[i]Are women being equal to men in the bible?

• Men and women in the eyes of God: Equal in value, different in roles
• From the dawn of creation, God’s Holy Word declares that men and women were created in His image, each endowed with equal divine dignity and value.
• No distinction of worth or preference exists between genders, yet each has a unique role within God’s perfect design for humanity, reflecting His intentional order.
• While men and women share equal essence and spiritual dignity, God assigned complementary roles that foster unity, love, and cooperation, embodying His vision for harmonious relationships.
• Eve from Adam’s rib: The Significance of Unity and Complementarity
• When God created woman, He did not form her from dust as He did Adam but took her from Adam’s rib during his deep sleep, crafting her into a woman and presenting her to him.
• Genesis 2:21-22 (NIV): “So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
• The Hebrew word for “rib”, [ii]tsela, often means “side” in the Old Testament, as in the sides of a structure, building or ship (equal sides). Suggesting Eve was formed from Adam’s side, symbolising equality and partnership.
• This divine act underscores that Eve is neither above Adam to dominate him nor below him to be subservient, but beside him as an equal partner in life’s journey.
• This creation narrative highlights God’s intent for men and women to live in unity, harmony, and mutual support, fostering a relationship of equality rather than conflict or competition.
• Both are in the image of God: Male and female he created them
• The inherent dignity of both men and women stems from being created in God’s image, a foundational truth affirming their equal worth.
• Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
• The image of God (imago Dei) is not about physical appearance but encompasses reason, free will, discernment, creativity, and the capacity for relationship with God and others.
• Both men and women bear this divine imprint, making them equal in dignity and spiritual status before God, with no gender deemed lesser in His eyes.

[iii] Different roles do not deny equality

• Despite equal dignity, God, in His infinite wisdom, ordained distinct roles for men and women in family and society, reflecting His purposeful design.
• Recognising Adam’s solitude, God declared it “not good for the man to be alone” and created a “helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18, NIV: “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’).
• The Hebrew word ezer (helper) does not imply inferiority but denotes a vital partner, as it is also used for God as a helper to His people (e.g., Psalm 33:20, NIV: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield”).
• Thus, a woman’s role as a helper signifies partnership and complementarity, not subordination, aligning with God’s vision for mutual support.
• After the Fall: The introduction of sin and the distortion of the relationship
• After humanity’s disobedience, sin entered the world, distorting the harmonious relationship between men and women intended by God.
• Genesis 3:16 (NIV): “To the woman he said, ‘I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labour you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
• The “desire” and “rule” described may reflect a sinful tendency toward domination on both sides, shifting from loving partnership to power struggles.
• These distortions are not God’s original plan but consequences of sin, which Christ’s redemptive work seeks to restore through grace and love.

Equality in Christ Jesus

• In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul affirms that Christ removes barriers between people, including gender distinctions, in terms of spiritual worth.
• Galatians 3:28 (NIV): “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
• This declaration does not erase distinct roles but emphasises equal dignity, inheritance, and access to God’s love, uniting all believers in Christ’s redemptive grace.

Women’s Ministry in the Two Testaments

• Women have played pivotal roles in God’s redemptive plan throughout biblical history, demonstrating their integral place in His purposes.
• In the Old Testament, figures like Deborah (Judges 4-5), a prophetess and judge, Miriam, Moses’ sister (Exodus 15:20-21, NIV: “Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand…”), and Queen Esther, who saved her people, highlight women’s significant contributions.
• In the New Testament, women like Phoebe, Priscilla, and Junia served the early church faithfully, with roles as deaconesses, teachers, and co-workers (Romans 16:1-3, NIV).
• Jesus demonstrated profound respect for women, breaking cultural norms by engaging with the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26) and choosing Mary Magdalene as the first witness to His resurrection (John 20:11-18), affirming their honoured place in God’s kingdom.

[iv] Submission does not mean contempt

• Paul’s teaching on submission, often misunderstood, must be viewed in its full context to grasp its intent within a framework of mutual love.
• Ephesians 5:22 (NIV): “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”
• This is complemented by Ephesians 5:25 (NIV): “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
• Submission here reflects mutual submission rooted in Christ’s sacrificial love, not domination or humiliation, but a cooperative partnership grounded in love and respect.

Women’s ministry in the Orthodox Church

• The Orthodox Church deeply honours women but does not permit their ordination to the priesthood, a stance rooted in tradition, not devaluation.
• This practice stems from Christ’s selection of male apostles and the liturgical symbolism of the priest as an icon of Christ, the bridegroom, with the Church as the bride.
• Nevertheless, women have served in vital roles as deaconesses, nuns, missionaries, and spiritual mothers, exerting profound spiritual influence throughout church history.

Unity in Diversity

• God’s vision for men and women is one of harmony and complementarity, not conflict or competition, reflecting His design for unity in diversity.
• God created male and female to complement each other, functioning as members of one body, collaborating in service to God and society.
• While their roles differ, their dignity remains equal, with love as the foundation of their relationship, fulfilling God’s purpose for humanity.

[i] Is God a Misogynist? Understanding the Bible's Difficult Passages Concerning Women David Wilber

[ii] https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/tsela-3.html

[iii] https://www.theologyofwork.org/key-topics/women-and-work-in-the-old-testament/god-created-woman-as-an-ezer-kind-of-helper-genesis-218/

[iv] Paul Behaving Badly. Was the Apostle a Racist, Chauvinist Jerk? by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon