Tim Sweetman is an 18-year-old journalist, blogger, and student who lives near our nation's capital,
Washington D.C. He is much more widely known by his "code-name," Agent Tim. This name also serves as
the name of his popular blog, which has received over 750,000 visits since its debut three years ago. Contact Tim 
“Almost without notice, our homes and churches have become the newest laboratory for sex-role experimentation. Lured by the world’s acceptance and a national obsession with fairness, we’ve replaced the once-clear biblical boundaries between men and women with a confusing, frighteningly secular hybrid. The harmony and effectiveness we were promised never came - only a treacherous rift that is ruining marriages, dividing families, and splitting churches top to bottom.”
–John Macarthur in Different By Design
In the beginning, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it…” He commanded them.
Men and women have been created in God’s image, and therefore have an intellect, emotions, and a will, “by which they are able to think, feel and choose.” (DBD, pg. 18) However, in his book Macarthur notes that man and woman were “created in His image essentially.” (emphasis added) They never possessed any supernatural attributes because they are human, not all divine.
J.P David Pawson, in his book Leadership is Male, notes that the equality mentioned in Genisis “does not mean interchangeability. A cylinder head and crankcase may be of the same material, size, weight, and cost - but they cannot be exchanged.”
This perfect relationship was one where the man and woman were “co-regents.” They were to rule together, and to subdue the earth. But the essential question still remains: are they equal?
Raymond C. Ortlund explains this seeming paradox found in Genesis:
“Was Eve Adam’s equal? Yes and No. She was his spiritual equal and…”suitable for him” But she was not his equal in that she was his “helper.” God did not create man and woman in an undifferentiated way, and their mere maleness and femaleness identify their respective roles. A man, just by virtue of his manhood, is called to lead for God. A woman, just by virtue of her womanhood, is called to help for God.” (Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood).
So begins our journey through John Macarthur’s book, Different By Design. In this series, we will be looking at the fall of man and how feminism has been attacking since the beginning, the case for authority and submission, God’s design for marriage, and the God’s design for the church.
Different By Design Part 1 // Part 2 // A Biblical Marriage // Philosophy Break
September 16th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
I’m excited about this new series, Tim.
Looking forward to future posts. =D
September 17th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Good artical Tim, Yeah I agree with you. Its slightly disgusting to see the world turn against Gods standered on anything but especially in marriage. Looking foward to the coming posts.
September 17th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
This looks like it’ll be a sweet journey through Macarthur’s book. Keep it going Agent Tim!
I’m chillin right now, after hearing a killer sermon on shining Christ’s light to all around us. Acts 1 says that we are witnesses - not that we witness. I never saw that before. Witness is a noun or an identity. Witnessing is who we are, as well as what we do.
Agent Tim - About the roles of men and women in marriage, what do you think about the differences between how God created men and women? I mean that men and women think about life differently. Confrontation, emotion, evaluating situations and interactions are perceived and conducted differently by the two sexes - generally. Does Macarthur’s book talk about those God-created differences? As Romans 1 says, when individuals reject the Creator to worship the created - themselves, they become subject to a greying of sexuality resulting in trying to morph into a mutated sexuality.
September 18th, 2006 at 7:02 am
[...] Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Special Feature [...]
December 18th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
[...] It has certainly been far too long since I have written about one of the most important topics that I can ever cover on this blog, that of biblical manhood and womanhood. As many know, a few weeks ago I began a series on men and women’s biblical roles with John Macarthur’s book Different By Design as a guide. In an odd series of events, that set of articles was unexpectedly and mysteriously suspended–until now (yes, I know all my non-Christian or liberal readers are screaming in horror at what they thought was over). I was recently encouraged to continue the series, and with some recent issues coming up in the news, and through continued study and discussion on the topic, I felt God leading me to press on, and He has provided the time and the resources to do so. [...]
December 20th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
[...] Amen to that. Different By Design Part 1 // Part 2 // A Biblical Marriage // Philosophy Break [...]
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] Different By Design Part 1: We begin the journey. [...]
July 13th, 2007 at 11:32 am
[...] that I can ever cover on this blog, that of biblical manhood and womanhood. As many know, I began a series on men and women’s biblical roles with John Macarthur’s book Different By Design as a [...]