Is the husband’s headship in the home
merely a post-fall development, reflective of sin? Or was Eve originally
created in a submissive role to Adam?
Scripture indicates in several ways
that Eve was indeed originally created in a submissive role to Adam.
First, in Moses writes in Genesis that Eve was created as Adam’s
“helper” (Gen. 2:18). She was created to assist him. She was to be his
companion, yes, but she was also to be his helper. Further, Adam named
Eve (Gen.3:20). Giving a name is always a symbol and function of
authority.
Next, the apostle Paul tells that it
was no accident that Adam was created first — it was reflective of God’s
intention that man was to be the leader (1 Tim. 2:12-14). Moreover,
the fact that Eve came from Adam, and not Adam from Eve, also reflects
God’s original purpose for man to lead (1 Cor. 11:7-8).
We might conclude all this also from
the fact that the marriage relationship is designed to picture the
relationship of Christ to the church and in which the church is subject
to Christ (Eph. 5:22ff).
In any case, both Moses and Paul state
plainly that this relationship is one of creation and not of the fall
only. To be sure, the woman’s submission to her husband now involves the
struggle and labor and competition of the curse (Gen. 3:16b), but it
was God’s original intent for marriage nonetheless. Continue at Fred G. Zaspel
No comments:
Post a Comment