Biblical Authority before the Fall

Introduction

When I started out writing this sermon, I was intending on preaching one whole sermon on marriage before the Fall, but as I started working through the text, I came up with 7 or 8 total points. I felt like it was better to split this message into two messages, so I will be preaching the second half next Sunday morning. I really wanted to show how the Complementarian model of leadership within the home was shown in Genesis before the fall, but there is also so much else in here to say about how a marriage should work. As we look at the first couple chapters of Genesis, you might argue that that is before the Fall into sin and so things are different now. You might say, that things have changed and the ideal picture of marriage that we see in the first two chapters is just unrealistic nowadays. But I want to start off by showing you that Gen 1 and 2 establishes the basis for how marriage should function. It is not the exception, it is not to be ignored. In fact, Jesus refers back to these same chapters when he gives his commands about divorce in Matt 19:4-6 “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Jesus was showing us that the model of marriage found in Gen 1 and 2 where meant to show us what marriage was originally intended to be like.

Sin definitely mars the intended plan and makes it harder. In fact, Jesus said that divorce was allowed because of the hardness of our hearts and the sinfulness of our hearts, but it is still possible to have a God pleasing marriage today. The bible is replete with examples of good marriages. Peter uses Abraham and Sarah as examples of a good marriage in 1 Peter 3. Joseph and Mary seemed to have had a good marriage. Imagine the love that must have been there for Joseph to be concerned about Mary’s safety when he found out she was pregnant. This was a sin punishable by the law and yet Joseph wanted to secretly deal with it so as not to expose her to any undue pain. Another example of a good marriage is Aquilla and Priscilla. Notice in scripture they are always named together. They were a team. Together they both privately taught Apollos and discipled him. Even in a sin cursed earth it is possible to have a good marriage.

As I stand up here, I am not elevating my marriage as a perfect example. I still have growing to do. I believe I have a good marriage, but I am still a very selfish husband. But there are people today who are examples of good marriages. I challenge the younger people to find those people and model your marriage after the good elements of their marriage. Seek to enter a mentoring relationship. But all good marriages are going to go back to the pattern for marriage that is established in scripture; so let’s begin looking at that pattern tonight.

I. Equal In the image of God

We briefly hit this concept in the message last Sunday night, that men and women are both created in the image of God. Just to refresh our memories, Gen 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Man in this verse refers to mankind not male and the image of God is extended in the last phrase to both male and female. From this we can draw that it takes both male and female to reflect the image of God. And this image of God is important to God so much so that in Gen 9:6 “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” God instituted the death penalty for those who kill another person because they are in the image of God. This ties in to the fact that being created in the image of God speaks of the equal value of men and women before God.

What does the image of God mean?

A communal relationship of love

In Gen 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” There has been a lot of debate about why the plural is used in this passage, but the presence of the plural pronouns used with singular verbs seems to show us that God is a plurality in unity. This is one of the first signs of the Trinity. Even in creation we see God the father and the Holy Spirit at work right from the first two verses. We are given a sneak peak into the relationship of the members of the trinity in John 17:5 and John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Part of the image of God is the loving, mutually glorifying relationship that the persons of the trinity have among themselves. This speaks of the kind of relationship that we can have together as husbands and wives. Loving relationships that seek the best of the other person. But more than that it speaks of the mutual relationship that we can have with God. Husbands and wives, you can approach God together. Think of how beneficial it would be to walk hand and hand into the presence of God and to enjoy God together. It will strengthen your personal relationship with God, but it will also lift up your spouse and help them grow. It is recommended that husbands and wives pray together before bed and I don’t mean like the prayer that you pray before dinner, but spending time communing with God in a relationship of love for each other and God.

The illustration is often used of a triangle with husband and wife at the bottom and God at the top. The closer they get to God the closer they will get to each other.

I must admit that this has not been a strong suit in my marriage, but we have found other ways to share fellowship with one another and God. But I really think this can be a help in your lives and my own.

Resemblance

Gen 5:3 “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:” This same phrase is used of the relationship between Adam and Seth because in some way Seth resembled Adam. It makes sense when you see little Samuel, you probably see elements of Daniel and Joy in him. Because Samuel is in the image of Joy and Daniel. Something about us speaks of who God is. It is proposed that Mankind is distinct from the rest of creation in our sense of conscience and moral decision making. Man also has the propensity for worship and relationship with God in a way that animals do not. We could go on and argue that the Tripartite, body, soul and spirit of man speak of God’s image in mankind. We are not told exactly and to what extent man resembles God as the image of God, but a passage we will look at next Sunday in more detail, Eph 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Speaks of this image of God as reflecting God’s communicable attributes. Men and women both have the ability to reflect God’s mental and moral attributes as a mirror though imperfectly. This means that women can be holy. Women can be smart. Women can be just (Some people assume women are only emotional and can’t be trusted with justice). And the list could go on but any attribute of God that can be reflected in men can be reflected in women as well.

Authority over the creation

As we will see in the next point, mankind is to have dominion in the earth, but this command of God is derived from the idea of the image of God. So let’s move into the second point to show how men and women created in the image of God both express dominion on the earth.

II. Equal in the Expression of Dominion

The other usage of this idea of the image of God is that man is given the authority as representatives of God on earth. In Gen 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” the other half of this discussion by the divine counsel is that man would have dominion over all the created world. Dominion here is not as much the idea of ruling like oppression but carries the idea of guiding, nurturing and travelling with like a shepherd with the flock. There is authority (subdue and dominion) but also care.

Both have dominion or authority over the creation. They are both told to subdue the earth. These verbs in these commands are all plural so they include both the man and the woman. Limiting women to just housework is a denial of this aspect of how God created men and women in the beginning. (There is a difference between saying that a wife has an primary role in the home and saying that a wife’s only role is in the home.) What about unmarried women? If we limit this to just the home the earth has been shrunk down to just a tiny little piece of the world. ‘

Keeper at home is an expression of dominion but it is not the only one permitted to women. I thought about other examples of women outside the home other than Proverbs 31 and this verse came to mind.

Luke 8:2-3 “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” These women were sponsoring the ministry of Jesus and the disciples the implication i

We get a fuller picture of what it means to have dominion over the earth when we see God place Adam in the garden of Eden. Gen 2:15 “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Adam was told to dress and keep it:

Dress- cultivate, till- this is the act of creation and nurturing. Expressing dominion is seen in mans creativity and work. Men and women both have been given this responsibility to create and tend the world we have been given, to develop its potential.

Keep- to protect and take care of.

In a sense, this phrase is a command for Adam and Eve to rule together over the earth. Create a world to live in, cultivate it, nurture it and protect it. This is what we call the cultural mandate.

III. Equal in Essense

There is another phrase that is used to describe the relationship of Adam and Eve before the fall: Bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. The idea behind this phrase is that Eve is a copy of Adam. Obviously there are differences, but Adam and Eve are of the same essence and are physically similar. This phrase also includes a familial relationship between them. Men and women were not intended to be at war between each other. We need to nurture a culture where husbands and wives are not putting each other down, constantly criticizing one another. Statements like, “men are so stupid” or “women just don’t think logically” shouldn’t come out of our mouths.

This phrase speaks of Equal essence, but does not mean there is no distinction in role. 2 Sam 5:1-3 “Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.” and Judges 9:1-2 “And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” This doesn’t inherently tell us that there is authority, but it does not rule out difference of role.

IV. Different Roles

Adam was created first

There is a concept found throughout the bible that the firstborn is the one who receives the inheritance and governs the family. This is called primogeniture. Deut 21:17 “But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” Gen 27:19 “And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.” Luke 15:12 “And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.”

But why does this matter to a discussion of leadership in the home? Because Paul uses this fact as the basis for why the woman should not usurp authority over the man in the church in 1 Tim 2:13 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” Either Paul is wrong and God is wrong or this concept plays into the idea of headship in the home.

God gave the command not to eat of the fruit to Adam which means he is going to have to be in a position to teach Eve. The position of teaching is inherently a position of authority. It is the student/teacher relationship in which the student submits to learning from the teacher. This might seem like a weak argument but it is important to see that when they sin, Adam is the one called to give an account for the sin. You would think that Eve as the first one to sin would be called to give an account or even both Adam and Eve would be judged, but it is Adam who must give an answer for the sin. This is because he was placed in a position of authority and accountability over Eve.

Though help meet does not denote subordination, it does highlight the fact that Eve was made for Adam. Paul uses as a sign that Adam should have authority in 1 Cor 11:9 “Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” Talk about help meet under the equal section because helper ezer does not imply authority one way or the other. God is called a helper and in other passages other equal armies are called helpers. The implication of this phrase alone is not authority, but that the person being helped can’t do it alone. This is why Adam needs Eve. But she was created to be a helper for Adam.

meet- fitting-She is the one suitable to him, corresponding to him. She makes us the difference in Adam. Men and women have their own strengths and weaknesses which are intended to counterbalance each other. This phrase right here is the inspiration for the term complementarianism. They are equal halves of one whole. They are counterparts. A team. They need one another.

Value is defined by who you are, who God created you to be not by what position or authority you possess or the things that you do.

Adam named Eve Gen 2:23 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Imagine someone else naming your child. You would naturally ask, “By what authority do you think you can name my child?” Even when others are involved in the naming of the child, the parents still have the authority to accept or reject that name.

Conclusion

This message has been more of a deep dive into the text to develop the idea that in marriage Men and women were made equal yet different. There is equal standing but there is an authority structure in the home. God designed from the beginning that the husband would be the head of the home. But here are some further applications of the truths we looked at tonight:

As men and women are both equally the image of God and intended to express dominion, husbands should be looking for opportunities to see their wives flourish and do the things God has created them to do. To help them express that dominion. Wives should also be seeking to help and support their husbands in their efforts to express dominion. This is a mutual thing because God has given this command to both male and female.

Wives, one of your roles is to help your husband. Help him in raising your family, help him in taking care of the home, help him emotionally, spiritually, mentally. This isn’t a battle of the sexes.

Men, if your wife is the suitable helper that you need, maybe you should try to let your wives be the helper they were created to be. This is a command to live life together. There are problems when husbands and wives find that their lives are completely separate.

But once again, this is a call for men and women to embrace their God-given roles in the home.