Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: WOE
Program Code: WOE000002
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00:15 Let us pray.
00:18 Once again, Father, we come into Your presence, 00:21 realizing that our ways are not Your ways, 00:25 realizing that our knowledge and wisdom is limited. 00:30 And therefore we come before You asking for Your wisdom. 00:35 That we might be able to understand, 00:37 what we're going to study? 00:39 And we me might be able comprehend, 00:41 how important it is in this stage 00:44 of the history of the Adventist church? 00:47 We ask Father, that You will be with us 00:50 through the ministration of Your holy angels. 00:52 You will give us clarity of thought 00:55 and you will give us tender hearts. 00:57 And we thank You for the promise of Your presence 01:00 because we ask it in the name of Jesus', amen. 01:06 The Bible provides an impressive list of prominent women 01:13 who played a significant role in the plan of salvation. 01:19 The Old Testament has an entire on a row of woman, 01:23 who were instrumental in bringing about things 01:27 that would lead to the coming of the Messiah to the world. 01:31 We think for example of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, 01:36 Jacobi, Miriam, Ruth, Esther, Hannah, 01:42 Deborah, Huldah among others. 01:46 The New Testament is no exception. 01:49 There are numerable women in the New Testament 01:53 who also were instrumental in proclaiming the plan 01:58 of salvation and also preparing the world 02:01 for the arrival of the Messiah. 02:03 We think for example of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 02:07 Anna, Elizabeth, Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus. 02:12 Joanna, Salome, Dorcas, Lydia, Priscilla, Domorus, Phoebe. 02:20 The four daughters of Philips, Lois, Junias 02:23 and many, many others that are mentioned in the New Testament. 02:27 Women who played an important roles in the early church. 02:32 Who would dare say that scripture has nothing to say 02:38 about the role and importance of women 02:41 in the plan of salvation 02:43 and in the proclamation of the gospel? 02:46 The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 02:50 contains what I consider to be a must read article. 02:54 It's the article that bares the title Woman, 02:58 where a contrast is drawn between 03:01 the biblical concept of woman and the concept of woman 03:05 that was held in the countries 03:08 of the Middle East in biblical times. 03:11 I like to read a paragraph from this very good encyclopedia, 03:16 the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 03:19 where it speaks about the relationship between 03:22 the Hebrew concept of woman and the concept of woman 03:25 that was held by the surrounding nations. 03:28 This is how it reads. 03:30 "Under the Hebrew system the position of woman 03:35 was in marked contrast with her status 03:38 in surrounding heathen nations. 03:41 Her liberties were greater, 03:44 her employments more varied and important, 03:48 her social standing more respectful and commanding. 03:53 The divine law given on Sinai required children to honor 03:58 the mother equally with the father. 04:02 A similar esteem was accorded her in patriarchal times. 04:07 The ancient Hebrews never entirely lost 04:11 the light of their original revelation, 04:14 and, more than any other oriental race, 04:18 they held woman in high esteem, honor and affection." 04:24 Unfortunately in the times of Christ, 04:29 the Jews had been impacted and influenced 04:33 by the views of woman that were held by the surrounding nations. 04:38 The same encyclopedia states this about the concept 04:42 that was held by the Rabbis in the days of Christ. 04:46 "Under pagan culture and heathen darkness 04:51 woman was universally subject 04:54 to inferior and degrading conditions. 04:58 Every decline in her status in the Hebrew commonwealth 05:03 was due to the incursion of foreign influence." 05:08 You know, when you look for example 05:10 at the Sabbath in the gospels. 05:12 The Rabbinical Sabbath is not the biblical Sabbath. 05:17 And so the view that the Rabbis had of woman 05:20 was not the biblical view of woman. 05:23 The view of woman had been distorted in the days of Christ. 05:28 It was not the view that was upheld by scripture. 05:33 Now, we must ask the question. 05:36 Did God delegate to Adam at creation 05:41 the headship or leadership role in the marriage relationship? 05:47 Or was this headship or leadership role given to Adam 05:51 only after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin? 05:58 And a related question? 06:00 Did the headship or the leadership of Adam 06:04 and Man come to an end when Jesus died on the cross? 06:11 So we're going to attempt to answer 06:13 these very important questions. 06:16 Was Adam given the headship and leadership role before sin? 06:21 And after sin, did this headship or leadership role continue 06:28 or did it end at the cross when Jesus died? 06:33 Now, there is no doubt whatsoever. 06:35 When we examine the biblical testimony 06:38 that there is strong evidence that Adam and Eve 06:42 were created equal in status. 06:46 But it is also equally clear in the Bible 06:49 and in the Spirit of Prophecy that God gave Adam 06:53 the headship or the leadership role 06:56 in the marriage relationship. 06:58 Now once again I would like to read a statement that we find 07:01 in the International Bible Encyclopedia 07:05 where it speaks about how man could be equal 07:10 and man and woman could be equal 07:13 and yet fulfill different roles. 07:16 This is what the encyclopedia states. 07:19 "Priority of creation may indicate headship." 07:25 Because of course, Eve came after Adam. 07:29 She came from Adam. 07:31 So the article says "Priority of creation may indicate headship, 07:35 but not as theologians 07:38 have so uniformly affirmed, superiority. 07:42 Dependence indicates difference of function, not inferiority. 07:49 Human values are estimated 07:51 in terms of the mental and spiritual. 07:54 Man and woman are endowed for equality, 07:58 and are mutually interdependent." 08:01 And so what this paragraph is saying is that 08:05 because Adam was prior to Eve, 08:08 he did had the headship role but that does not mean 08:11 that Adam was superior to Eve. 08:15 They were equal but they had different functions. 08:20 Now the Book of Genesis makes it very, very clear 08:23 that Adam and Eve were created equal in status 08:28 and in value before God. 08:30 Both of them were told in scripture 08:33 were created in the image of God. 08:36 Both of them were blessed by the Creator. 08:39 Both of them were given the command 08:41 to be fruitful and to multiply. 08:44 To both of them was given dominion. 08:48 And both of them are described with the generic word 'Man.' 08:53 Ellen White in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 47 08:58 makes it very clear 09:00 that Adam and Eve were created equal. 09:03 This is what she states. 09:05 "Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, 09:10 signifying that she was not to control him as the head, 09:15 nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, 09:19 but to stand by his side as an equal, 09:23 to be loved and protected by him." 09:27 So there is no doubt whatsoever that Adam and Eve 09:30 were created ontologically equal but the question is. 09:34 Does this mean that they had identical 09:37 or indistinguishable roles within that equality? 09:43 Where they created the same? 09:45 Or where they created different to fulfill different roles? 09:50 There is no doubt whatsoever 09:52 that the man was created to be the father. 09:55 And the woman was created to be the mother. 09:58 Both of them were created with 10:00 different physiological and psychological makeup. 10:04 Each to fulfill the role for which God created them. 10:10 Does a difference in roles mean 10:12 that the woman was inferior to the man? 10:15 Absolutely not. 10:16 A distinction in roles 10:18 does not imply superiority or inferiority. 10:24 The women's ordination lobby today 10:26 which is very, very powerful 10:29 and puts a lot of pressure on churches and on society 10:33 has given the impression 10:34 that female's submission to man within marriage is a bad thing. 10:42 That subjection of wives to their husbands gives them 10:46 an inferior and a demeaning status. 10:50 The idea seems to be that loving subjection of wives 10:55 to their husbands was instituted after the fall. 10:59 And lasted only until Jesus died at the cross. 11:03 And when Jesus died according to this view, 11:06 woman within marriage were emancipated from subordination 11:12 or subjection to their husbands. 11:15 But the question is this so. 11:18 Was the subjection or the submission of wives 11:21 to their husbands only a temporary arrangement 11:25 that was to last between the fall and the cross? 11:28 Or was this arrangement something 11:31 that God has established before sin 11:34 at the every beginning of human history? 11:38 There is significant evidence in scripture, 11:41 as well as in the Spirit of Prophecy 11:44 that man was given the headship or the leadership role 11:48 before sin and that this arrangement 11:51 was conformed also after sin. 11:56 Now, what I want to do in the next few minutes 11:59 that we have together is to present 12:02 all of the biblical testimony 12:04 that man was created to be the head and the leader 12:09 and the woman was created to be subject 12:13 to the authority of the husband. 12:16 Now I know that in this world that we live in today, 12:20 that sounds just not right because society has said, no, 12:25 you know, nobody is subject to anybody. 12:27 Every person is, does their own thing, 12:30 every person is an individual, 12:31 there is no such thing 12:33 as subjection of wives to husbands. 12:36 But the church does not go by what society dictates. 12:40 The church bases its beliefs and its practices 12:43 upon God's holy word, 12:45 upon the scriptures and upon the writings 12:48 that we have from the Spirit of Prophecy. 12:51 So let's take a look at the biblical evidence 12:54 that man and woman were created equal 12:57 and yet they had different functions 13:00 with the husband being the leader 13:03 and the wife being subject to the authority of the husband. 13:07 The Apostle Paul harkens back to the creation account. 13:13 And he explains that the woman is not allowed 13:16 to exercise authority over the man because as he says, 13:22 "Adam was created first and then Eve." 13:25 I want to read that text, it's found in 1 Timothy 2:12-13. 13:32 This is what the Apostle Paul says. 13:34 "I do not permit a woman to teach 13:37 or to have authority over a man, she must be silent. 13:42 For Adam was formed first, then Eve." 13:46 Now you notice here that Paul's argument 13:49 for the submission of the woman to the man 13:52 is not an issue of culture. 13:56 It's not an issue of something 13:58 that comes about as a result of the fall. 14:01 The Apostle Paul is arguing on the basis of the creation order. 14:06 He is saying, that the woman should be subject to the man. 14:10 And I believe that 14:11 he is especially talking about marriage 14:13 because man was created first and then woman. 14:18 This happened before sin came into the world. 14:21 It's part of God's original plan. 14:23 It transcends culture and it takes place before the fall. 14:29 Another indication that man was to exercise 14:32 the leadership or headship role 14:34 and the wife was to be subject to the authority 14:38 of the husband was the manner of Eve's creation. 14:43 Now we all know according to the Bible 14:46 that Eve was created from man. 14:51 The Apostle Paul picks up on this. 14:53 Notice 1 Corinthians 11:8 where the Apostle Paul argues 14:58 that the woman should be submissive 15:01 to the headship of the man. 15:03 And now I quote, 15:04 "because man did not come from woman 15:07 but woman came from man." 15:10 Notice once again that this has nothing to do with culture, 15:15 it has nothing to do with the fall. 15:17 Because the Apostle Paul is arguing 15:19 on the basis of the creation order 15:21 that took place before sin. 15:24 He says very clearly man did not come from woman 15:28 but woman came from man. 15:29 That took place before sin. 15:32 And so the Apostle Paul is taking what Genesis 2:21 says 15:36 about the manner of Eve's coming into existence. 15:40 And he is saying that shows that the wife or the woman 15:44 should be subject to her husband. 15:47 You see, in the Bible origin and authority 15:52 are very closely related. 15:54 For example, Jesus is preeminent. 15:58 And the reason why He is preeminent 16:00 and above all creation 16:02 is because He is the source of creation. 16:06 For this reason in Colossians 1:15, 16:09 Jesus is called the head of the body. 16:13 Now, let's take another example a child. 16:17 Is a child required to render 16:20 obedience and respect to his parents? 16:23 Absolutely. Why? 16:25 Because the child derived 16:27 his or her existence from the parents. 16:32 And therefore, children should be 16:34 obedience and submissive to their parents. 16:37 Apostle Paul is arguing in the same manner. 16:40 That because the woman came from the man, 16:42 the man is the source of the woman, 16:45 the woman in the marriage relationship 16:48 should be subject to her husband. 16:51 Another indication that man was created to exercise authority 16:56 or the headship role is the fact that the Bible tells us 17:00 that Eve was made to be Adam's helper. 17:05 Now, the Apostle Paul again picks up on the creation order. 17:09 In 1 Corinthians 11:9, the Apostle Paul explains 17:14 what Moses meant when he spoke of Eve 17:18 as being created as a helper for man. 17:21 This is what the Apostle Paul says. 17:23 "Neither was man created for woman, 17:26 but woman was created for man." 17:30 Once again, the Apostle Paul is not arguing 17:33 on the basis of culture. 17:35 He is not arguing about something 17:38 that took place after the fall. 17:40 He is saying that this is part of the creation order. 17:45 Another indication that man was to exercise 17:49 the headship or the leadership role even before sin 17:54 is because the Bible tells us that Adam gave Eve a name. 17:59 Now, in scripture giving names is a sign of authority. 18:03 For example, you remember Nebuchadnezzar gave 18:06 the three Hebrew were these names. 18:09 He was exercising his authority. 18:12 We read in our first presentation 18:14 on this topic that the Father gave Jesus a name, 18:18 that is above every name. 18:20 The Father is exercising His authority 18:22 by giving Jesus a name. 18:24 And of course, Adam exercised his authority by-- 18:28 over the animals by naming the animals. 18:32 Incidentally parents give names to their children. 18:35 This is an exercise of parental authority 18:39 because the children come from their parents. 18:44 So the fact that Adam names Eve is an indication 18:48 that Adam exercised authority or leadership or headship 18:52 and this took place once again before sin. 18:56 It has nothing to do with culture, 18:58 it has nothing to do with God arrangement after the fall. 19:02 "Even the before the creation of woman, 19:05 God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree." 19:09 He did not command Eve not to eat from the tree. 19:13 "There is no indication in the story 19:15 that God give this command to Eve." 19:18 The Genesis story seems to indicate 19:21 that Adam was expected to relay this information 19:26 to Eve, his wife. 19:27 That she was not supposed to eat from the tree. 19:30 One Adventist pro-ordination scholar has suggested 19:34 that the gender-specific requirement 19:37 that elders must be the husbands of one wife, 19:40 does not anymore disqualify woman from being elders. 19:44 Then the tenth Commandment excludes woman from obedience 19:48 because God commanded man not to covet 19:51 and not woman but such an argument is flawed. 19:55 Does the fact that the tenth Commandment 19:57 forbids a man to covet his neighbor's wife 20:01 mean that it is allowable for the wife 20:04 to covet another woman's husband 20:07 because it's not specifically mentioned there. 20:10 The idea is absurd. 20:12 You see, in biblical thought 20:14 when God gives a command to the husband, 20:17 he is expected to teach his entire family 20:21 to obey the commandment. 20:23 For example, God said this about Abraham 20:27 and this is found in Genesis 18:19. 20:30 "For I have known him, 20:33 in order that he may command his children 20:36 and his household after him, 20:39 that they keep the way of the Lord, 20:42 to do righteousness and justice, 20:44 that the Lord may bring to Abraham 20:46 what He has spoken to him." 20:48 Did you notice here that clearly it tells us 20:52 that God expected Abraham to command his children 20:56 and his household after Him? 20:58 God spoke to Abraham and then Abraham relayed 21:02 the information to his family. 21:05 Now, it's interesting to notice that before Adam and Eve sinned, 21:09 Ellen White tells us the following about the Sabbath. 21:12 And I quote. 21:14 "The Sabbath was committed to Adam, 21:17 the father and representative of the whole human family." 21:22 To whom did God commit the Sabbath? 21:24 She says very clearly, 21:26 "The Sabbath was committed to Adam, 21:28 the Father and representative of the whole human family." 21:31 Notice that it doesn't say 21:32 "that God committed the Sabbath to Adam and Eve." 21:35 The father and mother of the human race. 21:38 He committed it to Adam. 21:40 Does this fact mean that because God committed it 21:43 to Adam that Eve was not expected 21:46 to obey the Sabbath commandment. 21:48 To the contrary as the father and the representative 21:52 of the whole human family, 21:54 Adam was expected to teach his wife 21:58 and successive generations the meaning of the Sabbath 22:01 and the importance of its observance. 22:04 So just because the Bible doesn't tell us 22:08 that God commanded Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath, 22:12 He gives the Sabbath to Adam 22:13 according to the Spirit of Prophecy. 22:15 Doesn't mean that Eve was not required to keep the Sabbath. 22:19 And the same idea applies to the issue of ordination. 22:24 Another argument which the Apostle Paul 22:26 uses is a post-fall argument. 22:28 You see, after the fall the arrangement 22:31 was still that the wife should be subject to her husband. 22:35 Now the Apostle Paul not only gives pre-fall reasons 22:38 for this but he also gives post-fall reasons. 22:41 Now notice what he had to say in 1 Timothy 2:14-15. 22:49 Here he says, "That he does not allow the woman 22:53 to exercise authority over the man, 22:56 for Adam was formed first then Eve." 23:00 And then he explains this. 23:02 "And Adam was not deceived, 23:04 but the woman being deceived fell into transgression." 23:09 So the Apostle Paul is now giving 23:11 an additional post-fall reason, 23:13 why woman do not exercise authority over a man? 23:18 Because the woman was enticed into sin 23:21 and then she became the temptress of man. 23:24 Samuele Bacchiocchi said something very interesting 23:29 about this idea of the woman being the one 23:33 who brought sin into the world. 23:35 I would like to read this, it's found in Prove All Things 23:40 which is a book that deals with issues 23:42 relating to women's ordination, pages 83 and 84. 23:46 Notice here what he says? 23:48 "Adam willingly let his wife take the lead. 23:54 She usurped Adam's headship and instead of being his helper 23:59 to live as God intended she led him into sin. 24:04 Adam failed to exercise his spiritual leadership 24:08 by protecting Eve from the serpent's deception, 24:12 and, on her part, Eve failed to respect her submissive role 24:18 by standing by her husband side. 24:21 The great fault of Adam in the Fall 24:23 was his failure to exercise his role of spiritual leadership. 24:28 Instead of leading his wife into obedience to God's command, 24:33 he allowed his wife to lead him into disobedience." 24:37 Isn't that a remarkable statement? 24:40 In other words he was supposed to lead his wife into obedience. 24:44 And he relinquished his role as the head and the leader 24:47 and he listened to her voice and thus fell into sin. 24:52 Now it's interesting to notice 24:54 also that after Adam and Eve sinned, 24:56 God required an accounting from Adam 25:01 before he required an accounting from Eve. 25:04 You would expect God to hold Eve accountable 25:07 because she sinned first but it was not so. 25:10 Noteworthy is that fact that God said to Adam 25:14 and now I read from Genesis 3:16. 25:16 Listen carefully. 25:18 He is saying to Adam, 25:19 "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife 25:22 and have eaten from the tree of which 25:24 I commanded you saying, 'You shall not eat of it.'" 25:28 Are you catching the nuance of this verse? 25:30 God is saying to Adam, you heard the voice of your wife. 25:34 When you should have made sure 25:35 that your wife heard your voice. 25:38 So in other words you listen to her command 25:42 instead of listening to My command 25:44 and relaying that command to her. 25:48 The insinuation seems to be that Adam should have obeyed God 25:52 and Eve should in turn have followed 25:55 the voice of her husband. 25:56 Instead Adam relinquished his leadership role to his wife 26:02 by obeying her voice, which led him into transgression. 26:07 Now this idea is further bolstered 26:11 by God's words to Eve after her transgression. 26:14 Now, after Eve transgressed, this is what God said to Eve. 26:18 This is in Genesis 3:16 it says, 26:24 "Your desire shall be for your husband. 26:28 And he shall rule over you." 26:31 Now the question that I would like to ask 26:33 about this statement that God gave to Eve 26:38 is whether this arrangement was a reconfirmation 26:42 of a reality that existed before sin 26:45 or whether this was a divine sentence pronounced by God 26:48 upon the woman after sin? 26:51 In other words, was it a reconfirmation 26:53 of an arrangement that existed before 26:55 or was it a pronouncement of a divine sentence 26:59 something negative pronounced 27:01 upon Eve after the transgression? 27:04 In other words, was this a less than ideal arrangement 27:08 than what existed before sin? 27:11 I believe the answer to this question 27:13 is found in another verse that we find in Genesis 4:7. 27:19 In Genesis 4:7 the same two words are used 27:23 that we found in Genesis 3:16. 27:26 One is the word desire and the other is the word rule. 27:31 Once again Genesis 3:16 says, 27:33 "Your desire shall be for your husband 27:37 and he shall rule over you." 27:40 Now all Bible versions that I consulted on Genesis 4:7. 27:46 And I'm going to read from the NIV as an example. 27:49 Presents the idea that sin is like an animal 27:54 that is crouching and ready to attack. 27:57 In other words the idea is that sin is wants to attacks you, 28:02 sins desire for you. 28:04 But you should rule over sin. 28:06 Listen to the way that the NIV presents this. 28:09 It's our God is hear speaking to Cain. 28:13 "If you that, that is Cain do what is right, 28:16 will you not be accepted? 28:18 But if you do not do what is right, 28:21 sin is crouching at your door. 28:25 It desires to have you, but you must master it." 28:30 Are you seeing what God-- According to this translation 28:32 what God is saying to Cain? 28:34 What God is saying to Cain is, sin has the desire to catch you, 28:39 but you should rule over sin. 28:42 In other words the NIV as well as other version 28:45 actually personify sin as a crouching animal, 28:49 desiring to dominate Cain. 28:51 But Cain is instructed to rule over sin. 28:55 Now Ellen White begs to differ in this interpretation. 29:00 Her explanation is more contextual 29:03 and makes more sense than what all of the translations provide. 29:09 I like to read Ellen White's comment on this. 29:13 It's found in Bible Echo, April 8, 1912. 29:18 It's interesting how Ellen White not always went along 29:22 with the translations and the commentators. 29:24 Sometimes she presented things that were unique. 29:27 Now listen to the explanation that she gives. 29:31 "Abel's offering has been accepted 29:34 but this was because he had done in particular 29:37 as God required him to do. 29:40 If Cain would correct his error, 29:43 he would not be deprived of his birthright. 29:47 Abel, listen carefully, 29:49 Abel would not only love him as his brother, 29:54 but as the younger, would be subject to him." Interesting. 30:00 Once again, "Abel would not only love him as his brother." 30:05 In other words, his desire would be for his brother. 30:08 "But as the younger he would be subject to him." 30:12 Now, you might be wondering whether Ellen White 30:14 is commenting on Genesis 4:7. 30:16 She finishes the quotation by saying, 30:18 "Thus the Lord declared to Cain, 30:21 "Unto thee shall be his desire, that is Abel's desire, 30:26 and thou shalt rule over him, 30:28 that is over Abel because you are older." 30:32 Are you understanding me? 30:34 And so you have this same idea that the reason 30:37 why the man was to exercise leadership or authority 30:41 over the woman was because 30:43 the woman was younger than the man. 30:46 Now you find here that after sin you have the same arrangement. 30:50 God is saying in other words to Cain listen. 30:53 If you do what is right, 30:57 Abel's desire is going to be for you. 30:59 His love is going to be for you. 31:01 And he is going to allow you to rule over him 31:04 because you are older and he is what? 31:07 And he is younger. 31:09 What a beautiful explanation of the text. 31:13 By the way as I mentioned before 31:14 this lends support to Paul's statement 31:18 that before the fall Adam was to rule over his wife 31:22 because he was created first and then Eve. 31:26 In other words, he was older and she was younger. 31:29 On the other hand Eve was to lovingly submit to her husband 31:34 because he was older and she was younger. 31:36 Thus the older, younger issue comes into view 31:40 both before and after sin. 31:43 And provides one rational for female submission. 31:48 Notably, this story of Cain and Abel 31:51 transpired long before the patriarchal period. 31:55 Because some people argue, some scholars say, 31:57 well, you know, in the time of the patriarchs 31:59 you have the wife subjective to the husband 32:01 but we don't live in patriarchal times anymore. 32:04 But you have this idea already in prepatriarchal times, 32:07 in early human history. 32:10 So this story transpired long before the patriarchal period. 32:14 Since, the very beginning of history 32:16 the younger son was to be ruled by the older son. 32:20 And Adam, who was created first 32:22 was to rule over his wife, who was created second. 32:26 As stated before, this does not mean 32:29 that the woman was ontologically inferior to man. 32:33 Just as Abel was not ontologically inferior to Cain. 32:37 Was Abel inferior to Cain? 32:40 Was he equal to Cain in status? 32:42 Was he equal as a child of God? 32:44 Was he equal in value? 32:46 Of course, he was, but he owed respect to Cain 32:50 because Cain was his older brother. 32:53 That is if Cain did what was right. 32:56 Another evidence that man was to exercise authority 33:00 over a woman specifically in marriage 33:03 is because even after sin Adam once again named his wife. 33:09 In Genesis 3:20 we find this statement. 33:13 "Adam named his wife Eve, 33:17 because she would become the mother of all living." 33:22 So once again you have man naming the woman before sin 33:26 and you have man naming Eve 33:29 after the entrance of sin as well. 33:32 Another evidence that man was to exercise 33:36 the headship role is found in 1 Corinthians 11:3, 33:42 where the Apostle Paul says clearly. 33:45 "God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man 33:50 and the man is the head of the woman." 33:53 Now, how could a text be clearer than this one? 33:56 Once again, God is the head Christ. 33:59 Does Christ have a problem with that? 34:01 No. And then it says, Christ is the head of the man. 34:05 Should the man have any problem with that? 34:08 No. The man is the head of woman. 34:11 Should the woman have any problem with that? 34:13 No. Probably, a better translation would be, 34:17 that the husband is the head of the wife 34:19 because it's referring primarily to the marriage relationship. 34:24 Now you notice that the Apostle Paul doesn't say here 34:27 that man was the head of the woman 34:30 until Jesus died on the cross. 34:32 This is being written long after the cross. 34:34 And Paul is saying here that man is the head of the woman 34:39 when he wrote the book of 1 Corinthians. 34:43 Now some women's ordination lobbyist 34:46 and I never ceased to be amazed at how those 34:48 who are in favor of women's ordinations 34:50 will twist the scriptures and meanings of words 34:54 to square with their belief. 34:56 Some women's ordination lobbyist 34:58 have attempted to soften or even eliminate the idea 35:03 that the husband is the head of the wife. 35:05 By arguing that the word head doesn't really mean head, 35:09 it means source or origin. 35:12 Let me give an example. Perhaps some extreme example. 35:15 But it shows how the scriptures many times 35:18 are twisted to fit a preconceived motion. 35:21 Somebody sent me paper that was written by a seminary student 35:25 and this seminary student said 35:26 the word head doesn't mean head, it means completion. 35:30 And this is how she explained the meaning of the word head. 35:35 And I'm reading where it says, 35:38 that the man is the head of the woman, 35:40 from the writings of the Apostle Paul. 35:42 She says, "As Christ is the enabler, 35:47 (the one who brings the completion), 35:49 she puts in parenthesis of the church. 35:52 So the husband is to enable that is to bring to completion 35:56 all that his wife is meant to be." 36:00 Now the interesting thing is, 36:01 this is very novel private interpretation. 36:04 It's what people call eisegesis. 36:07 It's reading into the text what is not there. 36:10 The fact is the Bible tells us that the woman 36:13 was created to enable the man, 36:15 not the man to enable the woman. 36:18 By the way, not a single Bible version translates it that way. 36:22 And not a single lexicon that I consulted 36:25 which is a dictionary has any inkling 36:29 that this means completion or it means to enable. 36:33 It is a private interpretation. 36:36 Incidentally, in all other texts where the Apostle Paul 36:39 uses the word head which is the Greek word Kephale, 36:42 it means authority or it means headship. 36:46 You can check for example, Ephesians 1:22, 36:49 Ephesians 5;23-24, Galatians 118 also 2:10, 36:55 1 Peter 2:7 and there are other texts 36:58 that clearly show that the word head means exactly that, head. 37:04 Once again I say that Bible words 37:06 should not be treated like Play-Doh 37:09 that could be molded to take the shape 37:11 that the interpreter wishes them to have. 37:14 Now interestingly enough the Apostle Paul 37:17 sometimes uses the word head or kephale 37:20 with another Greek word which is the Greek word hupostasso 37:24 which is translated submit. 37:26 Head and submit are used very frequently 37:29 by Paul together in passages. 37:32 Let me give you one example. 37:34 Ephesians 5:22-24, 37:38 Ephesians 5:22-24. 37:41 "Wives submit, that's the word hupostasso 37:46 to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 37:50 For the husband is the head of the wife." 37:52 That's the word kephale, is the head of the wife, 37:55 a also Christ is the head or the kephale of the church, 38:00 and He is the Savior of the body. 38:02 Therefore, just as the church is subject, 38:05 that's the same word hupotosso to Christ, 38:08 so let the wise be subject, hupotosso 38:12 to their own husbands in everything." 38:15 Now I looked up the meaning of the word hupostasso 38:18 which is the word submit in Greek lexicons. 38:21 And this is the definition. 38:23 It means to be subject, to subordinate or to put under. 38:29 The Jewish Bible commentary makes a good point 38:33 and I'd like to read what the Jewish Bible commentary says. 38:37 "If Jesus does not find 38:39 the headship of the father demeaning 38:42 and if the man does not consider the headship of Jesus demeaning, 38:46 then wives should not find the headships 38:49 of their husbands demeaning either." 38:53 The fundamental problem folks is that in this sinful world, 38:57 we consider subjection as a negative thing. 39:01 We consider that those who submit or subject themselves 39:04 to the authority of another are inferior. 39:09 If this were the case as we mentioned in our first study, 39:13 the subjection of Jesus to His Father 39:15 would means that Jesus is inferior to His Father. 39:19 But we're told in scripture 39:21 that Jesus will subjected himself to His father 39:24 even after sin is eradicated from the universe. 39:28 You see, in scripture subjection 39:30 is presented in a positive light. 39:33 To submit to the divine order is sublimed, 39:37 to refuse to submit to the divine order is rebellion. 39:42 And of course, that's how sin originated. 39:46 Now in other ways and why we can see clearly 39:49 that God established an order of the woman 39:53 being subject to the man is the fact 39:56 that even though Eve committed the first sin. 40:00 The Bible tells us that God held Adam accountable 40:04 for the entrance of sin into the world. 40:08 You know, when you go to Romans 5:12-21 40:12 Jesus is spoken as the second Eve, right? 40:18 What is Jesus spoken of? 40:20 As the second Adam. 40:21 Now wouldn't Jesus be the second Eve, 40:24 if Eve sinned first. 40:25 It must be that God held account Adam accountable for sin 40:30 because Adam was at the head of the human race. 40:33 There is no other explanation that can be used for this 40:37 because Christ is the second Adam. 40:40 Jesus is at the head of the human race 40:43 as the second Adam as Adam 40:45 was at the head of the human race at the very beginning. 40:49 Now there is one more point that I would like to make 40:52 and that is that scripture informs us that a height, 40:59 physical height matters 41:01 and the Spirit of Prophecy confirms this point. 41:04 Now let me ask you how tall was Eve in her relationship to Adam? 41:11 Well, in Signs of the Times, January 9, 1879, 41:16 we're told something about the height of Eve 41:19 as compared to Adam. 41:20 We're talking about physical height now. 41:23 This is what Ellen White explains. 41:26 Eve was not quite as tall as Adam. 41:30 Her head reached a little above his shoulders." 41:35 Now you'll say, are you saying that height 41:36 makes the difference when it comes to authority? 41:39 It's exactly what I'm saying. 41:41 And you'll say, well, how do you know that? 41:44 Let me just give you some examples 41:47 from the Spirit of Prophecy about how this issue of height 41:53 has to do with authority and has to do with headship. 41:58 Now, do you know that Ellen White in her writings says 42:01 that angels have different heights. 42:05 She speaks of tall commanding angels 42:08 being a the top of the chain of command 42:12 having authority over physically shorter angels. 42:15 You say is that possible? 42:17 Let me read you some statements. 42:19 In volume 1 of Spirit of Prophecy page 23, 42:23 Ellen White is speaking about when Lucifer 42:25 prepared to war against Christ. 42:28 She says, "The angels were marshaled in companies, 42:33 each division with a higher commanding angel at their head." 42:41 Interesting. Here is another interesting statement. 42:44 This is concerning when Jesus was arrested 42:47 in the Garden of Gethsemane, the mob came to arrest Him. 42:52 And in Early Writings 168, Ellen White explains, 42:56 "Many companies of holy angels, 42:58 each with a tall commanding angel at their head, 43:03 were sent to witness the scene." 43:06 And Ellen White tells us as God's people 43:08 are crying out for deliverance at the end of time. 43:12 During the time of Jacobs's trouble, 43:14 the angels whizzed to deliver God's people. 43:18 But she explains, "But a tall, 43:20 commanding angle suffered them not. 43:23 He said, "The will of God is not yet fulfilled. 43:27 They must drink of the cup. 43:29 They must be baptized with the baptism." 43:31 And Ellen White explains at the height 43:34 that Jesus is head over shoulders above 43:37 even the commanding angels because of His position. 43:42 So the fact that Eve was created 43:45 shorter than Adam has significance. 43:48 Now we wouldn't apply that today 43:50 because in the course of sin height makes no difference, 43:54 but if man had not sinned, 43:56 this arrangement would have continued 43:59 as Adam and Eve procreated. 44:02 Now I'd like to also share with you Ellen White's testimony, 44:05 is this clear up to what we studied so far? 44:08 Are there sufficient evidences in scriptures 44:10 for what we were studying? 44:11 I believe that there is an abundance of evidence. 44:13 Now let's take a look at a few things 44:16 that Ellen White has to tell us 44:18 about female submission and male headship. 44:24 And let's find out if this arrangement 44:25 ended at the cross or whether it's still exists 44:29 in the family relationship today. 44:31 And then we are going to study also 44:33 whether this arrangement spills over into the church as well. 44:38 I'd like to read from Counsels to the Church, 44:41 pages 145 and 146. 44:45 Here Ellen White explains, 44:47 "The Lord has constituted the husband, 44:50 the head of the wife to be her protector." 44:54 So did these arrangements come to an end at the cross? 44:58 Of course not, Ellen White is writing this 45:00 2000 years after the cross. 45:02 And she is saying, "The Lord has constituted the husband, 45:05 the head of the wife to be her protector; 45:09 he is the house-band of the family, 45:12 binding the members together, 45:14 even as Christ is the head of the church 45:17 and the Savior of the mystical body. 45:19 Let every husband who claims to love God 45:23 carefully study the requirements of God in his position. 45:28 Christ's authority is exercised in wisdom 45:32 in all kindness and gentleness." 45:34 Now did you hear that how Jesus exercises His authority, 45:37 how does He do it? 45:38 With an iron fist trampling on people. No. 45:42 Christ authority is exercising wisdom 45:44 in all kindness and gentleness. 45:47 "So let the husband exercise his power 45:51 and imitate the great head of the church. 45:54 So it applies to Christ, 45:56 applies also in the relationship of husbands to wives. 46:01 But at the same time Ellen White 46:04 warned husbands not to overdo it. 46:07 And not to brag about their position of authority. 46:11 In the book Acts of the Apostles, 46:13 page 360 Ellen White had this to say. 46:17 "It is no evidence of manliness in the husband for him 46:22 to dwell constantly upon his position as head of the family." 46:27 See Ellen White has a balancing statement. 46:30 She says just because he is the head, 46:31 it doesn't mean that he is always saying, 46:33 hey probably needed, I'm the head, 46:35 don't you forget it. I'm the one who decides. 46:37 No, Ellen White says we don't do that. 46:39 And so once again she says 46:41 "It is no evidence of manliness in the husband for him 46:44 to dwell constantly upon his position as head of the family. 46:48 It does not increase respect for him 46:51 to hear him quoting Scripture 46:53 to sustain his claims to authority. 46:56 It will not make him more manly to require his wife 47:00 the mother of his children to act upon his plans 47:04 as if they were infallible." 47:07 So Ellen White makes it very clear that 47:09 just because the man is the head, 47:11 it doesn't mean that he becomes a dictator. 47:13 She says in wisdom, in all kindness and in gentleness. 47:19 And folks, if the husband love the wife 47:23 and was willing to give himself for her, 47:26 the wife would have absolutely no problem 47:28 submitting to the respectful authority of the husband. 47:33 Now what is the role of husbands and wives? 47:37 I like to read from the Seventh-day Adventist 47:39 Bible commentary, volume 1 page 1082. 47:46 Here Ellen White explains clearly the position 47:49 that God created Adam to occupy. 47:52 This is what she says. "Adam was crowned king in Eden." 47:58 What was Adam's position? 47:59 King, notice it doesn't say God made Adam and Eve kings. 48:04 It says, "Adam was crowned king in Eden to him not to them. 48:10 To him was given dominion over every living thing 48:14 that God had created. 48:16 The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence 48:18 such as he not given to any other creature. 48:21 He made Adam the rightful sovereign 48:25 over all the works of His hands." 48:29 In another statement in Counsels to Teachers, page 33, 48:33 Ellen White explains, "Under God, 48:36 Adam was to stand at the head of the earthly family, 48:40 to maintain the principles of the heavenly family. 48:43 This would have brought peace and happiness." 48:47 Now somebody might be thinking. 48:49 Well, Pastor Bohr, what Ellen White says 48:51 is at odds with scripture. 48:54 Because Ellen White says that God crowned Adam king in Eden 48:58 and he made Adam the rightful servant 49:01 and he gave Adam dominion 49:03 but the Bible says that God also gave Eve dominion. 49:07 So how do you explain that it says 49:09 that God placed Adam as king and gave Adam dominion 49:13 when the Bible says that God gave Eve dominion as well? 49:17 The answer is that they were both given dominion 49:22 but they each had their legitimate steer of dominion. 49:27 You see, in ancient nations there was a king 49:31 and there was queen. 49:33 Both of them ruled together. 49:35 But where did the buck stop. 49:38 The buck stopped with the king. 49:40 Now, an analogous situation can be seen in the relationship 49:45 between the God the Father and Jesus Christ. 49:48 When probation closes, listen carefully 49:51 when probation closes, we are told in the Bible 49:54 that the kingdoms of the world will belong 49:56 to both the Father and Son. 49:59 That's Revelation 11:15, "The kingdoms of the world 50:03 had become the kingdom of God and of his Christ." 50:07 And yet we've already noticed in our previous study 50:10 that in eternity, the Father is going to be the head of Christ 50:15 and Jesus is going to be subject to the authority of His Father. 50:19 And so how is it possible that both of them 50:21 are going to takeover the dominion and the kingdom 50:24 and yet one of them is subject to the other. 50:26 It must be that they exercise different roles. 50:30 Are you following me or not. 50:31 So the question is. 50:33 What is the wife's realm of dominion 50:35 and what is the husband's realm of dominion? 50:38 What are their roles or functions in dominion? 50:43 Ellen White in a very interesting statement have this 50:48 to say, speaking about the mother, she says, 50:51 "The mother may preside in her family as queen in her domain, 50:59 her household being her kingdom." 51:03 Isn't that interesting? 51:05 So as the woman given dominion too? 51:08 What was the realm of her dominion? 51:10 Her household. 51:12 And let me ask you, what was her role, 51:15 her role was to be what. The mother in the household. 51:20 You know, it's more than interesting 51:23 to notice this statement 51:25 that I just read with in its broader context. 51:28 This statement where Ellen White states 51:30 the mother may preside in her family as queen in her domain, 51:34 her household being her kingdom. 51:36 Actually, it's from an article that she wrote 51:39 which is titled proper education. 51:43 You know, as I read this article in the moment 51:45 I'm going to share with you a few paragraphs 51:48 from this article that she wrote. 51:50 I couldn't help but think that many women 51:53 who would read this today 51:54 would find Ellen White's remarks outdated 51:58 and downright archaic and prehistoric. 52:01 They would also undoubtedly disagree 52:04 with Ellen White's definition of women's rights. 52:07 Because she uses that expression women's rights time and again. 52:11 But upon serious reflection Ellen White's description 52:15 of the role of the wife fits perfectly 52:18 with God's original plan for the human family. 52:21 Allow me to read you paragraph as we draw this to a close 52:25 and we'll pickup on this in our next lecture. 52:28 She says this, "I have observed a great deficiency 52:33 in so called educated ladies." 52:37 Ha, she continues saying, 52:40 "They may have graduated with honors 52:43 but are shamefully deficient in the practical duties of life. 52:48 They are destitute of the qualifications necessary 52:51 for the proper regulation and happiness of the family." 52:56 Is that the domain, the kingdom? Absolutely. 52:59 She continues saying, "They may talk of woman's 53:03 elevated sphere and of her rights, 53:07 while they themselves sink far below the true sphere of woman. 53:13 God designed that woman should become intelligent 53:15 in the most essential duties of life. 53:18 But very many in the scale of knowledge and efficiency 53:21 are even below their hired servants. 53:25 It is the right of every daughter of Eve in our land 53:28 to be thoroughly educated in household duties, 53:32 having a knowledge of all the branches 53:34 of practical life in domestic labor. 53:37 She may preside in her family." 53:39 Here is the statement in its context, 53:41 "She may preside in her family as queen in her domain, 53:46 her household being her kingdom. 53:49 She should be fully competent to direct her servants." 53:53 She says "It is a woman's right to be qualified 53:56 to direct the expanding minds of her children. 53:59 It is her right to have understanding of her own 54:03 and her children's organisms that she may know 54:06 how to treat her children, and save them 54:08 from the poisons of doctor's drugs. 54:11 She may adore her gracious creator 54:13 as she contemplates how beautifully 54:15 and simply nature carries on her work 54:17 when she is not interfered with. 54:20 She may have an intelligent nurse 54:21 and a physician of her own dear children 54:24 instead of leaving their precious lives 54:27 in the hands of stranger physicians 54:29 to be drugged to death. 54:31 It is the woman's right to know 54:33 how to regulate her own habits and those of her children, 54:37 in diet and dress, in exercise and in domestic duties, 54:41 and employment in the open air 54:43 in relations to life and health." 54:46 This is an important domain, this is important kingdom, 54:49 the world would not be as messed up 54:50 as it is if the roles had been respected. 54:53 She continue saying, "Many mothers do not take 54:57 half the interest in the constitutional 55:00 wants of their children that the intelligent farmer 55:03 shows to the brutes around him. 55:07 It is a woman's right to look after 55:10 the interest of her husband." 55:11 All have mercy now. She's into meddling. 55:15 "It is woman's right to look after the interest 55:17 of her husband to have a care for his wardrobe 55:21 and to seek to make him happy. It is her right." 55:26 Does she say it is her right quite a bit or absolutely. 55:30 "It is her right to improve her mind and manners, 55:33 to be social, cheerful and happy, 55:36 shedding sunshine in her family, 55:39 and making it a little heaven. 55:41 And she may have an interest for more than me and mind. 55:46 She should consider that society has claims upon her." 55:51 What a powerful statement about the role of the woman. 55:55 Does the woman have dominion? 55:58 You better believe she does. Does she have a kingdom? 56:01 Yes, she does have a kingdom 56:03 with which no one should interfere. 56:07 You see Ellen White held that the duties of the mother 56:12 are so important and I quote that they're most sacred, 56:17 more holy than those of men. 56:21 But she also says that men and women 56:24 husbands, and wives have distinctive duties 56:28 and they have each their own post of doing. 56:33 The problem is that in the world today folks, 56:35 the media have demeaned motherhood. 56:39 It has demeaned the domain of the mother 56:42 and the home caring for the children. 56:45 Women today want to be so called professionals 56:49 and as a result the children have no education, 56:53 they have no care in society as a result falls apart. 56:58 I know that this is not politically correct 57:00 but it's the truth. 57:02 The reason why the world is in such a mess 57:06 is because the roles of husbands and wives have been lost. 57:12 And the only way in which things can improve is 57:15 if we recover the legitimate roles 57:18 that are to be filled by husbands and by wives. |
Revised 2014-12-17