by Tom Shipley
Federal Headship
The imputation of guilt to the human race is not reckoned against the first sin, nor to their mutual sins,
but to the one sin of the one man.
If Adam was not the lawful authority over Eve before the fall, then Adam’s sin could not logically be
imputed to Eve or his other descendants. If Adam’s authority over Eve is denied, then the imputation
of Adam’s sin to his other descendants is denied as well. And if the imputation of Adam’s sin to his
other descendants is denied then what was the point of Christ’s death on the cross?!!! It would have
been to no avail! There would have been no imputed sin to atone for! If the doctrine of Adam’s
headship over Eve is denied, then we are left logically without a Gospel!
Thus, the doctrine of patriarchy, of the man’s headship over the woman, cannot be repudiated without
repudiating the doctrine of redemption, as well. This reveals the fundamental foundation of heresy
from which feminism operates. Tamper with the doctrine of patriarchy, and you tamper with the
Gospel. There is no rational way around this fact. Patriarchy and the Gospel are bound together like
the twin strands of the double helix.
Feminist doctrine is, therefore, a veritable witches’ brew of satanic poison aimed right at the heart of
Christianity. How true it is that “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf.” We must be aware of the
extent to which the Christian revelation is perverted by the tenets of feminism and we should not
hesitate to call feminism a grievous heresy and blasphemy.
In the previous article, we examined how the logic of feminism (that is, the denial of the biblical
doctrine of patriarchy) ultimately winds up denying the Gospel itself. We examined Romans 5:12-21
and saw how it refutes the feminist denials that the man is the head of the woman, and demonstrated
that this actually involves a denial of the biblical doctrines of original sin and redemption.
Much of feminist argumentation today has the aim of convincing Christians that patriarchal hierarchy
is not a part of God’s creation purpose for mankind; that patriarchy is even a sinful departure from
“God’s intended egalitarianism between the sexes;” and there is especially an emphasis that before the
fall there was no hierarchy between man and woman and that, hence, Christ actually died partly to
overturn the “sin” of patriarchy.
This theme turns up over and over again in almost every book by so-called “Christian feminists,” —
an oxymoron if ever there was one. It will be beneficial to examine the biblical material which
focuses on the pre-fall establishment of patriarchal hierarchy by God.
There are at least six very powerful aspects to the creation record in Genesis 1 and 2 which teach us
that patriarchy is God’s will. Feminists, however, deny this truth explicitly:
“But what do the Scriptures actually say about male headship prior to the fall? The
fact of the matter is, there is no reference to headship in the creation account...If such
an organizational structure had been established between Adam and Eve, it would be
hard to imagine that it would not have been mentioned.”—Ruth Tucker, “Women in
the Maze,” pg. 34
There are at least six aspects of the creation account which teach patriarchy:
1. Genesis 2:18, which tells us that the woman was made “for (the man).”
2. Genesis 2:21-23, which tells us that the woman was made from the man.
3. The temporal sequence of the creation of the man and woman.
4. Adam’s naming authority and his naming of woman, both in her generic and personal aspect.
5. God’s act of bringing the woman unto the man.
6. The name of “Adam” itself.
For more see: Man and Woman in Biblical Law