It’s no secret that The Gospel Coalition is one of the worst publications that claims to be Christian media. They are weak on just about every hot issue going on in the church whether it be Critical Race Theory, Revoice, or Branch Covidianism. Around the globe, The Gospel Coalition acts as state propaganda to the church. A recent article titled “Men, Are You Submissive?” is aimed at making men docile in the face of growing government tyranny and ecclesiastical abuse. It is written by Michael Kruger, a Reformed Theological Seminary professor.
The Bible is clear that everybody submits to somebody. Men and women are called to submit to the government (Rom. 13:1), children are called to submit to parents (Eph. 6:1), church members are called to submit to elders (Heb. 13:7), servants are called to submit to masters (1 Pet. 1:18), and on it goes.
To all the authorities we are to submit to, the Bible also makes it clear what the scope of these authorities are. The government is to punish evil and reward good. Pastors are to watch over people’s souls. And he tries to modernize a verse addressing slaves to a verse addressing employees which misunderstands the relationship between an employer and an employee.
Here’s the point: submission is not a female virtue; it’s a Christian virtue. Perhaps, then, we need to recalibrate the way we think about—and talk about—submission in the church. Rather than repeatedly focusing on just one example (Eph. 5:22), we need to call all Christians to submit to whatever authorities are over them. And if men are to be the leaders in the church and the home—a point often made in discussions about submission—then they ought to lead by example. Christian men should be a model of submission to whatever authorities they are under.
The entire purpose of this article seems to be to assuage feminist butthurt. Feminist are butthurt that complementarian churches tell them to submit to their husbands. These same feminists, naturally, adopt Branch Covidianism and so Michael Kruger is here to resolve their grievance by telling men to submit also.
Men, do you show a submissive spirit to your employer? Or do you grumble, complain, and undermine your boss’s authority?
Working for someone else is a job. Doing the job which you agreed to perform should hardly be framed as submission, as opposed to professionalism.Â
Men, do you submit to your church leaders? Or are you a member who regularly kicks against accountability and oversight?
How many churches actively practice church discipline? Moreover, there are limits to ecclesiastical authority. Imagine asking this question to a member of Mark Driscoll’s church.
Men, if you are a pastor or elder, do you submit to your fellow elders? Do you show a spirit of submission to your denominational body? When that body asks you to do something, do you comply or push against it?
If a denominational body is in downgrade, and all of which are to some degree, then it is a duty of a local pastor to undermine the downgrade or leave the denomination, not to submit.
Men, do you respect the governing authorities God has placed over you, regardless of their political affiliation or your opinion of their policies? Or do you mock and deride those authorities?
The context of this question is that we should soften our stance towards evil rulers.
One can imagine how difficult (not to mention discouraging) it might be for women who are repeatedly called to submit to see their husbands and church leaders refuse to submit to the authorities over them. By contrast, how encouraging it is for women to see that they are being asked to do something which their leaders willingly and cheerfully do first.
Women generally are not attracted to submissive men. They do not want to see their husbands be docile to the bullies around them whether they be from government, pastors, their bosses. Moreover, against lockdowns and mask mandates, it appears to be the woman pushing back the most.
But Christian submission is not just an issue in the church; it also affects the way we relate to the broader culture. Do we practice what we preach before a watching world?
“The world is watching” is the mantra of the Southern Baptist Convention. When we allow the world to judge our witness, our witness becomes compromised. The world hates Christ and therefore will hate those who are most Christ-like and offensive to their ways. The world is peddling Branch Covidianism, not faithful Christians.
4 Responses
The gospel writers couldn’t imagine a government not applying its own laws.. it was also against many laws back then for Christians to even gather. Those two examples underine submitting to the majority of recent government edicts the non-branch covidians refuse to submitntoo.
The pro lgbtq abortion crowd loves this reason I’ll use to tell the covidins to get lost. That’s legalism, I’m under grace I can do what I want!
This is exactly why many young men are leaving evangelicalism for Eastern Orthodoxy.
I’ve never heard the term “butthurt” used before. What does it mean?