Recovering Manhood and Womanhood: A Biblical Perspective
57 Market St – The College Life Center
Fall 2007
Thursday evenings, Sept 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 at 7:00pm
Class 4
Class 4: Male and Female – Sharing, Yet Distinct
The January, 1992 cover of Time magazine:
“Why are men and women different? It isn’t just upbringing. New studies show that
they are born that way.”
Inside, the article went on to debunk the then-common myth that the differences between
men and women were the result of socially imposed roles and role-modeling.
“During the feminist revolution of the 1970’s, talk of inborn differences in the
behavior of men and women was distinctly unfashionable, even taboo. Men
dominated fields like architecture and engineering, it was argued, because of social,
not hormonal, pressures. Women did the vast majority of society’s child rearing
because few other options were available to them. Once sexism was abolished, so
the argument ran, the world would become a perfectly, equitable, androgynous
place, aside from a few anatomical details.”
The assertion of Christian egalitarianism:
Male and female together share in both the divine image and redemption through Christ, and by those enjoy together the
riches of Christ (fellowship with God, membership in the body of Christ, purposeful living (Eph 2.10)). Gender distinction
is essentially physiological and, by virtue of the work of Christ and the common spiritual destiny they share, has no
bearing on roles or function in the home, the church or society.
The assertion of Christian complementarianism:
Male and female together share in both the divine image and redemption through Christ, and by those enjoy together the
riches of Christ (fellowship with God, membership in the body of Christ, purposeful living (Eph 2.10)). They are
nonetheless distinct in their gender identity, and their distinctness is to be recognized as part of an intentional design. It is
deeper than mere physiology and provides for each of them a unique orientation that is worked out in the spheres of
family, church and society.
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1. The uniqueness of gender orientation as it appears in instructions to married
couples - Eph 5.33
Husbands are instructed to _______________ their wives,
Wives are instructed to _________________________ their husbands.
Is this ‘difference’ of instruction merely an attempt to avoid repetition (as in “each one of
you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must love her husband”)…
…or is it something that reflects the unique orientation of the man and woman and that
reaches into critical areas of need in each of them as they give and receive?
2. The Man and Woman: Sharing, Yet Distinct in Creation - Gen 1.26-30
What is common:
1. Made in His image (Gen 1.26,27); Man’s purpose: Fellowship with God
2. Dominion over the rest of creation (Gen 1.26)
NOTE: Men do not have dominion over women, nor do women have
dominion over men; they share in dominion over the rest of creation.
3. God’s Blessing; Divine favor (Gen 1.28); Gal 3.28
4. God’s Provision; His care (Gen 1.29,30)
5. The mandate: Be fruitful and multiply
What is distinct:
1. Man was created to fill a need as a tiller of the ground (Gen 2.5, 15)
2. Woman was created to fill a need as the perfect helper for Adam (Gen 2.18) and as the
mother of children (Gen 3.20)
3. The Man and Woman: Sharing, Yet Distinct in the Fall - Gen 3.7-19
What is common:
1. Eyes opened, aware of nakedness, fig leaves
2. Hiding from God
3. Blaming another for the problem
What is distinct:
1. The issues affecting the woman revolve around… her children and her husband, the key
relationships in her life!
2. The issues affecting the man revolve around… his work, the stuff he does!
4. What the Fall Introduced
For the Man…
The Fall introduced into the arrangement a ‘futility’ for the man that wasn’t there previously.
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His work was never meant to be a curse, and to this day work is not a curse. But a futility
was introduced: the futility of knowing that no matter what you do today, by tomorrow it
will be ruined.
Thorns and thistles, thistles and thorns…
A man’s core stance will be desperate for success and completion in his work.
For the woman…
The Fall upset the order, harmony and joy of her relationships, firstly with her husband and
secondly with her childbearing.
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Her relationship with the one whose side she was created to stand by is out of whack!
Her ‘desire’ is toward him, and he shall ‘rule’ over her; the very relationship for which she
was designed is thrown out of balance, out of order.
This ‘desire’ is the Hebrew tesh-oo-kaw', it appears only three times in the OT: it has the
connotation of a ‘desperation’, like the hunger of a wild beast.
Her pain and sorrow in childbirth are greatly multiplied.
A woman’s core stance will be desperate for relationships.
5. Desperation Reflected in Men and Women Today
Men are wondering…
 Am I successful/talented/respected?
 Is there any value in what I’m doing?
 Will the work I did today last?
 Will it have impact?
 Am I wasting my time?
 Do I have what it takes to get stuff done, to be successful, to rise to the top?”
Women are wondering…
 Am I loved?
 Am I lovely?
 Will someone love me?
 Do I look attractive?
 Does he love me?
 Why won’t he talk to me?”
6. Desperation Healed in Christ
In Christ, the issues of desperation are addressed, allowing male and female to walk out the
original intention in faith.
For the man and his work:
 He labors now for a crown that does not fade away
John 6:27
1Co 9:25
1Pe 5:4
 His labor is not in vain in the Lord
1 Cor 15.58
 He is to find contentment with a modest lifestyle, not being driven to accumulate
wealth in this world
1 Tim 6.6-12
Mt 6.19-21
For the woman and her relationships:
 She avoids excessive attempts to appear outwardly attractive
1 Pet 3.3
1 Tim 2.9
 She cultivates an inner beauty
Prov 31.30
1 Pet 3.4
1 Tim 2.10
Tit 2.5
 She trusts in God to restore harmony to the relationship
1 Pet 3.1
 She is assured of God’s presence in childbearing
1 Tim 2.15
Question for further study: How do the ‘love’ and ‘respect’ that the man and women
give each other in Christian marriage reinforce Christ’s redemptive work?