Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood

by Wayne Grudem

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2002

Overview

For years a debate has raged over how to define true masculinity and true femininity. While there is agreement that men and women share equally in the privilege of being made in God's image, some views of manhood and womanhood blur God-given gender distinctions.

Wayne Grudem assembled a team of distinguished writers to show how egalitarian views destroy God's ideal for your relationships, marriage, and life purposes.

These writers explore key issues, including the interchangeability of male-female roles, the meaning of submission, and the historical novelty of egalitarian interpretations of Scripture. This book will demonstrate how some views of manhood and womanhood tamper with our understanding of God's character and why the extremes of male domination and feminism destroy the beauty of our sexual differences—differences that celebrate the excellence of men and women as God created us.

Sixteen respected men and women of God apply the biblical view of manhood and womanhood in areas that concern pastors -- from the personal to the practical.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Key Issue #1: Men and Women Are Equal in Value and Dignity” (Pages 18–19)

“A third aspect of the curse was to introduce pain and conflict into the relationship between Adam and Eve.” (Page 35)

“5. The primary accountability: God spoke to Adam first after the Fall.” (Page 30)

“The word translated ‘desire’ is an unusual Hebrew word, teshûqāh. What is the meaning of this word? In this context and in this construction, it probably implies an aggressive desire, perhaps a desire to conquer or rule over, or else an urge or impulse to oppose her husband, an impulse to act ‘against’ him.” (Pages 32–33)

“4. The naming of the human race: God named the human race ‘Man,’ not ‘Woman.’” (Page 28)

Contributors

• John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Bruce A. Ware, Senior Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Richard W. Hove, Director of Campus Crusade for Christ at Duke University
• Daniel Doriani, Dean of the Faculty and Professor of New Testament and Covenant Theological Seminary
• Daniel R. Heimbach, Professor of Christian Ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Peter Jones, Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in California

Excerpt from Chapter 1

"To be in the image of God is an incredible privilege. It means to be like God and to represent God. No other creatures in all of creation, not even the powerful angels, are said to be in the image of God. It is a privilege given only to us as men and women. We are more like God than any other creatures in the universe, for we alone are in the ‘image of God.’…Any discussion of manhood and womanhood in the Bible must start here."

"I personally think that one reason God has allowed this whole controversy on manhood and womanhood to come into the church at this time is so that we could correct some mistakes, change some wrongful traditions, and become more faithful to Scripture in treating our wives and all women with dignity and respect. The first step in correcting these mistakes is to be fully convinced in our hearts that women share equally with us men in the value and dignity that belongs to being made in the image of God."

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood
• Editor: Wayne Grudem
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2002

About Wayne Grudem

Wayne Grudem is a New Testament scholar turned theologian, author, and research professor of Bible and theology at Phoenix Seminary, Arizona. He earned a BA from Harvard University, an MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. In 2001 Grudem moved to Phoenix Seminary after having taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for more than twenty years where he was also the chairman of the Department of Biblical and Systematic Theology.