Angelic Conflict part 99: Human history – Gen 3:15-16; Joh 16:21; 1Ti 2:15; 1Pe 3:1-6; Gen 4:7.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 99: Human history - GEN 3:15-16; JOH 16:21; 1TI 2:15; 1PE 3:1-6; GEN 4:7.

 

 

Provisions of the Adamic Covenant are in 4 categories: the serpent, satan, the woman, and the man.

 

Next is the Adamic Covenant to the woman, which has 4 provisions: menstrual pain with more frequent conception, pain in childbirth, a desire to rule her husband, and the lordship of her husband.

 

GEN 3:16 To the woman He said,

"I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall bring forth children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

 

According to the Mosaic Law menstruation makes a woman unclean, therefore, even though Eve had the ability to give birth before the fall, she would not have had menstruation.

 

GEN 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 

GEN 1:28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

 

It would seem also that she would need to conceive more frequently because of physical death. Without death before the fall frequent birth would have filled the earth rapidly. However, with physical death now a reality the woman would have to conceive more often in order to populate the earth, which is God’s desire since He desires to bring many sons to glory. More frequent, pain in menstruation, and pain in childbirth.

 

[quote] This sorrow seems to extend to all the mother's pains and anxieties concerning her offspring after birth. With what solicitude she would long for a manifestation of right feeling toward the merciful God in her children, similar to what she had experienced in her own breast! What unutterable bitterness of spirit would she feel when the fruits of disobedience would discover themselves in her little ones, and in some of them, perhaps, gather strength from year to year! [Barns’ Notes]

 

Before the fall, giving birth would have been painless, but now it is with pain. However, the pain of birth is followed by joy, JOH 16:21.

 

JOH 16:21

Whenever a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a child has been born into the world.

 

This joy is a deliverance for the woman from her inability to take a leadership role in the church or in marriage, and her inability of expounding scriptures to men.

 

This is obviously something that a man cannot experience. [ex.] A women in this same joy brought forth the Savior of the world. What was a painful and terrifying experience for Mary in Bethlehem became instantly joy.

 

LUK 2:18-19

And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

 

This is the meaning of a confusing passage:

1TI 2:15

But women shall be preserved [sozo = saved or delivered] through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

 

Yet we must see it in the context of the passage so that we may understand the Adamic curse on the woman, and yes we will get to the curse of the men. God handed out the curse to the woman first.

 

1TI 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands [clean hands - symbolic of correct thinking], without wrath and dissension [effective prayer means without MAS’s].

 

In our day of woman’s lib and feminist movements the following passage would make most women see red. Paul wrote this under the inspiration of God the HS. I did not write this! If any woman has an issue with this, it is not with me or with Paul, but with God.

 

1TI 2:9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments;

 

The contrast here is between the artificial glamour of the world and the true beauty of a godly life.

 

Paul did not forbid the use of jewelry or lovely clothes, but rather the excessive use of them as substitutes for the true beauty of "a meek and quiet spirit," 1PE 3:1-6.

 

1PE 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,

 

You heard about the Indian chief who named his wife 5 horses? Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag.

 

1PE 3:2 as they observe your chaste [hagnos; pure, from hagios meaning holy or separated from evil and unto God] and respectful [phobos: reverent fear of God] behavior.

 

1PE 3:1-2

In like manner, wives, put yourselves in subjection to your own husbands with implicit obedience, in order that even though certain ones obstinately refuse to be persuaded by the Word and are therefore disobedient to it, they may through the manner of life of the wives without a word [from the wives] be gained, having viewed attentively your pure manner of life which is accompanied by a reverential fear [Kenneth S. Wuest; Expanded]

 

The reverent fear originates from the knowledge that failure to do so does not glorify God and can result in discipline from God. This is true for the man’s role as well. Both are to do so as unto the Lord, motivated by the Lord and a desire to glorify the Lord, knowing that discipline only comes from the Lord.

 

1PE 3:3 And let not your adornment be merely external —  braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

 

1PE 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

 

1PE 3:5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.

 

1PE 3:6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord [GEN 18:12], and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

 

1TI 2:9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments;

 

“modestly” - kos,mioj[kosmios] = cosmetic, orderly, or well arranged. “discreetly” - aivdw,j[aidos] = reverence, sense of honor, humility.

 

A woman who depends only on externals will soon run out of ammunition! She may attract attention, but she will not win lasting affection. Perhaps the latest fashion fads were tempting the women in the church at Ephesus, and Paul had to remind Timothy to warn the women not to get trapped.

 

1TI 2:10 but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness.

 

Paul did not suggest that good works are a substitute for clothing!

 

Rather, he was contrasting the "cheapness" of expensive clothes and jewelry with the true values of godly character and Christian service.

 

"Godliness" is another key word in Paul's pastoral letters and it refers to living the spiritual life.

 

Glamour can be partially applied on the outside, but godliness must come from within.

 

We must never underestimate the important place that godly women played in the ministry of the church. The Gospel message had a tremendous impact on them because it affirmed their value before God and their equality in the body of Christ (GAL 3:28).

 

Gospel affirms a woman’s equality in BOC

GAL 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

Women had a low place in the Roman world, but the Gospel changed that. The submissive role of the woman in human history due to the fall is not demeaning, especially in the CA, but it is a role that God has given, and in that role God is glorified and so then it brings out the best in a woman.

 

For example:

There were devoted women who ministered to Jesus in the days of His earthly ministry (Luke 8:1-3). They were present at His crucifixion and burial, and it was a woman who first heralded the glorious news of His resurrection. In the Book of Acts we meet Tabitha (Acts 9:36 ff; abounding in deeds of kindness and charity), Lydia (Acts 16:14 ff; catalyst for starting the church at Philippi), Priscilla (Acts 18:1-3; greatly supported the ministry of Paul), and godly women in the Berean and Thessalonian churches (Acts 17:4,12). Paul greeted at least eight women in Rom 16, and Phebe, who carried the Roman epistle to its destination, was a servant in a local church (ROM 16:1) helping many as well as the apostle Paul. Many believing women won their husbands to the Lord and then opened their homes for Christian ministry.

 

1TI 2:11 Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.

 

Submission in no way means lesser in quality. A colonel has a higher rank than a private but that doesn’t mean he is a better quality of man, or smarter, or of more value in God’s eyes, yet he has a higher rank. This is a result of the fall and because of that fall an Adamic Covenant was laid down by God.

 

Submission is recognizing God's order in the home and the church, and joyfully obeying it. When a Christian wife joyfully submits to the Lord and to her own husband, it should bring out the best in her.

 

The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. Therefore, in him, virtue love and the word of God become a tool to build with and not a weapon to fight with or to diminish. He is submitting to the Lord as she is, but in a different role and capacity.

 

Husbands submit to the Lord, Christians submit to one another, EPH 5:21 be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, and wives submit to the Lord, the authority in the church, and their husbands.

 

No one in the church does any submitting in the role that they were given if they don’t first do so unto the Lord.

 

EPH 5:22

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

 

EPH 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;

 

When you find yourself struggling in submission to your God given authority the problem is a lack of virtue love, which is first directed toward God.

 

1TI 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

 

Both teaching a man (not children) or exercising authority in the church were forbidden.

 

The translation “quiet” though correct is misleading. Fortunately we have the original language.

 

“quiet” - h`suci,a[hesuchia] = peaceable, tranquility from within, causing no disturbance, quiet.