Now that we have covered some of the central verses which seem to disempower women, I want to take a step back and visit Genesis to gain a foundation for the creation of women.
Genesis 1 tells the story of God’s creation of the world. He created light and darkness, succulents and aardvarks, and everything in between, and in verse 26 God creates man. It is helpful to note that the word adam applies to mankind in general, not specifically males. Then in Genesis 5 most English translations read, “male and female He created them.” However, in the original translation there is no “and.” The text literally reads, “God created them in his own image male-female he created them” (Genesis 5:2). Some scholars and rabbi’s believe that Adam was created as a bi-sexual organism. I realize this is a bold, controversial, statement for most to take in, especially for conservative Christians, but go with me for a moment. As I said, this is a theory, I am not claiming a stance one way or the other but there is a lot of evidence which coincides with this theory. This also coincides with the understanding of God which has both male and female characteristics, so for mankind to be made having both qualities, it makes sense.
The misunderstanding I want to get at here is the long held belief that men were created in the image of God, while women were created as an after thought to serve him. This is a major reason why I speak so strongly against the patriarchal tendencies in Church cultures. We must recapture the understanding that men and women were made in the image of God.
Both man AND woman were made in the image of God. Eve was not an afterthought.
You know the story, Adam was put to sleep and God took out a rib and created Eve. However, the word translated rib here is not used anywhere else in the Old Testament as rib. Why is this important you may ask? The word translated rib actually means side. Though the the word side still is not strong enough. The word implies that God did not merely take something from Adam's side and create him, but he actually took half of Adam and created Eve. Continuing with this theory, picture this; Adam is created in his androgynous state (both of which make up “the image of God”) and is metaphorically, and literally split into two. At this moment men and women were differentiated. This is why Adam said of Eve not only “she is bone of my bone” but “flesh of my flesh.” Eve was created quite literally as Adam's "other half."
This gives us a beautiful picture into the mystery of marriage. At weddings they often quote, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Marriage is a bringing back together of what once was one, and reuniting the two natures of man and woman. Only then, when women and men are united, do we get the full image of God.
This concept goes even further than earthly marriage. As most Christians recognize, marriage is only a shadow of the greatest marriage between Jesus and his bridegroom the Church. Adam and Eve were together, and then separated. This separation only caused their reunion in marriage to be even more joy-filled. In the same way Jesus came to the earth to die for his bride and then ascended back to Heaven. We are in that sense Jesus’ “other half.” We are “bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh” for we are “members of his body” (Eph 5:30) and “one spirit with Him” (1 Cor 6:17). But he promises he will return with greater joy to reclaim his Bride and be united to us forever. John Calvin boldly declares, "until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons Himself in some measure imperfect."
When women are silenced and driven out of leadership, we are missing half of the image. We only get the full image of God when men and women come together.
