Biblical teaching about male and female Genders
What does the Bible teach us about male and female genders? The first account on the subject, found in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:26-28), evokes two different genders, but both in the image of God; with the same mission of multiplying and subduing the earth; one blessed by God.
Genesis 1:26-28 « 26And 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. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And 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. » KJV
This equality in the Old Covenant is confirmed in the New Covenant. Salvation is for the woman as much as for the man (Galatians 3:28); each has authority over the other’s body (1 Corinthians 7:3-5) and the two can be brought to repudiate their spouse (Mark 10:11-12).
Galatians 3:28 « 28There 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. » KJV
1 Corinthians 7:3-5 « 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4The 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. 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. » KJV
Mark 10:11-12 « 11And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. » KJV
It is after the Fall and the sin that has entered the world that the woman will find herself submitted to the man, but in Christ equality is restored again. When the Word of God says that in Him there is neither man nor woman, it means that there are always two genders, but now, in Christ, one no longer has to dominate the other.
In the original plan of God, betrayed by sin but restored in Christ, there is no superiority of one gender over another but, on the contrary, an organic equality between the two with, it is true, always specificities for each of the two.
Men and women, different and complementary
Indeed, man and woman are different from their creation, but complementary. Although she was created weaker than the man (1 Peter 3:7), the woman is nevertheless her equal.
1 Peter 3:7 « 7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. » KJV
Man and woman were created to complement each other and not, as we see too often today, to compete.
Adam was lacking; yet he was in communion with God, had a perfect body, lived in the most beautiful place. He had all that a man could desire today, and yet he lacked the essential: be in relationship with a being like him, in order to be complete. The only time in Creation when God said « it is not good » is about man’s loneliness. Because the man is not complete; the woman is his complement; without her, he will never really feel complete. It is with the woman that together they form a complete whole.
The woman was brought to the man for his own good. A worthy woman, according to the heart of God, is a favor given to man, a gift from God given to him out of love (Proverbs 18: 22), for the joy of his heart (Song of Songs 3: 11).
Proverbs 18:22 « 22Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. » KJV
Song of Solomon 3:11 « 11Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. » KJV
Beyond this, the woman is also the «Ezer» of the man, his help, the one who helps him when he is deficient. The word “Ezer” is exactly the same word that God uses when He talks about helping Israel, and it corresponds to the words “help” and “strength”. The woman is therefore also the help for the man, which comes to him from the Lord. She is not the handmaid, but the Ezer of man, the strength and help that comes to him from God.
The dysfunctions of the family
Families are full of dysfunctions; in reality, they are already found in the Book of Genesis:
– A brother (Abel) who kills another (Cain);
Genesis 4:8 « 8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. » KJV
– the deceit of jacob to inherit his father Isaac;
Genesis 27
– The drunkenness of Noah;
Genesis 9:20-21 «20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. » KJV
– Abraham’s lie twice, claiming that Sarah was not his wife and the consequences;
Genèse 20:2 « 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. » KJV
And later:
– Rape by one of David’s sons of his half-sister and murder of the rapist by another of his sons;
2 Samuel 13
– One of David’s sons (Absalom) who wanted his father’s throne, even going so far as to attempt his life.
2 Samuel 15
These are just few examples, but behind each of them is a person: Satan. But why is the devil attacking the family?
He does it for a reason: to hurt God.
He knows that God created us to build a family and that by attacking us, he also harms God.
God is the Creator of man and woman. So to understand how we function, we have to look into His Word.
Let’s think about it!
