In the original creation, why was their no need for either gender to have authority over the other? Here’s a brief paragraph from the chapter of my book entitled, What God Intended From the Beginning:
“Considering my assertion that there are no gender-based hierarchical distinctions in God’s creation design, it is helpful to remember that in that perfect, pre-sin world there was no selfishness, competition, conflict, pride, ambition, jealousy, manipulation, or desire for domination. There was no need for a list of laws because unconditional love was their natural predisposition and constant practice. There was therefore no need or inclination for either gender to have authority over the other.”
That is the beautiful model of new creation marriage Paul envisioned in Ephesians 5:21 when he commanded husbands and wives to submit to each other prior to listing concessions that sometimes need to be made in a culture where husbands, fathers, and slave masters were typically oppressive and selfish. Again, in 1 Corinthians 7 Paul repeatedly emphasizes that Christian marriages should be characterized by mutual submission.
Sometimes in this sin-cursed world, such concessions are still necessary to protect unity and to promote the Gospel (see chapter 5).
Spirit-controlled husbands and wives have no need for hierarchy as they create little islands of “new creation” values in the ocean of “fallen world values” so as to provide signs of the world to come when Jesus will restore and make all things new — perfect like the original creation.
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