First of all...whatever, your view is, we should communicate it with "grace." If you feel the need to communicate your position like John MacArthur did - perhaps you should stay out of the pulpit too!
Theological disagreements are acceptable. What is unacceptable is belittling, disparaging, and denigrating females as if they were not only included - but INTEGRAL to God's plan of salvation. To ignore the significant IMPACT of women in the Bible and in our present day churches is not only intellectually dishonest and disingenuous, but disrespectful and should not be named among men of God.
Every real man understands and values the role of women in our homes and our churches. We are equally valued in God's eyesight and any role distinction seen in scripture is not a suggestion of superiority/inferiority - but an indication and mirror of the function of the Holy Trinity (1 Cor 11:3).
In case you didn't know, allow me to remind you that in the OT: - MIRIAM lead the people of God through the wilderness along with Moses and Aaron (Micah 6:4). - DEBORAH was a judge in the Pre-monarchical period (Judg 4:4-5). - HULDAH's counsel was sought by King Josiah despite Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk being alive. Her counsel inspired the religious reforms of the 7th century and helped elevate all the true prophets to their rightful place in Judah's religious community (2 Chron 34:14-33). - NOADIAH was a female prophet (Neh 6:14).
In the NT Luke records that Mary and "the women" were among those who received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:14. In fact, **there are more women named as leaders in the New Testament than men.** - WOMEN (Mary M, Joanna, and Mary mother of James) were the first and primary witnesses to the resurrection, mentioned in all four gospels; it was the MEN who refused to believe! - PHOEBE was a deacon (Rom 16:1-2). - ANNA is named a prophetess (Luke 2:36) - MARY and LYDIA were overseers of house churches (Acts 12:12; 16:14-15). - EUODIAS and SYNTYCHE are considered by many scholars to have been deaconesses in the church in Phillipi (Phil 4:2-3). - The ONLY role lacking a female name is Elder; however, there are no males named either. - Paul treats the prophetic activity of women as identical to the prophetic activity of men (1 Cor 11:4-5 "every woman who prays or prophesies...". - PRISCILLA instructed Apollos (a man) in the way of the Lord (Acts 18:25). The word "explained" (Greek - ektithēmi) is the same word used to describe Paul's preaching in Acts 28:23).
This indisputable truth is evidence of the inclusion of women in active leadership in both the Old and New Testament. The egalitarian (women serving with no gender restrictions) vs. complementarian (gender distinctions when it comes to functional roles in society, the church and the home) has been argued for hundreds of years. What is explicitly clear in scripture is the God-ordained utilization of women in leadership roles to accomplish His will.
Every real man understands and values the role of women in our homes and our churches. We are equally valued in God's eyesight and any role distinction seen in scripture is not a suggestion of superiority/inferiority - but an indication and mirror of the function of the Holy Trinity (1 Cor 11:3). The Son submits to the Father, and the Holy Spirit submits to the Father and the Son. I hope this brings clarity to the confused and offers perspective to those who hold the complementarian worldview.