Finished @aimeebyrdhwt "Recovering From Biblical Manhood & Womanhood" last night. Some thoughts:

1) Regardless of your overall take or opinion on her work, she does something that all of us must do: We must ask ourselves if our positions and convictions are biblical or cultural.

2) Aimee pops a hole in the discipleship balloon. We cannot relegate women in the church to potluck & nursery and say we are living out Ephesians 4:12. Equipping the saints means equipping ALL the saints, and equally affording theological equipping, not just relational.

3a) She prompts us to think about the implications of "purity culture" and reducing men/women to base impulses of lust and seduction. As my wife @carriebdouglas said, "why should a woman be punished for a man's incompetence?"

3b) Capable women ≠ succubi seeking to overthrow men and set up an Amazonian culture. They are gifted, godly, valuable, and needed voices. For pastors, we should not only welcome their perspective but seek it. They have eyes we do not.

4) Looking at Jesus as a rabbi and Paul's influence on the church (particularly through Romans) Aimee forces us to deal with the uncomfortable reality of texts we often gloss over or fail to put in context (especially 1 Tim 2:12 & 1 Cor 14:34) and look at meaning/application.

5) The historic position of equal ontology with distinct function is affirmed, but with a reminder that there are not two different paths of discipleship. Col 2:10 does not make a gendered distinction in Christ completeness.

6) Male headship in the home and male eldership in the church are good, true, and biblical doctrinal positions. But where Scripture does not go, we ought not either. Such as the view that all women submit to all men, or that women are not capable/able to lead in secular/world.

7) Familial/sibling language in the NT should change the way we see ourChristian family. One of the motifs of the church is family. If we do this , are we really family? Again, not contradicting Scripture's distinction, but rather calling to recognize equal image bearing.

8. How much we truly need the local church, and how much we need the collective wisdom and perspective of not only one another but the history of the saints who have gone before us. Parachurch is helpful. But it cannot replace the assembled local church.

The last is a question for all of us as pastors: Do we love our sisters enough to welcome them to the riches of knowing and savoring Christ as they participate in the Body? Or do we want them to "not take that ladies' Bible study so seriously?"

So thanks @aimeebyrdhwt for writing something that does what all good books should do: make you think.