A Christological Model of Gender Roles

These studies look at Jesus Christ in a search for answers to questions of church governance and practice debated in the complementarian/egalitarian discussion about the role of men and women in the church. It endeavours to find an alternative to the polarisation that results from using the terms ‘egalitarian’ and ‘complementarian’, because these terms put in opposition two concepts that the Bible holds together as two mutually inclusive aspects of one truth.

The inclusiveness, mutuality and synergy of the two concepts of hierarchy and equality are clearly demonstrated in Jesus Christ, where total equality with God the Father and a very evident authority structure exist and operate in unison, with neither the equality nor the authority compromised.

The legitimacy of applying the Christological model to the question of gender roles and functions in the Church is grounded

[1] in the fact that Jesus Christ is both ‘the Light’ and ‘the Truth’ ‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (John 8:12: 14:6; Colossians 2:3); and

[2] in Paul’s application of the Christological analogy to the male/female question in 1Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:22ff.

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