Dear Young People,

Feminism says that apart from biological differences, men and women are equal in every way. At first, it seems like a good thing. But is that really the case?

At Creation
God created Eve as a helper for Adam. Adam had authority over Eve. However, together they were to rule over the rest of God’s creation.

Gen 1:27-28 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Eve had to submit to Adam’s care. Adam had to lovingly provide for her. But together they were one powerful unit. It is not surprising that Satan chose to tempt Eve when she was not with Adam. Under Satan’s influence, she took an important decision without consulting her husband.

According to God’s design, the woman’s primary role is to be her husband’s helper, keep the home, and raise the children. Man’s primary role is to provide for the family. Both roles are important for the family.

According to God’s design for marriage (Eph 5:24-25):
Wives must be subject to their own husbands in everything just as the church is to Christ
Husbands must love their wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her

The Curse
We are all familiar with the first part of the following scripture. But we have often overlooked the latter part.

Read it carefully.
Gen 3:16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
The word ‘desire’ is also found in Genesis 4:7 where God warns Cain that sin desired to control him. So in the curse, God was predicting that the wife would desire to control the husband and the husband would suppress her.
How true this prediction has proved. All through the ages, either man has suppressed the woman, or the woman has tried to take for herself the authority that God gave the man. Either it is suppression of women or it is Feminism.

As a result, we have several wrong kinds of behavior in the marriage. The following are some such cases:

  • The husband who behaves like a dictator and regards his wife as nothing more than a dignified slave. This man is wasting a valuable helper and friend.
  • The wife who refuses to submit and allow the husband to lead the family. This woman is quite unnecessarily taking upon herself the burden of leadership while disobeying God at the same time.

After the fall, it has been difficult to understand and follow God’s design for the family. Only in Christ can we hope to do this.

Feminism—Destroys God’s Design for the Family
The Feminist movement made the woman’s natural role look inferior. It forced women into an unnatural role. So with the passing of time, girls were not trained with skills that were needed to manage a home and children. Instead, she was made to compete for a career along with the men. The change did not come overnight. But over the past decades we have seen the slow death of the family structure. We have also seen that the woman has become very overburdened with responsibilities at home and work.

Titus 2:5 commands Christian women to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. This verse is against all that the feminist movement stands for.

In India it is often impossible to manage a family if the wife does not go out to work. But we should at least remember that it is not the ideal Biblical position and pray about it.

Feminism—Destroys God’s Design for the Church
Just as God has given men and women different roles in the family, He has given them different roles in the church also.
When the Feminist movement enters the church, it destroys God’s design for the church too. That is why you have women preachers and pastors in many churches.

Paul had to discipline the women in Corinth who were probably very noisy.
1 Cor 14:34-35 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

But the church built on the word of God cannot be destroyed. So let us dilligently strive to stay close to the teachings of the Bible.

Are men and women equal?
Yes and no.
Equal? Yes, Spiritually, they are equals. They are both fellow heirs of the kingdom of God.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Equal? No, Adam was created first and Eve was created as a helper for him. This order of creation is important to God. Let us now read what Paul wrote to Timothy about this.
1 Tim 2:12-14 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

Something to think about: In the light of this study it is clear that Satan has made a mess of the family. Our only hope is to build our homes on the word of God and stay firmly planted in a church that is built on the word of God.

(Many of these thoughts are from John MacArthur’s book entitled Different By Design)

(Nahomi Dhinakar; Published in Youth Column of Dhyanamlar Mar I 2004) Click here for other Youth Column articles