WOMEN: PART FIVE

It is easy to see Paul's reasoning concerning women being in authority or serving as teachers of men. He told his readers that Eve was gullible, and he apparently made the assumption that all women since are easily deceived (1 Tim. 2:14). Our new minister preached a great sermon yesterday and in it, he said that Eve took part in the transgression, but Adam sinned. Scripture clearly teaches that sin entered the world by Adam, and yet it was Eve who first partook of the forbidden fruit (Rom. 5:12; Gen. 3:6). Paul seems to have made the same distinction between the words "transgression" and "sin (1 Tim. 2:14). The root word used by Paul to describe Eve's role in the fall of mankind is also used of the act of Judas (Acts 1:25). Apparently Judas was deceived by Satan just as Eve had been (Matt. 27:3-5; Lk. 22:3). However, the distinction between the two words is less clear as Judas calls his transgression "sin" (Matt. 27:4). But I digress.

I suppose it is logical to believe Eve's vulnerability passed down to all women. After all, the sin nature has been passed down by men ever since the first man sinned. It seems clear from the rebuke of Satan that the Messiah would be born of woman, and not man (Gen. 3:14-15). In every other case where there has been a child born, it has involved the "seed of man." However, the Messiah was to be born of the "seed of woman." The sin nature passed on from Adam through men for centuries, did not apply to the Son of God. A look at His genealogy shows that to be true. In Matthew, Jesus is born of Mary (Matt. 1:16). In Luke, He was thought to be the son of Joseph (as was supposed), but was not as the virgin's conception was of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-33).

On the matter of the salvation of women, I do not believe Paul was teaching that salvation for women is the result of childbirth (1 Tim. 2:15). If that were the case, women who are barren, or who choose not to have children for whatever reason, could not be saved from their sins. It is obvious from an abundance of Scripture that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 10:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9: all written by Paul). The birth of a child did provide salvation to women, but it also did so for men; the child that was born was Jesus Christ. The Genesis passage speaking of the seed of woman is referring to Jesus (Gen. 3:15).

If it is true that women are easily beguiled, then Paul's prohibition of women speaking, teaching, asking questions, etc. in the church assembly makes sense. However, I doubt that women see themselves as more gullible. In fact, from what I can gather from listening to women talk, most seem to think men are much in need of a woman's guidance. The old joke about the wedding ceremony being viewed from a bride's perspective (aisle, altar, hymn), implies that it is the job of the wife to fix what is broken. While I agree that every man needs "fixing," God has placed men in the position of authority in the family and in His Church. The good news is that it won't be long until the Church is ruling with Christ in His millennial reign; both men and women! The curse for sin and transgression will be over for us. Praise the Lord!