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Man And Woman In God's Order.
[We
devote considerable space in this issue to the consideration of woman's sphere,
as viewed from the Bible standpoint; especially in the light of the Apostle
Paul's teachings. A very general misunderstanding of the Apostle's words has
fostered a spirit of doubt as to his divine inspiration, and thus proved a
steppingstone to Infidelity. Such doubts having once gotten control of the mind
are apt to lead to the very extreme of so-called Woman's Rights --forcing some
to an extreme on that side of the question as others have gone to an extreme on
the opposite side: making women mere slaves, drudges or entertainers for
men--erroneously supposing that the apostles so taught. These articles may
therefore be considered as supplemental to our defense of the apostolic
authority and inerrancy, presented in our issue of May 1st, and are called
forth in response to many inquiries.]
WHILE we recognize the fact that, as spiritual
new creatures in Christ Jesus, we are not esteemed of God on account of
pedigree, station or sex; that, in his estimation of worthiness for the
heirship of the coming Kingdom, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28), and are
"all called in one hope of our calling" (Eph.
4:4), it is nevertheless true that we are still in the flesh and that
we have to do with earthly conditions; and, further, that upon our proper
attitude in the various relationships of life, and our faithful observance of
the teachings of the Scriptures with reference to them, our worthiness or
unworthiness of divine favor is judged. While every question of moral rights
and obligations is pushed to the front in this "day of preparation" (Nahum 2:3), this subject is coming forward for
consideration and ventilation, as many Infidels and even Christians are
claiming that the Bible teaches domestic slavery.
It will therefore be our endeavor to present as
briefly as possible what we believe to be the Scriptural view of this subject,
assured that, whatever may be the human prejudices of various individuals,
God's Word is the only safe guide to the truth. His Word is by no means silent
with reference to it; and an examination of all its testimony on the subject
will, we believe, entirely silence in the estimation of all fair minded
Christians the above mentioned charge against the Bible.
The first testimony of the Bible on this
subject, aside from the statement that the man was made first and the woman
subsequently as his capable helper and suitable companion, is found in God's
statement to the woman after the eating of the forbidden fruit--"Thy
desire shall be unto thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
While authority to rule is naturally implied in the headship of the man (1 Cor. 11; 1 Tim. 2:13),
yet, it is not difficult to see that the Lord referred to something more than
this; for its mention is in connection with the penalty put upon woman, because
of her share in the original sin. The implication is that her husband's rule
would be tyrannical, and that she would suffer injustice under it, which she
would not have suffered otherwise. And such has been the case: the rule or
headship of the husband, which in perfection would have been a rule for the
protection and in the interest of all the members of his family--a rule of
love, a guidance rather--has in a majority of cases become, through the fall, a
rule of selfishness, and fear, and general imposition. Indeed some men will use
this very Scripture as a justification of their course of selfish tyranny.
But while facts fully corroborate the Lord's
testimony on this subject, it is a great mistake to suppose that God's will is done by those who thus misuse their natural headship. On the contrary, we
should see in the expression God's prophecy of the evil that would come upon
womankind by reason of the fall of man from his original likeness of God. And,
be it noted, the more degraded the man the more unfeeling will be his treatment
of the one whom he should love and cherish as his own body.
Man's sphere in the world is pretty clearly
defined as the head or chief of the creation, while the woman's sphere
as a help, meet for him, is a much more debatable one. The question is,
"To what extent may she help him?" While we believe that, according
to the Bible teaching, she may help him to the extent of her ability and
opportunity--in the home, the church and the world--we hear [R1549 : page 201] many dissenting voices in
favor of very considerably circumscribing her influence, if not in the home, at
least in the church and in the world. Let us hear, therefore, first, What saith
the Scripture concerning--
WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE CHURCH.
----------
Peter, addressing the whole Church, without
respect to sex, says, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation,... that ye [all--male and female] should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light." (1 Pet. 2:9.) And again we read (Isa. 61:1), "The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach," etc. See also Luke 4:18-20, where our Lord quotes and applies
only a part of this prophecy to himself, leaving another portion of the
commission which was not due in his day for the body of Christ--male and
female--to declare. The word "because" shows that the
anointing is for the very purpose of fitting those so anointed --whether male
or female--to preach the good tidings. Therefore all of the anointed,
male or female, Jew or Greek, bond or free, are anointed to preach.
In Heb. 5:12Paul
upbraids the Church, making no distinction of sex, for inability to teach on account of neglect of opportunities to fit themselves for the work, saying,
"For when for the time [spent] ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that
one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and
are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat." Again we
read (1 Pet. 4:10), "As each one [male or
female] has received a free gift, so minister the same one to another as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God." "Moreover," says
Paul (1 Cor. 4:2), "it is required in
stewards that they be found faithful." There is no distinction of
sex here: each one, male or female, who possesses a talent or gift,
becomes a steward of the same; and in the reckoning day the Lord will require
each steward to give an account of his stewardship. Faithfulness is required of
all in the use of all talents possessed.--Matt.
25:14-30.
In harmony with the teaching of these
scriptures, that women, as well as men, are accountable to God for the use of
their talents in the Church, be they many or few, and also with the teaching of
Paul, that the activity of every member of the body of Christ is necessary to
the general health of the whole body, we have numerous precedents established
in the Scriptures. Thus (1) the women who were the first at the sepulcher on
the morning of the resurrection were sent by the Lord to bear the first message
of his resurrection to the apostles. (2) The woman of Samaria with whom the Lord
conversed, and to whom he was pleased to reveal himself as the Messiah, was not
forbidden to go into the city and declare the news to many--which she did at
once, leaving her water-pots and going in haste. And the result was that many
believed through her testimony, however she may have declared it.-- John 4:28-30,39.
We find, too, that women, as well as men, shared
the gift of prophecy, which the Apostle Paul (1 Cor.
14:3,4) defines to be "speaking to edification, exhortation and
comfort"--i.e., teaching or exhorting according to the measure of
the gift of God. (See also 1 Cor. 12:31.) And
in 1 Cor. 11, Paul admits the propriety of
women publicly praying and prophesying, provided they do so with becoming
modesty, of which the covering of the head was in those times a special mark,
particularly among the Greeks, here addressed. To ignore such a custom, as some
seemed inclined to do when they began to realize the liberty of the
gospel, would have brought reproach upon the cause of Christ, and also upon
"the angels," messengers or ministers of the Christian faith --the
apostles and others.
We have some examples of prophesying, by
women,--for instance, Anna (Luke 2:36-38);
Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8,9); Miriam
(Micah 6:1-4); Huldah (2
Chron. 34:21-28) and Deborah (Judges 4:4-24).
And, further, we have the remarkable prophecy of Joel
2:28,29, of which Peter claimed there was at least a partial fulfilment
on the day of Pentecost, when the holy Spirit descended in power upon all
present. (Acts 2:17,18.) Paul also mentions
with evident appreciation the activity [R1549 : page
202] of certain females in the early Church-- notably Priscilla,
Tryphena, Tryphosa, the mother of Rufus and Julia, the sister of Nereus. (Rom.16; also Phil.4:3.)
And in every instance, except 1 Cor. 16:19,
where Priscilla and her husband Aquila are
mentioned, Priscilla is mentioned first, as if she were the more prominent and
active of the two. (See Rom.16:3; 2 Tim. 4:19; Acts
18:18,26R.V.) She and her husband also accompanied Paul on one of his
journeys from Corinth to Ephesus, where they met Apollos and were both
diligent in instructing him more perfectly in the truth. (Acts
18:18-26.) Although the Scriptures are not addressed to the world, they
utter no voice and establish no precedent contrary to female activity in the
various legitimate pursuits of life for which nature and education have fitted
her. And though in times past female education was at a very low ebb, and women
were seldom fitted for other than domestic pursuits, we have a worthy example
of one efficient female Judge in Israel--Deborah, the wife of
Lapidoth (Judges 4:4-24; 5:1-31)
who was also a prophetess and evidently a woman of great ability and influence.
Huldah, the wife of Shallum (2 Kings 22:14-20),
was also a prophetess to whom the king of Israel sent.
From all these indications we gather that God,
who is no respecter of persons, requires faithfulness on the part of female as well as male stewards in the use of all their talents, with no
other restrictions than that they do so with that modesty which is specially
becoming to their sex; and that, if God gives to any female member of the body
of Christ a talent or special ability for teaching or prophesying, as she has
done in the past, it is her privilege, and not only so, but her duty, to
earnestly cultivate and use that talent as a wise and faithful stewardess. This
the Apostle Paul also clearly teaches in 1 Cor.
12:28-31, when, after naming teaching as one of the best gifts, he
urges all, without distinction of sex, to "covet earnestly the best
gifts."
WOMAN'S RELATIONSHIP TO MAN.
----------
Let us next note what some consider a direct
contradiction of the foregoing Scriptural findings in the words of the Apostle
Paul (1 Tim. 2:12) --"I suffer not a
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence"
[hesuchia, quietness]. But the Apostle proceeds to give his reason for
the restriction; and in doing so he refers us back to the original relationship
of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, saying, "For Adam was first formed,
then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, became a
transgressor." Turning to Genesis (2:16-18)
we see that, before Eve was created, "God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
It is plain, then, that the Lord did not
communicate directly with Eve, but with Adam, and that Eve received this
warning from God through Adam. Thus Adam, under God, was the teacher, and Eve
the learner. And it was right and proper, in this instance at least, that the
woman should "learn in silence with all subjection," as the Apostle
counsels in 1 Tim. 2:11. What right had she to
object? God had taught her husband, and in giving her to him had imposed upon
him the duties of a husband (a care-taker and provider for her), and in
fulfilling this obligation Adam had communicated to Eve this knowledge which
was necessary to her preservation and her harmony with God. Thus God taught the
headship of man, which the Apostle would have the Corinthian Church
distinctly understand.-- 1 Cor. 11:3.
In addressing himself to Eve the Adversary
tempted her to disregard the warning of God through her husband. This she did,
and that without even consulting Adam as to the propriety of heeding this new
and strange instructor, who was evidently out of harmony with God. In acting
thus, independent both of God and of the natural protector which God had
provided, the woman became a transgressor; and since she thus ignored God, she
was left to her own judgment entirely, and was deceived; not, however,
as to the unrighteousness of her course, but as to the result of that [R1549 : page 203] course, which she presumed
would lead to greater blessing (knowledge), instead of to death. And not only
did she thus ignore Adam and the instruction of God through Adam, and act
entirely upon her own judgment, but she further assumed to lead or teach Adam
her new doctrine, thus reversing the divine order of headship. And in
following this reversed order of headship, Adam, though not deceived, also
became a transgressor.
It is for this reason, says the Apostle, that I
suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man.
But how to harmonize this restriction with the seemingly contrary scriptures
already referred to still remains a difficult question to many; one, however,
to which there surely must be some solution. First, we would inquire, Does this
order of headship inhere in mankind as a class, distinct from woman-kind? or
does it apply merely in the relationship of husband and wife? That the former
is true, is, we think, quite evident from 1 Cor. 11:3, which
reads, "I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and
the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
What, then, we would inquire, is implied in this
office of headship? The figure, we see, is drawn from that important member of
the human body, the head, which is the chief member--the member in which
inheres the right of leadership and authority. And this interpretation is borne
out by the perfect illustration of headship in [R1550
: page 203] the relationship of Jehovah to Christ. In the one inheres
the legislative, in the other a delegated executive power. In accordance with
the illustration, therefore, the relationship of man to Christ and of woman to
man should be that of subserviency; and if men and women were perfect the
beautiful harmony of such a relationship would yield perfect satisfaction to
both. Man would be in harmony with Christ, woman in harmony with man, and all
in harmony with Jehovah. Thus the divine order of headship would unify all in
the bonds of mutual love and peace.
But the question arises, How is this idea of
headship compatible with the idea of individual liberty--the glorious liberty
of the sons of God? Is the illustration of head and body to be pressed to its
utmost limit here? The human body in health never performs an act except by the
authority and consent of the head; and the mystical body of Christ (the
Church), in health always delights to know and to do the will of Christ; and
Christ has ever sought to know and do the Father's will. And so likewise if the
human family were unimpaired by sin woman would enjoy her station and man would
not misuse his strength, mental or physical, tyrannically. Looking again at the
perfect illustration of this relationship between Jehovah and Christ, we see
that the order of headship, rightly exercised, is entirely compatible
with the glorious liberty of sons of God. For although Jehovah is the head of
Christ we see him delighting to honor his Son, making him in turn the head of
all principality and power (Col. 2:10; 1:16;
Eph. 1:10--Diaglott), and calling upon
all men to "honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" [for he is the Father's representative and the express image of his person]. We
see him also committing all judgment unto the Son. He first proved him and
found him worthy of confidence; and then, having made known his plans to him,
he committed to him their execution. And so we read, "The Father judgeth
no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John
5:22), and, again, that "all power in heaven and in earth" is
given unto him.-- Matt. 28:18.
Surely there is no semblance of bondage in this
relationship of Christ to Jehovah; but under Jehovah's supreme headship there
is the fullest liberty and the widest scope for the development and use of all
Christ's noble powers. And Christ, on his part, as subject to Jehovah, his
head, is in all his works subject to those principles of action and that plan
of work which the wisdom and goodness of Jehovah have decreed. Within these
metes and bounds of Jehovah's headship, then, is the glorious liberty of the
only begotten Son of God. Thus should man also be subject to his head, which is
Christ, whose supervision, like that of Jehovah, is also sufficiently generous
to admit of the widest range and development of all his [R1550
: page 204] manly powers. And thus, also, should the headship of man be
exercised toward woman-- not to degrade and dwarf her powers under the bondage
of tyranny, but to elevate and ennoble her; granting to her, under his
leadership and encouragement, the fullest liberty for the legitimate use of all
her powers.
But to return to Paul's statement, "I
suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man," we see
that, in harmony with the reason given for the restriction, and also with the
fact that they did teach on numerous occasions mentioned in the Scriptures, we
must interpret the former clause of this statement in the light of the latter,
viz., that the woman is not to usurp the natural position of the man as leader
and teacher, and, disregarding his headship, to take that attitude herself--an
attitude contrary to nature, incompatible with womanly grace, and unlovely in
the eyes of all right-thinking people. With this interpretation of the
Apostle's language here, his teaching elsewhere, for instance in 1 Cor. 11:5, is in entire harmony.
The idea is not to debar woman from her
privilege and duty of making good use of all her talents as a wise stewardess,
and as one who must give an account of her stewardship, nor to prohibit her
from teaching the truth to others, but rather to point out to her the excellent
and most effective ways for the use of her influence in life. Nature would,
doubtless, generally indicate to both men and women their proper spheres for
usefulness; but alas! none can be found in a natural condition:-- all are
fallen, mentally, physically and morally; and some more than others and in
different ways. No womanly woman takes as her ideal a noisy declaimer, an
assertive debater, an obtrusive public speaker, nor an ambitious leader. And
yet, on fitting occasions, where the interests of the truth require it, she
may, in a womanly way and without the least assuming the manly prerogatives of
headship, declare the good tidings of great joy to as many as will hear her,
whether male or female; and on some occasions the interests of the truth may
necessitate her debating a question, which can often be just as effectively
done in a suggestive, as in an assertive, way; and generally much more so, as
some men, as well as women, have learned. Those who understand human nature
best, know that frequently more can be done in the way of disarming prejudice
and establishing the truth by the latter, than by the former method.
A woman may thus, in the full exercise of her
liberty as a child of God, bring forth all her strong reasons before as many as
desire to hear, and may clearly state her own convictions of the truth, but
always with that moderation and candor which, acknowledging the natural
headship of man, would avoid even the appearance of dictation or usurping of
authority; and if there be a man present who can and will relieve her of the
responsibility of so prominent a position, her natural modesty should decline
the undertaking. The "silence" or quietness enjoined by the Apostle
in the above text, is not to be understood in an absolute sense, but rather in
that relative sense which would harmonize with his admission of woman's right
to pray, or prophesy, or explain the truth, as they evidently did in the
apostles' days, when they had ability and opportunity. In 1 Thes. 4:10,11the
Apostle similarly exhorts the brethren to quietness saying,
"We beseech you, brethren,...that ye study to be quiet and
to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands as we commanded
you." The same word is also used in 1 Tim. 2:2.
The expression of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 14:34,35, we need to remember, was
addressed to a class of Greek converts to Christianity whose habits were
altogether different from the civilization of to-day, as well as from those of
the Hebrew and Roman civilizations of that day. While Greece was the center of learning in its day,
the women of Greece
were very degraded and ignorant, so that it was necessary to speak to some of
them with a degree of force which the Apostle never used in speaking to either
Hebrew or Roman Christian women. From this epistle, we see that the Church at Corinth was in a very
disorderly condition, and that their assemblies were often confused and
unprofitable. The Apostle, in this chapter, is laying down some very necessary
rules and [R1550 : page 205] regulations, so
that all things might be done "decently and in order" (verse 40);
and the disorderly women as well as men (verses 28,30,33; chap.
11:17-22,31-34; 6:5-11; 5:1-13; 3:1-3)
came in for their share of the needed reproof. It was a shame for those women
to speak in the Church, first, because any publicity of their women was so
regarded there and then; and, secondly, because they were unfitted to do so
intelligently, and so it was better that they should listen in silence at the
meetings of the Church, and inquire further of their husbands [literally, men] at home. To force the application of this instruction upon the whole
Church during the entire age, would do violence to the general tenor of
Scripture teaching with reference to woman's sphere of action and
responsibility of service as man's worthy and suitable help-mate, which the
Lord pronounced her to be. As well might we bind upon the entire Church the
obligations of literally washing one another's feet and greeting one another
with a holy kiss, which are repeatedly enjoined (See Rom.
16:15,16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Thes.
5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14), but which we
instinctively recognize in spirit, but not in letter; the courtesies and
civilities of our times being somewhat different from the customs of that day,
although equally hospitable.
In order that all may see clearly the conditions
which necessitated the Apostle's seemingly harsh language to the women of the
Corinthian Church, we make a few brief quotations from noted authors, showing
the state of society in Corinth, Ephesus and the principal cities of the Greek
civilization of that time.
In the Contemporary Review, Vol. 34,
March 1879, page 700, in an article on "The Position and Influence of
Women in Ancient Athens," Prof. Donaldson of St. Andrews University,
Scotland, says:--
"In Athens
we find two classes of women who were not slaves. There was one class who could
scarcely move one step from their own rooms, and who were watched and
restricted in every possible way. There was another class on whom no
restrictions whatever were laid, who could move about and do whatever seemed
good in their own eyes. The citizen women [the wives] had apartments assigned
to them, generally in the upper story. They were forbidden to be present at any
banquet. The men preferred to dine with themselves rather than expose their
wives to their neighbor's gaze. Seemingly the education of girls was confined
to the merest elements. It is scarcely possible to conceive that such a marvelous
crop of remarkable men, renounced in literature and art, could have arisen if
all the Athenian mothers were ordinary housewives. [But they were not:
multitudes of the mothers were not wives, but were of the educated though
dissolute class, above mentioned, who were granted every [R1551
: page 205] liberty.] But though there never was in the history of the
world such a numerous race of great thinkers, poets, sculptors, painters and
architects in one city at one time, as in Athens,
not one virtuous Athenian woman ever attained the slightest distinction in any
one department of literature, art or science.
"We pass from the citizen women [the wives]
of Athens to
the other class of free women-- the strangers or courtesans. These stranger
women could not marry. They might do any thing else they liked. The citizen
women were confined to the house and did not dine with the men; but the men
refused to limit their associations with women to the house. Accordingly they
selected these stranger women as their companions; and 'Hetairai,' or
companions, was the name by which the whole class was designated. The citizen
women had to be mothers and wives, nothing more. The stranger women had to
discharge the duties of companions, but to remain outside the pale of the
marriageable class. They were the only educated women in Athens. Almost every
one of the great men in Athens
had such a companion, and these women seemed to have sympathized with them in
their high imaginations and profound meditations.
"But the Athenian women, even the citizens,
had no political standing. They were always minors. Such, however, was the
force of character of these 'Hetairai,' or such their hold on powerful
men, that not infrequently their sons were recognized (by special decree) as
citizens. The names of virtuous wives are not to be found in history; but the
influence of the 'Hetairai' comes more and more into play. They
cultivated all the graces of life; they dressed with exquisite taste; they were
witty. But it must not be forgotten that hundreds and thousands of these
unprotected women were employed as the tools of the basest passions, seeking
only, under the form of affection, to ruin men and send them in misery to an
early grave."
Every statement here quoted from Prof. Donaldson
is amply supported by citations from [R1551 : page
206] Greek authors in the writings of Prof. Becker, of Germany, who is
quoted by all recent writers as unquestioned authority upon ancient Greek and
Roman life. In his "Charicles," page 463, he says:--
"At this time, and in the very focus of
civilization, the women were regarded as a lower order of beings; naturally
prone to evil, and fitted only for propagating the species and gratifying the
sensual appetites of man. There were no educational institutions for girls, nor
any private teachers at home. They were excluded from intercourse, not only
with strangers, but also with their own nearest relations, and they saw but
little even of their fathers and husbands. The maidens, especially, lived in
the greatest seclusion until their marriage, and, so to speak, regularly under
lock and key." Page 287--"At Athens
it was a thing unheard of for any free woman to make purchases in the
market."
In a work on "Old Greek Education," by
Prof. J. P. Mahaffy, of Trinity College, Dublin --page 11--he mentions the
frequency with which children were exposed or left to die of starvation and
neglect, and says:--
"We cannot really doubt that the exposing
of new-born infants was not only sanctioned by the public feeling, but actually
practiced throughout Greece.
Plato practiced infanticide under certain circumstances in his ideal state.
Nowhere does the agony of the mother's heart reach us through their literature,
save where Socrates compares the anger of his pupils when first confuted out of
their opinions, to the fury of a young mother deprived of her first infant.
There is something horrible in the allusion, as if, in after life, Attic
mothers became hardened to this kind of treatment. The exposing of female
infants was not uncommon."
The bearing of this general condition of woman
under the Greek civilization upon the language of the Apostle Paul to some of
them, is still more clearly seen when we consider that Corinth was one of the worst of the Grecian
cities. Prof. Becker says:--
"Corinth
seems to have surpassed all other cities in the number of its Hetairai, to whom the wealth and splendor of the place, as well as the crowd of wealthy
merchants, held out the prospects of a rich harvest."
From these observations it is clear that when Corinthian
men became Christians, and, disregarding the prevailing public sentiment,
brought their wives with them to meetings of the Church, the women were very
ignorant and lacking in essential decorum and were inclined to disturb the
meetings by asking unprofitable questions, which the Apostle instructed them to
inquire of at home of their husbands, who could give them the simple
instruction which they needed; for it was an improper thing for those women to
speak in the Church and to disturb its proper, orderly worship, etc. We must
remember, too, that Christianity then, as now, did not generally make its
converts among the great men and philosophers, but among the poorer
classes--the common people.
This condition of the Corinthian women also
makes very clear the necessity of the Apostle's instructions in 1
Cor. 11, about the covering of the head, which among that people
specially was an indication of modesty. To have suddenly disregarded the
custom, when they began to see the liberty of the gospel, would have been
misunderstood, and would probably have cultivated in them, in their ignorance,
a disposition to ignore the headship of man, and to become self-conscious and
self-assertive.
When we note the very different conditions of
the Roman and Hebrew women, we can account for the absence of any such
instruction in the epistles to the Roman and Hebrew Christians.
Dr. Smith, in his Greek and Roman Antiquities,
says:--
"The position of a Roman woman after
marriage was very different from that of a Greek woman. The Roman wife presided
over the whole household, and shared the honor and respect shown to her
husband."
And Prof. Becker says:--
"The Roman housewife always appears as the
mistress of the whole household economy, instructress of the children, guardian
of the honor of the house, and equally esteemed with her husband, both in and
out of the house. The women frequented public theaters, as well as the men, and
took their places with them at public banquets."
The freedom of women in Hebrew society is so
manifest from the Scriptures as to need no further proof. They freely conversed
with the Lord and the apostles, and other male disciples, [R1551 : page 207] attended the meetings of the
Church and Synagogues, and went about with entire freedom. Consequently, when
Christianity took hold of them, it found them ready for Christian work without
being hampered by the restraints of hereditary custom, which among other
peoples must be measurably adhered to until a gradual reconstruction of public
sentiment could be brought about, lest otherwise reproach be brought upon the
cause of Christ.
WOMAN A HELP, MEET FOR MAN.
----------
"And
Jehovah said, It is not good that the man should
be alone: I will make him a help suitable for him....
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl
of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam
there was not found a help suitable for him....And
the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made
he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam
said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.
She shall be called woman [ishah], because she was
taken out of man [ish]."--Gen.2:18,20,22,23.
In pursuing our study of woman's appointed place
in the divine economy of creation, we turn to the above brief account of her
first introduction to the earth and to man; for the Apostle says, "the
woman was created for the man." (1 Cor. 11:9.)
As the account indicates, the object of woman's creation was that she might be
a suitable help for man. That man needed just such a help is indicated,
not only by the Lord's statement that it was "not good" for him to be
"alone," but also by the statement that among all the animals there
was none found to be "a suitable help." True, they were all in perfect
subjection to him as their lord and master, and perfectly obedient in rendering
all the service required. Many of them were strong to bear his burdens, some
fleet to run his errands; some gratified his love of the beautiful in form and
proportions, and some in plumage; some charmed his ear with strains of music;
and all manifested more or less of intelligence and affection; yet in all there
was a lack. The perfect man did not crave a burden-bearer, nor an
errand-runner, nor a gay butterfly to please the sight, nor a charming musician:
what he craved was an intelligent sympathetic companion; and this lack,
the "suitable help," which God subsequently provided, exactly
supplied.
When God had created her and brought her to the
man, Adam named her woman. That the word was not used to specially indicate the
power of motherhood, is manifest from the fact that when God said that she
should become a mother, Adam changed her name to Eve, because she was to be the
mother of all living. (Gen. 3:20.) We also
read (Gen. 5:2) that [R1552
: page 207] "God called their name Adam in the day
when they were created." Thus both God and the man recognized this new
creature as of the same nature as the man, and yet differing from him both
physically and intellectually. She was not another man, but another human
being, the counterpart of the man, and therefore a suitable helper for him.
She was a help in that she was a companion for
him. Before she came, Adam, though surrounded by a host of the lower animals,
was "alone," and in need of the help of companionship which they
could not supply. That the help needed was not merely in the work of
propagating the species is clear, from the fact that she was recognized and
accepted as the suitable and desired help from the very beginning, and before
the propagating of the race was mentioned--which did not begin until after the
fall. This was a merciful providence, in order that, as Paul shows, every
member of the race might share the blessings of redemption through Christ.--Rom. 5:12; 11:32,33.
We thus see that man found in the woman an
intellectual companion, one capable of sharing and appreciating all his joys
(he had no sorrows) and of participating with him in all his interests. Had she
come short of such capacity she would not have been a suitable companion or help,
and Adam would still have been to some extent alone. As the sons and daughters
of men have multiplied, the same characteristics as in the beginning continue
to distinguish the two sexes, with the exception that both have suffered from
the fall; hence the two sexes still stand similarly related to each other--man
the "head" of the earthly creation, and woman a "suitable
help" for him. And this, as the Apostle shows (1
Cor. 11:3), is regardless of the marriage relation. Man, in the image
and glory of God, was created the [R1552 : page 208] sovereign of the earth; and woman, "the glory of man" in all
the natural relationships of life, but especially that of wifehood, is his
worthy companion and joint heir, his queen. And in this sense, God gave to
them both, originally, the earthly dominion--over the fish, fowl, beasts of
the field, etc.--Gen. 1:27,28; Psa.
8:6-8.
It is therefore fitting that this natural
relationship of the sexes should always be observed; that woman should remember
that she is not the head, the chief, the leader, in the world's affairs, though
there is ample scope for the use of all her powers under a proper and generous
exercise of the headship of man. And it is equally necessary and proper that
man should fully recognize, appreciate and accept of the help which
woman is capable of rendering in all the affairs of life where such capability
is manifest. If God has given to her talents, they were given her for
cultivation and use, in order that she might be a more efficient help for man;
and it would not be right, nor can man afford, to refuse such help and seek to
dwarf such talents. Let the "help" help as much as possible, even
though in the present imperfect condition, as is sometimes the case, the help
may outstrip the head in ability, either natural or acquired. So long as the
woman's work is done in a modest, womanly way--with no disposition to lord it
over the divinely appointed head or king of earth--let her do with her might
what her hands find to do.
As a general thing, however, woman's special
helpfulness is in the sphere to which her special work of necessity usually
confines her--as wife, mother, sister, friend--in the home, the schoolroom, and
in the duties which naturally fall to her in religious and in social life, and
occasionally in business life. Let woman bring into all these relationships her
highest moral and intellectual attainments, the finest touches of art, and the
most noble physique which nature and cultivation can give, and she will the
most truly answer the ends of her existence as a worthy and suitable help to
earth's intended king--man. True, man and woman have lost the dominion of the
earth originally bestowed upon them as king and joint-heir; but still, though
under the burden of the curse, woman can be a help, meet for man, in the
struggle upward toward perfection; and no true man will despise such
helpfulness when tendered in a spirit of sisterly interest.
WOMAN AS A WIFE.
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Having seen that the natural attitude of women
in general to men in general is that of suitable helps, and not of heads, let
us now consider the Scriptural position respecting woman as a wife. In alas too
many cases, this, the dearest relationship of earth, is degraded to a domestic
slavery. And the slave-holding tyrants too often pervert or misinterpret the
teachings of the apostles to the support of their course--some unwittingly. It
is therefore our purpose to examine such scriptures as are frequently urged in
the interest of domestic tyranny and in the dwarfing and degrading of woman in
her noblest sphere on the natural plane,--as a true wife.
We are free to assert in the outstart that the
Scriptures, rightly interpreted, teach no such thing; and one of the best
evidences that they do not, is seen in the fact that the Lord has chosen this
relationship as a type of the relationship between himself and the glorified
Church--a consummation so glorious, that it is held out as a prize to the
faithful children of God all through the Gospel age; a prize worthy of the
sacrifice of every temporal interest, even unto death. The type of such a
relationship ought, indeed, in some sense, to manifest that coming glory.
We have already seen that in the relationship of
head and body, to which the Apostle compares husband and wife, and which is gloriously
illustrated in the relationship of Jehovah to Christ Jesus, and between our
Lord Jesus and the Church, there is nothing incompatible with "the
glorious liberty of the sons of God," and hence that the other headship of
man over woman, rightly exercised, is likewise compatible with a similarly
glorious liberty.
We have also seen that the headship of man is
not designed to debar woman from the privilege and duty of making the fullest
use of her talents as a wise stewardess in the service of the [R1552 : page 209] Lord; but rather to increase
her usefulness by putting her powers and energies in co-operation with a still
stronger power.
As an illustration of the apostolic teaching
presumed to imply a servile subjection of the wife to the husband, we are
sometimes referred to Eph. 5:22-24--"Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord; for the husband is
the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; he is the
preserver of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be subject to their own husbands in every
thing."
If the office of the head inheres in men in
general, and should be observed by women in general, the argument gathers force
in the special relationship of husband and wife; for the reverence which woman
naturally feels for the opposite sex, ought indeed to be intensified in the
case of the man she has accepted as her husband. The manner in which the wife
is counselled to submit herself to her husband is clearly set forth by the
Apostle to be--"as the Church is subject unto Christ." It behooves us, therefore, to note just how the Church is subject unto Christ.
We see that the subjection of the Church to Christ is a willing subjection, and
that it is inspired by love, veneration, gratitude and implicit confidence and
trust in the Lord's love and care for us, and in his superior wisdom to do
better for us than we could do for ourselves. And so perfectly did the Apostle
himself take this attitude toward Christ, that it was his effort, he said, to
bring every thought into subjection to him. (2 Cor.
10:5.) That such an attitude on the part of the wife toward her earthly
head is not always possible, he also admits, when he says to the husbands (Eph. 5:33), "Let each one of you, individually,
so love his own wife as himself, in order that [hina, so rendered
in Eph. 3:10, Diaglott] the wife may reverence
her husband."
Only true love and true nobility of character
can command such reverence; otherwise it would be impossible for the wife to
submit herself to her husband as the Church is subject unto Christ. Nor
would it be right either to reverence or to submit to that which is ignoble and
unholy. But both the reverence and the submission are possible, as well as
natural, notwithstanding the fallibility of the earthly head, where there is
that nobility of character on the part of the man which, humbly acknowledging
its fallibility, is amenable to the voice of God in the Scriptures, and to
reason.
It will be noticed, further, in the apostolic
counsel to husbands (verses 25-29), that the stated object of
Christ's supervision of the Church, and of her submission to him, is not the
clipping of her spiritual or intellectual opinions, nor the dwarfing or
degrading of her powers, nor to attain any ignoble or selfish ends; but, on the
contrary, it is for the more complete sanctification and cleansing of the
Church with the washing of water by the Word, that she might be holy and
without blemish, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. And this
disposition on the part of Christ toward the Church is made manifest to her by
the self-sacrificing spirit of him who loved the Church and gave himself for
it. And, says the Apostle, "So ought men to love their wives, as
their own bodies," that thus they may command the reverence and
loving submission of the wife, "in every thing"--not, of course, in
every thing unholy, impure and selfish, but in every thing tending to holiness
and purity and that true nobility of character whose principles are set forth in
the Word of God. We have a very marked example of the Lord's displeasure
against the improper submission of a wife to a husband, in the case of
Sapphira, the wife of Ananias.--Acts 5:7-10.
It would indeed be a blessed and happy condition
of affairs if all the husbands and all the wives were students of the example
of Christ [R1553 : page 209] and the Church;
but the lamentable fact remains that but few apply their hearts unto the
instruction here furnished; and many husbands, forgetting to observe Paul's
instructions to follow the model, imagine they have a right to arbitrary and
selfish authority, against which the wives feel a righteous indignation and an
opposition which is far from submission; and, failing to understand the
Scriptures on the subject, they claim and think that the Bible teaches domestic
tyranny and slavery; and thus the way is paved to doubt and infidelity. [R1553 : page 210]
But what shall I do? says the Christian wife
whose husband is not guided by Christian principles, except to the extent of
claiming his presumed right to rule in selfishness. Well that would depend on
circumstances: it would have been better if in your youth you had remembered
the Apostle's counsel to marry only in the Lord; and you must now pay some
penalty for your error. But in the first place you should remember not to
violate conscience in order to please any one; for Peter says, "We ought
to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29;
4:19,20.) But where conscience does not interpose its dictum, the
Apostle gives to such wives the same counsel that he gives to servants who have
unreasonable masters. (1 Pet. 2:18-23; 3:1,2.)
To the servants he says, "Servants, be subject to your masters with all
fear [i.e., with caution, lest you offend]; not only to the good and gentle,
but also to the froward;" this because it is better to suffer wrongfully
than to be contentious, even for our rights. "For this is well-pleasing,
if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully; for what
glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently?
But if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God." Then he points to the example of Christ in carrying
out the same principle, saying (verse 21), "For even hereunto
were ye called, because Christ also died for you, leaving you an example that
ye should follow his steps;" and "the servant is not above his
Lord." (Matt. 10:24.) Then he adds, "Likewise, ye wives [ye who have froward husbands], be in subjection to your own husbands,
that if any obey not the Word, they may without the Word be won by the conduct
of the wives, while they behold your chaste conduct coupled with fear [with
carefulness to avoid giving offence]"--thus manifesting a spirit of loving
forbearance, rather than of contention.
And while the wife is here specially counselled
to imitate Christ's humility, the husband is urged to imitate Christ's
generosity--"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them [your wives] according
to knowledge [wisely and generously], giving honor unto the wife [taking
pleasure in her progress and in all her noble attainments and achievements], as
unto the weaker vessel [using your strength for her support and encouragement,
and not for her oppression], and as being heirs together of the grace
[the favors and blessings] of life."
The same spirit of submission, rather than of
contention, is likewise enjoined upon the whole Church in its relationship to
the civil ordinances of men. Thus Peter says, "Submit yourselves to every
ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake"--i.e., so that his spirit or
disposition may be manifest in you--"For so is the will of God, that with
well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." (1 Pet. 2:13-17.) And Paul says, "Let every
soul be subject unto the higher powers," etc. (Rom.13:1,5);
and to Titus (3:1) he writes: "Put them
in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be
ready to every good work."
This duty of submission (specially enjoined upon
the wife in the domestic relation) is also enjoined upon the whole Church
individually, in their relationship one to another. Thus the Apostle Peter
says, "The elders which are among you I exhort:...Feed the flock of
God. ...Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock [ensamples of humility, brotherly love, patience and faithfulness]. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be
subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God
resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time."--1 Pet. 5:1-6; Eph.
5:21.
Doubtless if there were one perfect man in the Church the counsel to the remainder of its membership would be to submit
to his leading and instruction. But, instead of an infallible man in the
Church, we have the infallible written Word, by which we are each and all
counselled to prove all things. And, therefore, the first duty of
submission is to the written Word, and afterward to each other in that
secondary sense which first proves all things by the Word; and lastly in the
sense that our [R1553 : page 211] manner and
language should be tempered with moderation and brotherly and sisterly kindness
and candor, that this spirit of submission or humility might always be manifest
in all.
In a similar, but in a stronger sense, the
Apostle presents the duty of submission on the part of the wife in the domestic
relation. It is a submission which savors of love, reverence, trust and
humility; and which is also compatible with "the glorious liberty of the
children of God" (Rom. 8:21), which
always exists wherever the spirit of the Lord is (2
Cor. 3:17), and in which the Apostle Paul urges us to "stand fast."--Gal. 5:1.
We are referred by Peter to Sarah, Abraham's
wife, as a proper example of a wife's submission. But notice that, while she
did reverence Abraham, as indicated by her calling him lord (Gen.
18:12), and while she, no doubt cheerfully, left her native land and
friends and, in obedience to the command of God to her husband, accompanied him
in his sojournings to the land of promise, with him walking by faith, we see
that her submission was not a blind submission which refrained from expressing
a thought which differed from Abraham's; nor was there anything in Abraham's
conduct toward her which indicated such expectation on his part. She was
evidently a thinking woman: she believed the promise of God that they should
have a son through whom the blessing of the world should come; and when nature
seemed to fail she suggested a way in which the promise might be fulfilled. And
when Hagar became boastful and despised her mistress, she complained to Abraham
and claimed that the fault was partly his. She wanted no division of his heart
with her servant. Abraham's reply assured her that there was no such division,
that her maid was still under her control. And her subsequent course with Hagar
was a discipline to correct her boastfulness and improper attitude toward her
mistress. And when Hagar fled from her, the angel of the Lord met her and told
her to return and submit herself to her mistress, which she did, and was
evidently received and restored by Sarah.--Gen. 16.
On another occasion, after Isaac was born and
the two boys were growing up together, the rivalry of Hagar again cropped out
in Ishmael, who persecuted Isaac, Sarah's son. (Gen.
21:9; Gal. 4:29.) And again Sarah was
grieved and appealed to Abraham to cast out the bond woman and her son; for she
feared Abraham would make him heir with her son, which would not have been in
accordance with the promise of God. (Gen. 21:10-12;
15:4; 17:17-19.) This, Abraham was not inclined to
do, and as Sarah urged her claim, we read that "the thing was very
grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son," Ishmael, until God
indicated his will in the matter.
This is further shown in this case to which
Peter refers us for example, saying (to those who are similarly subject. to their husbands) "whose daughters ye are, doing good, and not fearing
any terror"--any evil results. (1 Pet. 3:6.)
The submission counselled by the apostles is a reasonable submission,
compatible with a moderate, modest expression of the wife's sentiments and a
proper consideration of the same by the husband, as in the case of faithful
Abraham, who was by no means led about by the whims of a foolish wife, but who,
in a reasonable consideration of his wife's sentiments and trials, waited to
know the will of the Lord before granting her wishes.
From the above considerations it is obvious that
the human relationship of husband and wife, which the Lord points out as an
illustration of the beautiful relationship of Himself and the Church, is by no
means an occasion for the exhibition of either tyranny or servility on the part
of either party. And wherever such conditions do exist, they are out of the
divine order. The Lord set his seal of approval upon marriage when he
instituted the relationship and blessed the union of the first pair in Eden;
and when, as king and queen--head and help-mate-- he made them joint-inheritors of the earthly dominion (Gen. 1:27,28); and
later, when he commanded children to honor and obey both parents.--Exod. 20:12; Eph. 6:1,2.
The curse of sin has rested heavily upon woman,
as well as upon man; but the Christian man who would seek to bind the curse
upon his wife, instead of endeavoring to lighten it and to help her bear it,
sadly lacks the spirit of [R1553 : page 212] the
heavenly Bridegroom. And so also the Christian wife: if she in selfishness
demands of her husband an undue measure of the sweat of face entailed by the
curse, instead of seeking to lighten his toil and share his cares, she sadly
lacks that spirit which characterizes the true bride of Christ. It was sin that
entailed the curse upon our race; but, as we strive against sin and aspire
toward righteousness and God-likeness, we mitigate the evils of the curse for
each other. And, thank God, the time is now fast approaching when "there
shall be no more curse," and when, "the throne of God and of the
Lamb" being established in the earth, the spirit of love, [R1554 : page 212] so beautifully exemplified
between Christ and the exalted Church, will be gloriously reproduced on the
earthly plane also; when, the curse being entirely lifted, woman will find her
natural and honored position at the side of her noble husband, as his worthy
helper and companion --"the glory of the man," as Paul describes her,
and an "heir together with him of the grace of life," as he also
appoints her, and as beautifully foreshown in the typical restitution of Job (Job 42:15), when he gave his daughters
inheritance among their brethren.
In conclusion, then, the marriage relationship
is an honorable and blessed one when viewed in the Scriptural light; yet it is
one of the earthly blessings which the Apostle shows the saints are privileged
to forego in many cases for the still higher privilege of serving the interests
of the coming kingdom of God without distraction. (1
Cor. 7:32-35.) And when the sacrificing Church beholds the King in his
beauty, and is recognized by him as his worthy bride and joint-heir, the
blessedness of that companionship will have in it no savor of either tyranny or
servility, but, instead, a blessed harmony of love and appreciation which will
be ineffable bliss.
W.T. R-1548a : page 200 - 1893r