How Does the Bible View Women? (Part 1)
How would you answer the question?
Perhaps you have never really thought about it. Or maybe like me, you have had moments of discomfort as you read a portion of the Bible that speaks about women, particularly in relation to men or gender roles. Maybe you are cringing right now because you are convinced that the Bible is outright misogynistic. Wherever you find yourself, I am glad you are here, because the God of the Bible is not silent on this matter. I acknowledge that this is quite a controversial topic, however, it is also a necessary topic in today’s culture where so much is being said with the potential for our worldview to be shaped by the loudest voices in the culture or media. There is clarity in God’s word, where truth is found. (This is the first installment under this topic, looking at the very beginning of time; look out for part two in the coming weeks which will be focused on Jesus and the New Testament).
As we read and study the Bible, we will find that there are actually so many answers to fundamental questions in the account of creation in Genesis. Who created everything? Who are we? Where do we come from? What are we meant to do here? What is wrong with the world? We are given the fundamentals, which help us understand humanity and even shed some light on the topic at hand. But more than that, we get to discover the God behind it all, the God who made us know Him, which is imperative.
We are introduced to God, the Creator, and given an account of the creation of the universe and how he created it. If you pay close attention as you read chapter 1 of Genesis, you will notice that over and over again, after something is created, it says “and God saw it was good”. And then at the end of everything and after he had made humans, “God saw it was very good indeed”. The structure of Genesis 1 and 2 is very interesting; chapter 1 looks like an overview and then chapter 2 zooms in particularly on the creation of humankind.
I want to zone in on an essential truth. We see it in chapter 1:26-28.
27 So God created man
in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”
We are told that of all the creatures that the Lord God made, human beings were made in his image, in his likeness; so they can reflect him, represent him in the world he created. For example, a photo of you reflects your likeness. That might be a poor example because it goes a little further than that with representation. Look at the responsibility they are given; to rule over everything else that God has made. Both male and female are made in God’s very image and created to manage his creation together, alongside each other. This is the very beginning, and already we see that man and woman are created equal. Both with intrinsic value and dignity.
This alone should silence every argument.
Although the man and the woman are created equal, they are created differently. It says “male and female he created them” and the Lord God saw that it was very good! God intended for men and women to be different, it was a part of his good design. In chapter 2, we see that the responsibilities and roles are more defined; the man is placed in the garden to tend it, and we’re told the woman was created as a suitable companion for Adam, to be his helper. Now, this is where most people get nervous! Was the woman created just to be the cure to Adam’s loneliness as an afterthought!? And what’s so good about being a helper? Valid objections! But may I point your attention back to verse 26 and 27 of chapter 1; God created both male and female in his image, to rule over creation in a complementary partnership. That simply means they are pieces of a puzzle that come together and complete the picture in their differences.
The woman was not an afterthought, but was part of the plan from the beginning, to bear God’s image and rule alongside man over his creation. “Helper” does not diminish the value of the woman. It does not mean man is the master and woman is the servant. It means the man could not do what he was supposed to do without the woman. She plays an essential role in God’s plan for creation, a role that’s irreplaceable. She brings something to the table that the man does not have and partners with him.
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead; God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit - God in his nature, three Persons in one Being. The Holy Spirit is 100 percent God Almighty. Yet Jesus calls him our “Helper”; “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” John 14:15-16. Other versions say Advocate or Counselor; however, it is rooted in the same thing. This is one of the Holy Spirit’s roles; does it make him any less God than Jesus or the Father because he has a different role from them? No. His part is incredibly essential to our salvation.
In the same way, women are dignified and valuable as image-bearers and in their God-given roles.
Phylicia Masonheimer said it beautifully, and I’ll end this part with a quote from her:
“To God, women are utterly equal. They are the magnum opus of creation, the final touch, the very good. They were meant to be man’s one companion in the relationship outlined at the beginning. And we are as much a part of man’s work and mission as he is; partners in producing fruitful labour, recreating and making and echoing God in this world! We are that strong easer, that military aid that is coming to help fulfill this great commission.
