Genders are not simply the basis for identity but also the basis for dating, marriage, the home, and thus to understand how God views the genders and their roles in His Creation, helps one understand dating, marriage, and the home. With this as the backdrop, it is this author’s desire to present seven truths given to us by God about genders.1. No one gender is practically more important than the other. There are some in the world who perceive that God, and Christianity by default, see the masculine gender as more important than the feminine. But this view is often based on three faulty perceptions; first, God using men in the majority of Bible events makes them more important. Second, since men have been commanded by God to lead their homes (Ephesians 5) and the local churches (1 Timothy 3), they are greater in God’s sight. Third, because it is erroneously presented by some that women are the only ones commanded to be submission, thus allowing some men to become near dictators and wives to be little more than slaves. First, God placed women in positions of biblical greatness just as He did men. Examples of this include; Zipporah, Deborah, Hannah, Esther, Ruth, Mary, and my favorite - Abigail. Further, without women to give birth, there would have been no men for God to use. Second, though the secular world often perceives it differently, church and family leadership does not make one great in God’s mind. God’s method of leadership is servant hood not power or position (Mark 10:42-45), thus leading the home or church is not a sign of importance but of service. Third, submission is a command to all Christians not just women (Ephesians 5:21). In general God shows through 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 that each gender requires the other and that no gender is more important than the other.
2. No gender is spiritually more important than the other. Galatians 3:26-28 shows that in God’s kingdom genders are unimportant. Here on earth there can be godly women and ungodly men and vice versa. In the Bible, gender does not define a person’s spirituality as their faith, walk with with God, and spiritual condition marks the level of spiritual development. In must be understood that God’s grace saves sinners regardless of gender and faithfully walking in God’s path is available to anyone. In 1 Peter 3:1-4 God clearly states that an ungodly man can have a godly wife, thus making her spirituality based on something besides her husband and therefore her spiritual identity is tied to God not her husband. Every person can walk with God to the same level as any person, regardless of their gender.
3. Each gender has been given by God their own unique duties within marriage and the home. However, some perceive these biblical marriage roles as gender inequality, whereas, God meant them as gender identity. While it is true Genesis 3:16-19 shows the various parts of these gender duties within marriage, it is also true that those roles are to help mankind and womankind fulfill God’s overall purposes for their existence and not to create an inequality within the spiritual world. For example, while men are to lead and provide for their marriages, there would be no marriage without a woman fulfilling her gender specific role within that marriage. God’s gender roles in marriage help define not destroy.
4. Each gender has unique duties within the local church. But once again this is not inequality but identity. Even in the triune God, we are shown God the Father, as the lead authority of this unity, is not diminished in the equality of the other two parts of the Trinity. As an example, Jesus at the time of His death (Luke 22:42) submitted to the will of the Father however this did not make Him less God, but, it showed that God is about order and design. As a matter of fact through Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will, Jesus is exalted for that submission (Philippians 2:5-11). While it is true that 1 Timothy 3 shows men are to be the leaders of the churches, it must further be clarified that Titus 2:1-5 and 1 Peter 3:1-5 show that women can be living examples for others to follow both in the church and home. Men may be responsible for the preaching of the Word (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) but women are privileged to help fulfill the emotional and physical needs within the church body (Acts 9:36-43). These roles are gender different but not gender unequal.
5. No gender is given greater abilities, but gender different duties are given based upon God’s purpose for that gender within the culture. Having a baby is not for everyone, especially men, either physically and emotionally. Any man who has seen his wife go through the birth of children would agree that they are anything but weak and, in most cases, are far more strong at that moment of time than any man. That is not a shame as it is what defines her as better than the man at giving birth. But as far as being a father, however, God gave men the physical and emotional tools to lead the home as the father. Again, that does not make them better, just capable of doing what they have been called to do. That does not mean woman cannot ever lead, but that God has given men the duty, and, through His Spirit, the abilities to be the head of the home, if men will take it. In Genesis 3:16-17, God shares His plan for the genders when it comes to marriage, husbands are to lead their homes and wives are to allow their husbands to lead. We must further accept that just because one assumes a particular task it is often seen as gender based and that may not be biblically based as gender specific. For instance, some men can cook just as well as women, thus that is not a gender role, and, since God has not given Bible limitations for “women only cooking” then men should be able to help with this task and not feel less manly. In simple terms cooking is not a Bible gender ability, even if some want to make it such. It should be added that much of the gender roles of the Bible are within marriage and not within other relationships. For instance, young ladies have no Bible obligation to be submissive to their boyfriends, and, young men have no right to demand the sole leadership in a dating relationship. Marriage, however, does define their roles based upon God’s gender identity.
6. Many gender roles are generated by culture and situations not necessarily by God’s Word. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is speaking about prayer and submission and using the length of men’s hair and women’s head coverings to teach about these two subjects. But as he concludes the discussion in verse 16, he makes this statement, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” In other words, this is not about what God demands for all churches but about what the culture defines for some. This does not give liberty for men to have whatever length of hair they want, but that godly men should be desirous to outwardly show the manhood distinctive that God created in him and conversely the woman should desire God’s plan for submission as a sign of her femininity. There are many countries where a gender role is defined by the culture apart from God’s biblical definition, therefore one must grasp the God created genders, and accept that He did not create all the gender roles seen today in our world. For example, a wife walking several steps behind her husband may show respect in some cultures, but in America it is a sign of something far less positive. One must understand what is biblical and what is cultural regarding gender identity.
7. No gender will ever be complete without the One True Completer - Jesus Christ. The gender identity crisis today is, in this author’s opinion, not about actual gender or even about cultural acceptance, but about the emptiness within the souls of people. People are looking for someone or something to complete them. Some would say that we, because of mankind’s created purpose and sin’s impact, have a God shaped void in their being. Even those who are living properly within the bounds of their God given gender identity can still feel empty and totally incomplete. Yet the Bible makes it clear that God’s desire is to make all complete in Christ (Colossians 2:8-10). He is the Completer. Marriage does not complete anyone - only Jesus can do that. Christ does what no other relationship can do - make people complete!
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