"And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.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.Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Gen 2:22-24
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.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.And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;" gen 3:15-17
The first man Adam was cursed because he followed the lead of his wife to disobey God."For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." I Cor 15:22
The first man Adam brought death, but the last man Adam gave back life.
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." I Cor 15:45-49
We will bear the image of the second man Adam which is spiritual rather than natural, heavenly rather than earthy. The spiritual man Jesus killed His own flesh that He might be only spiritual, only heavenly and absolutely perfect.He was without sin, but He was still imperfect UNTIL He had killed His flesh which was subject to temptation even as we are. [Heb 4:15]
He had not yet finished His course while living in the flesh prior to His crucifixion. In the garden of Gethsemane He overcame the last bit of the thing in His flesh which could separate Him from His Father: HIS OWN WILL, [that is, the will of His flesh]which was: not to suffer torture and death but live on in the flesh.. He prayed this prayer three times [see Matt 26:39].
After these final prayers, scripture relates how He lay down His own life for us. They did not take it. He lay it down or, in effect, killed Himself. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:17-18
"Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Matt 22:28-30
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" John 11:25-26
If we are in Jesus, then we are in the resurrection and "in the resurrection they neither marrry, nor are given in marriage".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
If we are IN the resurrection than we are IN Jesus since He is the Resurrection. Then again, we do marry nor are we given in marriage. That is to say, there is no marriage between flesh and flesh, But…there is a new spiritual marriage between Christ (he being both the Resurrection and the Bridegroom) and His perfect Bride which is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing [Eph 5:24].
Christ, the husband is the Head, but His Bride, does not consist of one physical woman alone.Rather, His Bride which is also His Body for they are really ONE, the Body of Christ, consist of many parts perfectly fitted together [I Cor 1:10] and perfectly subject to Him, the Head
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.For the body is not one member, but many." I Cor 12:13-14
"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." I Cor 10:17Remember that Jesus is also the Bread of Life:"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35
"The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." I Cor 7:4
Shall not Jesus then "...cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh"?So who then is the spiritual Woman who shall be the Body of Christ?The One that shall be the Bride of Christ? Will she not consist of both natural males and natural females who have become tha spiritual Woman?
"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.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." I Cor 14:34-35
In the flesh perhaps God still has a order for natural women to be subject to the natural man in matural things… But…, we know that if a man is not a child of God and his wife is one then even in the flesh she need not be subject to him if she knows that such submission would cause her to sin oppose God.Her role in the flesh is however, not her spiritual role. Neither is the natural role of the man necessailry his spiritual role. In spiritual things God is no respector of persons:
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" Acts 10:34
God clearly makes no distinction between men and women in spiritual things:
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.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 3:27-28
Christ is the head and the head is the man. Christ has the role of a man when He ministers to people. He was 'courting' His Bride as a natural man courts his bride-to-be.Jesus continues today to 'court' His Bride through the spiritual ministry in order to perfect Her, to make He without spot or blemish:
"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee" Song of Solomon 4:7
"My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her." Song of Solomon 6:9
Those that are Christ's ministers today are those that 'court' His Bride and work to perfect Her. They are in the man's role.
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" Eph 4:11-12
The perfect spiritual Woman must be silent in the Church, but everyone of who will be part of the Bride will then necessarily be in th erole of the spiritual woman in silence. Both natural men and natural woemn will be be in the Bride of Christ.On the other hand, ino the perfect spiritual man every one who is called to bo the work of the Lord to perfect the saints and to edify the Body of Christ? Who can clearly say that both natural men and natrual women should not be active in this type of ministry?When active in the ministry let Christ speak through you! Isn't this the spiritual man? When receiving the teachings or perfecting gifts from the ministry, be silent! Isn't this the spiritual woman?Won't both natural men and natural women be in both places at some time? Even a natural man who has the position of pastor will be in the spiritual woman's role when someone else is preaching or teaching. The same pastor was not always a pastor. He was at the first a very unlearned young convert listening SILENTLY to the Word of God through his own pastor or mother or Sunday school teacher, etc.God call His ministers as He calls His children. He chooses His ministers as he chooses His children. Would not any person or group of persons that decides that we who are in Christ, that we who in the Resurrection should or should not be allowed to minister because we happen to be a natural male or a natural female seem to be fighting against God.
