Eyes 2 Jesus

The Damaging and Heretical Danver's Statement and Why it's Dangerous for Women and Girls

Below are a few excerpts from the sexist and dangerous Danver's Statement that all Southern Baptist pastors are required to agree to and sign each year, to stay in the SBC:

"the increasing promotion given to feminist egalitarianism with accompanying distortions"

MY RESPONSE: Feminist Egalitarianism literally means: women who stand up for the rights and equality of all races, genders, and social levels. It's not a "distortion" to fight for all to be free and to have the same rights. It's largely because of Feminist Egalitarianism that our nation no longer practices the abhorrent black slave trade. Women decided to start holding meetings about how to free slaves, but when they tried to do this, men stood in their way, and stated that women have no rights and to go home. Women then fought for their own freedom so that they could fight to help free the slaves. Also note here that the church denomination(s) that are behind the Danver's Statement were the denomination(s) that fought to keep slavery. This is largely why there are Southern Baptists, vs Northern Baptists. Northern Baptists were against slavery and are egalitarian. Southern Baptists were for slavery, and were and are patriarchal. Some of the same Scriptures Southern Baptists used to support slavery are the same ones they now use to push down women.

"Adam's headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not a result of sin"

MY RESPONSE: Wrong. "Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion" Genesis 1:26a NRSVue

"In the home, the husband's loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife's intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility. In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries."

MY RESPONSE: This is classic eisegesis. Headship, at the time the New Testament was written, when used symbolically didn't mean "leadership" or "authority." It meant SOURCE. The Man is The Source of The Woman (1 Cor. 11, Eph. 5) is referring to how Eve was made from half of Adam. That's why the Bible then goes on to say: "For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God." 1 Corinthians 11:12 NRSVue

Thus, every Christian is under the headship of GOD. Saying that the husband has 'headship' over the wife is blasphemous.

"Both Old and New Testaments also affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community"

MY RESONSE: Incorrect. Both Testaments affirm that that Eve came out of half of Adam. Adam is not mentioned as the male gender in the Hebrew until AFTER Eve comes out of HALF of him (not just a rib or part of a side). The word "Adam" literally means "Human." And recall that symbolic "headship" in this context means SOURCE, not leadership. Thus why the Bible reminds us that since after Adam, every human came from a woman - "so man comes through woman, but all things come from God." 1 Corinthians 11:12b NRSVue The head of both women and men is none other than God.

"wives should forsake resistance to their husbands' authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands' leadership"

MY RESPONSE: There is only ONE place in the Bible where it says that husbands have authority over their wives, and it is this: "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." 1 Corinthians 7:4 NRSVue
The husband has authority over his wife just as much as the wife has authority over her husband.

As for submission, the Bible is clear that husband and wife are to submit to EACH OTHER: "Being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ." -Ephesians 5:21 NRSVue

"Wives, likewise, submit to your own husbands... Husbands, likewise, submit by living with your wife in ways that honor her" 1 Peter 3:1a and 7a CEB

"some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men"

MY RESPONSE: There's not one place in the Bible that says that. Furthermore, the first preacher mentioned by name in the New Testament of the Bible is female - Pheobe. 1Tim. 5:16-18 is about widowed female pastors. 1 Tim 3:11 is instruction specifically to female deacons. Titus 2:3-4 are instructions to female teaching elders. Further in the Scriptures are female pastors: Chloe, Nympha, Aphia, Prisca, Lydia, Mary the mother of John Mark, Euodia, Syntyche, Kyria, and more. A major prominent apostle was a woman named Junia. Who anointed Jesus as King, following the Old Testament way of anointing kings? A woman. Who were the very first people to preach Christ's resurrection? Women. Who are the mighty throng of evangelists in Psalms? Women.

The lists of giftings of the Holy Spirit for inside and outside of the church - eg. 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 are for BOTH genders.

Patriarchalism/Complementarianism is dangerous and often leads to abuse of women and girls. Boys raised with these false teachings such as the poison in the Danver's Statement, start to view girls and women as people who must be led. They think they have authority over females. Statistically, 75% of CHRISTIAN boys and men view pornography - which is about the man's pleasure and the woman being an object to use for that pleasure. Here we have the perfect storm - pornography says women are sex objects, and Complementarianism says that men have authority over women. And now we see case after case after case after case of prominent complementarian "Christian" men going to jail for sexually abusing girls and women. Just look at the Duggar family as a glaring example of the type of damage heresies like the Danver's Statement is doing.

Build Your Foundation on the Rock of Salvation

The terms "Christian" and "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" have been thrown around so much, that for many people, they have lost their original savor. What is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it going to church? Is it being a "good person?" Is it via doing certain rituals, or following certain traditions? No, it is so much simpler than that.

"Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me." -Revelation 3:20 CEB

Let Jesus into your heart and life. Put your faith and trust in Him, and in Him alone.

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth? He came to pay for our sins. Have you ever broken any of the Ten Commandments? Did you know that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that just looking at someone with lust in your heart is the same thing as committing adultery in your heart?

Many people will say I'm a good person. Sure, I've stolen a few paper clips in my time, and I've told some lies, but I've never killed anyone, so I'm good enough for heaven. Don't be so sure. Have you ever felt hatred toward someone? If so, then you are guilty of committing murder in your heart:

"Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them." -1 John 3:15 CEB

If you have stolen, lied, lusted after someone, hated someone, loved someone or something more than God, etc., then you have broken at least 5 of the Ten Commandments. Do you really think you'd make it to heaven? Not according to God's Word:

"Don’t you know that people who are unjust won’t inherit God’s kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won’t inherit God’s kingdom." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 CEB

"That is what some of you used to be! But you were washed clean, you were made holy to God, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." -1 Corinthians 6:11 CEB

Even Mary, the woman chosen by God to be a vessel that would carry Jesus in her womb, was a sinner, and in need of a Savior:

"In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior." - Mary said this in Luke 1:47 (CEB). Only sinners need a Savior, and Mary also accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior.

"This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1 John 1:5-8 CEB

The blood of Jesus Christ is what cleanses us from all sins. Jesus came to this earth to die to pay for our sins. You see, Leviticus tells us that 'the life is in the blood,' and that it takes spilt blood to atone for sin.

When we choose to truly believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and to live our lives for Christ, then Christ's spilt blood cleanses us from our sins:

"Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool." -Isaiah 1:18 CEB

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son." - Jesus said this, in John 3:16-18 (CEB)

"Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation. The scripture says, All who have faith in him won’t be put to shame." -Romans 10:9-11 CEB

"There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus" -1 Timothy 2:5 CEB

"Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin." -Hebrews 4:14-15 CEB

"Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you?" -Matthew 15:3 CEB

"Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory." -1 Timothy 3:16 CEB

If Jesus isn't the Lord of your life, then I hope that you will let Him into your heart and life this very moment.

"But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8 CEB

Jesus is the way. If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart and life, then let Him know. Pray to the Lord, telling Him that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the death penalty for your sins. Tell this to God in your own words, from your heart.

"The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23 CEB

"You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ." -Ephesians 1:13 CEB

When you believe on Jesus Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. You are sealed as a child of God.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior, and you believe that Jesus died on the cross in your place, to pay the death penalty for your sins, and that Christ rose from the dead three days later, and you are ready to let Him lead your life, and you will live for Him, then you are saved, and born again.

You are now a saved Child of God, with the Holy Spirit living within you. Dedicate your life to the Lord, and live for Him. Please get a Bible (I suggest the Common English Bible - CEB) and turn to the Gospel of John. That is the fourth book in the New Testament. If you don't have a Bible, then you can read it for free, online - here.

After you've read the Gospel of John, go on to read Acts, and then Romans. These three books will bring you through the Gospel, the early church, and basic Christian doctrine. After you've read these three, then turn to the beginning of the New Testament, and read it all the way through. After that, read both the Old and New Testaments.

You should also follow the Lord and get baptized in water. A Believer's Baptism doesn't save you. Only faith in Christ saves you. A Believer's Baptism is an outward showing of your salvation. It symbolizes you being born again. When you are lowered under the water, it shows you dying to your old self, and when you are raised up out of the water, it symbolizes you being born again, as a new creature in Christ. This is called a Believer's Baptism, because, according to the Bible, a person is supposed to get baptized after they have believed on Christ. Anyone who was "baptized" before having faith in Christ just got wet - nothing more. You don't need to find a church to get baptized in. Any born again Christian can baptize you in any acceptable body of water - even a public swimming pool.

Find a good, local church congregation to attend. Search in your area for a Nazarene church, Foursquare church, or non-denominational Full-Gospel church.

Immerse yourself in the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to you. It is also your Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.