Mainly for Men: All One in Christ

Haven’t you read, ---- that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female?  Matthew 19:4

The full text that Jesus was quoting from is;

God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

It’s immaterial whether we think Genesis accurately describes an historical chain of events or is a parable or is somewhere in between. Jesus quoted from it and this principle must be taken very seriously. The important point He is making is that both men and women were created in the image of God and are therefore in God’s eyes equal to us.

The apostle Paul, one of the leaders of the early church and the writer of much of the New Testament, reinforced this when he wrote in his letter to the church at Galatia;

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3.28

Although today in the West this may seem uncontroversial it has not always been like that. Both Paul and Jesus himself were living within the context of a very different society with very different attitudes to women than today. Their statements on equality before God and the working out of that truth by the Church was radical.

Throughout history, many societies, cultures and religions have subjugated women, treating them as second-class citizens. Women have often effectively been the property of a male member of their family. In some countries this is still the case.

Remember that in this country it was only in 1882 (my grandparents were alive by then) that a woman could own property in the same way as a man. Indeed, they weren’t able to vote in the same way as a man until 1928, which is only ninety-six years ago.

Although Christianity as a whole has a mixed history in emancipating women, many Christian movements have played a significant role in the protection and dignity of women. In ancient Rome, infanticide was a common practice, particularly with baby girls as they were considered of less worth than boys. The early Church opposed this practice, leading to it being made illegal in 374 AD.

In the Middle Ages the opposition to the forced marriage of young girls was led by the Church. It set a higher age for marriage than was normal at the time.

Although reflecting the cultural norms of the day, Paul in his first letter to Timothy, told him to honour and support widows who were left without economic support. Christians have, throughout the ages, been active in caring for widows and orphans.

In many pre-Christian cultures, polygamy, both formally and informally, was (and still is) acceptable and is often normal. But the church has always promoted marriage as a lifelong monogamous union of two people from the opposite sex. Paul insisted that Church’s leaders were the husband of one wife. This traditional type of union helps create the very best emotional environment in which to raise children.

Men and Women are different both physically and by temperament, and while cultures might corrupt, devalue or blur our differences, Christian masculinity recognises that in God’s eyes we are equal.