Hebraic Musing – Does the Bible have different roles for Men versus Women?
Are there
differing roles for Men and Women (and/or for Husbands and their Wives)
according to the Bible? This topic is
currently in the news as the Southern Baptist Convention is trying to clarify
the office and function of the pastor regarding whether being a pastor might be
a role for women. Is societal pressure at
odds with Biblical teaching? And how might
this also apply to the role of “Elders”?
Biblically, the offices of Pastors and Elders is uniquely reserved for
qualified men. That position is
certainly unpopular in our culture and is becoming increasingly unpopular, but
popularity has never been the measure of biblical truth. “An
elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children
believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.”
Titus 1:6 NIV
What else does the
Bible say on this topic? “Wives, submit
to your husbands as to the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body,
of which he is the Savior. Now as the
church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in
everything.” Don’t stop reading
because then the husbands get a command. “Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Eph.5:22-25
NIV These are differing roles and
responsibilities; the Husband’s role is Sacrificial; whereas the Wife’s
role comes more naturally for her.
I wonder why Paul
wrote this for women? “If they want
to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it
is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” 1 Cor. 14:35 NIV Who
did Paul hold responsible for the Spirituality of the home? “For the husband is the head of the wife
as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”
Eph.5:23 Also in 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the
same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect
as the weaker partner.”
The order of
creation for Men and Women is explained in Gen 2. Who was created first – the Man or the
Woman? In Genesis 2:18-23 – “The LORD
God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him.’ … v21 So the LORD God caused the man to
fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's
ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman
from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the
man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man.’”
It is understood
that the LORD was addressing the Israelite men when He said this
to them – “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your
hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at
home and when you…” Deut.6:6-7
And he also said – “Fathers, do not exasperate your children;
instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Eph.6:4 Who does God say He will be hold responsible
for training and instructing the children?
In Genesis 3:6, was the first sin committed by a man or a
woman? God had warned the man not to eat
the fruit of the tree, so he should have known better. Eve had not heard that eating the fruit was
forbidden. So who knew better and disobeyed
God by eating the apple and thus needs redemption?
Is gender confusion a valid reason/excuse for today’s
world to default to non-Biblical roles?
God views men and women as equals; but that does not mean they are the
same?
“Equal” - being the same in quantity,
size, degree, or value.
“Same” – Identical; not different.
Is our Christianity better or worse now than
when we were founded? Or better than we
were 80 years ago?
Points to ponder
Does the Bible ever encounter confusion
between definitions and/or roles of men and women?
Is Christianity and church
attendance growing or declining in America today? Why?
Have men been abdicating their
God-ordained responsibilities?
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male
nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal.3:28
Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd August 4, 2026
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of
our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)” Weekly “Hebraic
Musings”
P.S. Are trending roles of men and women in
today’s society counter to Biblical fundamentals?
· America
was founded as a Christian nation, so why was the First Continental Congress all
men? No women! But now, 28% of Congressmen
currently are women.
· In
my 80+ years in this world, I’m surprised to see the number of corporate CEO
roles filled with women; that was unheard of in my early years!
· There
is a significant difference between Men and Women. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs points out that Women
need and seek Love; while Men need and seek Respect. This difference is thoroughly explained in his
book “Love and Respect”. Does our
society understand and support these God-given natures?
· Since
only about 10% of schoolchildren go home to both of their original
parents, what’s the impact on them of the parenting roles in broken homes? Or for the roles of Husbands and Wives?
· Recent
surveys show that children are much more likely to continue in church if the
Father is involved.
These are some of
the role shifts I’ve observed in recent years. Do these trends fit the spirit of the
Bible? How are these trends impacting
our businesses, government, and family lives?
