Jesus' Design for Gender Reconciliation and Relationships in the Church and Beyond: “Biblical Roles” vs. God's True Design
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Hello everyone! Today's topic is my 3rd topic in this series. I will be discussing my final topic, the role of feminism, in my 4th and last blog in this series in the coming weeks so stay connected!
I want to start today's topic with a verse from Colossians that jumped out at me when I read it:
Colossians 2:8 TPT; Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system (culture), and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One (Jesus). (parenthesis mine)
In thinking about “biblical roles”, I believe the Church has done exactly what this verse in Colossians is warning us about. We have allowed wolves to distract and intimidate us and to take us away from Christ's fullness (grace and New Covenant). We have allowed pretenders who fain a love of God to infiltrate our churches and our theology and poison it with cultural constructs and the doctrines of demons. Yes you read that right and there it is again, the doctrines of demons. I know – hard, tough words. This particular topic will be full of hard truths so buckle up, the ride is just getting started.
I ask you, when did world systems and cultural constructs replace the truth of the Word? Was not the Word, Who is God, here before any of us or our cultural constructs (John 1:1)? When did the mere created decide they know more than the Creator? Men and women, who told you that you were not partners but competitors? Men, who told you that you were to fill this role while women filled another role? Did you ever stop to think about who and what? Did you ever stop to think there might be an agenda (and ungoldly one) behind “biblical roles theology.” Did you ever stop to think there might be an agenda (an ungoldly one) behind “headship theology?” Did you ever stop to think there might be an agenda (an ungoldly one) behind radical feminist theology? Have we stopped to think at all that we might be being manipulated on two fronts? The devil can be clever.
God did not create “roles.” We did - in our own logic, judgement, and fallen world systems. And we have the unmitigated gall to call this “Godly” in our churches? I ask again, does the created know better than the Creator?
Genesis 1:26-28 is clear about God's design where men and women are concerned:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (emphasis mine)
The keywords here are the pronouns “they” and “them.” How many times does he say “they” and “them”? He uses those words 5 times in these passages. He created them, he commanded them, he told them to rule together! He did not once declare headship here!
But Elizabeth, they sinned and came under the curse? What about Genesis 3? I'm glad you asked. Yes, they sinned together and came under the curse. Eve was deceived, Adam was not (he willfully sinned) (Genesis 3:1-6). God dealt directly with him, not because he was “created first” or was the “head” but because he had been given the command directly and willfully disobeyed it thus rupturing the relationship between men and women (Genesis 3:9-12,17). To be honest, I feel bad for Adam, I truly do. Here was the smartest man that has ever lived on this planet getting ready to do something very stupid because he thought he and her knew better. He decided to use his own understanding and his own logic just as Colossians speaks of in this situation and it cost them both.
Enter the curse – the rupturing of everything God called good. Enter lies, deceit, sin, and the world systems (roles) that crushed woman and children beneath them for so long. Satan (the serpent) was having such a heyday (and both men and women assisted him)! However, the night does not last for long. Spring was on its way.
Enter Jesus, who came to reverse the curse, who came to restore the broken relationship between men and women – to return us to Genesis 1 and to Genesis 2 where Adam speaks of his “Ezer”, his strength as Eve (his affirmation of Eve) (Genesis 2:23). Jesus, the man who women followed openly. Women were the people he affirmed over and over again (John 4, Luke 8:43-48,and Luke 10:38-41). Eve was no helper (that's a poor English translation and a cultural one for its time at that), she was an equal, his strength, and his lionness who stood beside him. This Church is what Jesus died to restore! Why do we cling to the curse!? Why do we cling to ancient, (ungodly) cultural constructs?! Do we need control? Are we afraid? Do we need boxes to put people in so we can “handle” them? Jesus didn't die so we could put people in neat little boxes or “roles” to satisfy our need for power, importance, or to temper our own insecurities. Men and women don't belong in boxes! You read that right! This is not just for women, this is for men too! Do you put lions and lionesses in boxes? If you do, they will break out and the scene won't be pretty for those who put them in said boxes.
Ladies and gentlemen, the only “role” we have in our relationships is to love one another and to mutually prefer the other person for one another's good, that's it! (Ephesians 5:21) Jesus is our center and our “head” because He is perfect and He can't be manipulated by sin. We are partners and co-laborers with one another, ruling our homes together! Anyone who tells you anything else is either lying to you and has another agenda or hasn't been brought into the complete revelation of our freedom and needs prayer and help to get to that full revelation of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. You will know (and see) the difference between the wolf and the sheep who needs help to understand.
I will close with the bottom line: Jesus set us free from performance based “roles” (and patriarchy by the way), both men and women. We are in the New Covenant and not conformed to the curse nor do we have to participate with it (unless we want to). Jesus' blood is too great a thing to be hindered by a world system or a cultural construct. Relationships designed by God are based on love and partnership (just like Adam and Eve had before the fall). They are not based on fear, hierarchy, “roles” or “duties” (which came after the fall). Anything based on fear, hierarchy, “roles” and “duties” is a pig with lipstick and pearls, wrapped in a pretty bows called fear and control, and carrying around a purse called Curse.
He (and she) who the Son sets free, is free indeed! (John 8:36) Lions don't have time for pigs. We have territory to reclaim for the King.
With love and courage,
Elizabeth
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