The Egalitarian Response: “That’s Not What the Bible Teaches”
But millions of Christians—including many who hold Scripture as authoritative—read these same passages completely differently.
Egalitarians believe men and women are equal in both value and function, with no gender-based hierarchy in marriage or ministry.
Biblical Arguments Egalitarians Make:
1. The “submission” passages are misunderstood
Ephesians 5:21 says “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” before it tells wives to submit to husbands. Egalitarians argue this establishes mutual submission as the framework.
In the original Greek, the word “submit” in Ephesians 5:22 is actually borrowed from verse 21—suggesting wives submitting is one example of the mutual submission all Christians should practice, not a special command for wives only.
2. The “head” metaphor doesn’t mean “authority”
The Greek word kephalē (head) in “the husband is the head of the wife” (Ephesians 5:23) often meant “source” in ancient Greek, not “authority over.” Just as Christ is the source of the church’s life, husbands are to be life-givers to their wives.
3. 1 Peter 3 is addressing a specific situation
When Peter tells wives to submit “so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives” (1 Peter 3:1), he’s giving strategic advice for Christian women with non-Christian husbands in a patriarchal society—not establishing God’s universal design for all marriages.
4. Jesus’ teaching on marriage emphasized mutuality
When asked about divorce, Jesus pointed back to Genesis: “The two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5). He didn’t establish a hierarchy—he emphasized unity and partnership.
5. Paul’s radical statements get ignored
Galatians 3:28 says “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Egalitarians argue this overturns all hierarchies, including gender-based ones.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul gives identical commands to husbands and wives about their bodies and sexual obligations—suggesting complete mutuality, not male leadership.
6. Cultural context matters
The household codes in Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter also told slaves to obey masters. Christians now recognize those passages as addressing how to live faithfully within unjust systems, not endorsing those systems as God’s ideal. Egalitarians argue gender hierarchy should be understood the same way.
What Egalitarian Marriage Looks Like
- Mutual submission – Both spouses defer to each other, serve each other, and make sacrifices
- Shared decision-making – Major decisions are made together; there’s no “tiebreaker” authority
- Gift-based roles – Tasks are distributed based on gifts, abilities, and circumstances, not gender
- Mutual sexual responsibility – Both partners are equally responsible for initiating and being responsive
- Equal spiritual authority – Both partners can lead spiritually; women aren’t barred from teaching men
Prominent egalitarian voices: N.T. Wright, Scot McKnight, Sarah Bessey, Beth Allison Barr, Rachel Held Evans (before her death), Richard Hess, Gordon Fee, and organizations like Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE).
Denominations/traditions that are largely egalitarian: United Methodist Church, Evangelical Covenant Church, many Anglican/Episcopal churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), many Pentecostal denominations, Wesleyan Church, and growing numbers of non-denominational churches.
