- Jun 29, 2019
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Under God, do women have the same roles as men? Under God, are there boundaries along those lines that cannot be crossed? Does the Bible create such boundaries? Or have we striven to create our own?
The Bible has a number of passages that challenge what a man perceives is a woman’s role, and vice versa; and it doesn’t matter which position is taken. But start with a relatively innocuous passage...Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God...” From here you can go in any number of directions. Note that the Passage does not identify what a “woman’s garment” is, nor a “man’s garment.” Is there anywhere in the Bible that says a woman cannot wear pants? Has the Lord left it up to men and women to decide what a woman and a man can wear?
In the context of the Bible, it seems that whatever a man and a woman wear, it should identify them as being distinguished from the other sex so there is no ribald confusion. In that respect, it Seems that God will allow us to decide what to wear to distinguish ourselves, but He doesn’t trust us to temper the passions we may have, that might mislead us.
Is it a big deal that a woman may wear pants as far as the Bible goes? Probably not, so long as we know who we are. In any event, if you look closely at the pants men wear and those that women wear most of the time, there are subtle differences that identify what pants women wear and what pants are worn by men. So it may not really matter who wears the pants in the family, when both men and women do.
For some Christians, this discussion about clothing may be moot. They may say, ‘Isn’t Deuteronomy 22:5 in the Old Testament? And as such, aren’t we told in the New Testament, in passages like Hebrews 6:1 to grow away from the Old Testament, which is regarded as the “elementary doctrine of Christ”’?
OK, let’s forget clothing. But beyond clothing, things can get challenging. At least since Adam and Eve first walked the earth, men and women have grown up to believe there are certain roles unique to them, that the opposite sex should not engage in. Considering the times we live in, let’s start with the women, since they seem to be particularly sensitive to what others think they can and cannot do.
What is the first thing that God assigned to women? Well, we have to go back to the Old Testament again. There, God says in Genesis 2:18, after He created Adam, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So, a woman’s first role under God is to be a helper for a man...for just one man to be sure, in a sense of one woman for one man.
There are varying degrees of what constitutes a helper. A helper need not just be someone who stands by, waiting for the man to tell her what to do. A helper can also be someone in charge of certain things so that the man can do certain other things, all for the purpose of maintaining a household. A helper can also help the man by directing others to do things. In this day and age, if women were thought to be the only ones that are to be submissive, there are countless situations in which men are submissive as well. If a man works for a boss, is he not submissive to the boss, to name one situation?
Among the Verses in the Bible, there are two implied words that jump out, like a game of whack-a-mole: choice and commitment. We can choose what we want to do with our lives, but it’s with the understanding that whatever choice we make, there are consequences for better or worse. For instance, God may not stop us from robbing a bank, but he may put us in hell for breaking his Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” On a more constructive side, we can choose how we will love God. Will we love Him by doing good things, or will we love him by just not eating pork and call it a day? But it is generally understood that however we choose to do good, we would be thought to go in that same direction and not abandon what we start.
Men and women can both choose whom they want to be with, but once the choice is made, then that second word, commitment, comes in. As Jesus said, when answering a question put to him as to whether it is ever legal to divorce your spouse, in Matthew 19:4-6, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall...hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” So, perhaps, a married man should think twice about running off with his secretary, and a married woman should think twice before running off with the computer guy.
As far as women who don’t want to go the married route, there is a loophole of sorts in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 says, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.” So, if a woman stays single, or remains single after she is a widow, there won’t be finger-waving from that section of the Bible. And the woman, being single, would not be beholden to anyone if she chooses not to be. Life is too short, after all.
At the end of the day, neither a man or a woman is stuck with anyone or with doing anything unless they so choose, and if they so choose, they should be committed in matters that work for good.
The Bible has a number of passages that challenge what a man perceives is a woman’s role, and vice versa; and it doesn’t matter which position is taken. But start with a relatively innocuous passage...Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God...” From here you can go in any number of directions. Note that the Passage does not identify what a “woman’s garment” is, nor a “man’s garment.” Is there anywhere in the Bible that says a woman cannot wear pants? Has the Lord left it up to men and women to decide what a woman and a man can wear?
In the context of the Bible, it seems that whatever a man and a woman wear, it should identify them as being distinguished from the other sex so there is no ribald confusion. In that respect, it Seems that God will allow us to decide what to wear to distinguish ourselves, but He doesn’t trust us to temper the passions we may have, that might mislead us.
Is it a big deal that a woman may wear pants as far as the Bible goes? Probably not, so long as we know who we are. In any event, if you look closely at the pants men wear and those that women wear most of the time, there are subtle differences that identify what pants women wear and what pants are worn by men. So it may not really matter who wears the pants in the family, when both men and women do.
For some Christians, this discussion about clothing may be moot. They may say, ‘Isn’t Deuteronomy 22:5 in the Old Testament? And as such, aren’t we told in the New Testament, in passages like Hebrews 6:1 to grow away from the Old Testament, which is regarded as the “elementary doctrine of Christ”’?
OK, let’s forget clothing. But beyond clothing, things can get challenging. At least since Adam and Eve first walked the earth, men and women have grown up to believe there are certain roles unique to them, that the opposite sex should not engage in. Considering the times we live in, let’s start with the women, since they seem to be particularly sensitive to what others think they can and cannot do.
What is the first thing that God assigned to women? Well, we have to go back to the Old Testament again. There, God says in Genesis 2:18, after He created Adam, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So, a woman’s first role under God is to be a helper for a man...for just one man to be sure, in a sense of one woman for one man.
There are varying degrees of what constitutes a helper. A helper need not just be someone who stands by, waiting for the man to tell her what to do. A helper can also be someone in charge of certain things so that the man can do certain other things, all for the purpose of maintaining a household. A helper can also help the man by directing others to do things. In this day and age, if women were thought to be the only ones that are to be submissive, there are countless situations in which men are submissive as well. If a man works for a boss, is he not submissive to the boss, to name one situation?
Among the Verses in the Bible, there are two implied words that jump out, like a game of whack-a-mole: choice and commitment. We can choose what we want to do with our lives, but it’s with the understanding that whatever choice we make, there are consequences for better or worse. For instance, God may not stop us from robbing a bank, but he may put us in hell for breaking his Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” On a more constructive side, we can choose how we will love God. Will we love Him by doing good things, or will we love him by just not eating pork and call it a day? But it is generally understood that however we choose to do good, we would be thought to go in that same direction and not abandon what we start.
Men and women can both choose whom they want to be with, but once the choice is made, then that second word, commitment, comes in. As Jesus said, when answering a question put to him as to whether it is ever legal to divorce your spouse, in Matthew 19:4-6, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall...hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” So, perhaps, a married man should think twice about running off with his secretary, and a married woman should think twice before running off with the computer guy.
As far as women who don’t want to go the married route, there is a loophole of sorts in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 says, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.” So, if a woman stays single, or remains single after she is a widow, there won’t be finger-waving from that section of the Bible. And the woman, being single, would not be beholden to anyone if she chooses not to be. Life is too short, after all.
At the end of the day, neither a man or a woman is stuck with anyone or with doing anything unless they so choose, and if they so choose, they should be committed in matters that work for good.
