From the very beginning of creation man and woman have been seen as equal.
There are two main views in Christianity regarding the equality of men and women. They are defined by Alexander Strauch in the book Equal Yet Different.
Complementarian: God created men and women as equals with different gender-defined roles...the role differences promote godly manhood and womanhood and marvelously enrich family life as well as life in the local church...the fall of mankind into sin...created the battle of the sexes. (Strach, p6-7)
Evangelical Feminism (Egalitarian): The submission of the woman in marriage and womanly restrictions in Christian ministry are inconsistent with the true picture of biblical equality. They consider the equal-yet-different doctrine taught by complementarians to be a contradiction in terms...true biblical equality assures that both men and women are full and equal partners in life...men hold no unique, leadership-authority role solely because of their gender...one's gender does not determine one's status or role in life, nor does it limit spiritual giftedness and ministry opportunities. (Strauch, p8)
Any debate over godly/biblical manhood and womanhood has to start in the beginning. Genesis 1-3 provide a foundation for ANY conversation on the roles, relationships and authority of men and women.
Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 establishes the equality of men and women as they are both made in the image of God. What kind of equality does the image of God imply?
Men and women have equal personhood
Men and women have equal value
Men and women have equal dignity
Men and women have equal responsibility to God
But does the equality proclaimed in Genesis 1:27 go beyond these 4 things? Does the equality extend to all areas and arenas of life?
We have to realize (as we will see in Genesis 3) that sin has marred the relationship between men and women and the understanding of equality. Thankfully we have Genesis 1 & 2 which are the only pre-fall (perfect/before sin) references to men's and women's roles, differences and extent of equality.
The reality is that men can do, for the most part, anything women can do. Movies like Mr. Mom, Mrs. Doubtfire and Daddy Day Care have shown this aptitude in men to take care of roles that are traditionally for women. Of course, men can't have babies-that is something uniquely female.
In the same way women can do, for the most part, anything men can do. (If you'd like to read a humorous story of Caroline's realization that she can't do everything a guy can do check out her blog)
But just because someone can do something doesn't mean they were intended or designed to do it. I can dig a hole with a spoon, but it doesn't mean the spoon was designed (or ideal) for that task. And if the spoon is occupied with digging a hole, what's helping eat the soup?
Genesis 2-3 give clear indication that men and women, while equal, were designed for different purposes. This doesn't mean they can't do things they were not designed for, but that would not be ideal. And if men and women are busy doing what they were not designed for, who is taking up the slack?
Genesis 2 establishes men as leaders:
1. God created Adam first
-Genesis 2:15: God placed Adam in the garden to care for it before Eve was formed
-Genesis 2:16-17: God gives Adam the first divine revelation and instruction before Eve was formed and trusts the man to pass that revelation and instruction on to the woman after she is created
-Genesis 2:19-God gave Adam responsibility (naming the animals) before Eve was formed
2. God formed woman out of man
3. God created woman for man
"She had her own biology, physiology, and psychology. She was made to coplement the man, to help him populate and rule the earth, and to unite with him as a loving companion-partner. This is the first statement in the Bible concerning the woman's role; she is to be a help to the man." (Strauch, p 23)
Now, before you get up in arms over the idea that women were created to be "helpers", look a little more closely at the idea of helper.
Helper or support is not a demeaning term. This term is often used of God as a "help to his people."
"To be a helper means that the woman has the necessary ability, fitness, resources, and strenght to be a help...for the Christian man or woman, whatever God calls us to do or be is just, good, holy and desirable." (Strauch, p23)
4. God gave Adam the right to name Eve
Feminists will say that submission and authority are introduced in Genesis 3 and are therefore a result of sin and the fall. Everyone agrees that sin has changed the male/female relationship for the worse, but the basic structure of authority, that, as we have seen, begins in Genesis 2, is still in-tact today. The differences are still there, though they have been marred by sin.
Genesis 3 recognizes differences in roles
1. Eve's Penalty afflicted her (and all women) with pain in her chief roles as mother and wife (3:16)
2. Adam's Penalty afflicted him (and all men) in his key roles as worker, protector and provider for his family.
Adam's penalty also brought death for all that Adam had authority over: his entire family, which includes us!
Notice also that in Genesis 3:9 Adam is the first one called to account for sin even though he was the 2nd to sin. This again speaks to his authority and responsibility over Eve.
People tend to get up-in-arms over teaching on gender in the New Testament. This is because they either reject or do not fully understand the foundation of gender equality, and differences, as they are defined at the beginning.
Let us understand and live the biblical truth of equality and differences and demonstrate this better way to the world.
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