Thank you all for being here tonight :) Last week was our Question and Answer session, which we have once a month, but the study before that was called "Train Up a Child." It dealt with not only a Biblical view of giving children an education in spiritual things, but also a broader view of the topic, in that we are all children before Heaven, and need always to have the essential qualities of a child. Those were, we saw, a humility that facilitates easy learning, and also trust in those older than ourselves.

That this is important to Christian growth is reflected in the very words of the Messiah: "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 18:4)

This week, I'd like for us to continue on that trend of "family relations," only looking at another member this time, the woman, the wife and mother.

Many people have found what they consider to be "difficult passages" in the Epistles of the New Testament. Certain verses, if taken by themselves, seem rather forbidding, and before we really speak about the role of women in the New Testament and today, these need to be examined. For example: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." (1 Cor 14:34)

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 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. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." (1Tim 2:11-15)

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." (Eph 5:22)

That last verse is particularly dangerous, because certain male-dominance types will pair that with this passage: "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." (1Pet 3:5-6)

I have met people in here, even in Crosswalk, who believe - or have come accross the belief - that this means wives should submit unquestionably to their husbands, or worse... to men in general. Even in the example cited, however, of Sarah and Abraham, we find that this woman very much had a mind of her own. "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.'" (Gen 21:9-10)

And Abraham knew it :) "But Abram said unto Sarai, 'Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee.'" (Gen 16:6a)

So then, those verses that quote Peter, which speak of Sarah calling her husband "lord," and even Paul's statement as to a woman learning in silence, and not having authority over the man, they do not seem to be speaking of one being "in charge" of the other, exactly. Sarah certainly made her opinions known. So then, what do they mean?

As we already know, the institution of marriage was created by the Lord Himself, for the purpose of providing a companion for the first man, Adam: "And the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.'" (Gen 2:18)

As Paul wrote, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Eph 5:31-32)

The "mystery" of Marriage, the apostle writes, is to illustrate the connection between Christ and His Church, for just as the husband and wife are one, so the Son and His bride are one. But what of the Father? For the Messiah also said this: "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30)

This is also applicable, because it speaks of the divinity of Christ, as I mentioned last week when talking about the study I gave. The Father and Son are two separate Persons, but just as in marriage a husband and wife are one; and just as concerning the Church the Son and the Bride are one, so the Father and the Son are one, even if separate.

For wives, then, we find that "submission" is not a matter of giving in to an outside force, but of making a reconciliation within herself of the roles that have been assigned. In terms of importance, and humanity, there is no difference at all between male and female: "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Gen 1:27)

"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." (Gal 3:28)

As it was in the beginning, so it is again through Christ. The two genders are both restored equally to their place before the Father through the Son. The only issue, then, is that of the "role."

What does the Bible say of this? "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (1 Cor 11:3)

Here we see Paul speaking of the relationships we discussed earlier, and I think his explanation is both shorter and more clear than mine :) Just as Christ and the Father appear to be two, but are actually one; and just as Christ and the Church appear to be two, but are united as one, so also the husband and wife appear to be two, but are "one flesh."

We can see the difference in roles by looking at any of these three relationships. For example the relationship between Christ and the Father. He said of the One who sent Him: "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

Here He says, "My Father is greater than I," but He also said that He and His Father were one. This is the balance, that they are one in power, in Spirit, but the Father's role was to be the "head" of Christ, the One unto whom He submitted. That is nowhere more clearly expressed than in Gethsemane: "Saying, 'Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.'" (Luke 22:42)

Here He submitted to the Father, although the two were one. Because even though the situation was difficult for His human flesh, His Spirit was united with the Father's in purpose, to redeem mankind. In the same way, when the purpose of man and wife are the same, there is no loss in submission. In terms of role, the husband in a marriage has been ordained as the "priest" of the household, for we hear this: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Gen 6:8)

Because Noah was an effective head of his household, his entire family was spared the flood. We do not hear as much about the faith of his children, or even his wife, but Noah was the intercessor for them. And in fact, we know that his children were not perfect. Ham, in any case, had some problems...

"And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him." (Gen 9:20-24)

In spite of their flaws of character, however, it is written: "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1 Pet 4:8) And also: "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." (1 Cor 7:14)

We see therefore that because Noah did well in his role as a husband, as a head and as a priest, his children and his wife were sanctified, and were considered holy in the eyes of the Lord.

The role of a "priest" we know, was to stand between God and man, to offer up sacrifices, and to ensure that those under his charge were living according to their faith. In the same way, when the Heavenly Father looks upon us, He sees Christ, so when He looks upon the wife, He sees the husband.

This isn't to say that a wife's sin is attributed to her husband, of course. "The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Gen 19:23,26)

They are, however, to share a unity of purpose, just as the Father and Son share the same Spirit,and give us also of that same Spirit.

I am sure many of you have seen an email, or teaching, about this verse: "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Gen 2:22)

For His choice of what part of Adam to make Eve from, I have heard it explained this way... and it makes sense to me; the basic idea, anyway: "Further, God did not form Eve from Adam's head, that she might not carry her head proudly; nor from his eye, that she might not be curious; nor from his ear, that she might not be an eavesdropper; nor from his mouth, that she might not be gossiping; nor from his heart, that she might not be quarrelsome; nor from his hand, that she might not touch everything with her hand; nor from his feet, that she might not rove about." This is from Jewish commentary on Genesis... and it goes on to say that He formed Eve from Adam's rib, that she might stand beside him. That she might be his equal, as the word for what Eve was to be to Adam, she was a help meet for him, a companion "meet" or "suitable" for him.

This certainly seems to be consistent with the Biblical record, for we know one was not placed above the other in any sense until after sin. It was after this point the Elohim spoke: "Unto the woman he said, 'I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.'" (Gen 3:16)

And now, as we saw in the New Testament: "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." (Gal 3:28)

Christ, then, made the atonement for this consequence of sin also, but just as not all things will be set perfectly in order until His return, certain institutions still do exist for the purpose of order, and this is what Paul was speaking of in his often misunderstood statements about women.

So now that we see that women and men are considered equal in Christ, but that the role of headship is assigned to one, we are better equipped to look at some of those "dangerous" sounding verses we began this study with.

Here is one passage again: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 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. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." (1Tim 2:11-15)

And another verse like it: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." (1 Cor 14:34)

What we need to look at here is Paul's "silence" statements must be taken in context of his other verse from Galatians, that male and female are one in Christ. When we understand what an absolutely revolutionary concept that was for the Jewish mindset, perhaps we will think better of Paul for trying not to stir up TOO much trouble.

For example, in the Temple, women were not even allowed into most parts of the synagogue. The fact that women were even allowed to be present at the meetings of the early Christians was a new thing. By understanding the times, a lot more of the epistles make sense. To illustrate, this verse follows the last one I printed above: "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (1 Cor 14:35)

But what a casual reader would miss is this: if the Christian assemblies followed in any way the Jewish pattern they were used to (and all the first converts were Jewish), the women and the men would not be sitting together. In churches today, husbands and wives sit together, and their children beside them. This wasn't the case in the Middle East 2000 years ago. It's probably not the case in the Middle East today. And so for a woman to talk to her husband, she'd have to let her voice carry across several rows of people, if not across the room itself. Naturally, this would distract people from the message, and so Paul wisely says, "Let them ask their husbands at home."

Neither is Paul saying any woman is beneath any man. Here is another verse we looked at before: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." (Eph 5:22)

And here is a parallel saying: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." (Col 3:18)

They are almost word for word, and one word in particular appears both times... so we know it wasn't a slip of the pen :) The word is "own." In both these chapters, the context is that of role in marriage. Paul does not say women are to submit to men. He doesn't even say wives are to submit to men, or other people's husbands. Each wife is to submit to her _own_ husband, not as a slave, or a servant, but as someone with whom she shares a unity of purpose. She will have freedom, input and her own desires, but as Christ found His peace in submission to the Father's will, so it is the ultimate plan that the decision-making be ultimately in the hands of the family's "priest."

As we continue, if any of you can think of other "difficult" verses Paul spoke about women, please do bring them up so we can talk about them :) Just as I want us to leave here every week with a good picture of our Father, I would like for us to have a right and true impression of our brethren as well, especially the more influential of them.

Everything the Almighty does is for our benefit. He has never given us a rule, or a law, or even a suggestion, that was not designed to bring us closer to Him, to help us to understand some concept more clearly, to overcome some problem in our lives. If we but submit to His leadings, we will find we live a life of unbounded success. If one lets his faith guide him into obedience, the prophet says, "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isa 58:14)

And this leads into our application - and it's for all people, male and female. Just as a human bride is in submission to her earthly husband, so is the Spiritual Bride in submission to her Head. In Revelation, although some say we don't see a mention of the "church" after chapter 4, we nevertheless find this beautiful symbol: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." (Rev 12:1)

This woman is "clothed in the sun," and the first woman, she was also clothed in righteousness, for it is written: "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." (Gen 2:25)

After sin, the man and his wife saw themselves as naked, but in the last days, the church is clothed with the sun, and the "sun" there is representative of Christ Himself: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." (Mal 4:2)

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev 21:23)

Christ, the Husband, covers Her, and the Father sees His people through that clothing of righteousness. We know that without Christ: "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isa 64:6)

But when we are in Him, we are alive to the Father: "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring." (Acts 17:28)

Earlier in the week, someone asked me about a certain incident when Moses wanted to see the glory of Yahweh. He got this in response: "And He said, 'Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.'" (Exo 33:20)

But there was a way that Moses could see a part of the glory; as much as he could bear: "And the Lord said, 'Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.'" (Exo 33:21-23)

That song, "Rock of Ages," refers to this passage, for Christ Himself was that Rock, that "place by Me" by the Most High upon which we can stand, and be covered, and have a Head... so that we can appear before the Father. Christ Himself told us who it was that would someday see God: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Mat 5:8)

And what is a good bride, if not pure of heart? :)

Proverbs speaks of the virtues of a good wife, but the challenge for us, the application, is this: whatsoever a wife is to be to a man, we are to be to Christ. The attributes then, that are not only to be found in _women_ per se, but in all who would be covered by our Husband Christ before the Father: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." (Pro 31:10-12)

"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens." (Pro 31:15)

"She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet." (Pro 31:20-21)

"Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." (Pro 31:25)

These are only a few chosen verses, but we would do well to read the entire passage, and endeavor to be all these things unto the Savior. Already from these few quotations we begin to see a picture. A true bride is virtuous, trustworthy, industrious, kind to the needy, fearless in the face of want, and clothed in strengh and honor.

And finally, and very importantly, it is written "She shall rejoice in time to come." The true Bride, the one submitted to her Husband, the believer subject to Christ... these are they who shall "see God," and these are they who have an eternal future.

David.