Men, we have a problem. It’s a serious
problem that we can’t ignore. It’s a problem in our world, and also a problem in
our lives. In countless ways, great and small, intentional and unintentional, men
dominate women.

But the problem can’t be isolated to one
particular group of men, or one particular time in history. Recently, for
example, the extent of the problem in the socially “progressive” US
entertainment industry has been raised through the rise of the #metoo movement.
The movement started by shining a spotlight on sexual assault and harassment in
that one industry. But of course, as has become obvious, the problem is not new,
nor is it isolated to American social progressives. It’s not just a problem for
progressives: it’s a problem for conservatives, and it’s a problem for everyone
in between, in every nation on the earth. It’s a problem for atheists and it’s
a problem for religious types. And if you think you’re somehow immune from it—because
you’ve got the right kind of ideology or the right kind of belief or belong to
the right group of people—you’re deluded. It’s a problem for all of us.

The Bible doesn’t shy away from this
problem. In fact, the existence of this problem is one of the fundamental teachings
of the Bible. According to the Bible, we live in a sinful and broken world, in
rebellion against God and subject to his judgment. The sin of this
world affects all of us, including God’s people, and one significant way it
affects us is in our relationships as men and women. As far back as Genesis 3, in
the context of God’s judgment and curse on humanity, we read about the problem
of men “ruling” women (Genesis 3:16). This is an old and universal problem, it
continues down through history, and it affects us today as much as it always
has.

What should we do about this problem? After
all, just because we’ve identified a problem doesn’t mean we automatically know
how to solve the problem, does it? Various solutions have been tried. Some believe
the solution will happen through reforming structures and institutions. They
say that if we can just ensure that the structures of society—business,
politics, and indeed marriage itself—are revolutionised and then enforced so
that men never have any more authority than women in any area, then we have the
answer: men and women will get on, and men won’t dominate. So we try it. Sometimes
it helps. But so often, tragically, it doesn’t work in the long term. In our
world, men keep dominating women, no matter what rules we make or how
desperately we tweak our ideology. So the collective anxiety levels increase,
and we just tell each other we have to try harder. And on it goes.

Of course, it’s right to ask questions and pay attention to the social structures we live in. It’s right to ask if our institutions are somehow contributing to the problem. And there are serious cases of criminal abuse that need to be dealt with by the justice system. But we’re naïve if we think that revolutionising the structures is the ultimate solution that will fix all of us. The problem is, in fact, far more deeply rooted than that. Like all sin, the root of the problem is deep in our hearts (see Ephesians 2:1–2). And so we need something far more radical to fix it. The solution that Paul spells out in depth in his letter to the Ephesians all stems from the loving, sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sin.