Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
“Sin began with a woman, and thanks to her we must all die.”—ECCLESIASTICUS, SECOND CENTURY B.C.E.
“You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law . . . You destroyed so easily God’s image, man.”—TERTULLIAN, ON THE APPAREL OF WOMEN, SECOND CENTURY C.E.
THOSE ancient verses are not from the Bible. For centuries, they have been used to justify discrimination against women. Even today, some extremists still cite religious texts to legitimize the domination of women, claiming that women are to blame for mankind’s ills. Did God really purpose for women to be scorned and abused by men? What does the Bible say? Let us see.
Have women been cursed by God?
No. Instead, it is “the original serpent, the one called Devil,” who has been “cursed” by God. (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:14) When God said that Adam would “dominate” his wife, God was not indicating his approval of the subjugation of woman by man. (Genesis 3:16) He was simply foretelling the sad consequences of sin on the first couple.
Thus, the abuse of women is a direct outcome of the sinful nature of humans, not of God’s will. The Bible does not support the idea that women must be subjugated to men in order to atone for the original sin.—Romans 5:12.
Did God create woman inferior to man?
No. Genesis 1:27 states: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” So from the very beginning, humans—both male and female—were created with the ability to reflect God’s qualities. Although Adam and Eve had their own unique emotional and physical makeup, they both received the same commission and enjoyed the same rights before their Maker.—Genesis 1:28-31.
Prior to Eve’s creation, God declared: “I am going to make a helper for him [Adam], as a complement of him.” (Genesis 2:18) Does the word “complement” imply that the woman was inferior to the man? No, because this Hebrew word can also be rendered “counterpart” or “a help corresponding to” man. Think of the complementary roles played by a surgeon and an anesthetist during surgery. Can one manage without the other? Hardly! Though the surgeon performs the actual operation, is he more important? It is hard to say. Likewise, God created the man and the woman to cooperate closely, not to compete with each other.—Genesis 2:24.
What shows God’s concern for women?
Foreseeing what fallen, sinful men would do, God early on expressed his intention to protect women. Speaking of the Mosaic Law, instituted in the 16th century B.C.E., author Laure Aynard, in her book La Bible au féminin (The Bible in the Feminine Gender), notes: “For the most part, when the Law covenant speaks of the woman, it is to defend her.”
For instance, the Law commanded honor and respect for both father and mother. (Exodus 20:12; 21:15, 17) It also required that due consideration be shown to pregnant women. (Exodus 21:22) Even today, the protection provided by those laws of God stands in sharp contrast with the lack of legal rights that some women experience in many parts of the world. But there is more.
A Law That Reflects God’s View of Women
The Law that Jehovah God gave the nation of Israel provided the people—men and women—with boundless physical, moral, and spiritual benefits. As long as they listened and obeyed, the nation was “high above all other nations of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2) What was the woman’s place under the Law? Consider the following....Read Full Article online
“You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law . . . You destroyed so easily God’s image, man.”—TERTULLIAN, ON THE APPAREL OF WOMEN, SECOND CENTURY C.E.
THOSE ancient verses are not from the Bible. For centuries, they have been used to justify discrimination against women. Even today, some extremists still cite religious texts to legitimize the domination of women, claiming that women are to blame for mankind’s ills. Did God really purpose for women to be scorned and abused by men? What does the Bible say? Let us see.
Have women been cursed by God?
No. Instead, it is “the original serpent, the one called Devil,” who has been “cursed” by God. (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:14) When God said that Adam would “dominate” his wife, God was not indicating his approval of the subjugation of woman by man. (Genesis 3:16) He was simply foretelling the sad consequences of sin on the first couple.
Thus, the abuse of women is a direct outcome of the sinful nature of humans, not of God’s will. The Bible does not support the idea that women must be subjugated to men in order to atone for the original sin.—Romans 5:12.
Did God create woman inferior to man?
No. Genesis 1:27 states: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” So from the very beginning, humans—both male and female—were created with the ability to reflect God’s qualities. Although Adam and Eve had their own unique emotional and physical makeup, they both received the same commission and enjoyed the same rights before their Maker.—Genesis 1:28-31.
Prior to Eve’s creation, God declared: “I am going to make a helper for him [Adam], as a complement of him.” (Genesis 2:18) Does the word “complement” imply that the woman was inferior to the man? No, because this Hebrew word can also be rendered “counterpart” or “a help corresponding to” man. Think of the complementary roles played by a surgeon and an anesthetist during surgery. Can one manage without the other? Hardly! Though the surgeon performs the actual operation, is he more important? It is hard to say. Likewise, God created the man and the woman to cooperate closely, not to compete with each other.—Genesis 2:24.
What shows God’s concern for women?
Foreseeing what fallen, sinful men would do, God early on expressed his intention to protect women. Speaking of the Mosaic Law, instituted in the 16th century B.C.E., author Laure Aynard, in her book La Bible au féminin (The Bible in the Feminine Gender), notes: “For the most part, when the Law covenant speaks of the woman, it is to defend her.”
For instance, the Law commanded honor and respect for both father and mother. (Exodus 20:12; 21:15, 17) It also required that due consideration be shown to pregnant women. (Exodus 21:22) Even today, the protection provided by those laws of God stands in sharp contrast with the lack of legal rights that some women experience in many parts of the world. But there is more.
A Law That Reflects God’s View of Women
The Law that Jehovah God gave the nation of Israel provided the people—men and women—with boundless physical, moral, and spiritual benefits. As long as they listened and obeyed, the nation was “high above all other nations of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2) What was the woman’s place under the Law? Consider the following....Read Full Article online
