A helper comparable to him I: Understanding the times

“The sons of Issachar understood the times, and knew what Israel ought to do” (Genesis 2:17; 1 Chronicles 12:32). The perceived teaching of the Bible on the relationship between men and women is a huge red flag to our culture. But there is a lot of misunderstanding about how to understand the Bible. Not every admonition is for all times and all circumstances. Do we insist, for example, that women wear hats in church (1 Corinthians 11:10)? Do we in the West kiss the brethren in public (Romans 16:6)? It would be very misunderstood! Some will insist on it because, by the slippery slope argument, if you let one thing go, you will eventually let everything go! But we are to love the Lord with all our mind, and we surely need to distinguish between moral and cultural commands. Moral commands don't change, cultural ones might.

In Bible times women were not educated. And rather than taking Paul's rule that women not be allowed to teach (1 Timothy 2:12) as  applicable at all times in all cultures, we need to see the principle behind the command. And it is surly the same as that behind the command not to promote a novice (1 Timothy 3:6). With women not being educated,  Paul's rule was simply common sense!

A comparison with slavery can be informative. In fact a strong case can be made that the Bible does not condemn slavery. Slaves, for example, are commanded to submit to their masters, even when they are harsh (1 Peter 2:18). Does this mean God approves slavery or harsh treatment? It is a mistake to see something as God's perfect will just because it's in Scripture. I mean Judas went out and hung himself (Matthew 27:5)!  And Jesus was way ahead of the culture in His dealing with women (i.e. John 4:9).

Paul tells us that in Christ there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free (Galatians 2:28). And I think of this verse as containing the seeds of both the abolition of slavery, and the emancipation of women. In many ways “Kingdom come on earth” (Matthew 6:10) is revolutionary, and Jesus attitude to women was all of that. But heaven's means of “Kingdom come” is not violent. It reforms things, rather than tears them down. I like to think of William Wilberforce's life long battle for the abolition of slavery in Britain's Parliament, as his working from the Biblical command to love justice and do kindness (Micah 6:8). The same principle was surely needed to be at work a hundred years ago in the movement to give women the right to vote. When things are not done in a Kingdom way however, they inevitably finish up going too far. It's the old swing of the pendulum, and I see over and over, those who were formally oppressed finishing up as oppressors.

Father, if we are to bring the Kingdom to earth, we must operate out of Kingdom principles and attitudes. When we see that something needs to change there is a strong tendency to go too far, throwing the baby out with the bath water. It is not true, as some would have it, that masculinity is toxic in and of its self.  And when we tear things down, what replaces them can be as bad as, or worse than what needed to be changed.  Help us Lord to operate with wisdom, love, justice and courage,  in a world gone mad, in Jesus Name Amen