We’ve all heard the joke that when God described to Adam this wonderful creature He was about to create and Adam asked what it would cost, God replied, “Well, an arm and a leg, of course!” To which Adam replied, “What will I get for just a rib?” And the rest is history, as they say. NOT SO FAST . . .
We begin our journey by looking at parallels, patterns, pictures, and types.
Let us examine the roles and relationship of Yahweh and Yeshua, God the Father (Yahweh) and God the Son (Yeshua, or Jesus):
1. God is one. God, Elohim [אֱלֹהִים elohim H430], is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father, Yahweh [יהוה Yhvh H3068] is the KING, Creator, and Lord of Lords. Jesus is also King and King of Kings, Creator, and Lord of Lords. The Father and Son are one and at the same time, equal. (See John 1:1, 10:30, 17:22)
2. Hierarchy of Authority. Even though Jesus is one with the Father, he is also subject and submissive to the Father. Scripture is very clear that Jesus never puts his will above or in place of the will of the Father. (See John 5:30, 5:36, 7:17, 7:28, 8:16, 8:26-28, 10:25, 10:38, 12:49, 14:10)
3. Begotten, not born or created. Jesus is the only begotten son, not a son born.
4. Supporter and Helper. Jesus is our relief from the wages of sin, the one who uplifts and supports us as we live our daily lives. Jesus gave up everything to purchase the “Pearl of Great Worth” – each individual person that has ever been born on this planet.
Now Let us examine the parallel roles and relationships of Man And Woman to Father and Son:
The roles of men and women are to mirror the roles of the Father and the Son – Men have been given the role of the father, and women have been given the role of Christ.
1. One Flesh, Equal. Genesis 2:24 tells us that when a man and a woman cleave to one another they become one [flesh] (hayah echad basar) הָיָה hayah H1961 אֶחָד echad H259 אֶחָד בָּשָׂר basar H1320.
2. Hierarchy of Authority. Genesis 2:18 tells us that the woman is to be man’s helper, yet under his authority [עֵזֶר ezer H5828 נֶגֶד neged H5048]. Note that this verse is written in the future tense and that Adam and Eve are not yet married. This means that even unmarried women are to be in submission to men. Genesis 3:16 confirms this hierarchy for married women: the man/husband is to have authority [מָשַׁל mashal H4910] over the woman/wife.
3. Begotten, not born or created. Genesis 2:21-24 tells us that Eve was not born, but was created from Adam’s rib.
4. Supporter and Helper. Again, Genesis 2:18 tells us that the woman was to be Adam’s helper, supporter, and a source of succor [עֵזֶר ezer H5828] who was suitable yet under him [ נֶגֶדneged H5048]. The word, succor, means: somebody (or something) that provides help or relief. The woman is to provide relief for the man, but never to exercise authority over the man, just as Jesus is the somebody who has provided relief for humans from the wages of sin and death, and yet is still under the authority of the Father.
And the roles of men and women in the church and family?
It’s not about who does the dishes, or who takes out the trash. The roles of men and women are to mirror the roles of the Father and the Son. Men, you have been assigned the role of the Father – we are to accomplish all we have set out to do, and to show the way. Men are to be the leader, the discipliners, the head of household. Men are to love without reservation, and to do what ever is needed to see that everyone is given all they need to survive and to succeed.
Ladies, you have also been given a role: Women have been given the highly favored role of the son who only did what he saw the Father doing – they are to be in submission in order to portray Christ to us guys, to show us guys who Christ is, how he acts, and what his submission and humility ultimately accomplishes – deliverance from sin, and eternal salvation and life. Where would we be if Christ had failed to submit to the Father’s will? What if Christ had said, “My will be done, not yours, dad. I’m not going to the cross, I’m gonna take a different route. I’m gonna do it my way”. If Christ had done that, we’d still be unrighteous sinners with no chance of avoiding hell. But, fortunately, Christ did submit, and that is the role that women are to emulate!
When both men and women fail to fulfill these roles as set forth by God, we choose to follow the example and lifestyle of Satan – we set ourselves up as authorities and gods, not as children of God, not as humble, willing servants to and of God.
We continue our journey by looking at scripture from the New Testament.
1 Timothy 2:12-14 (NASB) “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
The King James puts it this way: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
The Revised Version states: “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”
“But I do not allow (suffer) a woman to teach”:
The word “suffer” used by Paul is from the Greek word epitrepō [ἐπιτρέπω epitrepō G2010]; Epitrepō means: to allow, to give leave (liberty, license), to let, to permit, or to suffer. Paul says he does not permit a woman [γυνή gunē G1135] to teach [διδάσκω didaskō G1321] or usurp authority over [αυθεντέω authenteō G831, is repeated 3 times]. It means: to act of oneself, to dominate, or to usurp authority over] a man [ἀνήρ anēr G435].
Two Greek words are very gender specific. G1135 gunē; means; a woman, women, a bride, or a wife. G435 anēr means: a man, an individual male, a fellow, husband, man, or sir. Simply put, women are not free to usurp authority over men, married or not. God knew what would happen if women were allowed to teach men and to usurp authority over them. Because Eve was deceived [εξαπατάω exapataō G1818 meaning to seduce wholly, beguile, deceive], deception would come into the teaching. And the triple repetition of the words “usurp authority over” [αὐθεντέω authenteō G831] gives absolute emphasis to this fact that women are not free to usurp authority over men, married or not.
So what is happening today because we do not adhere to Scripture?
In recent history women have been becoming pastors of churches because of an ignorance of scriptures and a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the Church to submission to God’s desire that we obey rather than present sacrifices. Not only have women become pastors, but the majority of the cults today have been started by women who have manipulated the scriptures so that they could, without fear of condemnation, rise to positions of authority over men.
The ungodly rendering of scriptural truth is used by those who wish to supplant God’s word and lead us into deception. They willingly support the ongoing plan that Satan first used in the Garden of Eden against Eve, when he planted doubt and deception in Eve’s mind by asking: “Did God really say . . .?”
These are just a few scriptural parallels, patterns, pictures, and types that show the awesome role men and women are to play in this earthly realm until the Lord returns to take us home. I have no doubts that you can find your own parallels to help you be the man or woman that God has called you to be.
When God says something once, LISTEN. When God repeats it three times, PAY ATTENTION!
Notes:
Genesis 2:18 (NASB) “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him’.” (Yhvh elohim elohim amar tob adam bad asah ezer neged) H3068 יהוה Yhvh H430 אֱלֹהִים elohim H559 אָמַר amar H2896a טוֹב tob H120 אָדָם adam H905 בַּד bad, H6213a עָשָׂה asah H5828 עֵזֶר ezer H5048 נֶגֶד neged H5828 עֵזֶר ezer; a help, helper:—help, helper, helpers. H5048 נֶגֶד neged; in sight of, opposite to, under:—opposite, suitable, under.
Genesis 3:16 (NASB) “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you’.” (teshuqah ish mashal) H8669 תְּשׁוּקָה teshuqah H376 אִישׁ ish H4910 מָשַׁל mashal H8669 תְּשׁוּקָה teshuqah; a longing:—desire H376 אִישׁ ish; man:—an individual or a male person, any man H4910 מָשַׁל mashal; to rule, have dominion, reign:—dominion, govern, have authority, rule over.
Genesis 2:24 (NASB) “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (hayah echad basar). H1961 הָיָה hayah H259 אֶחָד echad H1320 בָּשָׂר basar H1961 הָיָה hayah; to come to pass, become, be:— became, became his and lived, become, becomes H259 אֶחָד echad (25c); one:—one, one to another, one thing, unison, unit, united H1320 בָּשָׂר basar; flesh:—body, flesh, person
1 Corithinians 11: 9-10 “For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” (gunē opheileō echō exousia kephalē). G1135 γυνή gunē; woman G3784 ὀφειλέω opheileō; to be under obligation—to owe G2192 ἔχω echō ; to have—to be in need of G1849 ἐξουσία exousia; delegated influence —symbol of authority, jurisdiction, power G2776 κεφαλή kephalē; the head—the head as the part most readily taken hold of
Here are a three more essays about this topic
Women Pastors By Ron Graham.: Graham Article.
Women Pastors: What Does the Bible Teach by Richard R. Melick: Melick Article.
The Ordination of Women: Arguments For and Against by Pastor Jim Feeney: Feeney Article
Rapture Party 