How do you feel about the Bible's references toward women?

Question

Here are just a few references from the NEW Testament that mention women should submit to their husbands, that they are weaker, etc.

Romans 1:27
Ephesians 5:22-28
I Timothy 2:9-14
II Timothy 3:6-7
I Peter 3:7

Women and Men- How do you feel about that?

Taraberah- I know what the Bible tells men to do, but I am quite capable of running my household and my family. I don't need a man for protection and guidance, but I do need one for companionship. It is ridiculous to think that men are superior. (I am curious- what denomination are you?)

ANDREW- That is exactly what I was getting at!! I am amazed that women in modern times would agree to submitting to their 'men.' It seems unfair that I should be expected to go to college, get a job, and still be inferior to men...

Answer 1

Actually as a small child that's what first made me question Christianity. It was very clearly wrong to me that women and girls should be valued less than men, considered dirtier than men, be subject to men. I could not love a deity who loved me less than it loved a boy. If God is Love, as the sign on the church wall said, then I should not be less just because I was born a girl. I knew better.

I was hurt then, but now that I'm grown I'm outraged. I have no respect, NONE, for that thought, way of thinking, or anyone who agrees with it. That includes the twisted, sick idea that it's beautiful to be humble enough to accept a 'revered' subservience like a golden cage. I do NOT CARE if I'm supposed to be cherished if I accept the lower position. It's not right, I will never submit, I'll take the dirty old wide world and proclaim myself a person.

I am a part of this world, dangnabbit, and I'll take my equal share. And what do you know, it turns out I'm loved and valued even without being a meek little helpmeet.

I could probably rant for pages... I'll stop now...

Answer 2

The Bible worked within the framework of many norms from society that we don't accept now. Slavery is another one of those issues.

The Bible shows that Jesus acted outside of those norms, even while it shows that those norms existed. The story of Martha & Mary where Martha is serving everyone and Mary is at Jesus' feet is one example. Mary was acting like a "disciple” by sitting at the feet of the “teacher” to learn. That was something only men were allowed to do then. Women had their own place in the background or serving the men like Martha. Jesus confirmed to everyone that Mary should not be denied her place in learning from Him.

Someone else posted about David not acting very Christian, but followed the Mosaic Laws of Eye-for-an-Eye. The times were what they were and the Bible should not paint it any differently.

The main point is to see how Paul says that the wife be obedient to the husband AND the husband die to himself for the wife. People tend to forget that the husband had the final word ONLY after taking care of his wife’s needs. The wife really has more control in that relationship. The Bible supports Give-and-Take for BOTH PARTIES, not just one.

An example is American Women’s Voting Rights. It has been suggested that women had more influence on the election before that had the right to vote than afterward. This is because the household only had one vote and the wife could sway that one vote to her view. When women could vote for themselves they no longer had control over the whole household vote and a split vote would cancel out the households affect on the election.

Answer 3

I am in the middle about it. I don't liek that the bible considers us 'weak' and things of the like, but I agree that the man is the head of the household.

I think that if he makes a decision, we should support him. If we think the decision is a bad one, dont scream until he changes his mind, just speak to him like he should be spoken to, with respect! Women should listen to their husbands, and in turn we all know, no matter what faith or culture we belong to, that it will go both ways.

Men need to feel like protectors/providers for the ones they sincerely love. No man can sit here and tell me that he would not want to protect his wife and children, and that when he does, he wouldn't better about himself. Again, I am talking about his family that he loves, not the 'girl of the night' cuz in that case, he could probably care less. Anyways, you can't allow him to do that when you are screaming at him because of whatever reason.

It has been scientifically proven that part of the infertility problem we have here (beyond obesity) in North America is due to men being in lower social statuses. When a man is in a powerful position (career wise and/or family wise) he produces more testosterone and more of 'his little men' are healthy.

So yea, I believe we should 'submit' in one way or another. Remember, submitting doesn't mean kissing his feet when he walks through the door or something, its really appreciating him and allowing him to be a MAN.

Just my 2 cents.

Answer 4

As a man I see it as a grave responsability. Note that women are to defer to mens authority but it is not a master slave relationship. Women are to be valued, cherised, and considerd. Not "ruled" over.

EDIT:

"It seems unfair that I should be expected to go to college, get a job, and still be inferior to men..."

Your attitude towards this is the natural attitude of the flesh to desire what it wants, also in a proper Godly setting such things would not be "expected".. God ordered these things as He did in His wisdom. It is not for us to try and change them. It is natural for you to feel this way, but submission to the Lord will have you looking at these things in a new way. Also, in order for you to have an accurate picture of what this kind of life is like you have to experience a Christian home where both man and wife fufil there roles as the scripture teaches. Then you might see things differently.

Answer 5

Well, women are generally physically weaker than men. I like it when my woman submits to me. I think most women prefer the submissive role in a relationship anyway (how many women do you see chasing after submissive men?). It's really natural and normal, I think.

Does that mean that women should be treated as second class citizens? No. I think that there is nothing in the Bible that says we can't treat women as equal, but different.

Answer 6

The Bible does say, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord," but it also instructs, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Ephesians 5:22,25). A man who under-stands that Jesus Christ sacrificed His life’s blood for the Church will likewise love his wife sacrificially and passionately. He will honor her, respect her, protect, love, and cherish her as much as he does his own body, as he is instructed to do (Ephesians 5:28). He will never say or do anything to harm or demean her. It is in this atmosphere of love and security that a godly wife willingly submits herself to the protective arms of her husband. She does this not because he is better than she is, but simply because this is God’s order for His creation.

A godless world rejects the God-given formula to make marriage work. It thinks it knows best, and suffers the heartbreaking consequences of destroyed marriages and ruined lives. The Christian ideal of marriage is not one of an authoritarian and chauvinistic male holding his cringing wife in submission like an obedient dog. It’s the very opposite. While most of the great religions treat women as inferior to men, the Bible gives them a place of dignity, honor, and unspeakable worth, expressed so evidently in Proverbs 31.

Answer 7

The divine order of submission works perfectly only if the head of the household (the man) submits to God.

I honestly feel protected and safe in the loving arms of my husband.

God Bless You!

Answer 8

I feel like that's what you should do. It really just means that you should support your husband in what he does and respect him. I think that isn't so much to ask considering what the Bible tells men to do.

Answer 9

Read 'Mere Christianity' by C.S.Lewis. This book explains why the Bible says this and what it means. God bless

Answer 10

Proverbs 31

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

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Ephesians 5:25-30

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.

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