The Order of The Players: MAN I
Order of the Cosmic Kingdom, part (d)
EDEN TO ZION VIDEO SERIES
Transcript
Introduction
Hello, I’m Stephen Buckley and we’re in a series going long through the central storyline of the bible, building a biblical worldview in the process. shortly, we’re diving into Genesis three, but first, and today we’re turning to the Order and Economy of Mankind.
After Genesis 2 we took a detour, to step back and view the total sum of reality and it’s ordering of activities. The Order of YHWH, the Order of the Field of play, then last time we turned to The Order of the Players – (Field and players is worldview language) – and we studied angels and demons, and today continuing the Order of the Players, we are concentrating on man.
Distortion in society
Everywhere we turn, swipe, or scroll in this day and age the family is under attack. Wiping away of genders, roles, and solid family units. Unisex toilets, kids supposedly self-identifying as the opposite sex, gender neutral parenting, gender neutral shopping sections, gender neutral uniforms in schools, children practically dominating family lives, men with Peter Pan syndrome (never growing up), the nanny state, aggressive women’s movements, abusive fathers, multiple living partners, marriage re-defined, marriage at its lowest level since 1895, with less than a quarter being religious weddings, and designer babies are on the way.
It's endless.
Distortion in Church
Correct dynamics in the home and church are vital to build the foundations of relationships on – between each other, and our Lord Jesus. But are we orderly? We are in dismay at the world, we expect it of the world, but is the bride of Christ orderly?
Consider this scenario. If Jesus personally walked into your church, or bible study, and commanded you to… say… build an orphanage in the local park. Imagine if he said, “you Mark will be project manager; You Daniel the architect; You two provide food and drinks; you three assist Mark in scheduling; you two as structural engineers; you five work as labourers; and you guys provide legal work.” And then he said, “Get on with it, I’ll be back soon”. I’m sure everyone would follow his word and be beautifully ordered, without grumbling, or questioning. I’m sure of it! For the first few of days.
Over time if Jesus didn’t return for months, we would start complaining – Some would argue they are gifted in drawing, “why can't I be an architect too?” Daniel agrees that he’s not naturally up for the role and allows others to take over. “To be honest I'm a pretty good cook… maybe I should bring the food.” “Yeah, but Jesus said…” “I know but I have a culinary education and, I'd quite like to, in fact, I think he is calling me.” “Well ok, we'll swap.” “Hey why is Mark project manager – did Jesus choose him because he’s the tallest or something… tall people aren’t more valuable than short people, and besides I'd be better than him.” “Why have they got it easy only providing food while I'm labouring”, some ask. “This doesn’t seem fair or equal… we should be able to do whatever we're good at or gifted at… Did Jesus really say… maybe he meant something different when it comes to the ordering of activities?”
Time tests hearts. Is our ordering of activities God driven, or pride driven?
The Economy of Man
We recall the academic term the “economy of the Trinity” meaning the “ordering of activities” of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God, but the Son and Spirit are subordinate in their roles. The theological term is: “ontological equality but economic subordination.” “Equal in being but subordinate in role.”
We can rightly say there is an “economy of Man.” For Christians, the NT highlights a “home economy,” and a “church economy.”
I believe the UK church is crippled primarily for two reasons. It’s message – Which we’re dealing with in long form through this series. And secondly, the economy of the body of Christ – which we begin to major on today: God’s ordained ordering of activities of his people.
If you want a 20-minute ted talk that will galvanise your already entrenched thoughts on home and church order, then this isn’t for you. But if you seriously want to grapple with this subject of economy of man, then put aside this time today, and likely for a part 2 shortly after.
Devine Ordering
Rather than beginning with Adam and Eve, God could have created billions of people instantaneously... without male or female… without multiapplication... But He chose so, that we understand… Order: husband, wife, children, corporate gathering, societal composition; So that we understand Love: To have intimacy with another person. To know what it is love those who are subordinate to you and those you are subordinate to. What it is to love your own image bearer. So that we begin to understand the Sovereignty and essence of God - To choose a spouse is to choose who you love and dwell with. And so much more.
His divine ordering is a blessing that teaches us about who God is.
The alternative is that we are like robots, no sexes, no distinctions, little if any intimacy, lemmings taking turns at everything chanting, “we are fair and equal.”
Prager says, “The Bible has a theocentric (God-centred) and anthropocentric (man-centred) view of the world.” Man are the focus players in the biblical worldview. Players God places great value on, in all our differences and distinctions.
What is Man?
Before we turn to the passages on home and church order, let’s underline and refresh our frame of the human players and ask what is man?
One Stock, One Man
All come from one couple, represented by one man, Adam, the head of the human race (Rom 5:12-21).
Man is Relational
We are made in the image of a relational God. Man was created to be in relationship with God, each other, and his creation. In the beginning there was perfect harmony between them.
When God created Adam, he has you and I in mind.
Man is given gifts (e.g. art, music, humour and so forth) for relational gain, to commune with God and fulfil his commission.
Status
The status of man is priestly and regal.
As image bearers we reflect the communicable attributes of God. In terms of reflecting physical appearance, it is blasphemous to say man wasn’t always upright.
Respect can be earned from another, but as image bearers a certain respect and dignity is inherent because man is uniquely endowed with infinite worth. To respect the innate worth of man is to respect God.
Reliant on God
Man is reliant on God in life, death, provision.
The Gift of Prayer
For that reason, although estranged from God through sin, we have been given the gift of prayer for personal communication and as the means God uses to bring about changes in the world.
God desires fellowship with us, and prayer reveals our trust in God which in turn develops in the process, it gives glory to God, and means God involves us in activities of eternal significance.
Order Relative to Other Players: In This Age
Angels
Relative to his other creatures, man is ordered “lower than the angels” (Heb 2:7).
We read, “you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas” (Ps. 8:5–8).” This is speaking about man’s right to rule creation but is also a Messianic text.
There is a hierarchy within the cosmic kingdom. God – Angel – Man – Animal – Plant. Hierarchy is biblical. Order requires hierarchy. Yet hierarchy doesn’t necessarily mean inferiority. Angels, though above man, are not deemed more valuable.
Animals
Animals on the other hand who are classed below man are inferior.
Animals, who we can label as players within the biblical worldview, do not have moral free will. Animals do not have a priestly nature. They do not minister to God but rather are morally innocent objects to offer.
They do not see beauty, majesty, or have a sense of awe or appreciation like man. They do not marvel at a waterfall and rolling hills, they don’t love or relate to God, to ponder existence, make music, complex technology, nor write philosophy. They find food and shelter.
Animals are created for man. Without mankind God would not have created just a world with animals – they have no intrinsic value outside the context of God creating man in his own image.
Wenham states that “’Breath’, the ability to breathe, is a key characteristic of animal life as opposed to plant life.”
Plant life
Plants cannot be recognised as players within a biblical worldview. Although in the English language we use terminology such as “plants die,” or a “dead plant,” they are not “living” in the same sense – the bible refers to plants that wither, or fade, but not die. Leviticus is explicit: “For the life of a creature is in the blood” (Lev 17:11 NIV; cf. Lev 17:14). Without blood, it’s not considered alive. And now the medical field recognises that yes, the life of a creature is determined by its blood which constantly provides every cell with nourishment. Plants are not alive in a biblical sense.
Furthermore, plants are not souls or have a spirit.
Man
Man is made up of body (the visible) and spirit (the invisible), the binding of which is determined by God. Ecclesiastes refers to this moment that spirit and matter come together in the womb: “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV)
Angels are spirit, animals are body with the breath, plants have neither spirit or body, but man uniquely has both spirit and body.
Disagreement emerges over the meaning of soul and spirit. Some argue for a trichotomy whereby man is made of body, soul, and spirit. Although popular, few if any scholars now take this position. Soul and spirit is used interchangeably in scripture and for that reason, most hold a dichotomy view of man. The way I understand it is that each of us are souls, in that we have unique identities, which is spirit. Your unique soul is spirit placed within your body.
Few people would argue for monism whereby the soul/spirit is just an expression of the person, but the scriptures are clear that our spirits continue to exist after death.
Once you are conceived you exist forever, which is why God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Eccl 3:11). Death is separation of spirit from body, but you continue in some form in spirit until you receive a glorified body or corrupted body, for the Kingdom or Gehenna. Man is aware of and fears death unlike animals (Hebrews 2:15).
Only God knows our thoughts (Gen 6:5; Ps. 139:2,4,23; Isa. 66:18) and therefore Jesus did too (Matt. 9:4; 12:25; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8, 11:17). Fallen angels may try to persuade, then can enter us, but no player beyond the heavenly throne can know our thoughts. No player can take your hand controller.
Because of our image-bearing status, mankind is sacred to God, animals and nature are not.
Contrasting the pagan worldview that believed nature ruled over man, the biblical worldview declares that man is to rule over nature.
What separates us from animals is justice. The sense of morality.
To say evolution is true is to blur distinctions between man and animals.
Order Relative to Other Players: The Age to Come
In the age to come it appears that the hierarchy is altered somewhat, as “we are to judge angels?” (1 Cor 6:3). So the order will be: God – Man – Angel – Animal – Plant (though we can remove plants). Or we could say: God the Father – God the Son (who became man) – man ruling with him – angel – animal.
Unlike angels, sinful humans have been given the chance to be redeemed so that God’s mediatorial kingdom would be restored. This reveals astounding mercy.
Individual Free Will/Choice
Man is given free choice with personal responsible for each decision. Free choices that exist not in a vacuum outside of God’s providence, but in a sense that has real consequences, and eternal significance.
God demands we abide in him and his law and order. Any child that only receives love without an expectation of character development, grows into a narcissist. His gifts expect a return, yet we have will, to choose how we respond to that expectation.
If we obey God’s word, he will bless us in our life, and will reward us in eternity. If we disobey God’s word, he will discipline, even chastise, in order to correct our path, and if unrepentant will be punished in eternity.
We instinctively know this to be true in ordinary life. If for example we live good honest lives, love our family, work hard, and so forth, things will generally go well for us. If for example, we are glutenous with regard food, we become overweight, causing everything from discomfort to health issues. Of course, wealth or influence is not an indicator of righteousness (indeed those things can be a curse), and we see through lives such as Job that bad things happen to upright people, and we rebuke the prosperity-gospel, but there is a general truth in the connection between following his law and things going well. Through a matrix of events, God causes good and bad circumstances that impact our lives.
We are to obey God and have trust in his sovereign control, excising wisdom, avoiding unnecessary danger, but being motivated to act in faith.
The only thing God cares about is our character. Not man acknowledged achievement, status or influence. Devine image reflecting character.
Sin is our personal and corporate downfall.
Purpose/Mission
The creation account reveals man was given dominion of the earth. From Adam’s sin onwards meant we have handed the throne over to Satan, but the mandate remains as the Psalms attest:
“The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.” (Ps 115:16)
Earth is the domain of man and not heaven. Heaven is never described in the bible as the long-term home for man.
To rule and subdue as a priestly and kingly people, man acts as God’s mediator, his image-bearing representative. The universal Kingdom is God’s absolute sovereign and eternal rule over all creation and within it, is the mediatorial kingdom of earth. We may fight any kind of representation of God on earth, and thereby resisting his mediatorial kingdom, but we are forever confined to God’s universal kingdom. As we operate the commission in an orderly manner, we point the one we reflect. The order of the mediatorial kingdom on earth should reflect his heavenly kingdom. Our order should reflect his.
God rules the universal cosmic kingdom, he presides over the heavenly kingdom; he made the sun and moon to “rule” the day and night - they keep to the creation ordinances; and Man then must rule the earth within the law and order of God.
Man has been given the task to encounter, discover, and work the earth in a way that will glorify God. That includes, agriculture, farming, architecture, technology. We were not supposed to be static and just look at it, but make with it complex, beautiful, God-honoring structures and programs, with global reach. It is not achievement for the purposes of glorifying ourselves or competing with one another, but spreading the glory of God through word and deed.
From the beginning man is called to multiply and fill the earth. Why? Because a kingdom requires people, and the task is bigger than them.
While active in daily living the foundational mission of man is preserving God’s divine order and distinctions. We can make either error of being underactive but preserving, or being active but not preserving. In our activity of subduing and filling the earth, we must preserve God’s divine order and distinctions.
So, that is the baseline of Man as players within the biblical worldview.
The Economy of Mankind
Introduction
As we look at the economy of man, we’re going to look at the classic NT passages within the full scope of scripture. Having recently studied Genesis 1 and 2 we’ll refresh our thoughts on the original economy of man (the order in Eden); we’ll briefly skim a stone over the mosaic economy of man (the order of the patriarchs and Israelites); then we’ll concentrate more fully on the New covenant economy of man as described and prescribed by Jesus and the apostles; and lastly, of which I’ve never heard anyone include in the subject when preaching on the matter: the future kingdom economy of man. The future order will help underline whether principles the NT authors specified are universal or otherwise. By looking backward and forward, building a pattern from creation, throughout redemptive history, and the age to come, the wisdom and hermeneutical logic of the apostles teaching will be shown. Each text stands by itself, but it makes more sense when placed within the grand narrative. Scripture helps interpret scripture. We will demonstrate there is a continuity of leadership principles from beginning to end.
Egalitarian, Complementarian, Economintarian
Principally there are two sides of the debate within Christianity, with a sliding scale between them.
On one side is egalitarianism. The broad meaning of egalitarianism is that men and women are equal. Within a Christian context, egalitarians believe both men and women are equal AND God does not intend distinctions between men and women when it comes to leadership.
On the other side is complementarianism. Complementarians affirm the broader meaning of egalitarianism - that men and women are equal - and yet propose the two sexes are designed in a way to complement each other, and so God has ordained roles according to sex, so that his mission is accomplished efficiency, orderly, promoting good spiritual health for all, reflecting the image of God, all to the glory of God.
As I say, there is scale where some will say they are complementarians and other would say well you can’t be a complementarian if you believe this or that. So there are softer and harder versions of each.
I will argue for complementarianism (proper – which will become clear). What I would say is, if you tend to side with egalitarianism, please be patient with this subject, and hear me out for the remainder of today, and part 2. I’m going to address most objections and I may bring up things you’ve never considered.
Because complementarianism has been softened and softened, Ben Zornes had coined the new term economintarian. And I’ll come back to this because I think the term is very helpful.
The Original Economy of Man
Adam as Head
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:15-17).
Adam was placed in the garden before Eve was created.
Then Adam is given a mission to work (or serve) and keep (or guard) the garden. We recognised in video 6 this word pair is used throughout scripture in reference to the priests in temple service (Num. 3:7–8; 8:25–26; 18:5–6; 1 Chron. 23:32; Ez. 44:14).
Alone Adam was give the commandments, and made clear the consequence of disobeying his law in the land.
In Genesis 2 Adam is ordained the kingly leader and priest of the garden: God lays on him the instruction, responsibility, accountability.
Remember this is pre-fall, and before the creation of woman.
Man was created originally as a priestly people but as a priestly people, roles are assigned.
Authority to Name the Animals
The pattern of male authority continues. In an act of exercising his authority as head of the human race God gave Adam alone the duty of naming the family kinds of animals and birds (Gen 2:20). None would be a suitable “helper fit for him.” (2:20).
Adam Given Wife
Rather than from dust, God made the woman from the man and for the man as the glory of the man (1 Cor 11:7-8). While the woman is not independent from the authority of the man, so too the future of men would not be independent from woman being born of them (1 Cor 11:11-12).
If anyone today finds offence in the title “helper” for the woman, one might consider that God refers to himself as “the helper” (Jn. 14:26) in the person of his Spirit.
God then “brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22) and he named her Woman “because she was taken out of Man.” (gen 2:23).
Immediately after the fall we will see how Adam “called his wife's name Eve” (gen 3:20). As God exercised his authority in the calling of Adam, Adam was given the duty to exercise his authority in the calling of his wife. There is continuity of leadership from pre to post-fall. While Adam was given authority over both animals and his wife, animals are his inferior, the woman his equal.
The Human Kind is named after Adam
In Genesis 5:1-2 we read, “When God created man [אדם, in Hebrew] he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man [אדם] when they were created.” Adam (אדם) is the same word as man (אדם) in Hebrew, distinguished from woman. God not only names Adam, he named the entire human race after Adam.
The Order of Marriage
In the garden God joined the man and woman together in lifelong marriage, of physical, spiritual and emotional unity to “become one flesh.”
In the understanding they were both made in the image of God, the man did not feel superior or more important, and the woman did not feel inferior or less important. They would share love, communication, and mutual honour to one another in their interpersonal relationship.
Today less people are getting married. The sex they may have does not resolve the tension of loneliness. By creating one woman for this one man, not another man, a community of people, or children, but two in a complimentary bond. One man and one woman in a loving relationship is the primary human ideal.
For man to function correctly, we need to be in relationship with God, and we need to be in relationship with people, within his ordering.
In Genesis 2.24 Moses as narrator transitions in an application of universal significance: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife”. The man leaves his family to re-join the woman. He grows up to become a man, leaving behind the dependence of his parents. Marriage matures a person like nothing else so that character is shaped for orderly function.
Marriage reveals your flaws and humbles your reactions.
Objection: They were both given dominion
As if ignoring Genesis 2, egalitarians will point to Genesis 1 and say both were given dominion.
As a team they were given dominion. The two became one and they were given complementary roles, and complementary natural gifts according to their sex. Man as mission leader, Woman as helpmate. If you ask what a company does - "they manufacture cars" - no one thinks there isn't a board, and labourers, and apprentices. As a team they manufacture cars. If an announcement was made in church that family is moving to Africa on mission, no one thinks the kids will be preaching - as a family team they have a mission. God given roles, help accomplish God given mission.
Reflection of the Trinity
From the singular Man, God created a plurality of male and female as an expression and reflection of his plurality.
Mankind was made to reflect the unity (one God) and diversity (three persons) of God. Humanity (unity) is made up of male and female (diversity). Being made in his “image” means a natural representative of God who is spirit. Man is made in the image of a King and therefore is kinglike. Being made in the “likeness” of God, we are sons, representative of the father. Being made in the image and likeness means man is both king and son, whose spirit is eternal. This means man is well designed to rule the mediatorial kingdom on behalf of God for eternity.
Male and female were created for harmonious relationship, equality in personhood and importance, and difference in role and authority, to reflect the Trinity.
In no way does role or position in hierarchy determine one’s value, worth or love and standing before God.
In the beginning, every particle and every person were participating as the diverse and unified reflection of the Trinity in worshipping and glorifying Him.
Children
Adam and Eve would reproduce – spiritual and natural working together – their children would be image-bearers of Adam and Eve and commit to the purposes of the kingdom.
Among other things they were to train them in order and correct function, handing them the mission to multiply and to spread the glory of the Lord across the earth.
As the population grew these family teams would bear fruit and expand and labour, corporately for Godly gain.
If marriage doesn’t mature you enough, having children should.
Male and Female
Western culture views a sliding scale from Male to Female. The female end is pictured the brightest, and male end labelled toxic. According to a neo-progress worldview, which changes faster than a TikTok video, sex is not the same as gender and so it can get over-complex, but to keep it simple it’s sliding scale, whereby anyone can position themselves anywhere they like, on any given day, regardless of biology or past experiences, emotion, or external or self-labelling.
The biblical worldview pictures man with two distinct sexes determined at birth. We could draw them as two distinct circles, whereby what it means to be man or woman cannot overlap, but our broader nature, gifting, attributes etc overlaps somewhat. Academics may publish a bell curve diagram because men and women share way more than we differ, but differ we do.
Some will say, yes but some women are physically stronger than men. Sure, but the vast majority of the time men are stronger than women. The strongest women will never beat the strongest man. Some women are taller than men, but overall, men are taller than women and so forth. Men and women are equally intelligent, but their nature determines obvious differences.
Efforts to unravel these distinctions go against God’s divine order.
We are different
We know this, but in a culture like the West, we have to spell it out.
Men and women are physically different.
There is reason men and women don't compete against each other in the Olympics, boxing, or even darts.
They play a different number of sets in tennis.
Men and women are biologically different.
Men and women have different alcohol safe limits and eating/calorie guides – at least they did until recent equality movements got involved.
The fuel running around our bodies: sex-steroid hormones differ. Pound for pound, men have 15 percent more muscle mass.
“females have two X chromosomes in their pair, while males have one X and one Y chromosome.”
Adam and Eve were naked in the garden – it was obvious to them they were different – and they were not trying to hide their differences. They were designed to fit together, work together as one.
Leadership is primarily a male trait.
Why are the majority of head chefs men? It's not that they are better cooks, it's because they are designed to lead. There is an authority and business aspect at play.
For the same reason there are 94 male CEO’s of FTSE 100 companies.
Men and women differ mentally.
“Men tend to be more preoccupied with the macro, and women with the micro.” My wife tends to think about what snacks the kids will need for the journey tomorrow, whereas I’m ponding if the roof will last the next 20 years. Its why women are more likely to be teachers, nurses, child therapist. They are more likely to vote for candidates that address perceived suffering of citizens. As Prager notes, they are more likely when witnessing a car accident to notice the “pain and suffering of those hurt than to notice the make and color of the car.”
Men tend to be drawn to objects and things, and women tend to be interested in relationships and faces. Which is why boys tend to be drawn to toy cars and girls tend to be drawn to dolls. This isn’t social engineering, because studies have shown the same to be true with animals.
Both the macro and micro are equality important. If my wife didn’t think of snacks, the kids would be left hungry, and if I didn’t think of the roof, they might not have somewhere to sleep in years to come. My wife and I are so different. She’s petite, I’m 6 foot 3, 17 stone, and benched over 100kg since my early twenties. We have different interests and so many things, but it works. Complimentary, balancing differences.
This is where many people object: “yes but some women, and some men…” Yes, but there are two broad camps that overlap. This is why Jordan Peterson has shot to fame, because he has brilliantly articulated what is obvious to those without contemporary cultural brash washing.
Stanford University has an excellent article by Bruce Goldman which I’ll include in the description about “the growing pile of evidence that there are inherent differences in how men’s and women’s brains are wired and how they work.”
Sex differences in 2 month old infants are notable in things such as spatial-visualization, facial response, environmental response, and language.
Diane Halpern, PhD, past president of the American Psychological Association, in her preface of her acclaimed academic text, Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, she writes:
“At the time, it seemed clear to me that any between-sex differences in thinking abilities were due to socialization practices, artefacts and mistakes in the research, and bias and prejudice. ... After reviewing a pile of journal articles that stood several feet high and numerous books and book chapters that dwarfed the stack of journal articles … I changed my mind.””
Even things like navigation studies demonstrate men reply on “dead reckoning,” calculating distance and direction, whereas women reply on landmarks.
The sexes differ hugely when it comes to depression, addiction, and mental disorders.
It is a well-known fact that men outnumber women in a number of fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) – and the evidence bulldozing cultural rhetoric shows that interest – preference of career, and the inherited biological component determine the vast gulf between the sexes. Because more people that are interested in things, become engineers. Interest, due to the biological component controls career choice.
Goldman says, “brain-imaging studies demonstrate real, if not always earth-shaking, brain differences”.
They differ in temperament, cross culturally. Men are more aggressive, which is why 9 out of 10 in prison are men, and while women are more likely to attempt suicide, men are much more likely to succeed. Men are more pragmatic. Women are more agreeable, and more likely to experience anxiety and emotional pain, and are more compassionate.
There is example after example, evidence upon evidence.
Rhetoric won’t do. The data is in.
Women are more sensitive, including spiritually.
When you couple that with agreeableness, they are more likely to believe what is true but also more likely to believe what is false. There spiritual awareness is one of factors that the church in the UK has twice as many women.
Summary
Men and women differ, anatomically, physiologically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually.
It is why most women are attracted to more intelligent, taller, stronger, more dominant, more productive men. Likewise, men are attracted caring, compassion, fit and curvy, supportive women. As far from the Garden of Eden society travels, these general truths remain.
When given the opportunity we fall into design
Today, cultural influencers are pushing for equality of outcome: The same number of men and women in the STEM fields and so forth. Funny how they never push for equality of outcome when it comes to bin collection. But when countries strive for equality of opportunity – which gives freedom of choice – opposed to equality of outcome which attempts to force a 50/50 split in certain fields - we discover than when given the opportunity we fall into original design.
Answering questions at the Oxford Union, Jordan Peterson said, “In places like Scandinavia where a tremendous amount of effort has been put into flattening the sociocultural landscape… there is still a preponderance of male engineers, and there is a preponderance of female nurses. And no matter how much sociological jerrymandering goes on, those statistics remain quite intractable”. And he says when you compare countries around the world, “the social constructionists - their prediction is that as more cultures become more egalitarian, men and women become more… the same, because it’s environmental.” But he continues “that isn’t what happens. Exactly the opposite happens. As you flatten out the sociocultural landscape men and women become more different.”
We are not to blur distinctions
We flourish best when we recognise equal and infinite worth and we don’t hide the differences or blur the distinctions.
The equality movement is an attack on ordained order and economy of man. It preaches a moral order that is kinder than God, and it’s a lie.
Summary of Adam as Head
So, in terms of the original design and economy of man, before Eve was made God gave to the Man:
The instruction, to work and keep, as priest in charge.
The rules/commandments and responsibly, and accountability with consequences.
The Authority to name all animals.
God made the woman as a gift helper.
God brought her to him and he named Her in an expression of authority.
Adam is the head of marriage, the priest of the garden sanctuary, and head of the human race.
Today, gender distinctions are offensive to many, but from the creator’s perspective, gender neutrality is offensive to him.
The glory of God is revealed through two complimentary genders.
the Mosaic Economy of Man
Noah
Even if we back track a little to the days of Noah. The pattern of male leadership continues as Noah is chosen for the great mission and appointed leader of the new world.
The Bible doesn’t even mention Noah’s wife name. Or his sons wives names for that matter. There was only eight of them, but it doesn’t name them.
Adam and Eve’s daughters were not mentioned by name either.
Is the bible sexist? Is God sexist? No.
Abraham
Following the pattern of male leadership Abraham was chosen as the Father of the nation that would become the vehicle to restore the earth. “I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5) Paul who quotes this verse says it’s still true and will be true (Rom 4:17).
Sarah would call Abraham lord. Was she oppressed? Far from it, she was provided for, protected, given a covering.
When Hagar the Egyptian servant who mothered Ishmael, Abraham’s son, ran away because of Sarah’s harsh treatment: “The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” (Genesis 16:9) This is woman submitting to woman. Do egalitarians pick up on that one? In fact, Hagar’s response is “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (Gen 16:13) She counted the Lord’s command to return to submission, back under the covering, was God watching out for her.
Although we see examples of polygamy, it is clear from the outset that God’s way means one man and woman. Because of war, women would outnumber men, and so a man providing and protecting for more than one women was allowed in these circumstances.
God then chose Isaac and Jacob who had twelve sons which became the leaders - the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Moses
Following the pattern of male leadership, Moses was chosen as leader and his brother head of priests. Moses was chosen for his gift of speaking right? No, he was “slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10) which is why he didn’t want to step up initially. God doesn’t go for the obvious pick. He doesn’t say, well your wife could be co-leader and she can speak for you. Aaron was chosen to assist in communication. His ways are not ours.
God killed the first-born male of every beast and person of Egypt.
God consecrated all first-born male people and male animals of Israel.
In exodus 20 (v19) God appeared in a thunderous cloud and the people of Israel were afraid. They said- Moses you speak to us but not God in case we die. You see its much better having a human accountability partner than God. It’s easier, less fearful, to have a direct human covering than directly with God - God is all knowing and scary when you've done wrong. Human coverings are a blessing.
In Exodus 24 – the pre incarnate Jesus eats and drinks with the 70 elders of Israel upon the mountain - obviously all men.
Exodus 32(v28) 3000 men died as they were held accountable for the golden calf.
The Law
When it comes to the ordering and economy of man according to the Law, the instruction given by God to Moses:
Apart from Genesis, In Exodus 6, the Genealogy of Moses and Aaron details the heads of their fathers' houses. Fathers lead the home, and the genealogy focuses on the male lineage.
Exodus 18 we learn how Moses’ father-in-law gave good advice to “look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves.” Fathers of homes would decide household matters, family disputes would be sent to the male authorities, starting at the one in charge of ten, if matters were very great they go all the way up to the super chief of thousands, and if of national import to Moses the national leader. We tend to separate the spiritual aspect from authority, saying church leaders should be spirtual but not necessarily the chiefs in charge of the nation. The mosaic law, requires “men who fear God” – the two are not separate.
Some may argue, “God was dealing with a people of the world and so he had to start somewhere and kick off with a patriarchal system even though it’s broadly wrong. That was then, now is different. He’s had to slowly lead mankind to the progress of today” – trajectory hermeneutics. You forget that God had just pulled this people out of Egypt, where they were slaves, into the desert where they have no land, no law, no nothing. He’s makes a nation from scratch and can chose anyway he wanted. And he gave them this good law and good and holy system to live by, as an expression of his universal law. There is a continuity of the principles including male headship. He doesn’t choose any men, but able men, of good character, who fear God.
The priests who worked the tabernacle and later the temple were of course male. God via Moses told the people of Israel: “you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) As a priestly people they all have roles. A priestly people does not mean they all take part in temple duties. It means as one they minister to God.
Not to mentions the line kings that will lead to Jesus as king.
That he choses men does not mean women are of less value.
That he choses Israel does not mean gentiles are of less value.
The chosen men take on burden of leading the home, area, priestly duties, nation.
The chosen nation takes on the burden of leading the nations.
Women could learn but men led and taught
In Deuteronomy we learn Moses told them:
“Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.” (Deu 31:12)
Women and children can should learn from the scriptures – so that they obey.
It would be the men who teach. Nehemiah 8 is an example expository teaching. They asked for man Ezra “to bring the Book of the Law of Moses” (v2) “before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand” (v2) “the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (v3) “Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform” On his left and right were other leaders. He “opened the book” and explained the book. After which the Levitical priests would explain the scripture in smaller groups.
The Writings
The writings and prophets are congruent.
“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” (Proverbs 12:4)
Women in the OT
We read of examples where God uses women, Miriam who watched over her brother Moses in the basket; Rahab at Jericho; Ruth who chose to support Naomi and follow the God of Israel; Esther who through submission to a foreign king helped save the people of Israel; Deborah who God delivered messages through to judge Israel. And we’ll come back to Deborah because she is used as a common objection.
These women stand as models of faith, courage, and leadership for other women.
The vast majority of prophets in the bible are men. Yet several women are called a prophetess: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), Anna (Luke 2:36), and Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:9).
Prophecy and authority of a people are not the same thing. Prophecy and teaching is not the same thing. I’m astounded when I see qualified leaders conflate the two. To Prophesy is to is to deliver a prophecy, a message from God. Teaching involves interpretation of the word of God and explaining it to the people.
Which is why God could use Balaam’s donkey to deliver a message. The donkey prophesied, it spoke the word of God, but could the donkey interpret the message and teach it to the masses? No, it’s not called to.
Isaiah and his wife would prophesy but it is Isaiah as head who writes down the message. All 39 books of the OT written by men.
Summary
We are just skimming a stone over the surface here but, when God picks Abraham it's not about Abraham but about God and his plans. When God picks the Levites over the other tribes it's not about the Levites it's about God; When God picks Jacob over Esau it’s not about favouritism to Jacob, it’s about God and his plans for a nation and his merciful instruction in the process. In fact, God chose Jacob over Esau in the womb, so it wasn’t Jacob’s gifting or “because of works but because of him who calls” (Rom 9:11). When God picks certain men over other men and women for certain roles it's not about those certain men, it's about God! And his ordained plans and purpose – Get over yourself!
The New Covenant Economy of Man
Now let us turn to the New Covenant Economy of Man. Do the principles of order and economy of man continue?
Home, and Societal Order
Firstly, let’s turn to home and societal order.
1 Corinthians 11:3
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul connects the order within the home with the order of the trinity.
“1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor 11:1-3)
Will we look at the rest of the passage when we come to church order.
Paul’s traditions are important. Ours, not so much. He is an apostle appointed by Christ to deliver true teaching. What he says, goes.
Head means authority. Head - the topmost of what is beneath. They are the representative or “face” of the family or institution. Some have argued it could mean source rather than authority. Thomas Schreiner says scholars aside from himself have “shown that the meaning “authority” is indisputable in a number of passages, while the meaning “source” is never certainly attested.”
We use the word head in the English language today to describe someone’s position. Head teacher for example. The reason men are designed taller than women is because they are the head of the home – a head above. The head signifies authority. It doesn’t mean by the way that a man must be taller than a women in marriage, but that is the general design. The man’s head is above the woman.
Just as our heavenly Father has authority over the Son, the husband has authority over his wife. The principles of the original order and broadly patriarchal order continue.
Grudem explains, “The husband's role is parallel to that of God the Father and the wife’s role is parallel to that of God the Son. Moreover, just as the Father and Son are equal in deity and importance and personhood, so the husband and wife are equal in humanity and importance and personhood.”
That he draws parallels with the trinitarian relationships shows it’s not cultural or as a result of the fall. In marriage we have distinct persons, equal in essence and being, and at the same time their functions differ.
Each authority acts as a covering protecting those under them – the Father takes the family under his wings so to speak, reflecting the heavenly Father who in Ps 91 it says, “under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” (Ps 91:4) We can illustrate the order as follows:
Wives – Husbands – Christ – God (the Father)
Our priorities should be: God - Husband - Wife – Children
The world has turned it upside down: Children - Wife - Husband – God
We see kids ruling the home - are they happy? No they grow up spoilt brats. We see women whipping their husbands - are the wives happy? No, they’re doing everything and they’re exhausted playing every role, and resent the emasculated men. I read a study that ironically revealed feminists prefer masculine men. We think by reversing the order the children and women will get the better deal, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33)
Again, this has nothing to do with equality of worth. Children aren't of less worth than parents. Wives aren't of less worth than husbands. Hence the trinity.
It means that if done God’s way, children get the best deal, then wives, then husbands who must serve all the family, and Jesus got the worse deal having being nailed to a cross, and God the Father watched his son tied naked to a cross to die. When you think of hierarchy, imagine the ones at the top, the ones who you submit to, are the ones who are to live sacrificially.
And objections for not following Paul who followed Christ is because - "men have trampled over women for thousands of years". Well, that’s not biblical. No one is arguing for that pattern. Since the fall of man:
Women became manipulative or doormats.
And men became passive or domineering.
Every man and women tends to lean one way or another. It’s good to know which you tend to lean so that you can perpetually correct it.
But just because we've got it wrong so often, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater - we don't throw out God's inspired word with thousands of years of us getting it wrong. Get it right. Doing it wrong is not biblical, so don’t find your own way because other people didn’t do it God’s way. We didn't give up when Adam sinned and say, “well we can’t do it, forget it.”
Colossians 3-4
To the Colossians Paul gives instruction for home, and we could say industrial order that comes under the wider family network.
Before verse 18, chapter 3 is about putting on the new self in Christ, and then Paul transitions into how that new self should be ordered:
“18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Col 3:18-20)
Husband and Wife
At no point do the scriptures say, “husbands, submit to your wives”. It always says “Wives, submit to your husbands” and “Husbands, love your wives” And they are warned “do not be harsh with them.” If they are being harsh, they are not being loving. If they are being harsh, they are not being biblical.
Children
Children come under the covering of both parents, obeying them. There is a continuation from the original order when a man will “leave his father and his mother” (Gen 2:24) for marriage, implying previously being under his parents. A continuation from the law to “obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother” (Deut 21:18. Cf. Leviticus 19:3) and the filth commandment for all to “honor your father and your mother” (Ex 20:12). The writings too are replete with the same principle (Prov 1:8, 6:20, 13:1, 22:6, 30:17)
Fathers are specially warned, “do not provoke your children”. If they are provoking, they are not being biblical.
The naming of the child (and in some cases of adoption when the parents re-name the child) demonstrates one’s authority over the person (2 kings 23:34, 24:17; John 1:42). Even today, traditionally the wife takes the husband’s surname, and then the child takes on the husband’s family name too – they are renamed into the family name – all under the covering and mission of the father.
Children aren't less valued in the family than the parents are they - in fact they are treated better - just as it's supposed to be with the wife - they are not to be treated as equal but better than that - they are to be protected and looked after – who gets the best deal? The child, then the wife, then the husband. Children are accountable to parents, wife to husband, husband to Christ. When it comes to home order, I’d say it’s rather more fearful to be held accountable directly to Christ, than spouse or parents.
The gift of a child within marriage draws parallels with the role of the Holy Spirit. The father of the home represents God the Father, the first person of trinity; the wife who submits to the husband, like that of God the Son, the second person of the trinity, who submits to God the Father; then the child who is under the authority of the husband and wife, like the Holy Spirt, the third person, who is again equal in being, yet submits to God the Father and God the Son.
For those who repel submission within home order must appeal to the triune God and his order and plead why it doesn’t apply to them.
Is ok for the Son to submit to the Father but not a wife to her husband? Most would agree that children should submit to parents, and no one thinks that children are inferior in importance and personhood. Is OK for God but not for you?
The word submit has negative connotations - because those in position of authority throughout history have abused their role. As the reactionary feminist movement increases by the day, we desperately need to grow Godly men, who as Owen Strachan puts it:
Stay instead of leaving
Lead instead of abdicating
Die to self instead of self-idolizing
Repent instead of excusing
Listen instead of ignoring
Fight instead of hiding
Pray instead of worrying
Rejoice instead of complaining
Act instead of stalling
Feminist movements are not the answer. Flipping biblical order is not the answer. Growing Godly men who abide by biblical order is.
Look to Jesus if you want to know what “biblical manhood” looks like. A man who lays down his life, for his bride. He never throws her under the bus; he threw himself in harms way, despised, rejected afflicted, pierced, crushed to protect her (Isa 53).
And yet the world has set up a straw man to paint biblical submission as something contrary to scripture.
The English word submission should be a great word. The root word sub means below or under. Mission meaning a continuous work which is their duty to do. So those who submit are under the mission of - your parents, or your husband within a home setting. You're on the same team - the kids are under the mission, the wife is under the mission and the husband steers the mission from God with help of his wife. It makes sense, and we instantly know because fairy tales are based on the idea of a big strong knight in shining armour of good character who picks up his sweet natured dainty pretty girl and rides off into the sunset. Today we call that sexist (and maybe some of was) but its why traditional Disney films were so successful. It appealed to nature. And don’t get me wrong, character not physical strength defines masculinity.
Bondservants
Paul continues the very next verse with:
“22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Col 3:22-4:1)
What does bondservant mean? Some may refer to this as a slave/master relationship. To be clear, slavery in the Greco-Roman first-century world was an accepted norm, and very different to American or modern slavery. It wasn’t about race, skin colour, or nationality, and usually lasted under a decade when they would be set free and on occasion receive roman citizenship and they may have been able to save money to buy their freedom. If a person could not pay their debts, they would sell themselves to the debtor in order to work for them until they paid it, which is why they were called bondservants. Some would be better off as bondservants than being free and poor.
Of course some would be abused, but abuse can happen in any relationship. Which is why the bible calls for proper ordering.
Bondservants are to sincerely and heartily work and obey their masters, motivated by the Lord who will reward. Christ should be obvious in the bondservant’s character who may persuade other bondservants and even their master of their faith.
Masters and are warned to be just and fair, motivated by the fear of the Lord. Christ should be obvious in the master’s character who may persuade other masters and their bondservants of their faith.
The Christian order and economy of man should be a witness.
Again, there is a continuity of the principles of the ordering of bondservant/master relationship from the Mosaic law, with character at the forefront.
If we follow the biblical pattern of authority and covering of those beneath, then masters should be far from oppressive or abusive, but a blessing. You may say, well why wouldn’t the master let the bondservant go – well it may be right that he pays off his debt, and as the law says that some bondservants may want to stay and remain under their master because of his kind treatment. He may have been given a wife and built up his own family under the covering of the master and his family. (Ex 21:5; Deu 15:16;).
Therefore we have a covering of:
Master in heaven – earthly master – bondservant
Don’t get too caught up in the word bondservant. In the NT those are devoted to Jesus are referred as “servants” or “bondservants of Christ” (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1).
Everyone submits to someone. If you work for a company, you must submit to your head. If we didn’t submit, work would be chaos. You might be better than your boss, you might be more capable or gifted, but you can't just assume his role. The same in the home, church, and society.
Ephesians 5:22-6:9
The chapter is about walking in love, and immediately before the focus passage it speaks of “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph 5:20-21)
I’ve heard a church leader say, “see, everyone submits to everyone”. No. That is not what it says and wouldn’t make sense. Paul is clear and consistent regarding the economy of man:
“22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” (22-24)
Paul compared the Husband-and-wife relationship to that of the heavenly Father and Son, and now he is making parallels between the church who is under the headship of Christ Jesus, and the wife who is under the headship of her husband. The home order reflects the church order and vice versa. This key to understand. We are given the picture of the church as a body whose saviour is the head, Christ Jesus. And we’ll be familiar with the picture of Jesus as the bridegroom and his people as his bride, which he then alludes to:
“25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Eph 5:25-33)
The apostolic writers appeal to the creation account, the original order of man, for timeless truths.
Jesus too quoted this same verse from Genesis 2 in affirming marriage (Matt 19:4-5).
Adam’s role was to live self-sacrificially, to protect his bride unto death. Adam failed but Jesus succeeded, and it is him we follow as husbands. How did Christ love his bride the church - he died for her: Sacrificial love. Victor Hamilton explains: “The wife is to be subject to her husband (vv. 22-24), and the husband is to show nothing less than Christ-like, Calvary-like love to his wife (vv. 25-20).”(Hamilton, Genesis, NICOT, p.184-185). And it didn’t stop there, Christ continues to sanctify, clean, wash her “with the word.” Husbands then are to “love your wives”, to “nourish” and “cherish” them “out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21) to bring out her “splendor.”
Family is a model of Gospel
Paul says that Genesis 2 – the original order of man – speaks of a profound mystery. Adam and Eve, the man and women, the husband and wife, becoming one flesh, points to Christ and his bride becoming one. The picture of the bridegroom and bride, and picture of the body of Christ and Christ as the head, are very much related. The former becomes the latter: the bride is united as one with Christ, her husband.
The family should model the relationship of Christ and the church – the order and economy of the Christian family is a witness to the world! When the wife submits and serves her husband, and the husband loves his wife sacrificially, we proclaim the gospel and mystery of Christ and his church. A powerful witness that he “might reconcile us both” (Eph 2:16) Jew and gentile, a “multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev7:9) “to God in one body through the cross” (Eph 2:16).
If the wife does not submit, and the husband does not love - they are choosing not be a witness as a family!
The order and economy of man is not a small thing. Home order matters, because the presentation of the gospel matters.
It continues into the next chapter.
“6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Eph 6:1-3)
Paul is explicitly showing the continuity of the principles of the law.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.” (Eph 6:4-9)
Such is the import of order of home, including the child’s position, and the bondservant/master relationship, Paul repeats himself. He is laying down the same principles in Ephesus, in Colossae and in Corinth.
The unity and diversity of the Trinity is reflected in the relationships of mankind. For this reason, God created not one but two persons, diverse in nature, unified in marriage (Gen. 1:27; 2:24) to become one body, mind, spirit (1 Cor. 6:16-20; Eph. 5:31).
1 Peter 2-3
Turn with me to 1 Peter 2.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:18-25)
Time doesn’t permit to break down each of these passages, but in reading them in bulk, we’ll piece together a collage of principles, that speaks for itself.
I’ll slide in these verses from 1 Corinthians 7, as they fit with the above:
“Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called [transitioning from talking about marriage]. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” (1 Cor 7:20-23)
The end of which disproves what critics say about the Bible condoning slavery.
And the following chapter:
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.” (1 Peter 3:1-2)
If the wife’s conducts models the gospel she may win over the husband to Christ.
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Talk about countercultural! It doesn't mean can't wear nice things. But that we are not to place too higher value on it. External beauty is passing, beauty of Character is surpassing.
“5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” (1 Peter 3:5-6)
Wives, do as Sarah did. Why are we offended by Sarah calling her husband Lord and not his name? Do children not call their parents mummy and daddy rather than by name? It’s a respect and modelling of authority thing. Now, you are not required to call your husband Lord but aiming for respectful and pure conduct before him – these are universal principles, not cultural preferences. When Sarah called Abraham Lord it meant something different than today. We don't call our boss lord. It was normal in her culture. The principles of the order of the garden, were the order of the patriarchs, whose principles should be the Christian order.
Wives submit to “their own husbands” - not any man, or any husband. This is an instruction to women. Not to men. Men are not told to make their wives submit, which rules out abuse. Must be voluntary submission, as the individual and church to Christ. He won't force us, we must come voluntarily.
“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
The world is offended by “weaker vessel”. Don’t be like the world. The vessel is body, the external. She is not weaker with what is within: intellect, mind, morality and so forth.
“understanding… showing honor” why? Because they are equal when it comes to inheritance. Authority in this life, or the type of vessel, does not indicate inheritance.
If husbands are not “understanding… showing honor”, their prayers may be hindered. A stern warning.
What about those who do not get married?
Very briefly, Paul spoke about this.
“To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Cor 7:8)
Often single people have a higher calling, because it is a harder road in some ways. Without spouse or child they are practically freer when it comes to mission. Perhaps more prone to loneliness, you must lean into Christ more.
Marriage should not become an idol. Jesus is enough.
Jesus did not marry. His calling the highest of all.
“let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (1 Corinthians 7:17)
Societal Order
Finally societal order.
Romans 13
The first 7 verses of Romans 13 is the go to passage:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Rom 13:1-7)
Therefore we have:
Christians – Human Institutions
This does not mean unlimited obedience to the state.
Generally, we are to be subjected to our authorities, because generally as this passage highlights, they reward good and punish evil.
And this neatly ties in with the question about those who abuse their position of authority.
When we are obedient to our authorities, we are obedient to God. However, there are exceptions when disobeying our authoritative covering is necessary.
This could have been the case with bondservant to master in biblical times. This can be the case in marriage, when under abusive church leadership, or national government.
If a husband is seriously physically abusive and the wife and children are in harms way, then she is required to remove herself from the covering of him, seeking counsel at the earliest opportunity. Abigale (in 1 Samuel 25) who disobeyed her vile husband is example of the odd occasion when you need to disobey, in order to perverse life. Authority then is not limitless.
If a father told his teenage son to rob a bank, you couldn’t fault the boy for disobeying his command.
We are commanded to “Obey your [church] leaders and submit to them” (Hebrews 13:17). But If elders were caught embezzling thousands of pounds, and told you not to tell anyone, under God you are required to disobey their command. Authority is not limitless.
I would add that commitment to a local church is not lifelong like marriage, therefore if the elders were physically or spiritually abusive, doctrinally way off orthodoxy, manipulative, very domineering, or grievous sins have been committed, then with prayer it’s probably time to leave and carefully consider another.
We now circle back to Romans 13. If the governing bodies of the nation punish those who do good, and reward those who do evil, man is obliged to obey God over man.
For example: In Exodus 1 the Hebrew midwives directly disobeyed the king of Egypt who told them to kill the new born sons. What is God’s response: “because the midwives feared God, he gave them families” - he rewarded them.
In the book of Daniel, chapter 6, King Darius made a decree that no one could pray “to any god or human being during the next thirty days”. This law is directly opposed to God’s law. Daniel therefore did not obey it. He prayed on three occasions on his knees that day to his own God – out of his open window so that everyone could see his non-compliance with the decree. We know how God saved him from the kings punishment of the lions den.
Hebrews 11 speaks of the faithfulness of the parents of Moses: “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” (23)
Acts 5 is another good example:
“The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:28-29 )
In Matthew 2(1-12) the Magi did not obey king Herod and return to tell him where to find Jesus, but after being warned by God in dream, they avoided him and “returned to their country by another route.” (NIV)
In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul escapes authorities: “In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.” (2 Cor 11:21-32)
When man’s laws directly contradict God’s law, we have a duty to disobey. So for example, we are required to pay taxes. If government puts the taxes up a little, we may not like it, but we follow orders. If government tells us we cannot not read the bible, then must disobey.
Man’s authority is not unlimited, and therefore submission is not unlimited. Whether that be in home, church, or state.
1 Peter 2
Peter’s first epistle agrees with Paul on submission to human institution:
“13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
We are to all submit to governing authorities. From abiding by the rules of road when driving, paying taxes, criminal laws… this will maintain relative order of society, and is God given.
Again, it doesn’t say be must always submit under any and all circumstances. Daniel is an exemplar of submission to worldly kings, while standing firm on God’s word.
Summary of Home and Societal Order
Wives – Husbands – Christ – God (the Father)
Children – Parents
Bondservants – Master
Church – Christ
Christians – Institutions
Why do egalitarians only question the submission of wives to husbands? Never Christians to Institutions; never bondservants to master; nor church to Christ; nor children to parents; or Christ to God the Father. Only wives to husbands! It should tell you something.
We must turn to the scriptures not to culture for the correct ordering because “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9). We are not to import from the world to solve tensions between sexes but live out the scriptures for biblical manhood and womanhood and export that to the world.
There is a reason the saying goes "women and children first" - I don't look forward to a day when they say "men first, women and children will have to wait." There is reason, traditionally men pay for the meal on the first date, gentlemen open doors for women, and so forth.
Here is something to think about. You may not understand your husband’s decisions, but God could be guiding the man in a direction you are not aware of, that he maybe not be aware of. God is guiding you both as individuals, and he should take on board your wise counsel, but as the head of the home, the spirit could be leading him to a place that makes no sense at present. So have faith in your husband. Encourage him. Support him. He needs it.
Authority means someone or a group of people are in charge. Without which relationships and institutions collapse. They may make decisions you disagree with. But it doesn't mean he always decides to go with what he wants. He should be looking to accommodate you and your ideas while looking to do things safely and within God’s mission.
For both husband and wife, a reminder that marriage is not primarily to make you happy but to glorify God.
Christians are constantly in submission under one covering or another. It’s about the putting the needs of others first. Shouldn't be a big deal.
The opponent of biblical submission is pride.
When we get it right, the bride of Christ is beautifully in order. A splendour to the lord.
In Closing
There is a natural break to leave it here today, and then part 2 of the order and economy of man we are going to turn to church order.
What was the pattern Jesus established for us to follow?
We’ll look at all the so called controversial passages:
1 Timothy 2, and 3, Titus 1, the Qualifications for Elders and Deacons.
1 Corinthians 11 – what did Paul mean regarding heads and head coverings?
1 Corinthians 14, 1 Peter 2 which is one of the most mis-interpreted passage in Christendom.
We’ll fire through many of the objections to male-headship, including Deborah, Junia, Queens of Israel, is Education and gifting a factor?, how does culture play it’s part, what if men don’t step up, Galations 3 and more.
And finally we’ll take a look at the future economy of man in the Kingdom when Jesus returns.
This way we should build a clear picture of the principles of the ordering of man, as players within the biblical worldview.
God bless and Maranatha.
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Jordan Peterson | Full Address and Q&A | Oxford Union
Two minds: The cognitive differences between men and women
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