Bryan Fischer
The biblical case for a male president
By Bryan Fischer
Elizabeth Warren wants to be our next president and so does Amy Klobuchar. Hillary Clinton before them was ambitious for political power, and may still fancy herself as the hope of a desperate Democrat party. Does God have an opinion about whether a woman president is a good idea or not?
A note for openers: This is an intramural conversation for Christians who believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God. This is a conversation between people who share an affinity for and an allegiance to the Scriptures. Those who reject the inerrancy of the Scriptures will bring a different worldview to the discussion, and that's a conversation for a different day.
But for those of us who are Christ-followers and take Scripture seriously, the starting point for this discussion is what the Bible reveals about the God-ordained role of men and women in the home, the church, and society at large.
God is not silent on the subject of gender and leadership. The Scriptures tell us that Adam was created first, from the dust of the earth, because he was to be the head. Eve was created second, from Adam's side, because she was to be his helper and his support.
The Scripture points out that Eve was deceived by the serpent, while Adam was not (1 Timothy 2:14). She thought she was doing a good thing, but Adam knew he was not. This may indicate that a woman's greater sensitivity to the things of the spirit may make her more inclined to be deceived than the man, which is why God reserves the teaching and leading roles to the man. The man, on the other hand, is more inclined to be oafishly disobedient.
All of this means the distinction between male and female in roles is not rooted in the shifting or "evolving" standards of culture, but is rooted in the very created order of things. They are standards that transcend culture and are rooted and grounded in reality.
Men and women are created equal in worth, value, and significance, but different in role. Males, for instance, have a different set of responsibilities in God's design for the family. The husband is to be the father, the provider, the protector, and the leader. The wife is to be the mother, the nurturer, and a helpmate for her husband. Both sets of roles are indispensable and of equal importance, neither superior to the other.
In the church, males are to serve as elders (1 Timothy 3:1) and as teachers of the Word when the church is gathered for instruction (1 Timothy 2:12). When Jesus selected his 12 apostles, he limited the office to males, in alignment with the order of creation. When the apostles replaced Judas, they considered only males (Acts 1:21), in line with the teaching and practice of Jesus. If it is inexcusably sexist and backward to reserve leadership to men, then Jesus was the biggest offender on the planet. He was certainly not the type to cravenly capitulate to cultural standards.
The gender-specific qualifications for apostleship have political ramifications, since the 12 apostles will sit on 12 thrones, each one a seat of political power, and assist Christ in managing the kingdom of God when it is fully manifest on earth (Luke 22:30).
When God appointed judges to lead the new nation before he instituted the monarchy, they were males, with one exception. But Deborah only got her appointment because all the men in her day were wimps (Judges 5:9).
Kings likewise were male, with the notable exception of Athaliah, who usurped the crown and tried to kill all the eligible males who were left, nearly annihilating the line that led to Christ in the process (2 Chronicles 23:10ff). Jezebel was the feminist power behind the throne of Ahab, and made it her order of business to get rid of every member of the cloth, including Elijah.
These stories of Athaliah and Jezebel are a possible indication that women with political power may have a tendency to be almost viciously anti-male in their leadership style and can even damage a nation's masculinity in the process. Note the words "possible, tendency, almost, can." It's not a certainty, but that may be the tendency if the feminist impulses in a woman with power aren't checked.
This certainly does not mean that males are morally superior to females, for they are not. But nor are females morally superior to males. They are just as fallen as their male counterparts.
I'm suggesting that when a sinful woman exercises political power the impact of her style may be different and perhaps worse than a sinful man with power. For instance, I've almost never met a woman who prefers female bosses to male ones, and we've probably all met men who have been emasculated by domineering women.
If the Scriptures are our ultimate guide in all areas of life, including the political sphere, we can safely say that God's design is for males to exercise political leadership, just as they are designed to do in the home and in the church.
Bottom line: if God intends for men to exercise political authority, it is certainly appropriate for God's people to identify the godly ones and help them get elected to public office.
The author may be contacted at bfischer@afa.net
Follow me on Facebook at "Focal Point" and on Twitter @bryanjfischer
Host of "Focal Point" on American Family Radio, 1:05 pm CT, M-F www.afr.net
© Bryan Fischer
February 13, 2020
Elizabeth Warren wants to be our next president and so does Amy Klobuchar. Hillary Clinton before them was ambitious for political power, and may still fancy herself as the hope of a desperate Democrat party. Does God have an opinion about whether a woman president is a good idea or not?
A note for openers: This is an intramural conversation for Christians who believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God. This is a conversation between people who share an affinity for and an allegiance to the Scriptures. Those who reject the inerrancy of the Scriptures will bring a different worldview to the discussion, and that's a conversation for a different day.
But for those of us who are Christ-followers and take Scripture seriously, the starting point for this discussion is what the Bible reveals about the God-ordained role of men and women in the home, the church, and society at large.
God is not silent on the subject of gender and leadership. The Scriptures tell us that Adam was created first, from the dust of the earth, because he was to be the head. Eve was created second, from Adam's side, because she was to be his helper and his support.
The Scripture points out that Eve was deceived by the serpent, while Adam was not (1 Timothy 2:14). She thought she was doing a good thing, but Adam knew he was not. This may indicate that a woman's greater sensitivity to the things of the spirit may make her more inclined to be deceived than the man, which is why God reserves the teaching and leading roles to the man. The man, on the other hand, is more inclined to be oafishly disobedient.
All of this means the distinction between male and female in roles is not rooted in the shifting or "evolving" standards of culture, but is rooted in the very created order of things. They are standards that transcend culture and are rooted and grounded in reality.
Men and women are created equal in worth, value, and significance, but different in role. Males, for instance, have a different set of responsibilities in God's design for the family. The husband is to be the father, the provider, the protector, and the leader. The wife is to be the mother, the nurturer, and a helpmate for her husband. Both sets of roles are indispensable and of equal importance, neither superior to the other.
In the church, males are to serve as elders (1 Timothy 3:1) and as teachers of the Word when the church is gathered for instruction (1 Timothy 2:12). When Jesus selected his 12 apostles, he limited the office to males, in alignment with the order of creation. When the apostles replaced Judas, they considered only males (Acts 1:21), in line with the teaching and practice of Jesus. If it is inexcusably sexist and backward to reserve leadership to men, then Jesus was the biggest offender on the planet. He was certainly not the type to cravenly capitulate to cultural standards.
The gender-specific qualifications for apostleship have political ramifications, since the 12 apostles will sit on 12 thrones, each one a seat of political power, and assist Christ in managing the kingdom of God when it is fully manifest on earth (Luke 22:30).
When God appointed judges to lead the new nation before he instituted the monarchy, they were males, with one exception. But Deborah only got her appointment because all the men in her day were wimps (Judges 5:9).
Kings likewise were male, with the notable exception of Athaliah, who usurped the crown and tried to kill all the eligible males who were left, nearly annihilating the line that led to Christ in the process (2 Chronicles 23:10ff). Jezebel was the feminist power behind the throne of Ahab, and made it her order of business to get rid of every member of the cloth, including Elijah.
These stories of Athaliah and Jezebel are a possible indication that women with political power may have a tendency to be almost viciously anti-male in their leadership style and can even damage a nation's masculinity in the process. Note the words "possible, tendency, almost, can." It's not a certainty, but that may be the tendency if the feminist impulses in a woman with power aren't checked.
This certainly does not mean that males are morally superior to females, for they are not. But nor are females morally superior to males. They are just as fallen as their male counterparts.
I'm suggesting that when a sinful woman exercises political power the impact of her style may be different and perhaps worse than a sinful man with power. For instance, I've almost never met a woman who prefers female bosses to male ones, and we've probably all met men who have been emasculated by domineering women.
If the Scriptures are our ultimate guide in all areas of life, including the political sphere, we can safely say that God's design is for males to exercise political leadership, just as they are designed to do in the home and in the church.
Bottom line: if God intends for men to exercise political authority, it is certainly appropriate for God's people to identify the godly ones and help them get elected to public office.
The author may be contacted at bfischer@afa.net
Follow me on Facebook at "Focal Point" and on Twitter @bryanjfischer
Host of "Focal Point" on American Family Radio, 1:05 pm CT, M-F www.afr.net
© Bryan Fischer
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