There have been a lot of changes this past year for our nation. A lot of good, a lot of awareness, but also a lot of opposition for the Christian church. Culture has become bolder and more assertive in its voice for how things should look, what is allowed (and what is not), and who people are regarding their lifestyles and even genders. As the world around us gets darker, there seems to be whisperings around us—a collective conviction—towards a refinement fitting for a church that needs to step fully into their function to shine like a beacon in the dark.
As the world becomes more secular, we feel the Spirit beckoning us to hone just what it is to be the church. This has pushed us both individually and as a whole to figure out the answers to questions we never even knew would be under debate. Questions that surround what it should look like for us to truly be the light. One of the biggest areas I’ve heard becoming an area of such debate is gender roles—specifically women’s as pertains to matters of the bible. More concisely: how to be a Christian woman in a modern world. We wonder as Christian women: what is my role? What is my voice? What do I believe on such things? What is right according to the Bible?
For the past few weeks, various questions and ponderings have landed at my doorstep on these accounts. For reasons I’ll never understand, I feel both convicted and compelled to write about such, but I do so with much trembling because I know I do not have all the answers. However, I believe the Bible does, and I promise I will endeavor to write things I both live by (or try to) and things that may convict me wholeheartedly. But ultimately, I promise to write things that can be found and supported by scripture.
I’ve never done a mini-series on the blog like this, so I’m very excited, but also a little nervous. Allow me to say here: I love (kind) feedback! It’s one of the perks of blog writing to get to hear the wisdom of others in response to a topic I am also wrestling with; so please: message, share, comment, text, email! I would love to hear your thoughts and questions on these topics, because we all have a valuable voice as we are all given different walks of life and perspectives—and likewise, none of us have all the answers!
We will get more in depth as we break down some more controversial topics and views on scripture concerning women, but first we have to start at the beginning. Today, the first question we need to address before we get into anything further is: what was God’s design and purpose for woman? In other words, why did God create woman? Without this to reference, we cannot even have remotely intelligent conversations, because who can know their function in the modern world without first knowing their Creator’s intention from the beginning?
Of course, we know where we must start today. Back where sin was untouched. Back when comparison did not and could not exist. Back when there was only one man and one woman, and all functioned just as it had been designed. Yes, we must begin our research and discovering in the garden with the very first woman Eve. A place we will reference often from this point on, but first we need an in depth look at our creation, because every invention was created for a purpose. I believe if we can answer this for Eve, we can move towards the abundant life set before us as well.
The first thing we absolutely must establish is this: God makes no mistakes. I don’t mean this in a way that we might here at a youth conference (although that powerful meaning certainly stands true) as though we were unsure if God meant to make us the way he did—and he did mean to make us the way he did. What I mean by this today is God did not stand before creation surprised by anything, freestyling, or improvising on what he’d do next. He was not shocked by what his creation chose to do, and he created the first people—and every person after—giving us choice but also with the foreknowledge of what we’d do with it. No, our God is creative, but he is also organized and incredibly meticulous, always working from his good and perfect plan. We must cling to everything with the knowledge that God is purposeful and he’s also all knowing. This means when he creates, he creates with every tiny detail having reason and function—not a single freckle being an afterthought, and certainly not a person.
If we fail to establish and believe this one truth, we will be tempted to read the creation of Eve as though she were an afterthought. An addition to make Adam’s life better and nothing more. As though God’s primary relationship is with Adam, but Eve is invited to come along too. This argument perhaps would seem to fit with the second chapter of the text, but it does not align with the character of the Creator and so we have to take it all into context. Consequently, if Eve had been an afterthought, this would imply she had no real plan of her own as she was created with one function and purpose. To help Adam (something we’ll dive more into next week). The second reason is this: if we don’t establish this, then that would mean everything about Eve—as well as every woman who followed— was not intentionally designed. And she very much was.
The very first verse we hear of the female gender in the bible is in Genesis 1:27. It’s interesting actually that this is the first mention, since other female species had been created. After all on the very same day prior to the creation of mankind, God gave the command in Chapter 1 verse 24, “‘Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.’ And that is what happened.” We know from this that not only were the original animals already created, but also this original number contained both male and female if part of the command was for them to produce offspring. This is implied, but it’s both interesting and notable that he does not clarify both male and female counterparts until his next creation.
Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wind animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.’
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.”
I used to think these verses were a little confusing, or at the very least, out of place, because the following chapter is the in-depth version of how and why he created both Adam and Eve. I believe the Bible to be God ordained or God inspired and therefore the infallible word of God despite being written by humans. I’ve found it to be impeccably sound without holes while also containing purpose in its every use of word. With this basis, it changes the way I read the bible. If nothing is accidental, when something seems oddly worded or oddly arranged, I know there is a reason—and I want to know why. Why then would the Bible backtrack here? Why throw these verses into chapter 1 when the explanation of man and woman’s creation is to be expounded upon in the very next chapter?
One reason is that it gave us an overall understanding of the timeline and order in creation before zooming more closely into the day that he called, “very good.” This still stands to be true and helpful, but another answer has become obvious as well to me in my studying. I believe one particularly important reason was because God wanted us to know without a doubt that he always intended to make woman. Not as an afterthought but as a crucial piece of creation. He wanted us to know her role and function in the garden despite the order in which she was created. That she was a part of the plan always. A part of the work, the purpose, and an unmistakably vital part and contributor to this day he deemed very good.
A lot of things happen in these two verses. First, he tells us the identity of human beings. When it says God created human beings in “our image,” it is referencing the whole of the trinity—God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. So human beings have been made to reflect and given the privilege of housing aspects of all 3. This is the design of human beings. While there are many characteristics of God we can never obtain, we are image-bearers. Our identity is by nature bearing His image and should continue to grow more like God. In this way, we are set apart from the other creations who were not created in his image. And not only are we image-bearers, he set up our very makeup to be purpose filled and soul satisfied when we find our identity in him and him alone.
Then there is the role of human beings: “to reign over the fish of the sea, birds of the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” This was the role, or work he gave to us in the beginning. In other words: partake with me in creating and governing. Build things, nurture things, create order, be stewards of my creation. All of these things we do in our work reflect that we are image-bearers by our nature.
Following this in verse 28, he gives purpose to human beings. “Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” And then he reiterates their role (which will be a way to fulfill their purpose), “Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” What’s the difference between a role and purpose? A role is the work we must do, but our purpose is the reason we do it. Remember this—we’ll come back to it on a later date.
I love a definition that Tim Keller gave once for sin. It was “anything that causes the human race not to flourish.” That at the heart is why we must flee from it—simply put, it’s outside of God’s good design and purpose for us. But why are we talking about sin when it had not even entered the scene yet? Well that’s exactly why we’re talking about it. If sin is the opposite of being close to God and sin is anything that causes us not to flourish or causes us to veer from his good and perfect will, then the opposite is what God does want and our purpose put simply is this: to flourish in this life he gave us and to help others flourish (leading them to God).
Notice that in all of this, he references “human beings,” which yes, is translated into the word of ‘man’ as seen by our footnotes and maybe even some translations. So how can we know this means Eve too? Two reasons: there weren’t two men, so the plural of this noun—whatever it may be in the original text—had to contain at least two people. Since there were only two people present at the moment, I think a pretty safe bet for the second person is Eve.
Second reason: verse 27. “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Why go through the redundancy of telling us three different ways that God made us in his image unless each line is really saying something different? Or better yet: further clarifying what he knew we’d question in three different ways.
Line one: So God created human beings in his own image.
Inner monologue: Wow okay, cool. We were created in his image. That is amazing to think about. Wait… my footnote says man. Does that mean I’m left out or lesser? Not created in his image?
Line two: In the image of God he created them.
Inner monologue: Oh whew! “Them.” That means at least two. So that’s got to mean Adam and Eve right? Meaning women too are created in his image—oh, unless he meant all future males… Is this another collective/foreknowing verse?
Line three: male and female he created them.
Inner monologue: Bingo, so Eve was a part of this creation here. Part of this creation and part of this purpose and calling. This changes everything.
Why does this change everything? Three reasons:
1). He establishes both genders are made in his image. Male and female are both imaging God.
2). He separates them out, because yes, he wants to clarify she too is an image-bearer, but he also wants the distinction to be there that while we are both image bearers, he’s setting it up to say we will bear the image of God in different ways. Neither lesser, but indeed different and separate.
3). It confirms that she was in the garden at the time that roles and purpose were given. This leaves no conclusion other than: before the fall, in the garden, when all was as it should be, the genetic makeup of the genders were different, but the roles and purposes of man and woman were. the. same.
If other species had been created as both male and female, why clarify the genders on these verses for mankind? Well for one, he knew how much we’d struggle with gender roles, but he also wanted each woman to know this: you were specifically, specially, and purposefully designed. Just as Eve was. Just as every woman is. These truths are so important as we go forward, because before we know how to function as a Christian woman in a modern world, we need to know our relationship with our Maker from the beginning of time. From these simple truths, we know we are seen, we are important, we are loved, we are given purpose, and above all, we were wanted. These are the promises, the purpose, and the image in which we were created. This is our role as woman as pertains to God. To bear his image, to do the work he gives us, to flourish in it, and to do it with the purpose he’s laid out despite our gender and despite our time.
So, why were women created? Essentially, the same reason as men. Because God wanted us.
“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31
I hope you found this week’s intro into this series helpful and hopeful. A Christian woman in a modern world will continue to look deeper and more specifically into the roles and purposes of women, as well as design. Next week we will speak more about the garden and Eve’s relationship and role to her counterpart Adam. If you want to read ahead, we’ll be getting into chapter 2 of Genesis. Thanks so much for reading, and please share if you feel led! Don’t forget to subscribe so you can follow along with the series, and I’ll see you here next week!
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