Day 12 – Are Men Superior to Women According to the Bible?
~1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Not everyone is an engineer, doctor, police officer, etc. Each person is drawn to an occupation by the individual’s uniqueness. The Bible absolutely recognizes uniqueness and equality amongst Christians:
~1 Corinthians 12:14-20 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where [were] the body? 20 But now [are they] many members, yet but one body.
Paul explained how the church, made up of individuals, could not all be doing the same “job.” Each unique person was needed and there weren’t any which were more important than the other. They were equal in their importance – all had a specific job to do and all were needed to make the body “whole.”
As it relates to husband and wife, as in today’s text, we note that they are heirs together. As one reads Scriptures relating to husband and wife, it is clear to see that the husband is responsible for his household by providing for it and the wife is to submit to his Godly leadership. Each has a different role. On the most part, she bears children and cares for them. Although we see some homes where the husband has to stay at home and care of the children while the wife works. Either way you look at it, it does not mean that the husband is better than the wife – it means that they are equal in their Christian walk as Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 12:14-20. The emphasis lies in the different roles in their marriage, just as they do in the body of Christ, the Church. It does not lie in whether one is better than the other. Not everyone in a place of business can be the president. Not everyone can be the janitor. Each is necessary. Despite the different roles, the husband and wife are joint heirs together. Paul did not outline different requirements, correct?
We know that Paul also told the Ephesians that the husband is to love his wife as he would his own body (as Christ loved the Church). A man would not belittle his own body. A man would not treat his own body unkindly. This clearly depicts equality. (Ephesians 5:28)
As well, the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31) suggests equality. Whatever we would not have done to us, we must not to do someone else. If we do not want to be treated inferior, we must not act superior. Adam tried to pass the blame for his own sin on Eve, but God punished them equally. Adam would have to toil the land dealing with weeds and Eve would have pain in bearing children. Both have different jobs but both were treated equally for their sin.
The world attaches a person’s “role” in life to equality. For example, the janitor is less important than a doctor. However, that is the world’s view. The world is most certainly caught up in social hierarchy. But the Bible does not support this amongst members of the church. We are considered the body of Christ. As Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 12:14-20, there is not a part of the body that is not necessary or that is more important than the other. What a beautiful depiction of all being equal!
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