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 6:30pm
Class 1:
Three Foundational Truths from Genesis
1. Both male and female bear the divine image
-Genesis 1.26-28
-John Piper, in his message, “Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin”:
“What did manhood and womanhood look like before sin distorted them
into what we see today? …man and woman were created in the image of
God as male and female… this means (at least) that they are to enjoy
equality of personhood, equality of dignity, mutual respect, harmony,
complementarity, and a unified destiny.”
-Wayne Grudem writes in Evangelical Feminism:
“To be in the image of God is an incredible privilege. It means to be like
God and to represent God. No other creatures in all of creation, not even
the powerful angels, are said to be in the image of God. It is a privilege
given only to us as men and women.”
-J David Pawson writes in “Leadership is Male”, speaking of Gen 1.27:
“There is no need to discuss the meaning of “image” in Gen 1.27. (Is it
reflection or reproduction? Is is spiritual, intellectual, moral, emotional, or
even physical?) The important fact for this debate is that both male and
female bear the image. Men and women are the same species and
radically different from all other species. They are thus equal in value,
potential, and destiny. This is the first statement about gender in the
Scripture and is rightly seen as underlying all later revelation.”
2. There is a distinctness to male and female that can be traced back to creation
-Firstly, in the declaration ”male and female He created them.” Gen 1.27
-We then see differences:
-in the manner of creation - Gen 2
-in the order of creation - Gen 2
-the responsibility to receive, teach and be accountable for the moral
pattern of life in the garden - Gen 2,3
-John Piper in Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin:
“In the New Testament Jesus and Paul, when they use the Old Testament
to answer questions about how man and woman should relate to each
other, go back to what things were supposed to be like before the fall.
They don't take the messed up relationships of Genesis 3 and make them
normative. They come back to Genesis 2 and talk about how it should
have been from the beginning.”
-Consider:
-Eve was made from Adam
-Eve was made for Adam
-Eve was made after Adam
-Eve was named by Adam
3. There is brokenness in us as a result of the Fall, and we should look to Christ
to restore us; but that work of restoration is meant to recover the original
design, not alter the original design.
-Sin wrecked so much! See Genesis 3
-Christ’s work of restoration is intended to restore God’s original design, not
restore us to a position He never designed
-John Piper in Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin:
“This is the way God meant it to be before there was any sin in the world:
sinless man, full of love, in his tender, strong, moral leadership in relation
to woman; and sinless woman, full of love, in her joyful, responsive
support for man leadership. No belittling from the man, no groveling from
the woman. Two intelligent, humble, God-entranced beings living out, in
beautiful harmony, their unique and different responsibilities. Sin has
distorted this purpose at every level. We are not sinless any more. But
we believe that recovery of mature manhood and womanhood is possible
by the power of God’s Spirit through faith in His promises and in
obedience to His Word.”
For Further Study:
Genesis 1, 2 and 3
Article by Chuck Colson: “Checking Boxes: Transgender Chic” can be found at:
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:Dr0mwoN7GKUJ:www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp%3FID%3D
2774+%22transgender+chic%22+colson&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Informative website:
www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/
Article by Linda Hirshman, “America’s Stay at Home Feminists” can be found at:
http://www.alternet.org/story/28621/
Books:
J. David Pawson, Leadership Is Male
Elizabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman
Terms: Complementarian, Egalitarian