Mere Complementarianism: A Must Read for a Such a Time as This

We highly recommend our ministry partner Denny Burk's new book, Mere Complementarianism: Male and Female in the
Image of God, It's a comprehensive guide to understanding the biblical doctrine of gender roles. It emphasizes the distinct yet complementary roles of men and women, aiming to clarify misconceptions surrounding complementarianism.

Denny opens his book with an excellent definition of complementarianism and what’s at stake in the debate that has surrounded it in recent decades:

“Complementarianism is a biblical doctrine defining the reality of, and relationship between, man and woman. It presupposes that a man is an image-bearer whose body is organized for reproducing as a father, and that a woman is an image-bearer whose body is organized for reproducing as a mother. A man has a body designed for siring. A woman has a body designed for bearing. They are the same in terms of their image-bearing, but they are different in terms of their reproductive design. Their sameness and their difference have necessary consequences for how they fulfill the respective callings that God puts upon their lives—necessary consequences for how they should relate to one another in marriage, in the church, and in the wider world. God calls the husband to be the head of his wife—a calling that requires leadership, protection, and provision. He calls the wife to be a helper who submits to the authority of her husband and who comes alongside him to assist in their mutual calling of ruling and subduing creation. While men and women are both gifted for ministry, God calls qualified men to be leaders in the church. These different callings do not make male and female contrary to one another. Rather, God designed our differences to make us complementary to one another. Our job as disciples of Christ requires us to understand these realities, to celebrate and affirm them, and to order our lives according to what God has revealed. 

The counterpoint to this view is egalitarianism, and while egalitarians affirm that both men and women are created in God’s image and have equal dignity and worth, they deny that a husband is called to lead his wife and that the church is to be led solely by qualified men. 

Burk’s goal in the book is to present a “mere” complementarianism, which is to say, “to explain and commend … what has been common to all complementarians at all times.” He also develops what he understands as the essential entailments of mere complementarianism while distinguishing them from what is merely optional or interpretive. Why? “There is a need for this today because critics of the teaching often confuse the essence with the accidents and, as a consequence, cause a good deal of confusion among those who are new to this teaching. If we could distinguish the essence of the teaching from that which is only incidental to it, we would be in a much better place to examine the teaching in light of the criticism that is sometimes leveled against it.”

He goes about his task in five chapters. In the first, he makes the case for complementarianism from Natural Law, showing that we can discover it through simply observing what God has created. 

In the second, he looks to Scripture to make the argument from Genesis’ account of God’s creative work. 

In the third chapter, he turns to the New Testament and the various texts there related to men’s and women’s distinct and complementary roles within marriage, 

In the fourth he does the same with the church. 

In the fifth and final chapter, he draws out some practical applications of the doctrine and answers questions like these: 

Who can preach on Sunday morning? Who can teach Sunday school? Can women be deacons? Who can teach at seminary? Does complementarianism foster abuse? He answers each of these contemporary questions thoroughly, but not exhaustively.

Burk does many things very well in this book, but two stand out. 

 First, he explains and defends the complementarian position from both Natural Law and Scripture. If you are new to the discussion or want to better understand the different positions, this will be a helpful resource. 

Second, he brings the discussion up to date by addressing some of the most recent challenges, such as whether a woman can speak from the pulpit on Mother’s Day or whether women can have the title of “pastor” even if they do not have authority over men. He remains firm in his positions, but charitable toward those who disagree with him, presenting their viewpoints with the accuracy they deserve. He insists rightly that this is a discussion between believers and not one that divides Christians from non-Christians.

Mere Complementarianism is a solid defense of a very defensible position. But more than that, it lays out a positive vision for complementarianism that will help Christians navigate issues in the home, the church, and far beyond.

THX to Tim Challies

Don't Hang in There

Have you ever been in the middle of a difficult season and someone says to you, "Hang in there!" Maybe you've said it to a friend just recently yourself.

I think we mean well with phrases like this, and our aim is to encourage our friends or loved ones, but let's be honest: "hang in there" doesn't actually do much to lift our spirits or strengthen our resolve.

If I can be even more honest, sometimes I think we say "hang in there" because we're not prepared to minister to people who share their suffering with us. So what should we say the next time someone opens up to us?

There are many things we can say, and we need to equip ourselves to comfort those in trouble (see 2 Corinthians 1:4). But, for the sake of today's devotional, I want to examine a phrase that has given me much comfort: "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5)

"Hang in there" and "Wait for the Lord" are similar because they both encourage us to endure difficulty. However, there's a life-changing difference between the two: "Hang in there" hopes in the individual's resolve while "Wait on the Lord" hopes in God.

Why should you tell others to wait on the Lord? Here are four reasons (and I know you can find more in Scripture):

1. Love

The Lord is not simply a loving God; no, he is the definition, the essence, and the source of love (1 John 4:8,16). We can "hang in there" when life gets hard because our destinies are held in the hands of the One who is love. Everything we experience, no matter how hard, is a result of God's love in our life

2. Wisdom

Most people look for answers to life in experiences or research or data, but for the Christian, we find our wisdom for life in a relationship. The Lord is wisdom, just like he is love. That's why Paul tells our hearts to be encouraged in Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)

3. Power

It may not seem like it during times of difficulty, but our God is a God of unchallenged rule. We're reminded of this so powerfully in Daniel 4:34-35 (print these verses out and post them in your house). We can "hang in there" when life gets hard because our stories are written by the One who is in absolute control of every element.

4. Grace

Grace, in this context, means God has given us everything we need to be what he wants us to be and to do what he calls us to do in the situation where he has placed us (2 Peter 1:3). We have a new identity and new potential, so we can face the difficulty realities of life without crumbling in fear

So, the next time a friend or loved one shares their suffering with you, don't advance the conversation with "hang in there." No, encourage them to wait on the Lord of love, wisdom, power and grace. Rather than being weakened by difficult circumstances, we can actually grow stronger as we wait!

Now that's a reason to hang in there!

by Dr. Paul David Tripp -- a pastor, international event speaker, and a best-selling and award-winning author. With more than 30 books and video series on Christian living, Paul’s driving passion is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. https://www.paultripp.com/

Jesus: The Death Defeater

“It was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” – Acts 2:24

Death reigned as an undefeated champion over human history. He cast his dark and inevitable shadow over every passing day of every human life. 

Death was a champion that had no need to rush; he was more than willing to wait his time. When people became powerful or wealthy, Death did not mind. When people felt like they would live for ever, Death simply smiled. Like a stealthy predator crouching in the grass, he knew that all he had to do was wait. Every tick of the clock whispered the same reality—time will pass and then Death will come. That is just what it means to be human in a world under God’s curse. Death reigned.

Of course, Death had his limits; he could not touch the eternal Son of God who dwelt in immortality, but there was plenty of other work to get on with. Then, in an act of breathtaking sacrifice, God became man and entered this cursed world, placing himself in the firing line.

Death could hardly believe what he was seeing—what an opportunity to do some real damage. From the moment Jesus drew his first breath as a baby, Death was stalking him. The clock was ticking. Death was the inescapable end of the line.

There were a few moments in Jesus’ life that might have caused Death a brief wobble. On three separate occasions Jesus raised dead people back to life. This was certainly more power than Death was used to dealing with, but surely these were just blips. Jesus might have postponed Death for a few years but each of them would die again. Death remained confident and undefeated.

And then came the moment for Jesus. It was earlier than might naturally have been expected; Death came prematurely at the hands of violent men. But Death didn’t mind. Whether through violence or sickness or accident or age, Death always had the final word.

As Jesus hung on the cross gasping for air, Death was gleefully poised to gather in one more trophy. As Jesus breathed his final breath, Death stepped in to claim his prize. Like so many who had gone before, Jesus was simply the latest victim of the all-powerful reign of Death.

Tragic. A life ended too soon. So much potential. So much good that he could have achieved. Now he was gone. Consigned to the history books, never to be seen again.

But Death got a terrible shock. There was something different about this man—something Death had never experienced before. When Jesus died, a deeper power was unleashed that was shaking the very fabric of the universe. There was a rumbling of change that Death was not ready for. The once all-powerful Death was suddenly staring defeat in the face.

In a burst of glorious light, Jesus broke free from the hold of Death and emerged victorious into the stunning reality of a brand new day. That Sunday morning, the sun rose on a new beginning. That Sunday morning, the Son rose to bring about a new era.

 Just as light drove back the darkness on the first day of creation, now the Light of the world drove back the darkness of Death to bring the glorious hope of a new world. Behold the conquering, death-defeating High King of heaven.

Ever since that day, the power of Death has been broken. Death still stalks; he still seeks out victims. We still stand at gravesides and weep. We still experience the frustration of bodies that are declining and frail. We still live with the shadow of Death hanging over us and one day each of us will face Death. But because of Jesus, everything has changed.

Death is a defeated enemy. Death has lost his sting. Anyone who is united with Jesus will share in his great victory. Death will not be able to keep hold of us, and we will rise to the life that is far beyond the clutches of sorrow and pain.

Jesus has walked that road already—he has fought that battle and won. Death can bring us pain but he is no longer powerful. Take heart and hold on.

Jesus is wonderful because he has defeated death completely and opened the door to life.

Where do you feel the shadow of death? How does the resurrection of Easter Sunday morning give you hope today?

Excerpt from More of Jesus: 50 Truths to Turn Your Heart to Praise by Jonty Allcock, pastor at The Globe Church in central London. He is married to Linda and loves being a dad to three sons. He is also the author of Impossible Commands.

Repurposing Old Sins With Modern Tools

C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters continues to strike a nerve—especially with Millennials and Gen Z. These generations, immersed in questions of identity, meaning and authenticity, are also more digitally distracted than any in history. That contrast—between spiritual hunger and technological noise—makes Lewis’ wartime satire feel oddly prophetic.

Though first published in 1942, the book feels tailored for today. Its brilliance lies not in predicting the future but in exposing timeless spiritual truths. The packaging of temptation may change—scrolls instead of cigarettes, curated posts instead of polished piety—but the strategy remains the same: keep the soul from God not through overt evil but through endless distraction.

One of Lewis’ sharpest insights is that the devil rarely invents new sins; he simply repurposes old ones with modern tools. There’s no need to create fresh temptations for the digital age—just hand us our phones and let TikTok loops, envy-laced Instagram filters and YouTube Shorts do the work. These platforms turn habit into addiction, presence into performance.

In Letter XXII, Screwtape rants against music and silence—“How I detest them both!”—because they lead the soul inward or upward. He praises noise as “the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless and virile,” and vows to fill the universe with it. Today’s noise isn’t always loud, but it is relentless: podcasts, reels, playlists and ambient notifications crowd out the still, small voice that might be speaking to us.

As Screwtape writes with chilling prescience: “It’s funny how these humans picture us as putting things into their minds. Our best work is done by keeping things out.”

This is where the digital world excels. Push notifications, autoplay and infinite feeds have transformed our tools into temples of distraction. According to Digital Information World, the average American now spends over seven hours a day in front of a screen; for Gen Z, it’s closer to nine. Screwtape wouldn’t need to invent a thing. The safest road to hell is now algorithmically optimized.

Lewis understood that spiritual ruin does not begin in rebellion, but in drift—in the slow erosion of attention, the dulling of desire. In the end, the soul doesn’t need to reject God; it only needs to forget He is there.

In Screwtape, Lewis portrays the Christian life not as calm or convenient, but as a battleground. He came to faith in his early 30s, after years of resistance. He knew how deeply truth unsettles before it sets free. The real war begins after conversion. As Screwtape writes: “All the habits of the patient—the attitudes, the beliefs, the emotions—are still in our favor.”

Lewis didn’t write The Screwtape Letters to amuse. He wrote to wake us up—before we drift too far. And in an age where attention is under siege, his warning feels prophetic.

Lewis doesn’t urge us to reject technology, but to reclaim our attention—to notice how our habits shape us, and whether they’re drawing us closer to Christ or quietly away.

When was the last time you sat in silence without reaching for a screen? Screwtape hopes you never ask. Which is precisely why you should.

 

by Max McLean, a stage actor, writer, and producer; founder and artistic director of the Fellowship for Performing Arts, a New York City-based company that produces live theater and film from a Christian worldview.

Max is known for his stage adaptations of books by author and theologian C. S. Lewis. Some of McLean's adaptations include The Screwtape Letters (written with Jeffrey Fiske), The Great Divorce (written with Brian Watkins), and C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert (based on Surprised by Joy). C.S. Lewis Onstage was adapted into a film, The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis, which starred McLean as an older Lewis and was released in 2021.

Outside of his work regarding Lewis, McLean wrote the play Martin Luther on Trial with Chris Cragin-Day, and narrated KJV, NIV, and ESV versions of "The Listener's Bible", an audio Bible.

 

What is True Freedom?

True freedom is submission to God. Freedom is not casting off all restraints and pursuing
whatever we want. It is embracing the right restraints and aligning our wants with God’s will, so we can pursue what is true and good and beautiful.

Modern freedom is often defined as individual autonomy—the ability to choose without external constraints—but this vision is ultimately empty. True freedom isn’t about the absence of limits but about embracing the right ones, as every meaningful relationship requires sacrificing some freedoms for the sake of love and commitment.

The Bible presents a deeper vision of freedom, not as mere self-determination but as alignment with God’s will, seen in how Israel was freed from Egypt to worship God and how Jesus came to liberate us from sin. In his first sermon, Jesus declared himself the long-promised Liberator, giving up his life so we could be truly free—not for self-indulgence but for a life led by the Spirit. Real freedom isn’t doing whatever we want; it’s wanting what’s good, true, and beautiful, and walking in the freedom Christ supplies.

The Christian life is one of death to self and rising to “walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and that new life is characterized by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the dead flesh that has been crucified with Christ. When we are continually thinking about ourselves and indulging the flesh in sins we have been freed from, we are essentially carrying around a corpse, full of rottenness and death. The only way to bury it fully is by the power of the Spirit who is the only source of strength. We strengthen the new nature by continually feeding on the Word of God, and through prayer we obtain the power we need to escape the desire to return to the old life of sin. Then we will realize that our new status as slaves to Christ is the only true freedom, and we will call upon His power to “not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” Romans 6:12

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32  

HT: Trevin Wax