As women, we fight not to be seen as equals (because no human being is equal in gifts or intelligence or physicality or spirituality), but to be allowed to shine in our uniqueness under God and bring Him glory with our lives. We fight to do this in our professions, our circles of influence, our families, and even, sadly, within our Church. But when the Bride of Christ is labeled as leaning toward masculinity, I ask, “How can a woman then feel a welcome part of the Church body?”
We know that God created both man and woman in His image. (Genesis 1:27) This means that God Himself is comprised of both masculine and feminine characteristics, and nowhere does it say one is more predominant than the other.
We also know that when Jesus was alive, women were regarded as less than men. The culture of that time meant women shared husbands with maidservants and other wives, and women existed for the procreation of the bloodline. Women were required to cover themselves and forbidden to speak publicly and refused education. If Jesus had come to Earth as a woman, nobody would have listened to Him. He needed to be a man in order to speak in the temple courts, to receive a Jewish education, training as a Rabbi, and to share the love of God with a male-dominated, patriarchal culture.
The 12 Apostles too were also men, not because Jesus had a preference for men or because He wanted to build His masculine Church, but because in that society, 12 men could be ‘sent out’ as messengers. Yet if you look at Jesus’ followers, which included the Apostles and His disciples, meaning “one who follows a person’s moral teachings” or “student,” we see many women loyal to Jesus who carried forth the early Gospel. Mary Magdalene (who is assigned the task of informing the Apostles of the resurrected Christ), Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Salome, Mary of Bethany, her sister Martha, Miriamne, Arsinoe, Suzanna, Priscilla, Tabitha, Lydia, Phoebe, Julie, Nympha, and Joanna. And the ‘apostle’ Junias, present in jail with Paul, referenced in Romans 16:7, is believed to be one of the founders of the first Christian Church in Rome.
As for “inclining women to come alongside those men with joyful support, intelligent helpfulness, and fruitful partnership in the work,” I gladly come alongside my husband with joyful support because I love him. I love because Christ loves me, and His love enables me to love more sacrificially by ‘laying down my life for my friend.’ I help him because he is my family, my best friend, my confidant, my encourager. I respect him deeply. We are partners in raising our children, ministry, work, finances, and living life. We are inclined to one another out of mutual respect, devotion, and love—wanting the very best for one another and looking for ways to build each other up.
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