WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?, by John Piper

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

By Benjamin Montoya

 

About the Author

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books. He also speaks regularly at well-known conferences.

 

Table of Contents

Foreword
Chapter 1 What’s the Difference?
Chapter 2 The Meaning of Masculinity
Chapter 3 The Meaning of Femininity
Chapter 4 The Biblical Vision of Complementarity
Chapter 5 A Closing Challenge to Men and Women

 

Chapter 1: What’s the Difference?

Men and women have different roles. Children usually recognize that daddy does certain things and functions in certain ways that mommy does not. But, in the modern-day society, many people argue that their roles should be the same. What, then, is the difference? Depending on where one starts will determine how they answer that question. If someone seeks to answer that question according to the Bible, then their answer will likely look different than the modern-day culture. The purpose of this book, then, is twofold; first, this book seeks to present the biblical vision of manhood and womanhood as clearly and concisely as possible. Second, this book seeks to present enough biblical argumentation in the footnotes to show how the complementarian position is biblical. The Bible does not leave Christians clueless on the meaning of manhood and womanhood; rather, it encourages us to see how these roles complement each other in a God-ordained way. The differences are not based on cultural norms; rather, they are based on permanent facts of creation.

 

Chapter 2: The Meaning of Masculinity

According to the Bible, “at the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.” The phrase “at the heart of” signals that this definition is not intended to be exhaustive. But, this statement requires further explanation and clarification. First, mature masculinity expresses itself not in the demand to be served, but in the strength to serve and to. . .

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