In the first part of this series, we looked at the question about the 70 disciples that Jesus sent out and looked at the question about government in the Family of God. We will continue in part 2 to look at information regarding government in the human family as revealed in the Bible.
Government in the Human Family
In Genesis 1:26-28 and in Genesis 2:18-23, we read about the creation of Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:18 reads: “And the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him.’”
And that helper was Eve, the mother of all, and she was a support suitable for Adam. We will see later that the apostle Paul refers to these accounts to show who was to be the leader in every marriage.
In Genesis 3:14-16, we read that Adam and Eve both fell short of what God expected of them because Eve took of the forbidden fruit and Adam took the fruit from his wife:
“So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.’ To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.’” (Emphasis added).
One commentator observed that “the very fact that woman was taken out of man proves her equality with him. She is not his inferior, but his equal; his helpmeet. There is equality, but with it, diversity. Woman was made for man, to be with him at his side. God never intended for a woman to be an independent creature apart from man, but that she should be associated with him, and that together they should be one flesh and typify Christ and His bride, the Church. Woman never shines more brightly than when fulfilling the object for which she was created, which primarily was to be man’s helpmeet.”
This equality is proved in Galatians 3:28 where we can read what the apostle Paul wrote under the inspiration of God: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
If anyone doubted the equality of the sexes, this proves that men and women are equal. However, one has to be in charge – to lead and guide, otherwise chaos could ensue. If you had two captains of a ship with neither – or both – being in charge, what would happen if there was a difference of opinion? Big problems could arise and so there is always only one captain. Just one who has that responsibility – as God ordained in marriage, but both are equal.
In Ephesians 5:22, we see a verse written by the apostle Paul about marriage: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” This doesn’t sit well with so many women in our supposedly “enlightened age” but it is Scriptural and under the inspiration of God. Submission has been defined as “an inner quality of gentleness that affirms the leadership of the husband”. This means to voluntarily accept and accommodate herself to the husband’s leadership role as God ordained. The King James Commentary states that “Submission is not slavish fear, neither is it forced upon her by a demanding domestic despot, but it is voluntary. There is no hint of inferiority, but a matter of authority and responsibility in the home. Husbands and wives are parts of a unit.”
Then we read in Ephesians 5:23-24:
“For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
There it is in black and white in God’s inspired Word. Again, the King James Commentary states that “Headship in a living union where Christ and His church become one. And he is the savior of the body. No husband can ever be savior, but he represents Christ symbolically as good provider and protector.”
This is an admonition that is ignored in general today, as women often assume a leadership role that is not theirs—and men can, all too often, abdicate their God-given responsibilities. However, wives are to be subject to their husbands as long as it does not conflict with God’s instructions. For example, if a husband asks his wife to lie, steal, cheat or do something else that is in conflict with God’s Way, then she must put God first and, in such circumstances, not be subject to her husband on such matters.
In our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families,” we explain that Ephesians 5:24 “is directed to husbands and wives in the Church—it does not require that any man has authority over any woman. Otherwise, consider the paradoxical conclusions, as this would mean that a grown son (a man) would have authority over his mother (a woman).”
In Ephesians 5:25, we read, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” and then the responsibilities of the husband are listed in verses 26-31. In verses 32-33, we read: “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Many marriages fail because the husband does NOT love his wife as he should. And then, submission to an unloving husband is extremely difficult. In our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families,” we give many examples as to HOW a husband ought to love his wife… and ALL husbands have come short in that regard. We say the following: “If a man wants to be the head of his wife and family, as he should be, he needs to act as God the Father acted toward Christ, and, in turn, his wife is to act toward her husband as Christ acted toward the Father.”
The comparison of the marriage union with the union of Christ and His Church is the mystery. And there are responsibilities and positions within that union.
In 1 Corinthians 11:3, the same theme of responsibilities and positions is reinforced:
“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
It really couldn’t get any clearer than that. The Father is in supreme authority, then Jesus Christ who is the head of every man – and man is the head of the woman. And in 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 we read:
“For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.”
Certainly, Scripture promotes the idea of equality but, today, if someone is given a responsibility, many assume that he is a superior person. Not so – just that he has a different function.
In Titus 2:1-5, we read further instruction on this subject:
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
In verse 1, it talks about SOUND DOCTRINE. The King James Commentary makes some interesting observations as follows: “Discreet is the same word as in verse 2, translated ‘temperate,’ and can mean sound-minded. Chaste or pure. Keepers at home (Gr oikourgos) means ‘working at home.’ Again, Paul is no male chauvinist. God-ordained women are to work at home, but not as a maid or slave. Being a good homekeeper is not demeaning. There is no higher calling. Every man knows the transforming power in the home of a lovely, godly wife. Her power is felt in a much greater institute than a bank or political office when she influences the home and children for God. Obedient to their … husbands. What an awesome responsibility this puts on the husband to be a man of God and represent Christ in the home! Why are wives to live like this? That the word of God be not blasphemed.”
We hasten to add, of course, that there is nothing wrong for a woman to work outside the home. Being a homemaker or working at home does not exclude working outside the house—in fact, in today’s society, it might not be possible for a couple to survive otherwise. Even though, it is important to personally take care of her children, especially, when they are still young.
We say the following in our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”:
“Can we see the enormous positive influence that a righteous mother CAN have on her children? Why, then, do so many Christian women feel today that there are more challenging and rewarding tasks to be found outside the home, than ‘just’ being a mother and a homemaker? Women who don’t want to have children because they don’t want to give up their jobs or their careers do not follow God’s instructions for them. Women who don’t want to stay at home with their young children because they don’t want to give up their jobs and their careers do not follow God’s instructions for them, either. Understand, of course, we are not talking about women who can’t have children or who haven’t found a suitable husband to marry. But barring that, in God’s eyes, being a mother and being at home with her young children, is the highest challenge, vocation, occupation, and career that could possibly exist for a woman.”
In 1 Peter 3:1-6 are further instructions to both wives and husbands:
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.”
Holy women of old including Sarah were obedient to their own husbands. Obedient doesn’t mean subservient as both are equal but it does mean that there is a structure that God has put in place in the family. Far too many today – and perhaps even some in the Church – ignore this at their peril. We have taken some time on this matter and, again, we repeat that it is about government in the family.
The next installment will show the connection between, on the one hand, the government in the Family of God, the human family and government within the Church of God, and, on the other hand, the question as to why all the apostles were men.
(To be continued)
Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link