Is God And The Bible Sexist?
By David J. Stewart
During the Old Testament the whole world was a patriarchal society. That
status of history is very clear - not only in Scripture but in the social
mores that governed most societies in the world. By modern value systems and
worldly human viewpoint that is called sexist. God ordained the order in
society not man and He is the author of the establishment principles of
authority.
However, like everything else, the fall man has corrupted this order and that has resulted in the inequality of the standing of men and women through out history. The exclusion and the discrimination that we find in our world is not new and is the result of the fall of man and the introduction of sin - which is rebellion against God. Therefore, we can rightly say that the term and the practice of sexism is a result of - a product of the sin of mankind. The progressive revelation of the Bible leads us to the cure for sexism and indeed all of the sinful practices of the human race.
To find and maintain a spiritual balance between the God ordained positions of authority we must look to Scripture. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the old and in it we find principles that tell us the correct line of authority and the cure for sin, the ill of all mankind, and that includes discrimination based upon gender.
The Cross of Christ is the great equalizer. John 3:16 says, "Whosoever will" and that is an all inclusive statement that leaves no one out on the basis of position in society, mental capacity or gender. We also find a passage in Galatians that tells us of our equal opportunity for salvation. "26 For we are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. 27 for as many of you as have been baptized (identified) into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). There is no sexism at the foot of the Cross.
The Bible is not sexist. Why? Because it accurately portrays the results of sin and does not "guild the lily". The Bible records all kinds of sin; slavery and bondage and the failures of its greatest heroes yet it also gives us the answer and the cure for those sins against God and His established order. That answer? It is a right relationship with God. In the Old Testament it was looking forward to the supreme sacrifice and each time a sacrifice for sin was made it was teaching the need for reconciliation to God. In the New Testament the "Lamb that takes away the sin of the world" was born, died, buried and rose again and then ascended to His place in Heaven and there He intercedes for us. It is through belief in Him that the cure for sin is found and that includes the sin of sexism.
The charge of the sexism of the Bible is based upon a lack of knowledge of Scripture. When men and women of all ages have taken their God ordained places and lived according to "Thus says the LORD" then there is a wonderful balance between the genders and that balance is what God began with and it is what He will end with. There is an inordinate amount of attention paid to the various products of sin and not to the root of it. It is only when there is personal reconciliation with God through the LORD Jesus Christ that we find true equality. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
