Men and Women in the Church

There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable―they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences.

Men and women―in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well―complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline―and the design of creation itself―depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church.

This is the first book I will recommend to those who want to study what the Scriptures teach about the roles of men and women both in marriage and the church. . . I was amazed at how much wisdom is packed into this short book. Everything in the book is helpful, but the practical application section alone is worth the price of the book.

Thomas R. Schreiner
James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Kevin DeYoung set out to write a book about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women that had exegetical integrity, used minimal technical jargon, and was weightier than a pamphlet and lighter than a doorstop. He has done just that and much more. Men and Women in the Church is readable, accessible, and―despite its brevity―covers all the main texts and common questions. It is an excellent introduction to the goodness of the Bible’s teaching about men and women, and about how to live faithfully today.

Claire Smith
New Testament scholar; author, God's Good Design: What the Bible Really Says About Men and Women

I expect that this book―written clearly and wisely on many topics in a brief space―will now become the first book I recommend on men and women in the church. Even where I might not agree with every conclusion, all of the positions are represented fairly. Help yourself and your church: read this book and get some copies for others.

Mark Dever
Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC, President, 9Marks

Kevin DeYoung engages forthrightly with the most relevant scriptural texts on men and women in the church, always eager to help us see and understand not only what God is saying in the text but also why what God says is for our good. He doesn’t avoid hard questions, nor does he apologize or squirm because God did things the way he did. In this book, you are invited to acknowledge that what God has said and done in making men and women for particular purposes is not only real, but good.

Abigail Dodds
Author, (A)Typical Woman and Bread of Life

This book does not disappoint. It brings the discussion up to date and deals forthrightly and biblically with a number of current challenges to the Bible’s teaching about men and women in the church and in the home. Kevin DeYoung’s clear, biblical exposition and engaging style make this a joy to read. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Denny Burk
Professor of Biblical Studies, Boyce College, author, What Is the Meaning of Sex?

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A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction

By Dr. Kevin DeYoung

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