Countering Challenges to Christian Platonic Cross-Sex Friendships: Challenge 3

Image Credit: Media from Wix

In this post, we will deal with the third listed challenge for platonic cross-sex friendships (and, therefore, for Christian platonic cross-sex friendships) on Wikipedia's "Cross-sex friendship" page (accessed November 24-25, 2025). Again, here is the screenshotted image of the page as it was when I accessed it:

The third challenge is this: "Dealing with the issue of relationship equality within a cultural context of gender inequality." In other words, in a culture in which men and women are not treated equally, how can Christian platonic cross-sex friends ensure that both parties are equal in these friendships? First, while love for lost people requires pleasing them in ways that aren't disobedient to God (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), Christian men and women must, first and foremost, relate to each other according to God's commands in the New Testament, refusing to give into anything in their society and culture that leads them away from this ideal (Acts 5:29). Second, Christian men and women in platonic friendships with each other must believe what God's Word teaches concerning their equal status as children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13; Galatians 3:26-29) and act on that belief by relating to each other according to that equal status. Christian men and women should do this in platonic friendships (as well as in marriages) no matter what society and culture God places them in by His providence. And, though I'm somewhat repeating what I said in the first part of my answer here, God's commands and the perfect moral example of Christ Himself in His earthly life are the model for how specifically this equality is supposed to function in Christian platonic cross-sex friendships.

I think this is a sufficient answer for now! May God make this post a blessing to His people!