Christianity's view of women?

Question

Someone told me that, according to Christianity, in a household, a woman should not be the head of the table - that it was the man's place. Is this true? What is Christianity's position on women, and her thoughts, feelings, needs, etc. with respect to men in the home?

oops... I ment household. Sorry!

Answer 1

This is a common misconception about Christianity. First of all, consider the context. Paul (an apostle of Jesus Christ), was living and preaching during a time when women had no rights, no social position, no voice, nothing but the name of the husband they were attached to. And even that was tenuous; under Jewish law, a man could divorce a woman without much cause, but a woman could not divorce her husband. And divorce was pretty much a death sentence for a woman: she often wound up destitute and in dire straits. (Even so in the case of being widowed; wives didn't inherit their husband's wealth...that was passed to the first born son or back to the man's family.)

Anyway, in this climate of gender inequality, Paul laid down godly guidelines for marriage. "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.... Husband, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy.... In this same way, husband ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself...."

There's a lot about ancient Jewish culture that, if understood, helps us to understand correctly just what Paul was saying. He wasn't saying wives are 2nd class citizens in the house; on the contrary! He was saying wives are equal in position to their husbands, and that husbands (who previously had treated their wives shabbily, but blamelessly under the law), were to change their way of thinking and treat their wives with dignity, respect and love.

The passage quoted above has far more to say to husbands than it does to wives. And consider the following verse: "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." (Ephesians 5:25). How did Christ love his church? He DIED for his church! He gave up all the rights he had as the Son of God, humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross (the worst and most humiliating form of Roman execution there was), and laid down his life so that his "bride" (the church) could live. He did it because he LOVED his "bride" and had the best in mind for "her." That is pretty heavy stuff! And a HUGE responsibility for a husband! It means that a husband is to be humble, just as the wife is to be!

Wives are to respond to this type of love with submission. Does this mean wives have no voice? Certainly not! What it does mean is that a household needs a leader. God has appointed husbands for that role. A household also needs a follower to that leader; God has appointed wives for that role. The point of these roles is to serve as an example to others of the relationship of Jesus (the Head) to his church (the "bride"), as well as the relationship of God the Father (Head) to Christ the Son (in submission). And when a husband and wife are living according to their respective roles, there is peace and harmony in the home. I know because I have lived in peace for 16 years with a man who understands what the Scriptures really mean. And believe me...I'm no meek woman. He and I make decisions together; but if there is a decision to be made where we're in conflict, it's my role to submit. I don't like it, but I do it because my submission to my husband is first and foremost a matter of submission to God and His word. Sometimes that's the only way I can do it. And when I DO (and when my husband is "loving me sacrificially"), we are both blessed in ways we never thought possible.

People put so much emphasis on only Paul's teachings regarding husbands and wives, and put way too much emphasis on the wife's role of submission. It's really not that big of a deal when it's applied properly. But one thing people conveniently overlook is the beginning of that passage, which immediately precedes the instruction to wives and husbands: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ." We are both charged with submitting to each other! We have different roles, but equal status before God. Don't let anyone tell you differently!

Also, you have to put Paul's teaching in context of the whole Bible. Jesus himself treated women with all the respect, honor and dignity that they deserved. Woman at the well, the adulteress in the street, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha, etc. His own disciples tried to dissuade him from socializing with them or affording them equal status in God's eyes. Jesus rebuked his disciples! I guess you could say Jesus was the first feminist. ; )

Answer 2

Read Proverbs 31, beginning with verse 10, it's called the Wife of Noble Character. It explains all the things the woman is responsible for in the home. Some of the highlights are she has her own home-based business, she buys and sells land, she oversees her servants and is prominent in the charitable community.

That's the old testament. The only thing that really changed after the coming of Jesus, is that in the new Christian church, Paul had the women and the men learning together, an unheard of thing in any other religion. This was why Paul was telling the women to be silent; they were so new to this they kept interrupting the service with questions to their husbands! lol

Basically, marriage is a partnership and the woman is to run her house efficiently and the man is to bring home the bacon so to speak. They are to work together to provide a good home for their children and their servants. The man has final say-so, true, but someone has to have it!

Answer 3

Ladies: Thanks for speaking up on this subject. It's hard for a guy to address this topic without sounding arrogant. This subject is not about a power play, which is what the world tries to make it, and uses as an excuse to ridicule it. Being "head of household" is only a role, having nothing to do with superior/inferior. The wife has a responsible and respected role too, to "manage the household" well (Prov 31), which makes it clear that the wife is no doormat.

The "we are equal" argument is not an excuse to toss this model out the window. A home that fights over leadership effectively has none.

Answer 4

God makes it very clear in the Bible, God's Holy Word, that the man is to be the leader of the home. The woman is to be in submission to the man. This DOES NOT however mean that she is to be subserviant to him. God created woman as a helpmeet for man. When the very first woman was created, Eve, God took a rib out of the side of Adam to form her. This is very symbolic. God did not choose a bone from the man's head so she would be "over" or "above" him, and He didn't choose a bone from his foot so he would walk "over" her... He purposely chose a rib, the bone closest to the man's heart. A lot of men think that women were put on earth to serve them, this is so wrong. We were put on earth to help them. The man, if he is following the will of God in the family, should have final say, however, if he is a Godly man, he will listen to his wife and take her feelings and thoughts into consideration, and then, they as a family should pray and seek God's will in the decisions they need to make as a family. If a man that is in the will of God, respects his wife's position, and treats her with the love and honor she's due, she will have no problem following the husband's God ordained leadership. If he's a jerk, then she will naturally rebel. The Bible also states that a man should love his wife as Jesus loved the church, insomuch that He died for it. That's the way that God intented the family to be according to the Bible.

Answer 5

I've been studying this extensively as I'm about to teach on this very subject. The bible does say that the man is to be the head of the home and the wife is to submit. Great. BUT, the man is also commanded to love his wife as Christ loves the church and give his life up for her. That sounds like the man should be so head over heels in love with his wife that every decision he does make should have her best interests at heart. The wife is also called to give Godly counsel to her husband, so she's not a doormat by any stretch of the imagination.

Answer 6

The man is supposed to be the head of the household. To provide for and protect his family, christians are not the only ones who hold this belief. Jesus told husbands to love their wives as he loves the church. He said when a man and a woman are joined together the two shall become one. True christians hold women in high regards. You need to grab a hold of a bible, maybe a NIV version it is easier to read and you will see the bible teaches love. Begin with the New Testament.

Answer 7

I never heard of not having a woman at the head of the table. Christianity says that men and women are of equal importance and value, but that they have different purposes. Traditionally at least, it's been said that the man should be the head of the home, and the woman should be the heart of the home. That he should protect and provide, and she should be the one to make it worth protecting- to make it a safe and loving and nurturing place for everyone. That's a hard job, and every bit as honorable as his.

Answer 8

The passage that says that a man should be the head of the household says that We should submit to each other and tells the man to love his wife as he loves his own body, pretty big charge. I believe that Christianity has done a lot to empower women and that Jesus sees men and women as being equal.

Answer 9

That is true. Man was designed to be the head of the household, however, if he is not a Godly man, the responsibility transfers to the woman of the household.

Answer 10

While the Bible does say that the man is to be the head of the household, it also says that the woman must be treated with care and respect.

Answer 11

God has used many women in the Bible to do God's work.
I have nothing against a women sitting at the head of the table.
A true Christian woman can sit at the head of my table any time.
An example,
Deborah mentioned in the Bible. At the time before Kings. God appointed Deborah to be judge. When God instructed them to go to war none of the men wanted to unless Deborah would go in front.
Needless to say, she went in front and provably fought better than the men. Read about it...
Judges 4:4