If you want to believe the Tenets of Biblical patriarchy is true, go ahead. I don't. I can show you God’s word, but I cannot force you to understand it the way I do.
But I urge you to know and understand all of God’s word. Not just the parts that Doug Phillips, Phil Lancaster and R.C. Sproul, Jr (the compilers of these tenets) like best. After all, even they admit, in the editor’s note:
“We emphasize the importance of biblical patriarchy, not because it is greater than other doctrines, but because it is being actively attacked by unbelievers and professing Christians alike.” Even they admit that patriarchy are not the only or most important doctrines.
Here is just a quick reminder of some Bible themes that are grossly under-emphasized or over-emphasized in the Tenets of Biblical Patriarchy (TBP). This table tells how often certain words appear in the Bible, and how often they appear in TBP.
Word | TBP | BIBLE | OT | NT | TBP % of mention, compared to Jesus | Bible % of mention, compared to Jesus |
Authority | 9 | 37 | 2 | 35 | 225% - more than double as often as Jesus | 2,9% - not one thirtieth as often as Jesus |
Love | 1 | 311 | 131 | 180 | 75% | 25,9% |
Dominion | 4 | 62 | 51 | 11 | 100% - it is as important in patriarchy as Jesus | 5,2% - it is one 19th as big a theme |
Role/ sphere | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 150% - more important to patriarchs than Jesus | 0% - completely insignificant in Bible |
Salvation | 0 | 164 | 119 | 45 | 0% - it is unimportant in patriarchy | 13,7% |
Mercy/ grace | 1 | 446 | 217+39 | 59+131 | 25% | 37,2 % |
Jesus/Christ* | 4 | 1200 | 0 | 1200 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
The themes in patriarchy include, from most to least mentioned:
1) Authority
2) Roles/ spheres
=3) Dominion =3) Jesus
(No 4 as joint 3rd)
=5) Love =5) Mercy/grace
(No 6 as joint 5th)
Not at all) Salvation
The themes in scripture include, from most to least mentioned:
1) Jesus
2) Mercy/grace
3) Love
4) Salvation
5) Dominion
6) Authority
Not at all) Roles/ spheres
The top 3 themes among these in TBP is authority, roles and dominion. (Jesus is mentioned as often as dominion, but he is mentioned to prop up other principles, and not for His own sake.) The lowest themes, among those listed here, in the Bible is Dominion and authority, with roles and spheres not being a theme there at all. As such, it will be wise to read and focus on a lot of material that is not part of patriarchy, which emphasize other truths.
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* Counters would say the word Jesus appears twice in the tenets, and Christ 4 times, making a total of 6. But it is actually only 4 mentions of Jesus, as both appearances of the word Jesus is in the term “Jesus Christ”. Similarly, the word Jesus appears 983 times in the KJV, and Christ 571 times. But some of those overlap.
I could even say Christ Himself appear only twice in TBP, as 2 of the 4 mentions are “body of Christ” – referring to believers - and “Christ’s kingdom.”
