in which the wife voluntarily chooses to submit herself to her husband, this does not make her, as a woman, lower in rank or position in comparison to her husband. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This would have been a revolutionary thing to say in such a patriarchal culture as was the Jewish culture of the time. Paul is saying that there is no difference between slaves and freemen (though we might think there would be a difference in rank or position there!), and the same then goes for men and women. Wives may submit to their husbands (and should!), but God did not make half of His human creation to be subordinate or subservient to the other half. Women are not lower in position to men before God - in God’s eyes men and women stand on equal footing before Him.

Furthermore, we have seen before that woman, according to Genesis 2:18, was created to be an “ezer” (translated “helper”). The full-orbed meaning of the word “ezer” is easily discovered by simply studying each instance in which that Hebrew word is used in the Old Testament. From such a study, we see that the true meaning of the word connotes a strong, protective, competent, rescuing, warrior. That’s a far cry from being subordinate!

 

• Of less or secondary importance/ to treat or regard as of lesser importance than something else

If we are accepting of the practice of referring to women as being subordinate and therefore of less or secondary importance (or, by extension, referring to Christ as being of less or secondary importance to the Father!), then we have some major problems. This should go without saying, but apparently it no longer does in our more conservative circles. Men and women both were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), Adam viewed Eve as being his equal (Genesis 2:23), men and women are both joint heirs with God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), are heirs together of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7), and are equally ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Men are not less important than women, and women are not less important than men.

 

• A person under the authority or control of another.

We have already seen, but I suppose it bears repeating: wives are not to be under the control or rule of their husbands. In spite of what someone said once about me and my children being Owen’s “subordinates”, I am not my husband’s child and my husband is not my father. Period. Our husbands are not our “authorities” in the sense that then can (or even should) “make” us submit. Nowhere in the whole entire cannon of Scripture do we ever find a verse to support such an idea. The passages on submission are only ever directed at wives, making submission something that wives are to choose voluntarily to carry out. Those passages are never directed at husbands. Far from husbands ever being given the right to “control” their wives, they are only ever told to sacrificially love them and not be bitter against them (Ephesians 5:25-33, Colossians 3:19), dwell with them with understanding (1 Peter 3:7), and give honor to them (1 Peter 3:7). That’s it. And if husbands fail to do so? Their very prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7) and any husband who “deals treacherously” with his wife has gone against God’s will for marriage (Malachi 2:14-15).

 

• Make subservient to or dependent on something else.

Here is where another word comes into play which has no business in Christian marriage: “subservient”. The definition of “subservient” is “prepared to obey others unquestioningly”. Regardless of what some may say, Biblical submission of a wife to her husband is never meant to refer to “obeying” him “unquestioningly”. First of all, “submission” is not equal to “obedience”. The Greek word for “submit” in Ephesians 5:22 for wives to their husbands is not the same one used for “obey” in Ephesians 6:1 for children to their parents. Furthermore, we are only to submit to our husbands “as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18). In other words, we do not submit unquestioningly. We wholeheartedly submit to our husbands as godly wives, but only when their leading is not a leading into areas of sin. If a husband ever asks his wife to sin, she is required to recognize God’s place in her life as being above her husband and “obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).

Secondly, while my husband financially provides for our family and protects and guards us with all that he is (both of which I am so incredibly thankful for and do not take for granted!), I am not to be “dependent” on my husband. I am to be dependent on God alone (John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 121:1-2, etc.), and have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3).

 

No Place for Subordination

We have looked at each and every aspect of the definition of “subordinate” and Biblically refuted each one. There is, therefore, no place in the body of Christ, the church, for the subordination of women that all too often takes place. The subordination of women happened in Bible times (both Old and New Testament), and it angered God then just as much as it angers Him now. He views His daughters, half of all his human creation, as being just as precious, just as valuable, just as made in His image as He does His sons. And He does not take it lightly when His sons seek to subordinate His daughters into being subservient. Neither should we.

If words mean something (and they do!), then consider this a clarion call for all of us: educate yourself on the meaning of the word “subordinate” and then, as a result of doing so, erase it from all your writings about women and their roles in the Kingdom of God. The subordination of women has no place in God’s design, and the change has to start with us.

~~~~~

If you enjoy studying the topic of Biblical womanhood, I invite you to band together with the other ladies who have gone through my free 7 day email course entitled Womanhood by God’s Design! You can sign up for the free course here.