Excerpt from ‘What He Must Be…’ - Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr.

Yessid (Jesse) Saez

As PRC’s scholarly approach where we tackle the whole gamut of life we are dedicated to the reestablishment of Christian values and moorings. We understand that in an age where the craze is egalitarianism and pluralistic-secular-humanism, we will be labeled as antiquated chauvinists that seek to impose the ways of the past for the sake of the nostalgia for “the olden days”. I will be the first one to say that that is complete and utter non-sense. Those that would espouse that position or foist it upon us are either evil, lazy, or both. Our position for male headship lies in our orthodox understanding of the creation order that God Himself implemented.

As we examine the excerpt from Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr., we will see how it is incumbent upon fathers to model a patriarchy that is not only Biblical but Gospel-centered. In my opinion the biggest enemies of Biblical patriarchy are not liberals or feminists but rather men that fail in their roles as servant-leaders and reflecting the sacrificial love of Christ for his bride. We provide the following as an accurate representation and articulation of the roles of fathers as leaders in their homes:

“Gospel Patriarchy"
I use the term gospel patriarchy for at least two reasons. First, I want to distinguish what I am writing about from those who simply take Old Testament passages and apply them directly to contemporary Christian contexts without qualification or theological reflection. Second, I want to make sure the reader understands that this is a gospel issue. The gospel is about much more than how we get saved and go to heaven. The gospel is about the work of Christ saturating every aspect of our lives…even our parenting (Ephesians 6:1-4) and courtship and marriage (Ephesians 5:22ff.).

Because this is the case, we must be careful when applying the principles of patriarchy. We must make sure that we keep the gospel constantly in view. I believe we can do this if we make sure that our view of patriarchy 1) upholds the principles of God’s Law, 2) sees Christ in all of Scripture, 3) interprets the Old Testament in light of the New, and 4) exceeds Old Covenant righteousness.

Gospel Patriarchy Must Uphold The Principles of God’s Law
…First, I believe it is important to have a healthy respect for the Law of God. Second, I believe it is crucial for us to have a framework when thinking through issues concerning the Law. Finally, I believe we must go beyond mere mental ascent to gospel obedience in these areas. We would do well to think through the Law of God…not just in the area of courtship and marriage but in all of life.

Gospel Patriarchy Must See Christ in All of Scripture
…Any attempt at applying biblical principles concerning patriarchy must be Christocentric.
The Bible is about Jesus! In light of this, the gospel patriarch must look at seemingly obscure Old Testament passages about stoning promiscuous brides on their fathers’ doorsteps and releasing women from vows if their husband is unaware of them through a Christ-centered lens.

This does not mean that I jump from moralizing to spiritualizing and completely ignore timeless principles that have everything to do with my obedience to Jesus. One of the many ways we make such determinations is by looking for Old Testament commands that are repeated in the New.

Gospel Patriarchy Must Interpret the Old Testament in Light of the New
To interpret the Old Testament in light of the New, we must look at the various marriage texts in the Old Testament through the lens of passages like Ephesians 5. In doing so it is not difficult to see the appropriateness of view Numbers 30 in light of Paul’s statement that “the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands” (Ephesians 5:23-24).

Hence Numbers 30 is at least about male headship. Fathers are heads of their households, and as such they 1) represent Christ in the great mystery that is marriage, and 2) guide their families in living in accordance to the principles laid out in his Word (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Moreover, it would be important to take the entire context into account and see this as an exercise of Christlike headship in an effort to purify the bride. In such a case, then, Numbers 30 may be applied as follows: Just as Christ protects the purity of his bride, the husband is called to protect his wife (and his daughters) by helping them avoid hasty decisions (vows). It would be unthinkable for a man to be a passive observer in his household if he takes his role seriously. He is a participant in a living drama played out before a lost, hurting, and dying world that desperately needs to see an accurate picture of the love that Jesus has for his bride (Ephesians 5:23).

Gospel Patriarchy Must Exceed Old Covenant Righteousness
One of the dangers of grasping the concept of patriarchy without attaching it to or governing it by the gospel is that we may be tempted to view it as a means of attaining some kind of righteousness. The fact of the matter is that we can flee the world’s methods and models, raise virgin daughters, marry them off to young men of whom we approve, and still leave God out of our lives. None of these things in and of themselves makes us more righteous.

…I believe we must work toward obedience in the area of gospel patriarchy…Thus, I believe God intends for us both to want obedience in this area and to achieve obedience in this area.
Why would God be concerned about the way Old Testament patriarchs prepared their children for marriage but not be concerned about us? Why would he give so much care and attention to the well-being of young women under the Old Covenant but abandon them to laissez-faire fathers under the New? This is inconceivable.”[1]

[1] Taken from What He Must Be … If He Wants to Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham Jr. (Illinois: Crossway, 2009) p.59 - 65