Gender and Redemption: Jesus came so that humanity (both men and women) would be bought - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Gender and Redemption:

Jesus came so that humanity (both men and women) would be bought back to the Garden)

.Slide2

Introduction

The Bible is a

three part story:

1-Creation Ideal: Genesis 1&2

2-The Fall (Genesis 3 and much of the Bible)

3-Redemption : What Jesus teaches and does, and how other Apostles especially Paul apply Christ’s teachings in a Christian Household.Slide3

Creation Ideal:

We find out from Genesis 1-2 that human beings were created as male and female in the image of God to fulfil and ideal: humanity living together in unity, harmony and companionship, regardless of gender, race tribe, age or social position.

Man understands that the woman is his “

ezer

kenegdo

”, strong help, face to face with him, not weak, not subordinate.

They enjoy a naked and unashamed relationshipSlide4

Fall

The second part of our bible story is the “Fall”.

This traces our rejection of life of faith and the abundant provision for us. This fall from grace brought division among God’s creation, a striving of power over each other and loss of fearless love for which God created us

The Enemy has portrayed a message that it is the woman who brought the Devil into the world and was thus cursed therefore subordinate to man.

Patriarchy, the struggle for power over humans, ensued from fall.Slide5

Redemption

The final part of the story finds us redeemed, bought back by Christ from the bondage into which we sold our selves.

Jesus’ teachings and deeds, applied by Paul, Peter and other Apostles, show us how redemption restores each one of us to wholeness with God and to each other

Redemption brings us back to the creation ideal of unity and balance with ourselves and with one another .

Through this redemption, we become a New Man or New Woman, restored to new Life in Christ. Slide6

Difference between Sex and Gender

“Sex” would refer to whether one has the physical organs of a man or woman.

Different sexual categories have been invented over the years: Sexual politics, sexual prerogatives, sexual identity…and the sexual subgroups: transsexual, bi-sexual, homosexual, heterosexual etc.

One’s “sex” is a blessing from God.

Gender would refer to the “social aspect” or “behavior” that relates to whether one is a man or woman

How I am treated because I am a man or a woman, in the family, society, religious or job setting.

Family, marriage, morality (or immorality), and more importantly “love” (or lack of it) are all part of this “Sex-Gender” equation. Slide7

Jesus and Redemption: Honor, Patriarchy(Struggle for power) and Dominance

Jesus’ Redemptive mission on earth was to bring back humanity (both male and female) back to God and to each other.

Honor/shame cultures dominated life in Jesus’ times just as in our day. Men would want to prove they are more powerful by shaming fellow men, take over their position, wives, property or at least win a debate.

Jesus shows us that we need to wash each others’ feet (John 13) , or use our resources to help the disadvantaged neighbors (Luke 10:30-37 - the story of the good Samaritan). Slide8

Christ redeems women

In Christ, woman is no longer regarded as just good only for labor, sex and producing children (preferably boys), but id brought back to the “Harden” experience where she is an “

ezer

.” She is an important part of God’s redemptive purposes.

Her value is now in her “obedience to God” (Luke 1: 26-28, 30-38),

She can sit at Jesus’ feet as a disciple (Luke 10: 38-42)

She can now go out as an apostle, sent to redeem the world. (John 4 - the Samaritan Woman (John 20:16-18).

She is no longer to be regarded as a sex object (John 8: 3-11).Slide9

Paul applies Jesus’ teachings to a Christian Household: Ephesians 5: 21-33, 6:1-9

Many have faulted Paul as maintaining the status quo of “gender oppression” in his writings.

A proper understanding of Paul’s message especially in Ephesians 5 and 6 will help us know that Redemption is a consistent message, that Jesus restores us back to the Creation ideal and affirms God’s will that both male and female are equal before God.

Race, social/economic status and gender supremacy ,have no room in Paul’s redemptive message. He affirms Jesus message of redemption.Slide10

“Submission”: Understanding Ephesians 5:21-22

Readers and preachers of this passage often miss the context of Paul’s teaching on “submission”. They will always begin from verse 22 where woman is told to submit to her husband.

Paul is first of all interested in “mutual submission” (verse 21), and he wants all to be done “ as fitting in the Lord”.

Certainly the Lord never taught subordination, and it is never Paul’s intention.

Greek word for “submission” is “

hypotasso

”. Hypo means “under”,

tasso

means “to place”. Slide11

Submission cont’d

Understanding the active, passive and middle Voice.

Greek speakers would understand verbs in a way of “voice”, which would be understood as “tone” in our day. (Demonstration: Use “Come” in three ways).

Change in tone also changes the meaning or conveyance of message intended

Hypotasso in “active voice” would mean: “put under in our power”, as a warrior would put an enemy to his will.

(Demonstration: Pull someone and submit them in an active voice).Slide12

Submission cont’d

“Passive Voice”: The verse would be understood to mean that the woman is to allow herself to be subjected , squashed , vanquished, conquered, and to see the man as the victor, period! Nothing to do about it! (Demonstration: Passive submission).

“Middle voice”: (English speakers don’t normally use this, and it is hard to translate from Greek to English).

Hypotasso in middle voice would mean “voluntarily placing one’s self under, or submit oneself to someone else…in view of making them better! Submission is an empowering rather than a disempowering verb.Slide13

Submit one to another (Ephesians 6:1-9)

From this scripture in comparison to Chapter 5:21, Paul is teaching all of us, fathers, wives, children, slaves, masters, whatever our color, race, social or economic status, to voluntarily submit one to another in order to make the other better.

Life lived with this attitude in Christ (as fitting in the Lord) , transforms the world, it certainly did in Paul’s day.

History shows that Onesimus, Philemon’s slave restored to him by Paul, later becomes the bishop of Colossae, with Philemon as a member of the church. Think about it. (Cf. book of Philemon).Slide14

Headship: Ephesians 5:20-23

World over, the bible is read using the lenses of the “fall” and “culture”.

Reading the above scripture with the above lenses would portray to mean that a man is superior to woman in every sense and it is a God-given position. It is settled!

However, understanding this in redemptive terms brings Paul’s message home, that man is “head” of the woman even as Christ is “head of the church”

Certainly Christ is not head of the church to oppress it, but to empower it.Slide15

Headship cont’d

People always understand “headship” to mean: “leader”, “boss”, “superior”, “authority over,” etc.

Paul’s use of “head” in the above scripture does not mean any of the above.

Greek word for “head” is “kephale” which refers to the “head” as a body part (which in no way oppresses the rest of the body)

The “head” gives connection, coordination and takes risks on behalf of the body

Christ as our head (Ephesians 1:9-10, Colossians 1:17-18; 2:19) unites us and empowers us. Thus “head” is an empowering word.Slide16

Conclusion

The Bible’s message of redemption is consistent :

Genesis 2: 24-26, Math: 19 : 1-7, Ephesians 5: 21-33 all affirm God’s original intent for creation: that man and woman were created in the image of God to be one, united, and completing each other; that the fall brought division, supremacy and superiority over each other, and that redemption in Christ brings us back to the garden, to God’s original intent of “naked and unashamed”

Galatians 3:28, There is no … Jew or Gentile, no slave or free, no man and woman

, for we

are all one in Christ Jesus.

Hallelujah , Glory to God for the message of redemption.