25. Fathers need to exercise discernment in the choices they make for their families and not simply drift with the cultural tide. Egalitarian feminism is an enemy of God and of biblical truth, but the need for care goes beyond this threat. The values of modern society are often at odds with those that accompany a biblical worldview. For example, fathers need self-consciously to resist the values of individualism at the expense of community, efficiency at the expense of relationships, and material well-being at the expense of spiritual progress. The world and the worldly church will cheer many choices that are detrimental to family sanctification. (Rom. 12:2; 1 Jn. 2:15)
Rom. 12:2 -And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
We should not conform to this world, or love this world. That also means we should not love or be like the sinful world of Bible times, to which this was written. Some of these tenets hold up people from the sinful world of Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, Isaac, Leah, Rachel and Jacob, as an example for us, without proving God was indeed in favor of their behavior. These patriarchs were evidently sinners (with several examples of stealing, lying, fraud and loveless behavior between them), so why would we want to follow their example? We could follow their example in behavior God praises elsewhere, but not in all they did. Also see "Other ways Christians understand this" under tenet 21.
25a) Fathers need to exercise discernment in the choices they make
Yes, fathers should exercise discernment. So should mothers, singles, children, widows, and childless people. This is a major problem with these tenets: They read everything in terms of men and fathers, even that which apply to everyone.
b) for their families
This imply fathers should make choices for their families. Except for Eph. 6:4, which say fathers (and perhaps mothers) should (choose to) bring their children up in the training and admonition of God, no other verse in TBP say they should make any other choices for their families. Even with that verse, no verse in TBP prove they should make any decision whatsoever for their wives.
Common sense certainly suggest that there will be times, in a family, when not everyone can make his own decision, but nothing in these tenets prove this is the father's job.
c) and not simply drift with the cultural tide.
That is a challenge to all believers, not just fathers.
d) Egalitarian feminism is an enemy of God and of biblical truth,
This is hard to comment on, as they did not define "egalitarian feminism." Do they mean secular feminism, with egalitarian meaning its emphasis on equality? Do they mean Christian egalitarianism, with feminism meaning the focus on how women are treated in church? If they mean secular feminism, which aspects of it are meant? Is Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s work to allow widows to inherit the same as suffrage?
The tenets do not prove anything about secular feminism in itself (see for example how tenets 5; 12 and 14 have no biblical basis).
And the undoubtedly biblical things in the tenets do not prove that Christian egalitarian is an enemy of God or biblical truth. Even those things marked with "It can be Biblically defended, but so can another view"shows, at most, that Christian egalitarians may be mistaken about (some of?) their ideas if the patriarchal interpretation is right. It does not prove their view, as a whole, is an enemy of God.
As such, I will simply state that it was the business of Phil Lancaster, RC Sproul, and Doug Phillips to define their terms and give texts to defend it. What they did not define, they cannot defend.
e) but the need for care goes beyond this threat.
Whether egalitarian feminism is an evident need for care or not, some things are a need for care. I grant them this.
f) The values of modern society are often at odds with those that accompany a biblical worldview.
The values of all societies - including patriarchal Old Testament society - are at odds with a biblical worldview. That is, if you define "biblical" as what God wants and have revealed in the Bible as His will.
Define "biblical" as whatever Bible characters did, and murder, rape, theft, prostitution, marrying your half-sister, and giving your wife away to a harem, all become "biblical."
I believe the message they want to give is not akin to "Christian pro-life values are at odds with the murders that happened in the Old Testament." The message is that our values are less than what God wants. As such, this point is true, and defended in Rom. 12:2 and 1 Jn. 2:15.
g) For example, fathers need self-consciously to resist the values of individualism at the expense of community, efficiency at the expense of relationships, and material well-being at the expense of spiritual progress.
These were not defended from the Bible. Where are texts against individualism, or for community? Can being like the community not entail loving the world and the things of the world? Were John the Baptist not an individualist? Could efficiency not be to our advantage sometimes, even when you have to work on a task when you could have worked on a relationship?
h) The world and the worldly church will cheer many choices that are detrimental to family sanctification.
The world will cheer many choices detrimental to sanctification. That is implied in the texts provided. But inserting "family" is simply adding to scripture. And since these Bible passages warn us not to be like the world, it implies that the worldly church could live like them. I'm not sure the texts say a part of the Christian church would "cheer" those choices.
Other ways Christians understand this:
Christians agree that we should not be like the world. Most of them don’t see the need to add “fathers” or “family” to this truth.
Summing it up
How reliable is this tenet? I will use a color code:
The color code:
This is adequately biblically defended
This is a partial truth. (The other part of the truth, that together make it Biblical, will be added in brackets.)
25. Fathers (like everyone else) need to exercise discernment in the choices they make for their families and not simply drift with the cultural tide. Egalitarian feminism is an enemy of God and of biblical truth, but the need for care goes beyond this threat. The values of modern society are often at odds with those that accompany a biblical worldview. For example, fathers need self-consciously to resist the values of individualism at the expense of community, efficiency at the expense of relationships, and material well-being at the expense of spiritual progress. The world and the worldly church will cheer many choices that are detrimental to family sanctification.
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