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Advocating for Women's Equality in the Church and Home

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Women in The Image Of God: Not Just a Creation Story

October 30, 2015 by Gail Wallace

I have a granddaughter who loves to be read to. When I start reading she pays close attention, but sometimes when we get to the middle she abruptly closes the book, because she already knows how the story ends.

I think we often do the same thing when it comes to understanding what it means to be made in the image of God (Imago Dei) and the implications for gender equality. That is, our understanding has been based primarily on the beginning of the story. In the first pages of the Bible there is true equality between the first man and the first woman. Both Adam and Eve are image bearers who equally reflect their Creator, both are under the authority of their Creator alone, and both are given the mandate to fill the earth and have dominion over it. End of story. Or not?

Filed Under: Women and the Bible, Women and the Church Tagged With: Creation in the Bible, Gail Wallace, image of God, imago christus, imago dei, imago spiritus, Incarnation of Christ, Pentecost in the bible

The Quick Start Guide to Equality in Genesis

September 11, 2015 by Hannah Thompson

The creation accounts in Genesis are of utmost importance when discussing gender relations within the Church. “Creation order” is a foundational claim of complementarians, who root their beliefs in the idea that since man was created first, it means that men must lead women. But does Genesis truly reveal a God-ordained male headship through creation order? A close look into the creation account will provide us with a fuller understanding of God’s intentions for men and women.

Genesis 1:27 states that, “God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. Verse 28 goes on to say that God blessed “them” and spoke to “them”. This is the first mention of mankind. It’s important to see that male and female are mentioned, and the blessing that was bestowed on “them”.

The Hebrew word used for mankind in verse 27 is “‘adam” which refers to humanity as a whole [1].

We don’t see the proper noun, Adam, used until Genesis 4:25, so this common noun refers to the whole human race. One thing that is important to note is that the Hebrew language does not contain a gender neutral pronoun, therefore the word mankind was used.

Many complementarians do not refer to Genesis 1 in the formation of their doctrine, unless it is to make the announcement that God created Adam first, not necessarily acknowledging the fact that the more accurate definition of ‘adam would be humankind. Egalitarians find Genesis 1 to be very telling of God’s heart for equality because these verses make it clear that both men and women were created in God’s image, after which he blessed them.

Filed Under: Bible translation & interpretation, egalitarianism, sexism and gender equality in the church, Women and the Bible, women in the old testament Tagged With: Creation in the Bible, Eve in the Bible, Genesis

5 Myths About Adam and Authority: What Really Happened in the Garden?

March 26, 2014 by Bob Edwards

There are some distorted messages being taught about creation these days, in particular, that God designed men to be in authority and women to follow. Here are 5 related myths.

Filed Under: Women and the Bible Tagged With: Apostle Paul and women, authority in the bible, Creation in the Bible, Eden in the Bible, Eve in the Bible, ezer in the bible, Genesis, kenegdo in the bible

Between Eden and Eternity: The Unwritten Story

November 8, 2013 by Harriet Reed Congdon

Perhaps in this middle time between Eden and Eternity, God the Father is growing humanity toward maturity so that the systems, cultural dynamics, and patterns of the past are not what write our script but only Christ and his Kingdom.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Creation in the Bible, Eden in the Bible, imago dei

Does the Creation Account in Genesis Support Women’s Submission?

August 27, 2013 by Gail Wallace

Views on submission exist on a continuum, but generally speaking, egalitarians support mutual submission in marriage, and church leadership based on giftedness rather than gender; while complementarians support the unilateral submission of wives, and predominately male church leadership. Both hold the Bible in high regard – the difference comes in interpretation.

Filed Under: Difficult Passages, Women and the Bible Tagged With: Adam and Eve, complementarianism, Creation in the Bible, egalitarianism, Eve in the Bible, Gail Wallace, Genesis, submission in the bible

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