Peter A. Michas
Messengers of Messiah Intl. Ministries
Troy, IL. � 1990
PART 1: MISCONCEPTIONS WITHIN CHRISTIANITY
[Scripture from NASB unless otherwise indicated.]As you read this study,
I pray that your heart and mind will be open, free of man's religious concepts and
doctrines concerning the role of woman today. This study will show how the high esteem in
which women were held, their status in society, and their position in the church
deteriorated through time by heathen influence and custom dictated by rabbinical Judaism.
This study will also show the way of life God designed for His children and what it really
means to have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. I have approached this
study from the point of view that, written in Hebrew and understood from the Hebrew
mentality, the relating of Creation found in Genesis is an accurate chronicle rather than
a fictitious, legendary account of our beginnings. I have delved deeply into the book of
Genesis to discover exactly who God created when He created Adam. It is crucial that we
understand our roots, for we can only fully grasp the significance of our identity through
Adam. The goal of this writing is to pique the reader's curiosity to the point where
he/she will desire to search the scriptures for God's Truth on these and all biblical
principals. Because the human race
had its origin in Adam, discovering who Adam is will lead us to a better understanding of
who we are. To accomplish this, one must become acquainted with Hebrew culture and
language because understanding a teaching comes from understanding the perspective and
language of the person(s) teaching. One should develop an eager desire to seek God's
knowledge because of the diverse religious doctrines that have been advanced by man. From early on, the
subject of women and their role in society and the church has come under a variety of
man-made precepts and theological dogmas. Today, certain churches do not allow a woman to
teach if a man is in attendance. Two of the scriptures, which they blindly cling to and
use to defend their thinking, are: 1 Timothy 2:11-12: Let
a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman
to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.Ephesians 5:22-24: Wives,
be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife,
as Christ also is head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the
church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in
everything.The above scriptures
have been used as Scriptural proof that a husband has full rights and authority over his
wife. Unfortunately, these and many other scripture verses have been incorrectly
translated, thereby causing the mass confusion that we witness in the Christian Body
today. We will be dealing with these mistranslations later in this study. Because of a
lack of God's revelation knowledge concerning the truth about women in Scripture, women
who have been physically and mentally abused by their husbands are counseled by
well-meaning pastors to remain in those abusive relationships, and to be submissive in
every way. They are told that if they will fully submit to their husbands, God will cause
the husbands to realize they are doing wrong and therefore will stop their abusive
behavior. Paradoxically, the same Bible used to teach the above doctrine is also used to
place women in positions of authority as pastors and teachers over both men and women.Galatians 3:28-29 is
used to provide spiritual equality for male and female. It declares,"There is
neither Jew nor Greek [non-Jew, Gentile], there is neither slave nor free man, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise".In Old Testament times,
Hebrew women participated in every aspect of community life - except the Temple
priesthood. Women were included when God instituted the Mosaic covenant (Deut 29:11). When
Joshua read the Torah to Israel, they were present. Their presence was not just an option;
they were required to be present for the public reading of Scripture on the feast of
Tabernacles (Deut 31:12). In those days, women were not limited to private roles. They
freely engaged in commerce and real estate (Prov 31:16, 24), as well as manual labor (Ex
35:25; Ruth 2:7; and 1 Sam 8:13). From Temple worship, they were not excluded. They played
music in the sanctuary (Ps 68:25), prayed there (1 Sam 1:12), sang and danced in religious
processions along with men (2 Sam 6:19, 22), and they participated in music and
festivities at weddings (Song 2:8; 3:11).In New Testament times,
deacons traveled about the countryside teaching. 1 Timothy 3:11 includes women in the role
of deacon: "Women [can also be translated deaconesses] must likewise be
dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things".Priscilla (Prisca) and
Aquila, a married couple, worked together teaching men and women who were newly converted
to Christianity. In Hebrew tradition, the person with the greater authority is mentioned
first. Priscilla is mentioned in Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19; Acts 18:2, 18, 26. If
Priscilla was able to teach, women today should also be able to teach.In this study, I will
endeavor to show God's clear plan for women's position in life and explain her role in the
Body of Christ. The theme will be the equality of women as God meant it to be, and how
mankind has distorted it. During the course of this study, the reader should remember John
10:10 - "The thief [incorrect teaching] comes not except that he may steal
[be treacherous, deceive, get rid of imperceptibly], kill [slaughter, tear to
pieces], and destroy [utterly ruin, lay to waste, make to fall untimely, make to
perish, make to lose body and soul]. I [Jesus] come that they may be able to hold fast
to life" ["Zoe", i.e., all the quality of life God can give; all the
benefits of His attributes which He can bestow on something He loves - His abounding love,
patience, mercy, kindness, power and authority, blessings, freedom of equality] - namely,
an excessive, extravagant, beyond the ordinary, more than sufficient, free from envy or
grudging life" (translated from the original Greek).Satan's perversion of
truth has corrupted one of God's greatest principles and thereby has robbed untold numbers
of His children and has kept them in bondage of guilt and condemnation. That principle is
stated in John 8:36. It declares, "If haply, finally, the Son sets you free from
blame, releases you from your debt, you will really be independent, unencumbered, free,
open to all [of God's blessings]" (translation from the original Greek.)As for women who are not
in the Body of Christ - women who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal
Savior - they remain under male domination brought about by "original sin." This
is evident in all cultures throughout history. By worldly standards, women have always
been, and still are, placed in a subservient role. Chapter one in the Book of Esther tells
how Queen Vashti disobeyed a direct command of King Ahasuerus and of how Memucan, one of
the seven princes, seized the opportunity to turn what was a private affair into a public
and national crisis. Because she had defied the king, Memucan was afraid that the wives of
the princes and the ordinary citizens would follow her example. The princes were also
concerned that their advice to the king to banish the queen would cause them to be
punished if Queen Vashti returned to power.According to the Midrash
(legal codification containing the core of the Oral Law) and Targum (Jewish Scriptures
written in the Aramaic of Judea), the king was asked to proclaim into law that a wife must
obey her husband in all matters with no recourse. This decision was to be written into the
laws of the Persians and the Medes. It is also stated that if the husband and wife are of
different nationalities, the entire household must speak the husband's language. A wife
should not be able to do anything against her husband's will. The King issued this edict
to all the governors of his 127 provinces - land that extended from India to Ethiopia. It
is still this way today in these parts of the world.Sadly, much of organized
religion's teachings also perpetuate this male supremacy concept. Many churches still
follow the old puritanical and cultural ideas incorporated with their religious beliefs
carried over from medieval times, not recognizing the total equality of all spiritual
beings in Jesus Christ.Through the
years we have witnessed unsuccessful 'equality movements' spring up and then disappear. It
is the scriptures, the unchangeable Word of God, that show us the only way women will
achieve total equality - through Jesus Christ. This can only come about when the Church
itself breaks down its religious bondage's and barriers and enters into a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ instead of clinging to their man-made religious backgrounds
and traditions.