Whose Work Is It?

According to one sociological study, it was discovered that, throughout the world, the tasks that constituted “men’s” and “women’s” work varied widely – in one culture, washing clothes was considered “men’s” work. But even though the specific tasks varied, what was oddly universal was that each culture viewed “women’s” work as less important. Now, this may be a bit of a chicken & egg conversation: that tasks deemed less important are given to women; not that tasks the women do are therefore deemed less important. But the point I want to make is two-fold: we still see this, even in contemporary “liberal” western thought; and I find little evidence to support such thinking in the Biblical view of God’s kingdom.

As extrapolated in Dr. Del Tackett’s DVD series The Truth Project, when exploring a new area of the Christian worldview, we must ask what it is about the nature of God that can inform that area of study. It is not always enough to say: “the Bible says to do this”; often we must ask what it is about the nature of God that causes the Bible to say thus, and how that can then apply to our personal lives.

So let’s start by asking this: is man made in God’s image, but not woman? Obviously we understand this not to mean God has a physical form after which our biological bodies have been modeled: but is only the male able to reflect the nature of God? Genesis 1 certainly doesn't indicate that: it says “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

And with only a few androgynous exceptions, every species on earth is made male and female. Almost as if they were all modeled after something foundational.

Okay: so what? The point is still that men have certain work to do, and women have other work that, typically, is to support the man. Isn't that what Paul teaches over and over again? Well, how were things in the beginning, before the Fall?

“And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28a, ASV).

Wait: there’s only one set of instructions there. You mean, God didn’t say to man do this, and to woman do the other? What about Paul?

Let’s remember our guiding principal: what is it about the nature of God that causes the Bible to say thus, and how can that apply to us today? Is it possible, do you think, that when Paul pointed out the woman as “the weaker partner” (1 Peter 3:7) he was pointing out a cultural reality rather than a spiritual one? Because even today, in western culture too, women rarely have the same power and influence as men. They are not inherently so, but rather culturally so; and if Scripture teaches anything about the Christ-follower, it is that we are not to conform to this world.

After all, does not Christ give us strength to do all things? Is he not the servant who washed the disciples’ feet, and did not he humble himself to death on a cross, that we as his followers might be able to come into God’s presence, and enjoy eternal life in him? Did he not give up equality with God in order to come down and lift us up with him into the heavenly realms?

“Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). Paul said that, too. Sounds like I should be humbling myself according to culture, and elevating her as an equal heir with me and Christ.

Equal heir.

Equal commands echoing from Creation.

Wife equal to husband.

Sorry if I annoy you with my “feminism”: just wait till you meet God.