Young vs. Old Complementarians 1Mark DeverPastorCapitol Hill Baptist ChurchWashingt<strong>on</strong>, D.C.Lig<strong>on</strong> Duncan <strong>and</strong> I were recently at a gatheringof forty or so pastors. We had a great time there.W<strong>on</strong>derful fellowship. Much theological agreement.However, when the questi<strong>on</strong> of complementarianismcame up, though there was largeagreement <strong>on</strong> theological substance, there was dramaticdisagreement <strong>on</strong> strategy for presentati<strong>on</strong>.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> core of this essay is simply this—it ismy observati<strong>on</strong> that those older than me who arecomplementarian generally want to downplay thisissue, <strong>and</strong> those younger than me want to lead withit, or at least be very up fr<strong>on</strong>t about it.Why is this? Is it because the older group istheologically unfaithful, or the younger group culturallyinsensitive? I d<strong>on</strong>’t think so. I d<strong>on</strong>’t know,but my guess is that there are at least a couple offactors playing into this difference. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> two groupshave different pers<strong>on</strong>al experiences, <strong>and</strong> the twogroups have different theological assessments.First, the two groups have different pers<strong>on</strong>alexperiences. Normal for the older group is evangelicalsas upst<strong>and</strong>ing members of the society. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>yare mayors <strong>and</strong> bankers <strong>and</strong> respected pers<strong>on</strong>s inthe community. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> tendency is natural to do whatwould be culturally acceptable, as much as is possible(parallel to John Rawls <strong>and</strong> his idea of publiclyaccessible reas<strong>on</strong>s). Normal for the younger groupis being shouted at publicly, being told that they’renarrow, intolerant hate-m<strong>on</strong>gers because of theiroppositi<strong>on</strong> to homosexuality or aborti<strong>on</strong> or falsereligi<strong>on</strong>s. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> tendency is to advocate biblical m<strong>and</strong>atesin an unvarnished, open fashi<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong> yet to dothis with an eye to explaining <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>on</strong>stratingthem as winsomely as possible. Both groups want tobe faithful to Scripture <strong>and</strong> sensitive to culture, <strong>and</strong>yet their ideas of where the right balance is, differ.Sec<strong>on</strong>d, the two groups have different theologicalassessments. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> older group is am<strong>on</strong>g peerswho see women’s ordinati<strong>on</strong> as an extensi<strong>on</strong> of civilrights for people of different races. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> youngergroup is am<strong>on</strong>g peers who see women’s ordinati<strong>on</strong>as a precursor for creating legal categories ofgay rights. But having a certain skin pigmentati<strong>on</strong>is to the glory of God; having a sexual partner ofthe same gender is sin. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> younger group is morealarmed, not simply by the egalitarian positi<strong>on</strong>, butby what it is assumed that will eventually entail,either in those who allow it, or in those who comeafter them.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are, of course, many evangelical feminists.Some Christians whom I most love <strong>and</strong>respect <strong>and</strong> have learned from are in this category.Just to take <strong>on</strong>e example, I think of mybeloved professor at Gord<strong>on</strong>-C<strong>on</strong>well <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>ologicalSeminary, Roger Nicole, who is a father in the faithto me. My respect for him is huge. My debt to himis great. I was his teaching assistant for two yearsat Gord<strong>on</strong>-C<strong>on</strong>well. He <strong>and</strong> his wife were <strong>and</strong>have been incredibly kind to me <strong>and</strong> my family. Heprayed for me publicly at my installati<strong>on</strong> at CapitolHill Baptist Church. I got a letter from himjust last week! However, <strong>on</strong> this issue, after years ofbeing taught feminism at Duke, then at Gord<strong>on</strong>-C<strong>on</strong>well, I had come to disagree.“Well then,” you might say, “why d<strong>on</strong>’t youleave this issue of complementarianism at the levelof baptism or church polity? Surely you cooperatewith those who disagree with you <strong>on</strong> such matters.”Because, though I could be wr<strong>on</strong>g, it is mybest <strong>and</strong> most sober judgment that this positi<strong>on</strong> iseffectively an undermining of—a breach in—theauthority of Scripture. As my friend Lig<strong>on</strong> Dun-JBMW | Spring 2008 23
can, the paedo-baptist, has often said, “If there werea verse in 1 Timothy saying, ‘I do not permit aninfant to be baptized,’ we wouldn’t be having thisc<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> about baptism! <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is such a verseabout women serving as teachers/elders!”Dear reader, you may not agree with me <strong>on</strong>this. And I d<strong>on</strong>’t desire to be right in my fears. Butit seems to me <strong>and</strong> others (many who are youngerthan myself ) that this issue of egalitarianism <strong>and</strong>complementarianism is increasingly acting as thewatershed distinguishing those who will accommodateScripture to culture, <strong>and</strong> those who willattempt to shape culture by Scripture. You may disagree,but this is our h<strong>on</strong>est c<strong>on</strong>cern before God. Itis no lack of charity, nor h<strong>on</strong>esty. It is no desire forpower or traditi<strong>on</strong> for traditi<strong>on</strong>’s sake. It is our soberc<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> from observing the last fifty years.Paedobaptism is not novel (sadly). But, <strong>on</strong>the good side, evangelicals who have taught such adoctrine have c<strong>on</strong>tinued to be otherwise faithful toScripture for five centuries now. And many timestheir faithfulnesses have put those of us who mayhave a better doctrine of baptism to shame! Egalitarianismis novel. Its theological tendencies havenot had such a l<strong>on</strong>g track record. And the trackrecord they have had so far is not encouraging.Of course, there are issues more central to thegospel than gender issues. However, there may beno way the authority of Scripture is being underminedmore quickly or more thoroughly in ourday than through the hermenuetics of egalitarianreadings of the Bible. And when the authority ofScripture is undermined, the gospel will not l<strong>on</strong>gbe acknowledged. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore, love for God, the gospel,<strong>and</strong> future generati<strong>on</strong>s dem<strong>and</strong>s the carefulpresentati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> pressing of the complementarianpositi<strong>on</strong>.ENDNOTES1An earlier versi<strong>on</strong> of this article appeared <strong>on</strong> the website of“Together for the Gospel,” www.T4G.org.24 JBMW | Spring 2008
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