Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 1 Corinthians 11:9
Stated in concise form, Paul reiterates the thought of Genesis 2:18 –
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Man was not created for the woman, but rather “woman for the man.” Thus man has been given headship over the woman. And yet there is a benefit from the subordinate position. Because her true happiness is dependent on him, she has an entitlement to his care and protection. If one thinks of Christ and the church (as Paul is making this connection) then they can rightly see this. Christ will be pleased with His church when His church is in its proper subordinate position. When they follow His instructions and meet His plans as they are laid out, He has the onus to care for them as His word states.
The concept here is not one of tyrannical rule over a wife, but one of love, care, and protection. Women who cast off this model only prove themselves unworthy of all three of these points, just as a disobedient church will have its lampstand removed when it stands contrary to the Lordship of Christ (see Revelation 2:5).
Another point to consider concerning this verse is that it fully supports the notion of creation, not evolution. It further implicitly teaches short-term creation. In addition to countless other verses which people want to ignore or claim as allegorical, Paul acknowledges that humans were created; we did not evolve. If man was created, it was in a day and it was in the manner which the Genesis account states. Otherwise, Paul would have nothing to back up his statement in this verse.
Due to the logical progression of creation and the introduction of what is termed “good” in the creation account, the sixth-day of creation was one literal day. As the pattern is a literal day for the sixth day, then it would be a complete abuse of the text to assume that the other five days were not literal. Allegory schmallagory. The Bible’s proclamation of the events of Genesis are backed up by the words of the apostles, and more importantly, by the words of Christ.
Life application: There is nothing demeaning in the Bible concerning the roles of men and women and the hierarchy which is noted there. Instead, it is how God has ordained these things so that we can also understand the other hierarchies which exist. We don’t rule over Christ; He rules over us. If we get our levels of subordination out of order, only chaos will result. This is perfectly evident as western society has progressively thrown off the patriarchal family.
Lord, I cannot sit still when contemplating the wonders found in Your word and then comparing them to life around me. You created woman for man and what is more wonderful than that! You gave us different crops which produce a harvest at different times of the year to keep us busy and filled throughout the year. The trees put out their seeds, nuts, and cones at regular intervals so that the squirrels always have fresh food. The sun comes up at the right time and it sets in the right place. I could go on forever pondering the greatness of Your works. It is just as Your word says it should be. Truly You are glorious beyond measure! Amen.