Hello Bible studiers~
A very precious lady friend shared the following words with me when I ask her about this issue of submission for women in the church, and in the home. Her words are full of the Lord's insight as she teaches women about God's ordained role for us. I hope you will be as blessed as I have been and may grow in godliness from her sweet example. :fadein: I make no excuses for the length. Please keep in mind, she was instructing me, so when she says you, that's who she means.
Pictures of Christ and His Church
I would like to suggest to you, that whenever we read verses concerning women, that these verses also are sort of 'parables' of our Lord’s church. For example, when I read, "Who can find a virtuous woman, her price is far above rubies..." this speaks to a good wife (The Creation is telling of God), but also of His church. The entire passage is neat when you think of the church. Check it out when you can. Anyway, this faithful, virtuous, and undefiled church is of high price to Jesus. Interesting that the passage starts off in question form, "Who can find?" This 'woman' is rare, but in many ways she is also hidden, hidden in her work and efforts. Anyway, when we obey these Scriptures that are to women, we are in essence holding up pictures of God's Truth with our very lives. This accomplishes several things I can think of right away. One, it is a Gospel Light to the world, because God's patterns work in principal and you reap good results when you apply them in the flesh...even unbelievers get these results, because the principals have natural benefits built in, just as sin has consequences built in. So, the Church, and individual believers, look different and are set apart as holy, because they are living lives that glorify God.
Secondly, it is obedience for those in Christ, and in this obedience we are protected from deception because we are living out the Truth in the flesh, we are able to see God's Truth in a greater way and we are conditioned by Him to adhere to it in Holy Fear. It purifies, because it is not without associated trials, and it helps us understand God's position better. This living picture grows us, and builds our faith. This reminds me of the Prophets when God would ask them to do something sort of outrageous so that they could fully understand God's position concerning Israel, but in this instance it is positive. It's a role He wants us to take on as families, so that we may better serve Him as church. And last, for the Church, it is coming under the Headship of Christ and glorifying God alone, and holding up our Head. We have the solution to every problem (which is a result of our fallen condition), it's Christ, and we are to live this out before the world. Unfortunately, these pictures of God have been distorted before us, probably because we didn't realize how valuable they were, and also because of our rebellion, sin, and worldliness. Anyway, we do not understand them completely, apart from living them, and living them is difficult because we do not really know how. They simply have not been before us in a real way...our eyes are seeing very dimly now.
Let's start with Eve, in Genesis.
Genesis 1
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth
Woman (man with womb) is created in God's image. This is one reason Paul can say in Romans 3:28 "28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." We are all in His image, and all equally one in Christ. That being said, we know that each one mentioned here is called to a different role in this life, and God expects us to adhere to the ministry that He has called us to. I am a woman, and I have a calling on my life just because of that role that He has given me. I am part of God's Creation, and I have a specific purpose in nature. There may be other callings, but being a woman, and subsequently wife and mother, is the first, and it was elected by God who created me.
God blessed them, and then gave them a command..."Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth." Like the animals who would produce after their kind, we are told to do the same. As a woman, I am called to bear children...having the womb...for my husband, to raise children up for Him, and with His name. This is a relationship, right here, between Christ and His Church. We join with Him to bear fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven, individually yes, but also corporately as the Church. We are to share the Gospel of Jesus, receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and bring more children into the Kingdom born in His name. Born of the Promise, of the Spirit, but converted with the preaching of the Word. God's seed, but our labour.
Genesis 2
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam 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.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Man was formed from the ground, and given the work of tending Eden. We see that man also has a calling, to tend the garden of God...this is a picture of Christ to me, but we are talking about women. God gave Adam His first command, not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or he would die. Then, after classifying the animals, there is still no appropriate helpmeet for Adam. Notice later, that the serpent addresses Eve, not Adam. I believe it's because he wanted to usurp Adam's natural authority, as she was his helpmeet, not the other way around.
The first marriage, which is a shadow of our marriage to Christ. She is "bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh," he says, they are one. Notice next he speaks to leaving father and mother and cleaving to His wife. Jesus left His Father to come to us, left glory to come to His bride, and give Himself for her. Each marriage is a picture of these things, and so much more. That is why there are believers who are trying to fight the government on the definition of marriage. I believe that the focus would be better placed on teaching the church the definition of marriage, and helping her come back to purity, and be refined once again by the Truth. It will hurt, but I think God is calling us to it.
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
The serpent approached Eve with deception. We find out in other parts of Scripture that Adam was not deceived, but gave in to temptation. Notice the pattern, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the Pride of Life. Jesus was also tempted in these three areas, obviously Adam is a picture of Christ here, but what about Eve? I would say that Eve was easily deceived, giving an ear to the serpent, because she is the weaker vessel. She did not look to Adam for instruction, either. We know that Israel was easily deceived as well. The church is weak like this, and we need Jesus, who can and did resist temptation, to keep us from false deceptions. We need to look to Him for our instruction, and protection. Jesus can do for us, what Adam could not do for Eve. In marriage, our husband is also the head of our home, and we come under him so that we can avoid false deceptions and remain under his umbrella of protection, like the church is protected from deceit when she obeys Christ, and keeps her heart always glorifying Him. (This can even be the situation when the husband is an unbeliever.) Keeping her hands busy serving Christ, and ministering to Him, by ministering to His brethren, is the best way she (the church) can be His helpmeet. The same can be said for a wife. She keeps her hands busy serving her husband, caring for his children, and bringing glory to Him...helping him to bring glory to God in what God has called him to do, but also bring glory to God herself in the place that God has given her. It is a hidden place, under Him.
2 Corinthians 11
1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
In the same way that purity in Adam and Eve was lost, so can it be by the church if we fornicate with the world. Israel lost her purity due to disobedience and idolatry. We, the hidden church of the promise, are to be a chaste virgin. The visible church, is caught up in vain deceptions and idolatry, and we have to be careful. I think eventually it will be hard to find the Truth in church buildings, but God's people will find a way to remain pure, and to keep the simplicity of the Gospel in word and deed. Anyway, Paul was warning the Corinthians about the spirit of the antichrist here, and how vain deceptions of men will corrupt the simplicity found in Christ. As wives, when we give our ears, and hearts, to obey the latest books, church teaching, or counsel that doesn't tell us to ask, or obey, our husbands, then we are not hearing him anymore, and we do not honour him, or glorify Him as our head...we have stepped out of our order, God's order, and out from under his protection as well as God's. We have left the simplicity of our natural order in Creation, and we have distorted the view of Jesus, and the Gospel, with our lives. The angels have a difficult time protecting us when we do this, and they see the face of God...His displeasure and grief. It must make them mourn.
Here are the difficult verses many here are discussing...
1 Timothy 2:9
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Consider how this verse speaks to the church. Modesty is the theme. The church, or women of God, are not to be immodest and brash, or even to concern themselves with outward adornments, but have shamefacedness and sobriety. She is not a flirt, she is not made up trying to draw attention to herself, she is not showy or displaying costly array, but she is modest, not casting her eyes about to attract attention, but her face is lowered in humility. She is, in a sense, unnoticed and hidden. She is not flirting with the world, or taking things lightly like a fool, but she is sober and serious about professing Godliness...how? She is doing good works. The church, and women of God, should be known for their good works and Godly love, but because others are praising her...she is not of a character to praise herself. The works are things like washing the feet of the saints, caring for the sick, helping the poor, showing hospitality, teaching good things, etc. Proverbs 31:31 "Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." She is given the fruit of her hands, those things she produces, and she is praised in the gates...God's gates, I say.
He goes on..."let her learn in silence with all subjection, not teaching or having authority over men." This is speaking about the church services, and how women should conduct themselves. We know that older women are to teach younger women, but not men. If a woman is teaching men, that thing alone has her out of God's natural created order. Adam was formed first, Paul says. We know that Eve was made for Adam, from Adam. She is not to put herself over Him in the home, or in the Church. Now she is to obey her 'own' husband, not other men, so don't misunderstand that...though we are to submit (humble) ourselves before our brothers and sisters. Anyway, after the same manner, the Church doesn't teach Christ. We see now, though, that false teaching can lead us to presuming that we know more than God, it did for Eve, and the visible church shows signs of this, but the invisible church is working and holding up the simplicity of the Gospel Truth. I would like to add that this is not denominational, or political, or social, or cultural, but the Father's teaching in parable to His children. I do not believe that these verses concerning women, and the church, are cultural as many popular pastors teach. I say that knowing that they are doing good things for the Lord, but I believe that teaching this stuff from the pulpit will do far more than signing petitions against gay marriage.
She shall be saved in childbearing. Notice that this Scripture is written after Christ, but think about it for a second. Jesus came through a woman. He saved us all, His church, and so the church in this sense has been, is, and will be, saved in childbearing. God is longsuffering, and waiting until all His children come to Him. As long as the Church shares the Light of the Gospel more and more children are brought in, and she is producing. When she stops, then she is past her time and will no longer be preserved in this world of darkness. Women today are encouraged to limit their children, even though Scripture calls them a blessing, for economic reasons, and so that their figures are not ruined. I imagine we, as a people, do not really know what beauty is. Now, though, we know that if you nurse for eight years or more that you have no chance of getting breast cancer. None. That's amazing! So, if you nurse four children for two years each, you are preserved from breast cancer. We know that cervical cancer cells are slough off the cervix when a child is born. There are many health benefits to bearing children that we know about, but there are probably many more that we do not know about. We also know that birth control increases risks of deadly diseases. We know that abortion increases risks of cancer and other diseases. I also think having so many cycles is probably not good for women...they are designed to be pregnant more. I do not say any of this with condemnation, btw, because I have also been called from sin, but I desire to be called to Truth now that I am free, you know? Anyway, there are also spiritual benefits. When you have children you begin to understand who the Father is, and how he loves you, because you are a parent...a mother who nourishes, protects, comforts, etc. Children keep women in the home, and busy. You are so busy teaching them of the Lord, training them, and caring for them, that you do not have time to go out into the world to be deceived, or fall into sin. In fact, as you teach them of God, which He commands us to do often, you are reinforcing God's works and teachings once again in yourself. You are also, as I said before, living out the Truth, and holding up the Gospel.
We see that God covers Adam and Eve with skins; even though they sinned against Him...He still loves them and cares for them. He killed something to cover them. This is a shadow of Christ's death on the cross covering us, for there is no remission of sin apart from the shedding of blood. We know that love covers a multitude of sins, right? This has a double meaning. The love of God literally has covered our sin, but also our love for one another does...my husband is instructed to love me...even with all my sin he has to love me, and this will help cover it, he will be thankful for me instead of being focused on all my sin. Older women are instructed to teach younger women to love their husbands, and so when I am loving toward my husband, and thankful for him, I am not focused on his sin. This is a unique and effective salve against marital struggles.
I take hold of these teachings because they call out the truth of God's word to me personally, I hope you are blessed as I have been, though some may be a bit unsettled by my friends non-modern approach. Yet when we think it through the body of Christ, whether male or female, has never been called to relavancy, but rather to holiness.
In the love of Jesus, ever. bonnie :-D
and I really am quiet.