Limited Authority within the Marriage Covenant
Topic: Marriage Covenant
A few months back a discussion arose about Doug Wilson's counsel that (under certain important and well defined circumstances) a husband should involve the elders of the church if his wife would not keep the house in order. I did not spend much time on that discussion but was pretty sure that he would advocate the same type of thing regarding a man who was shirking his duties as a husband or father. I couldn't remember where I might have read that. Well I just found one such place though there are probably more. Nancy Wilson in her column Femina in the April 2005 Credenda (http://www.credenda.org/issues/15-3femina.php) devotes the entire column to just such a scenario. And so it does not appear that (horrors) it might have been published apart from his blessing, I found it on his blog under "Uppity Calvinist Women" (http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=1234)
Without entering the actual discussion, this points out a coupla things: First, you have to read things in context. Always. Second, discussions without trust will often be arguments. I trust Doug Wilson (having met him and Nancy more than once) and so trust that what he says will probably make sense and not give true offense. But if a person doesn't trust either Doug Wilson or Doug Roorda, it will be difficult or impossible to even have a discussion.
Maybe I'll comment further later. Right now, I'll say that Doug and Nancy Wilson have made a good case for covenantal responsibility of all in covenantal relationship, which limited authority of all in authority. If a wife is unfaithful to her calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline. This is not because there is something wrong or weak about wives; rather it is just a subset of the truth that if any Christian is unfaithful to his calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline. It is also a corollary to the truth that if a husband is unfaithful to his calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline.
Niet waar?
A few months back a discussion arose about Doug Wilson's counsel that (under certain important and well defined circumstances) a husband should involve the elders of the church if his wife would not keep the house in order. I did not spend much time on that discussion but was pretty sure that he would advocate the same type of thing regarding a man who was shirking his duties as a husband or father. I couldn't remember where I might have read that. Well I just found one such place though there are probably more. Nancy Wilson in her column Femina in the April 2005 Credenda (http://www.credenda.org/issues/15-3femina.php) devotes the entire column to just such a scenario. And so it does not appear that (horrors) it might have been published apart from his blessing, I found it on his blog under "Uppity Calvinist Women" (http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=1234)
Without entering the actual discussion, this points out a coupla things: First, you have to read things in context. Always. Second, discussions without trust will often be arguments. I trust Doug Wilson (having met him and Nancy more than once) and so trust that what he says will probably make sense and not give true offense. But if a person doesn't trust either Doug Wilson or Doug Roorda, it will be difficult or impossible to even have a discussion.
Maybe I'll comment further later. Right now, I'll say that Doug and Nancy Wilson have made a good case for covenantal responsibility of all in covenantal relationship, which limited authority of all in authority. If a wife is unfaithful to her calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline. This is not because there is something wrong or weak about wives; rather it is just a subset of the truth that if any Christian is unfaithful to his calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline. It is also a corollary to the truth that if a husband is unfaithful to his calling, it is a problem that ultimately may require church discipline.
Niet waar?
posted by blackhat at 7:00 AM
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