Father’s day we sat down with a lovely brunch my husband cooked. We had the computer on to listen in, to a live stream of a church pastored by a dear friend. At some point he called the fathers forward and started to instruct them. Then he said something like this: “Jesus has a throne and just like Jesus has a throne, men you have a throne in your home. You are to rule in your homes.” He then continued about the responsibility to rule.
This has a stuck in my throat for about 24 hours now and I cannot get my head wrapped around it. There was a curse given to Eve that is "man shall rule over you" in Gen 3:16. This was a curse, just the same as that the man shall work and make a living by working hard enough to sweat. This curse of men domineering women has become one of the quiet strongholds in the Christian church. Even ministers that sometimes quote: “Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” will treat their wives as second class citizens or make snide remarks to their peers about the “ball-and-chain”. It seems like they want it both ways.
Kelley Varner was one of the few brave souls who addressed this in his book: “The Three Prejudices”
“Three great prejudices have infested the homes, churches, businesses, and cities of our society:
1.Gender (the wall between men and women).
2. Race ( the walls between blacks and whites[and all other skin colors})
3.Nation (the walls between Jews and Gentiles).
These walls can never be surmounted by human means. The people of God have fostered these ills through ignorance and apathy.”
Now that is a new line of thought. A diversion from the old stale drumbeat of “submit, obey; submit, obey; submit, obey...”
And quoting brother Varner once more: “The only real, lasting cure for the unholy spirit of prejudice is the love of God.”
How come churches miss this? Where are the sermons on: How men can love their wives even as Christ love the church and gave His life for her? Not too easy of a topic now is it. It is so much easier to hold to the party line: she must first submit. Well gents, the church, we, were still enemies of Christ when He gave His life for us. Herein is love, not that we love Him, but that He first loved us and sent His Son to die in our place. 1 John 4:10
It may make an interesting study: How Jesus loves His bride.
Note that the translators of the Bible often mistranslate the word “Anthropos = human, person” as “man”. Anthropology is the academic study of humanity. The word for “male” is “arren”. Unless the context denotes a male gender, the word should be translated person or people.
Ex: Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'A Person shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one person, Adam, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all people, because all sinned—
Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all people.
(Some of the newer translations have so translated this word. Ex: NLT, Common English, New Century, TNIV, Good News Translation, The Message)
