Ten commandments for wives

Ten commandments for wives Go to long version outline of 10 commandments for husbands Intro: Definition of the home: Little boy's: "It's where we eat!" Teenage girl's: "It's where we go between midnight & daybreak when all else is closed." Husband: "It is where we go to fight our private battles." Wife: "It is where we slave the hardest and are appreciated the least." "Home is where the great is small and the small is great." "Home is where our stomachs get three meals a day and our hearts a thousand." "Home is a place where a world of strife is shut out and a world of love shut in." "Home is where we complain the most, but have the greatest blessings." Commandment #1: Expect not thy husband to give thee as many luxuries as thy father hath given thee after many years of hard labor. (Phil 4:11; Amos 4:1) Commandment #2: Thou shalt work hard to build thy house with the husband that you have, not fantasizing about "the one that could have been". (Prov 14:1) Fond Footsteps. I was visiting friends who had just celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary" The husband entered in his work boots, heaving clods of dirt behind him on the spotless kitchen floor. Expecting the wife to be upset, I said, "His boots certainly do bring the dirt in." "Yes," she said with a smile as she got up to get the broom. "But they bring him in too." by Shirley Scott Commandment #3: Thou shalt not nag...hit him with thine frying pan, it is kindlier. (Prov 27:15; 21:19) If the husband says… Wife replies… Sarah called Abraham Lord and walked 50 feet behind him. God told Abraham to listen to the voice of his wife and obey all that she says Gen 21:12 Folding laundry is woman's work Jesus neatly folded his laundry in the tomb John 20:7 Cooking is woman's work Jesus cooked breakfast by the sea Jn 21:9 Making the bed is woman's work Peter commanded Aeneas to "arise and make your bed" Acts 9:34 Acts 6 "We can not neglect the word of God to serve tables" Did you notice that the apostles appointed 7 MEN If I go to all the trouble of making a mess, the least you can do is clean it up. If you go to all the trouble of making all the money, the least I can do it spend it! Cleaning the house is not my work Jesus cleansed the temple: Jn 2:13-16 Commandment #4: Thou shalt coddle thy husband and be a warm wife. (1 Cor 7:3-5) The wife should not defaud the husband of his due. We know what the guys never grow tired of What due does a man owe his wife? To woo and coddled bring flowers tell her how pretty she is take her out on romantic dinners tell her how much you love her tell her how much she means to you You know…all the things you did when you were dating! Do women ever go tired of these things? Its a bottomless pit. Seems silly to a man Until he forgets her birthday or VALENTINES DAY HINT. Husband says: "I know how much you and your girl friend Marsha love this stuff Why don't the two of you buy each other flowers and go out on a candle lit dinner? Commandment #5: Remember that the frank approval of thy husband is more to thee than the side glances of many strangers. (Ezek 16:32; 2 Pet 2:14) Commandment #6: Thou shalt not yell at thy husband but will be a gentle and quiet spirit. (1 Pet 3:1-4) I have counseled a couple where the wife natters at the husband and he leaves for another room. She follows him into that room and continues nattering. He kept going from room, floor to floor, till finally he hit her. She wasn't hurt or bruised, but he should have just left. But did the wife share in the reason for getting hit? Commandment #7: Permit no one to assure thee that thou art having a hard time of it. (1 Pet 5:9) Husbands: Low self esteem was ranked as the number one problem among women. Ask your wife after church today if she feels you respect and feel she is important! Commandment #8: Thou shall not fail to dress up for thy husband with an eye to please him, as thou didst before marriage. (Sos 4:9-11) I have a saying, that a women enters middle age when she cuts off her long hair very short. Commandment #9: Thou shalt submit to thy husband from thy heart and allow him to be head of the household. (Col 3:18; 1 Pet 3:6; Eph 5:33) Patterns Of Submission & Headship In The Bible Submission Headship Bible Texts All creation God Jas 4:7; Heb 12:9 Christ God 1 Cor 15:28 All Creation Christ 1 Cor 15:27-28;Heb 2:2;Eph 1:20-23;Phil 3:21;1 Pe 3:22 Church Christ Eph 5:24 Church Leaders 1 Cor 16:16; 1 Th 5:12;Heb 13:17 (minister=servant/under rower) Children Parents Eph 6:1-4; Col 3:20-21; Lk 2:41-52; 1 Ti 3:4 Young men Older men 1 Pe 5:5 Slaves Masters Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:22-24; Tit 2:9-10; 1 Pe 2:18-20 Citizens Government Rom 13:1-6; 1 Pe 2:13-15; Tit 3:1 Every Christian To Others Eph 5:21 Wives Husbands Eph 5:22-24; Col 3:18; Tit 2:5; 1 Pe 3:1-7; 1 Cor 11:3 DO IT YOURSELF! In Gen 18:6 Abraham said to Sarah, "Make ready quickly, three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes." Can you imagine Sarah answering, "Do it yourself"? This attitude would have been out of character for her because "Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord." 1 Pe 3:6 A wife's big test of faith is if she will submit to her husband when he is unreasonable and selfish, or when she knows she is being wrongs by his attitude. Jesus never asks us to do anything He has not already done Himself! Bible subjection never implies inferiority but rather strength! Commandment #10: Thou shalt assure thy husband and others that he is the greatest man alive. (Phil 2:3; Sos 5:9-16) Go to long version outline of 10 commandments for husbands Click Your Choice Back to START The Wife's responsibility to the Husband Click to View Your interest in this subject is appreciated and I am glad that we have the Bible as our source book to tell us what God expected of the wife in the marriage relationship. There are several verses in Ephesians, the fifth chapter that you should read, beginning with verse 22. Let me read only three of these for you. Verse 22, "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord". Then verse 24, "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything". Then verse 33, "nevertheless let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband". Then in I Peter 3:1, "Like wise you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands". None of these passages teach that women are inferior in intellect, but that her feminine qualities preclude her being as well endowed for leadership. The subjection does not mean servitude. It is not the relationship of master and slave or as a maid or servant. Hers is a recognition of the husband's leadership, wisdom and tenderness. He should be as loving toward her as Christ loved the church. At this point, there are several privileges that belong to the wife. For instance, she is to be loved like Christ loved the church as commanded in Ephesians 5:25. She is to be honored as none other in I Peter 3:7, and she is to be praised by her family, Pro. 31:28. In Titus 2:4 we read, "That (the aged women) may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed". Here is a fine list of the responsibilities of the wife. All of these are important, but let us just dwell on four of these. "To love their husbands" is a command. Too often this is equated by men to believe it is only a sexual relationship and in the mind of some women, that is all they think they are good for. To love your husband means that you are a partner with him, working together toward a common goal. Then you can be appreciative of his actions, efforts and work in supporting the family. You will do all that you possibly can to see that they are comfortable and happy when they come home. "To love their children", is another command. As men provide for the family financially, mothers s tay home and rear the children. This might often be considered a thankless job. This is an area in which you can excel. As he earns the living and supports the family, you take care of the children while he is gone to work and make the house comfortable by keeping it pleasant and enjoyable. Yes, children can become exasperating at times, but remember, they are children who are still developing and learning. They need that sober guiding hand of the mature mother who lets them know that they are the objects of her love and concern. "To be obedient to their own husband" points out the closeness of the two." This is not indicating that You can't and do not have any thoughts of your own The idea is that as husband and wife work together and that you are not constantly pulling in an opposite direction. This obedience does not mean that you are a slave or an indentured servant, but rather that you are sharing a mutual goal. The harshness of the word obedient is tempered by the display of love and affection that the husband shows his wife. "To be keepers at home" is a command that indicates a divided responsibility. His job seems to be to go out and earn the living and provide for his family while she looks after the home. Even though a wife does not work outside of the home in what we call public work, she is still vital to the income of the family. Hers is a non-income producing activity, but it is still vitally important to the overall success of the family. When God created woman, she was taken from the rib of man as is described in Genesis. She was not taken from his foot that she might be crushed underneath his heel in bitterness. Neither was she taken from his head so that she might rule over him. She was not taken from the hand so that she might continually fill the position of waiting upon him. She was taken from the rib on man that she might be by his side continually. She is to be loved and is to respond as a part of his body. Husbands and wives are a part of each other. Let me call your attention to the Old Testament in which the writer Solomon describes a worthy woman. It is Proverbs 31:10-31. (Read). These verses quite explicitly give us God's view of a wife and mother. Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Overlooking the Women in the Church Click to View Click to View Many a wife has complained about her husband, "He takes care of himself first, and I am at the bottom of his priority list." When a husband overlooks the needs of his wife, there is unrest in the home. In Acts 6 there was unrest in the church because the women were being overlooked. Today, many have overlooked the great potential that women possess in the service to God. The NT is filled with examples of women being actively involved in many aspects of the gospel. Have you considered the significance of the fact that Jesus entrusted a woman, Mary, with the very first preaching of the gospel of His resurrection Jn 20:17,18? When she reported the news to the men, they didn't believe her! (Perhaps Jesus deliberately chose Mary as the first because He knew the male disciples needed to learn a lesson about listening and respecting the opinions of women). In Jn 4:27-30, Jesus used a woman to bring out an entire village to hear the gospel. In Lk 8:3 Joanna, Susanna, Mary and many others were contributing to the financial support of Jesus' ministry. Eunice and Lois were commended for teaching their children the gospel. In Col 4:15, Nympha allowed the church to meet in her house every Lord's day. Pheobe was called a "servant of the church...worthy of all respect" Rom 16:1-2. We have Philip's four daughters who prophesied in Acts 21:9. In Acts 18:26 Priscilla and Aquila taught the details of baptism to a powerful evangelist as a husband-wife team. Euodia and Syntyche were two women who Paul described as his fellow-workers Phil 4:3. About the only two things we do not find women doing in the New Testament is preaching before the whole church and functioning as elders, pastors & overseers. 1 Ti 2:12. The Bible does, however, command the women to teach other women and children the gospel in Tit 2:4. The Christian women of the first century were involved in a wide variety of works ranging from financial support to standing beside apostle Paul in his soul-winning efforts to break new soil for the kingdom. All these ladies were actively involved in preaching the gospel! There can be no doubt that many of the women of the first century were "soldiers in active service" 1 Ti 2:4, teaching the gospel. The Bible commended these outstanding women, not because they were excellent wives, mothers and keepers of the home, for that is the least God expects of them, but for their direct involvement in the gospel. Yes, the men certainly have overlooked the incredible potential women inherently possess to "lead the many to righteousness" Dan 12! But, the current problem can only be resolved when women stop overlooking themselves and develop their own God given skills as active servants of the Lord. Steve Rudd Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA Women are forbidden to be pastors or preachers Click to View The Bible's teaching... Letter to husband from minister of local church The letter below was sent to a husband whose wife refused to attend a church where woman were forbidden to be pastors and pulpit preachers. Dear husband, Enclosed is a dossier of information that will thoroughly document the Bible's prohibition against woman preachers and pastors. I want to emphasize that the issue for your wife is not what the Bible says about this, but the very inspiration of the Bible itself. One cannot think of the unmarried Paul as a self serving, sexist, bigoted woman hater and believe in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote 1/2 of the New Testament under the direct guidance of Jesus Christ: Gal 1:11 "For I [Paul] would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." Further after prohibiting women from speaking in church, Paul says in the very next verse: 1 Cor 4:37-38 "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized." This is the only place Paul made this kind of statement. Any one who rejects Paul's teaching on the submission of women and woman preachers, is "not recognized" by God... or condemned. Harsh but true words. Some people reject the Bible because they think the story of six 24-hour day creation is silly. Some people reject the Bible because they think the story of a man being swallowed by a fish is silly. your wife rejects the Bible because she thinks a woman being in submission to her husband and women forbidden to be pastors, is silly. This is the bottom line. Now I recommend that you review the enclosed materials. However, for your wife, none of this material is relevant, because she rejects the inspiration of the Bible. Enclosed is the first lesson of a Bible course (blue booklet and test) that proves the inspiration of the Bible. Once she has accepted the Bible as inspired by God, she will have no choice but to accept Paul's obvious teaching. Remember, your wife fully accepts that Paul forbids women from preaching, she simply rejects Paul and ultimately Jesus Christ who spoke the teaching through Paul. In other words, she knows what the Bible teaches on this subject, she rejects the Bible. I find it troubling but insightful that your wife, given the option, would not want to attend the church where Paul preached every Sunday. I stand beside Paul. Sincerely yours, Your minister P.S. Please review the Bible material on this subject below to confirm what the Bible teaches on this simple subject. May Women Speak "in the Church"? Click to View Feminism and woman Preachers! Click to View Part 1: (1 Tim. 2:11-12, 1 Cor. 14:34-35) 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. What is this passage of scripture saying? We must remember that it is just as sinful to bind more than what God has revealed in the inspired word, as it is to tolerate less than what is commanded. Does this statement forbid a woman from all teaching? Does this context forbid women to ask or answer questions in a public adult Bible class? We must be careful to not be more lenient that God intended nor should we be too strict. One error is as wrong as the other. Some have taken extreme positions concerning this verse, which do not harmonize with other verses in the New Testament. What is meant by: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection"? This reveals a difference in roles of men and women. There is an equality in the inheritance of men and women but we do not have the same role. Even the men in the church do not have equal roles. All are commanded to submit to the rule of the elders, if the local church has them. KJV: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection." NASV: "Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness." "Silence" or "quietly" is from "Hesuchia" [hay-soo-khee'-ah] (hJsuciva) "To rest, to cease from labor. To lead a quiet life, said of those who are not running hither and thither, but stay at home and mind their business." Thayer's English Greek Lexicon of the New Testament Hesuchia is also used in 2 Thess. 3:12 2 Thessalonians 3:12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. Paul says while you're at work, you remember that you're not the boss, you are the employee. That puts you in a submissive role. You may be a equal human being with equal rights, but at work, you don't possess an equal role along with the boss. Does that mean that while at work you cannot say anything? That you can't make a sound? No one teaches this! It just means that we are to remember that we are to work "with quietness". We aren't to act as one in authority when we are not! Women must accept their role in the body of Christ as those who learn "in silence (quietness) with all subjection." 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Just as God the Father is the head of Christ in the scheme of redemption, man is the head of women. Even though Christ is equal to the Father and possesses the fullness of the Godhead, (not some kind of lesser god) He still humbled himself under the authority of the Father, and is not cheated or less holy for doing so! Likewise the women, though they are equal members and joint heirs of the blessings in Christ, are instructed to humble themselves according to God's will under the authority of the men. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Does Not Forbid All Teaching By Women 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Let a woman learn in silence [hesuchia].with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence [hesuchia]. Does this passage forbid all teaching? NO! The emphasis is: "over the man" 1. Women Are To Teach Women Titus 2:3-5 The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 2. Women May Teach Men In The Assembly Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 3. Priscilla Was Involved In Teaching Apollos Acts 18:25-26 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 4. Women Are Commanded To Teach 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men [anthropus] who will be able to teach others also. anthropos (a[nqrwpo"), is used generally, of a human being, male or female, without reference to sex or nationality. Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words aner (ajnhvr, is never used of the female sex; it stands (a) in distinction from a woman, Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words "Man [anthropus] shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' (Matthew 4:4) Genesis 5:1-2 In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. The woman's authority to teach has only one exclusion: they are forbidden to teach "over the man", but they are still are to teach! At What Age Does A Boy Become A Man? The Bible doesn't reveal that to us, but at age 12, Jesus is called a "child" by the Holy Spirit. Luke 2:42-43 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy [child- KJV] Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it. Just because one is baptized does not make one a man or woman. To say that a woman cannot teach a boy is to bind where God has not bound. A Woman Is Not To "Teach" A Man "Teach" is from "Didasko" didavskw: "To hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses." Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament Didactic: "To teach, used or intended for teaching or instruction." Webster's Dictionary Discourse: "A long and formal treatment of a subject in speech or writing, lecture, treatise, dissertation." Webster's Dictionary Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Jesus had didactic discourses with them in order to instruct them. 1 Tim. 2:11-12 does not forbid a woman from asking or answering a question in a public adult Bible study. Some teach that this verse prohibits a woman from doing either, because in doing so, they might actually teach a man something pertaining to the will of God. It is important that we harmonize this verse with all the other verses of the N.T., and that we also understand the definition of "teach." There is a difference in what is told to men and women. Titus 2:15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Titus could publicly speak, exhort, and rebuke both men and women with "all authority," but a woman is not authorized to do so "over a man", because Paul said that she was not "to exercise this authority over the man." However, asking and answering questions, as well as making comments in a public adult Bible study where men are present, does not violate this passage of scripture. While participating in these activities, she is not taking the leading role over the men as the instructor, the teacher, or the one who is exercising authority over the men, but she is remaining in her submissive role under the men. The argument that she may not teach anything in any way (i.e. read scripture, ask or answer a question in a Bible class) in the presence of a man because she would be doing some teaching, is not consistent with the teaching and admonishing (Col. 3:16) which she does in songs and hymns and spiritual songs in the public church assembly. "To Usurp Authority" is from "Authenteo" "to govern one, exercise dominion over one: I Tim. 2:12" Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament "authenteo, to exercise authority on one's own account, to domineer over." Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words "have authority, domineer over someone" Bauer, Gingrich, and Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature "Authenteo: to act of oneself; thus, to dominate, exercise authority over, I Tim. 2:12" The New Englishman's Lexicon "to have full power over." Liddell, and Scott, Abridged Greek-English Lexicon "to control in a domineering manner - 'to control, to domineer.' 'I do not allow women to dominate men' 1 Tm 2.12" Louw, and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains When a woman submissively asks or answers questions, or makes comments in a Bible study (where men are present) she is not dominating or taking over the class, but is simply a participant in the class that is being led by a teacher. This is why a woman can "teach and admonish" men in her singing. When doing this she is not leading or domineering over men, although she is participating in the teaching process. If and when she attempts to take over or to lead the class, and becomes domineering in any of our worship activities, then we would have a problem! This is what the women in Corinth appear to have begun to do in the assembly in 1 Cor. 14:34-35; some became a domineering factor in the church. But the women weren't the only ones out of order; several of the men were guilty of disorderliness as well. 1 Corinthians 14:27-30 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. "Keep Silent" is from "Sigao" [see-gah'-o] Corinthians 14:28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 1 Corinthians 14:30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. These instructions were given to accomplish the goal given in verse 33 and 34 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. The context indicates that both men and women were out of order in the church. Does This Passage Forbid All Speaking By Women? 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. "Speak" is from "Laleo" [lal-eh'-o] 1. If a woman is literally forbidden to speak at all, how can she sing? Ephesians 5:19 Speaking [laleo] to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. 2. How could she confess Christ before the assembly prior to her baptism? Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 3. How could a woman confess her public sins? 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 4. How could a woman tell her children to be quiet? 5. How could she say "amen" at the close of a prayer? 1 Corinthians 14:15-16 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? The spiritually ungifted brethren present said "Amen" at the giving of thanks in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:16). The women are to "subject themselves as the Law also says". This indicates that we can look at the practice under the Law and learn something about the acceptable practice of women in the public assembly. If women could say "Amen" in the assembly under the Law, there is no reason to forbid it today. Nehemiah 8:2-6 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose... And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. "They are to be submissive, as the law also says" (1 Corinthians 14:34) Paul is referring to a problem in Corinth. He is not speaking to all women in 1 Cor. 14:35. 1 Corinthians 14:35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Why Paul wasn't addressing all the women in general: Not all of the Corinthian women had husbands (1 Cor. 7). Some of the women who had husbands weren't married to Christians (1 Cor. 7). The questions of even those women who were married to Christians probably couldn't have been answered by some of their husbands, since many were still carnal (I Cor. chapters 1 & 3). We know that even knowledgeable husbands don't know the answers to a lot of things. Logically, the only individuals who would be able to answer all questions about what had been said would be those who had spoken. For these reasons, we can rationally conclude that in this passage of scripture, Paul was telling the wives of the public speakers to wait and ask their husbands their questions at home. They were to learn in an orderly fashion by waiting to ask their husbands at home. Still, the instructions are based on the fact that, "it is shameful for women to speak in church"! May a woman then, play a part in the activities of the church? Absolutely! If she is a faithful Christian, she is as much as a part of the church as the men are. The exception to that rule is that she is not to play a leading, domineering role men are authorized to perform. Again, to bind more than that is to miss the mark, and to allow or tolerate less than that is to sin as well! There Is A Restriction On Women That is Not Placed On Men 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Men were told to not be speaking two or more at the same time. Women were told to not be speaking at all. The context involves speaking in the assembly. 1 Timothy 2:8-15 There is a difference in roles of men and women. Always has been and always will be. There is an equality in our relationship to God. Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. Yet there is a difference in roles God ordained for men and women. Two Reasons For Different Roles Are Given In 1 Timothy 2:8-15 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 1. The First Reason Given: The Order Of Creation. Paul does not go into detail, but enough is given to show that we must consider what is revealed in the first three chapters of Genesis. Male and female relationships are some of the greatest influences in human society and they are based on Creation. This is one of the reasons we must understand the Creation\Evolution controversy. If Evolution is true, we eliminate the foundation of everything the Bible reveals including the relationship men and women have with each other. From the Creation account in Genesis, we know: Both male and female are made in the image of God. Both male and female have dominion over the earth Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." In Genesis, Creation is described two times. In chapter one, there is a general account of the creation of everything. In Chapter two, there is more specific account of creation of men and women. The Holy Spirit revealed because of what happened at Creation, there is a difference in the roles of men and women today. A. In The Creation Account, The Male Is Central In The Narrative There is evidence of male headship from the fact that the male is the center and the subject of the entire narrative. All the action and events revolve around the man. He is the subject; all else is brought into the story in relation to him. He is the "star" of the story, he occupies center stage. Everything else, including the woman, has a supporting role. The male is the first to be created (2:7). (firstborn) The garden is prepared for him, and he is placed within it (2:8). The male, not the female, is given the name borne by the human race as a whole: "Man" (1:26-27, 5:2). God speaks to the male (2:16); he is the first to receive divine revelation and instruction. (Just as a CEO or General uses a "chain of command") The animals are brought for naming to the male, not the female (2:19-20). The woman is made from the man, not the man from the woman (2:22). The woman is also made for the man and brought to him. the man was not made for the woman (2:18, 22). It is the man who speaks and makes a theological comment upon the woman's creation, not vice versa (2:23). It is the male who names the female, not the woman naming the man (2:23). The whole narrative in Genesis 2 is the story of how God created the man and provided in every way for his well-being. The man is the central character through the entire account of the creation of mankind. When God created the human race, He placed the man squarely in the center of His creative work. The other activities recorded in Genesis 2 are all relative to the man's existence, nature, and needs. This includes the creation of the woman. All of this strongly implies that the man is the one to take the lead in the commands given by God to subdue the earth. B. The Male Was Created First The creation order implies male headship. It was not an accident nor was it random chance. The Holy Spirit revealed that the order of creation of the man and woman was on purpose and it demonstrates the headship of the male. Feminist Argument: Animals were created before man, but they are not the head of man, therefore, man is not the head of woman. 1 Timothy 2:12-13 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. C. The Woman Was Created From The Man The fact that the woman was created from the man implies male headship. Man is the source of the woman; the woman is derived from the man. Genesis 2:22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. The female's being derived from the male does not necessarily, in and of itself, confer headship upon the male. We would not know that this is an indicator of male headship except for the revelation of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 11:3-8. In His decision to bring woman into existence out of the man, God established an appropriate and everlasting symbol of his intention for man to exercise headship over the woman and for the woman to exist in a relationship of dependence upon the man. Feminist Argument: Man is from the dust of the ground. Dirt is not the head of man, therefore, man is not the head of woman. 1 Corinthians 11:3-9 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. The New Testament commentary is the decisive factor in this argument. We know it is a valid argument because the inspired Apostle Paul himself uses it. When feminists reject it, they are arguing against Paul, and ultimately against the Holy Spirit who inspired him. D. The Woman Was Created for the Man Male headship is implied in the fact that the woman was created for the man. Not only was she created from him; she was also created for him. Though the man was created first, he was not intended to exist alone for very long. God declared, Feminist Argument: God is called man's helper 16x. (Same word, "ezer" is used). Man is not the head of God, therefore, man is not the head of woman. Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (NASB) The woman was brought into existence for the express purpose of meeting the needs of the already-existing male, and to enable him to lead a fulfilled life. The woman was created for the man; the man was not created for the woman. This is an indication of the roles of the male being the leader and the woman being the helper for the male. This is confirmed 1 Corinthians 11:9 and is given as a proof of male headship 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:9 For indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. This New Testament commentary on Genesis 2:18 cannot be ignored or explained away. That God describes the woman as a helper suitable for or corresponding to the man does reflect the ontological equality between the sexes, but in no way does it require functional equality. "Ontology" - The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. It shows that in her essential being, woman, unlike the animals, is on an equal plane with man; but it does not negate the role of subordination established by God when he created the woman for the man, i.e., for the sake of the man or as a helper for the man. E. The Man Named The Woman A fifth argument for male headship from Genesis 2 is the fact that the man gave the woman her name Genesis 2:23 And the man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." The naming process began with the animals Genesis 2:19-20 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. And the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field... The fact of Adam giving names to the animals indicates his authority over them. In like manner, when God brought the newly-formed woman to Adam, he named her as well. This implies his authority over her. Giving a name to another does not always imply headship or authority. Genesis 16:13 Then she [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees [El-Roi]; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" Exodus 16:31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Even though the act of naming another did not always imply authority, in Genesis 2 the act of naming is consistent with the fact of male headship, and is another example of how the male is central in the narrative of creation. Because of this latter fact alone we may speak of it as a proof of male headship at least in an indirect sense, even if it is not so in a direct sense. Since God was certainly in sovereign control of the whole creation event, we must conclude that these specific facts and arrangements were not accidental but were deliberately chosen by God to teach us of God's own appointment of the male to the role of leadership. The Second Reason Given — Eve Was Deceived. Does the fact that Satan chose Eve for this first temptation imply that women as such are spiritually weaker than men? Do they have some kind of inherent weakness that makes them more vulnerable to temptation and sin, as some think 1 Peter 3:7 is suggesting? (being the weaker vessel) Why Did Satan Choose Eve? The question of why Satan chose Eve as the object of his temptation is made all the more relevant by Paul's remark that "it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression" (1 Tim. 2:14) This text does mean something. Does it mean that Eve was chosen because Satan considered her more deceivable, more vulnerable than Adam? Was Eve the "weaker vessel" - emotionally or intellectually? The Bible does not reveal Satan's motive for beginning with Eve. It just records the fact that Eve was the first to be tempted and deceived, and the first to sin. We are not told whether it was part of a deliberate strategy of Satan, or if his choice was just random. But the fact that we do not know for sure why Satan chose Eve does not negate the force of 1 Timothy 2:14, which says that Eve's being the one who was deceived does have something to do with women's being prohibited from teaching men and having authority over men in the New Testament church. The really significant point is that (according to 1 Timothy 2:14) it is not the transgression itself but the deception that is being held against Eve. The fact that Eve was deceived by the Devil is in some way related to the fact that women are not permitted to teach men and have authority over men in the church. We simply cannot deny this connection. The problem, though, is to explain it. Exactly what is the connection? It is possible that there is something inherent in women's nature that somehow makes them more vulnerable to deception concerning spiritual matters and therefore less qualified to teach men and have authority over men in the context of the church. This would be consistent with Peter's description of woman as the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7). Peter does not explain the nature of this "weakness," nor does he suggest that it constitutes some kind of flaw or fault in women. Whatever it is, it would be consistent with the role for which God created woman in the first place. That is to say, the characteristics that make a woman more strongly suited for her intended role in the family and church make her weaker with reference to what is required for duties of headship and leadership. Such characteristics probably have to do more with her emotional rather than her intellectual nature. Whatever this "weaker" nature may be, it is possible, if not likely, that this is what Paul has in mind as underlying the fact that Eve was deceived by Satan whereas Adam was not, and that this is the very same thing that disqualifies women from teaching men and having authority over men. If this is so, then the reason for this disqualification is not Eve's sin at all. Neither is the disqualification some kind of penalty, either for her sin or for allowing herself to be deceived. It is simply some inherent, created female characteristic that manifests itself in susceptibility to this kind of deception. 1 Tim. 2:13 gives as the primary reason for the prohibition the fact that Adam was first created, then Eve. In other words, the prohibition is grounded in creation, not in some aspect of the Fall. To say that what is true because of creation is also a part of the penalty for the Fall seems inconsistent. But if the prohibition is related to some inherent female characteristic which itself is related to vulnerability to deception, as the first explanation suggests, then 2:14 is also basing the prohibition on human nature as created, and not on the Fall as such. Adam's Responsibility And Male Headship One other point must be noted concerning the sin itself, namely, the connection between Adam's responsibility for that sin and the fact of the male headship that was already established in Genesis 2. Both the Genesis context and Biblical teaching as a whole seem to point to the fact that Adam, the male, bears a greater responsibility for the first sin than Eve. This is exactly what we would expect if Adam was already the appointed head of that two-member family. Following the sin, when God came to confront his human creatures in their guilt, he specifically addressed the male: Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" Why does God first of all specifically call Adam into account for the sin? Because he is the appointed head. As the head of the human family he had the greater initial responsibility for righteousness and thus received the greater blame for the sin. God didn't call both of them together, but he called the head. As the God-appointed head, Adam bore the primary responsibility for their actions. Adam held the position of being responsible for sin entering the human race even though Eve sinned first. The New Testament confirms this understanding. It reveals that Adam is the one who is singled out and held responsible for the consequences of the Fall for the human race. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Romans 5:15-19 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. Why is such responsibility laid on Adam? The only thing that can explain the clear teaching concerning Adam's greater responsibility is his immediate headship over Eve and his ultimate and representative headship over the entire human race. She sinned first, but Adam was held accountable because he was the one ordained by God to be the head. The relationship of men and women are not just for marriage. There is a special relationship within marriage, but the difference in roles are for all men and for all women. Marriage Is Not In The Context of 1 Timothy 2:8-15! Verse 15 She shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. She is not to seek the role of the male, but role for which God created her. Wayne Wells May Women Speak "in the Church"? Feminism and woman Preachers! Click to View Part 2: Feminism The N.T. teaches a difference in the roles of men and women. The differences of roles are based on God's choice of creation. God chose to make men and women different and they have different responsibilities as they work together to serve God. 1 Corinthians 11:3-9 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man... For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Feminism has been one of the most successful social movements in our nation. Although there have been some legitimate goals, one of the results of this movement is to influence our culture to ignore the fact that there is a difference in the roles of men and women. When we study the Bible, the issue is not one of equality, but of roles. The Bible teaches an equality of men and women. Both men and women: Are made in the image of God Have dominion over the earth Are joint heirs in Christ. The Bible clearly teaches a distinction in the roles of men and women. The early leaders in the feminist movement recognized this. After their views became more accepted, others have tried to interpret the Bible to fit their views. This is similar to what happened with the issue of evolution. Before Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell, no one ever thought that the Bible taught any evolutionary origins of life. After Evolution became accepted by many in society, religious people tried to bend and twist the Bible to fit evolution rather than allow the Bible to mean what it says. Result - the acceptance of the day-age theory and the gap theory. Neither of these ideas come from a careful reading of Genesis, but they are an effort to force Genesis to match the beliefs of the world. The same has happened with the roles of men and women. Much of what is being promoted today does not come from a careful reading of the Bible, but is an effort to make the Bible to fit the views of the culture in which we live. The "First Wave" of Feminism The feminist movement of the nineteenth century effectively began July 19-20,1848, at a women's convention that was held in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. About 300 attended. Elizabeth Stanton wrote the "Declaration on Women's Rights," and it was signed by 68 women and 32 men. The Declaration began as a parody of the Declaration of Independence and said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal." Much of the "Declaration" was a listing of the different ways the current laws were different for men and women. 1. Two weeks later, a second convention was held in Rochester, New York, during which the movement began to be more formally organized. 2. The third meeting was in 1850 at Worcester, Massachusetts. It was the first to claim to be a national women's rights convention, having delegates from nine states. 3. Except for 1857, conventions were held each year up to 1860. 4. In 1852, Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony joined forces. They remained a team for nearly fifty years, with Anthony managing the business affairs and Stanton doing most of the writing. The Early Feminist Leaders and the Bible The early feminists viewed the Bible to be degrading to women because of what it teaches concerning the sin of Eve and the role assigned to women in both the Old and New Testaments. In their response to the Bible, three different views developed. 1. The Moderate View: The moderate view did not consider the problem to be the Bible itself, but rather the acceptance of perverted and sexist interpretations of the Bible. Once the Bible is properly interpreted, it can be seen as not being hostile to women. Many who took this view were adherents of metaphysical or "New Thought" religions (such as Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science.), which believed that the Bible must be interpreted symbolically or mystically. These agreed that the Bible is harmful to women if taken literally, but when understood according to its inner or mystical meaning it affirms the equality of women with men. 2. The Liberal View: The liberal view accepted the theory of evolution to be the answer of culture and religion. It viewed the Bible as a purely human book which records the history of one of the world's many religious traditions, and which has no special divine authority and no more relevance for today than scores of other such books. As such the Bible should just be ignored. 3. The Radical View: The radical view agreed with the liberal understanding of the nature of the Bible as a purely human book with no divine authority, but it did not agree that it could simply be ignored. As long as the Bible is being distributed in mass quantities, and large numbers of people still believe that it is God's inspired Word, they will believe that provides a divinely given mandate to keep women in subjection. Thus some positive action with regard to the Bible must be taken. Whether it is just a matter of wrong interpretation or a false view of its nature, either way the influence of the Bible must be neutralized. This was Elizabeth Stanton's view. She believed that the Bible must be destroyed if women were to be free. In order to neutralize the influence of the Bible, Elizabeth Stanton and other women wrote "The Woman's Bible" to show the world what the Bible is really like. While Stanton allowed the moderate members of the project to express their ideas and to present the "correct" interpretations of various Bible passages as they saw them, she repudiated the moderate approach. She wrote, "In plain English, the Bible itself is simply degrading to women. No mystical symbolism can enable one to twist out of the Old or New Testaments a message of justice, liberty or equality from God to the women of the nineteenth century." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, I:61, II:66 The Woman 's Bible is actually a commentary rather than a translation. It is not a commentary on the whole Bible, but only on texts referring to women Excerpts From "The Woman's Bible" "The Bible, with its fables, allegories and endless contradictions, has been the great block in the way of civilization." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, II:9 "From the inauguration of the movement for woman's emancipation the Bible has been used to hold her in the 'divinely ordained sphere,' prescribed in the Old and New Testaments. The wonder is that women . . . make a fetich [sic] of the very book which is responsible for their civil and social degradation." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, pg. 7, II:12 "The Bible has been of service in some respects; but the time has come for us to point out the evil of many of its teachings." Clara Neyman, The Woman's Bible, II:17 "The Bible always has been, and is at present, one of the greatest obstacles in the way of the emancipation and the advancement of the sex... This book has been of more injury to [woman] than has any other which has ever been written in the history of the world." E.M., The Woman's Bible, II:201, 203 "No institution in modern civilization is so tyrannical and so unjust to woman as is the Christian Church." Josephine Henry, The Woman's Bible, II:205 "All the religions on the face of the earth [including Christianity] degrade women; and so long as woman accepts the position that they assign her, her emancipation is impossible." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, I:12 Writing about the account of the widow's mite in Mark 12:41-44, Stanton criticizes the church for promoting self-sacrifice instead of self-development on the part of women. "But when women learn the higher duty of self-development, they will not so readily expend all their forces in serving others.... 'Self-development is a higher duty than self-sacrifice,' should be woman's motto henceforward." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, II:131 "I do not believe that any man ever saw or talked with God, I do not believe that God inspired the Mosaic code, or told the historians what they say he did about woman." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, I:12 "Does any one at this stage of civilization think the Bible was written by the finger of God, that the Old and New Testaments emanated from the highest divine thought in the universe? Do they think that all the men who wrote the different books were specially inspired?... It is full of contradictions, absurdities and impossibilities, and bears the strongest evidence in every line of its human origin... We have made a fetich [sic] of the Bible long enough. The time has come to read it as we do all other books, accepting the good and rejecting the evil it teaches." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, I:61, II:213, 8 The final statement in the Woman's Bible: "The real difficulty in woman's case is that the whole foundation of the Christian religion rests on her temptation and man's fall, hence the necessity of a Redeemer and a plan of salvation. As the chief cause of this dire calamity, woman's degradation and subordination were made a necessity. If, however, we accept the Darwinian theory, that the race has been a gradual growth from the lower to a higher form of life, and that the story of the fall is a myth, we can exonerate the snake, emancipate the woman, and reconstruct a more rational religion for the nineteenth century, and thus escape all the perplexities of the Jewish mythology as of no more importance than those of the Greek, Persian and Egyptian." Elizabeth Stanton, The Woman's Bible, II:214 (The Bible does not hold Eve responsible . In Adam all die 1Cor. 15:22. As the head, the man is held responsible) Not all of the early feminists accepted the views taught in the Woman's Bible. There was open debate over it at the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in of 1896. During this debate, Susan B. Anthony was one of Stanton's strongest supporters. The first wave of feminism ended in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which recognized the right of women to vote. This right had already been won on the state level in nearly 20 states, beginning with Wyoming in 1890. An amendment on the federal level, called the "Anthony Amendment," had been submitted since 1878 but was defeated by both the House and the Senate up through World War I. The active role of women in the war effort turned the tide in their favor, and the renewed influence of the National American Woman Suffrage Alliance (with over two million members in 1917) made a difference. The amendment was passed by the House in January 1918 and by the Senate in June 1919. In August 1920 Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it, making it a part of the Constitution. Once the vote was won, the original feminist movement fragmented and lost momentum. The "Second Wave" of Feminism The next push for feminism began in 1960's and continues strong into the 1990's Two of the most influential leaders of this new movement are Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Betty Friedan has been called the "Mother Superior to Women's Lib." 1. She is credited with launching the women's liberation movement with the publication of her book, "The Feminine Mystique", in 1963. 2. She also founded the National Organization for Women (NOW), on June 29, 1966. She was one of its chief organizers and its first president. 3. She also initiated the Women's March for Equality in August 1970 and the National Women's Political Caucus in March 1971. 4. She was also a signer of the Humanist Manifesto II in 1973. Excerpts From The Humanist Manifesto II Religion "We believe, however, that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation, God, ritual, or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species... But we can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species. While there is much that we do not know, humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves. Promises of immortal salvation or fear of eternal damnation are both illusory and harmful. They distract humans from present concerns, from self-actualization, and from rectifying social injustices." Ethics "We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction." The Individual "In the area of sexuality, we believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct. The right to birth control, abortion, and divorce should be recognized." World Community "We deplore the division of humankind on nationalistic grounds. We have reached a turning point in human history where the best option is to transcend the limits of national sovereignty and to move toward the building of a world community in which all sectors of the human family can participate. Thus we look to the development of a system of world law and a world order based upon transnational federal government." 1. Gloria Steinem is also recognized as one of the leaders of the feminist movement in America. She was on the cover of the August 16, 1971, issue of Newsweek as, "the personification of women's liberation." 2. In January 1972, McCall's named her, "Woman of the Year." 3. She started Ms. magazine in 1971 and remained its editor until 1987. Through it, the message of feminism was made available on a monthly basis at newsstands everywhere. "By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God." Gloria Steinem, in Saturday Review of Education, cited in the pamphlet, "Do These Women Speak For You?" The women's liberation movement, is almost altogether the product of women who reject the divine origin and absolute authority of the Bible, and usually the very existence of the God who reveals Himself in the Bible. Not all feminists follow the extreme ideas as many of the leaders. Some have tried to blend the goals of feminism (elimination of the roles of the sexes) with the Bible. This will not work. Just as the general theory of evolution and the Bible cannot be blended together. It is true that there is special evolution, that is, there is change within kinds. The Bible even gives example of this type of evolution taking place. But the general theory of evolution, that is, the gradual development of all life form rising out of simple organisms completely contradicts what Genesis teaches and these two views cannot be harmonized. In the same way, there is some truth recognized by feminists. The Bible teaches that God made men and women equal. As long as we recognize that both are in the image of God, both have dominion over the earth, and both share in the inheritance in Christ, there is no conflict. But, when feminists want to eliminate all roles the Bible give for men and women, there can be no harmonizing of feminism and the Bible. Many who claim to believe in the Bible have tried to make the Bible fit the teachings of the feminists. Women preachers are becoming more common. Women are taking leadership positions more than ever. This cannot be harmonized with the teaching of the Bible, just as the general theory of evolution cannot be harmonized with the Bible. 1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. There Is a Problem In NI Churches Today! "We the women of Cross City Church of Christ..." "That is Judy's church" "She-elders" Julian Snell's experience Arguments Made In An Attempt To Justify Women Preachers The most common is Galatians 3:28. Paul is not teaching the elimination of roles of men and women in the context. He is teaching that both receive the inheritance in Christ. Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 1. Under the Old Covenant, only Jews received an inheritance in Israel. 2. Slaves did not receive any inheritance, only free men. 3. Also, only sons received the inheritance, with only rare exceptions. The point of Galatians 3:28 is that all now receive the inheritance if they are in Christ. A slave was still a slave after conversion and a free man was still a free man after conversion. In the same way, a man is still a man and a woman is still a woman. That cannot change. In 1 Peter 3, Peter teaches a difference in the roles of men and women, but in the context teaches the same thing as Paul. 1 Peter 3:1-7 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands... as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. Feminists make another argument from Galatians 3:13 Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"). They argue that Christ redeemed us from the curse, and since woman was cursed with subjection in Genesis 3:16, she is no longer under subjection since she has been redeemed from the curse. The curse we have been redeemed from is in Galatians 3:10. Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." The curse of the Law is that if you do not obey it completely, there is condemnation. Salvation but the Law requires perfection, and since none are perfect, all are cursed by the Law. This is what Christ redeemed us from, not from the consequences of sin given in Genesis 3. Did God Remove Only One Of The Curses, And That Was Just For The Woman? Genesis 3:16-19 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." Feminists Argument of "Mutual Submission" From Ephesians 5:21 Feminists claim that Ephesians 5:21 teaches a mutual submitting of the husband and wife to each other, and that they are to submit equally to each other in the same way. Ephesians 5:21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. There are six passages in the N.T. that teaches either wives are to submit to their husbands, or that there is a general submission of women to men. 1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord... 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. Titus 2:3-5 The older women... admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 1 Peter 3:1, 5 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives... For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. The husband is never told to submit to his wife, nor is there any passage that indicates that this is the relationship of men to women in general. When Ephesians 5:21 says "submitting to one another in the fear of God", feminists assume that this teaching is an absolute equality of submission to one another for everyone. So, when Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord", they assume that it also means that husbands are to submit themselves in the same way to their wives. Paul mentions three other pairs in the same context. To be consistent, this idea of mutual submission must be applied to all pairs if it is to be applied to one pair. 1. Fathers and Children Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Who can believe that the Bible teaches that fathers are to submit to their children in the same way that their children submit to them? 2. Slaves and Masters Ephesians 6:5-9 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Are masters to submit to their slaves in the same way their slaves are to submit to them? 3. Jesus and the Church - Ephesians 5:22-33 This one is the most important because it is the model for the relationship between the husband and wife. The wife is told to submit to her husband "as the church is subject to Christ". (5:24). For the feminists theory of mutual submission to be true, then Jesus must be in submission to the church. Ephesians 5:21 is not teaching a mutual submission in which both parties submit to one another in the same way as the feminists claim, but it does teaches that we are to submit ourselves to one another where our circumstances call for it. We are to submit to one another whenever our position in life requires such submission, as it does for wives, children, and slaves. If you are a wife, submit to your husband. If you are a child, submit to your parents. If you are a slave, submit to your master. A wife may submit to her husband, but he is to submit to the elders of the church (Heb. 13:17). It would be possible for a slave in the home to be an elder in the church in which the master is a member, with both yielding and receiving submission to each other. Elders, husbands, wives, masters, and slaves are all to submit to the government (Rom. 13:1). No matter what our position is in this life, all must submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He makes the rules, and we must come to Him on His terms. Wayne Wells Click Your Choice Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA How one wife finally put her husbands in his place!!! Click to View Click to View A Sunday school teacher went over to visit one of her new pupils named Katrine, one summer's afternoon. The family had immigrated only five years earlier from the "home country". The mother was warm and friendly, even her house exuded hospitality. What was most impressive though was the woman's constant references to her husband. Whenever there was a lull in the conversation a little 4 year old boy would ask, "Is it almost time for papa to come home?" Later, the other children came in from school, greeted me politely and went to their chores. The oldest daughter said, "I'm going to start some of Papa's favorite muffins for supper," as she headed for the kitchen. As the teacher got up to leave, Katrine asked, "Can't you wait a small moment and meet papa?" By this time the teacher was very curious about this remarkable man who commanded such love and respect from all his family. The shock of meeting Papa was almost too much for the teacher. Instead of a well-dressed man of brilliant speech, a small man, twisting nervously at his mustache and talking in the broken accent of his native tongue, greeted "the teacher of his leetle Katrina." For some time the teacher pondered the mystery of this man's place in his home. Suddenly it dawned on her. It's not who or what the father is personally, but the mother's attitude toward him that makes all the difference. A husband can only take their proper place at the head of the house when wives respect and honor their wishes, thereby giving our children the desire to do likewise. Click Your Choice Back to START Patterns Of Submission & Headship In The New Testament ARE THEY EQUAL??? Jesus submitting to Father? Is Jesus less God than the Father because He submits to the Father? Husband submitting to employer? Is the boss categorically superior to an employee? Wife submitting to husband? Is the husband "higher" than the wife because she must submit to him? Submission Headship Bible Texts All creation God Jas 4:7; Heb 12:9 Christ God 1 Cor 15:28 All Creation Christ 1 Cor 15:27-28;Heb 2:2;Eph 1:20-23;Phil 3:21;1 Pe 3:22 Church Christ Eph 5:24 Church Leaders 1 Cor 16:16; 1 Th 5:12;Heb 13:17 (minister=servant/under rower) Children Parents Eph 6:1-4; Col 3:20-21; Lk 2:41-52; 1 Ti 3:4 Young men Older men 1 Pe 5:5 Slaves Masters Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:22-24; Tit 2:9-10; 1 Pe 2:18-20 Citizens Government Rom 13:1-6; 1 Pe 2:13-15; Tit 3:1 Every Christian To Others Eph 5:21 Wives Husbands Eph 5:22-24; Col 3:18; Tit 2:5; 1 Pe 3:1-7; 1 Cor 11:3 SUMMARY of SUBMISSION PASSAGES: A. Why must I submit? It is fitting and proper in the Lord: Col 3:18 That Word may not be dishonored: Tit 2:5 It pleases God: Col 3:20 Good and long life: Eph 6:3 God will reward: Eph 6:8; Col 3:24 Adorns the gospel: Tit 2:10 Win to Christ: 1 Pe 3:1 B. How must I submit? With genuine respect: Eph 5:33 In the fear of Christ: Eph 5:21 With obedience: Eph 6:5 With fear and trembling: Eph 6:5 from the heart and soul: Col 3:22-23 with a gentle and quiet spirit: 1 Pe 3:4 With goodwill, as to the Lord: Eph 6:7 Submit as though you were submitting to the Lord: Col 3:23 Not eye-service but sincerely from heart: Eph 6:6; Col 3:22 Well-pleasing and not argumentative: Tit 2:9 To be ready to do any good deed: Tit 3:1 With chaste and respectful behavior: 1 Pe 3:2 verbally accepting them as leader, boss, authority etc: 1 Pe 3:6 "Sarah called him lord" Clothing yourself with humility: 1 Pe 5:5 C. How far must I submit? "all things" Church to Christ: Eph 5:24 Wives to husbands: Eph 5:24 "in everything" Slaves to masters: Tit 2:9 "in everything" Children to parents: Col 3:20 "in all things" Must submit even when mistreated and wronged: 1 Pe 2:18-23 In all things not in violation or conflict to God's laws: Acts 5:29 Click Your Choice Back to START