Tabor Baptist Church

What woman has in common with man

• God made all the creation
• Man was the pinnacle of this creation (1:27)
• Made in the likeness of God, made in the image of God - emphasised four times (1:26-27)
• A true woman is made in the image of God
• The Trinity is speaking - "Let Us..." (1:26)
• We are different to the animals, we have been given a soul (2:7)
• We have the capacity to worship and glorify
  God
• God spoke to Adam and Eve, Adam spoke to God
• They had fellowship with God
• The animals did not have this
• Being made in the image of God means than men and women have the capacity to worship God
• People the world over seek some form of religion
• To just describe men and women in biological terms is to do an injustice
• We are spiritual beings
• God is a moral being and perfect in all His moral judgements
• We are moral beings
• We have a sense of sin and guilt when we do wrong
• We have a conscience given to us by God
• God communicates and speaks
• We have been given the capacity to speak
• Animals can communicate to some degree, but nothing like human beings
• Think of a baby child learning to use language in an awesome way
• God is a God of relationship
• We are made as social beings
• We are made to have friendships,
  relationships, to love our neighbours
• We are not made to be isolated
• We are to love each other
• God is infinitely intelligent
• So many mathematical laws being fulfilled
• The design found in creation
• We are to use the intellect given to us by God - to design, to invent, to create
• Be fruitful and multiple, subdue creation
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics are important to the Christian
• God blessed both men and women (1:28)
• The blessing was equal
• They were both to have dominion over the earth
• Man and woman has equal worth in the sight of God
• There is no room for sexism in Christianity
• Christianity is against female exploitation

What woman has in difference with man

• It is not good for man to be alone (2:18)
• God had said seven times "it is good" and once "it is very good"
• It is not good - drawing attention to this fact
• A helper is sought for man
• Animals are formed from the dust of the ground
• Adam has the privilege of naming all the species
• None of these were suitable to be a sufficient companion to Adam
• God created woman from man (2:21-23)
• Taken from Adam's side to be equal, to care, to cherish
• Not taken from his head to rule over him or from his feet to serve under him
• Hebrew Ish (man) and Ishshah (woman)
• Chromosomes XY (man) vs. XX (woman)
• Authority and headship has been given to the man
• This is not the same as superiority
• The head of Christ is God
• The woman is referred to as a helper
• This is not derogatory
• The Old Testament often speaks of God as a helper
• Physical and biological differences
• Differences in role and function, but equal worth and dignity before God
• There is an interdependence between man and woman
• I will make a helper like opposite to him - Hebrew translation
• What does this mean?
• We need to be careful about distinctions and generalisations
• There is a clear difference between man and woman
• Some have tried to pushed this so far as to say there is no difference at all between men and women
• As Christians we should celebrate the differences between man and woman
• The man is given authority to leave his family and start his own (1:24)
• With authority comes responsibility
• The sin of Adam and Eve (Eve ate first of the fruit) is always attributed to Adam

What brings a woman glory

• There is an outward beauty and glory - 1 Cor 11
• But it is the inner beauty that is precious in the sight of God - 1 Peter
• The unique role in child bearing
• Eve was called the mother of all that was living
• The Seed (the Lord Jesus) would be born of woman
• Jesus was formed in Mary's womb
• 1 Tim 2:14-15 - for Eve, salvation through the birth of Jesus and for all women, through continuing in a holy life
• Part of the fall and the curse
• The husband would rule over you
• The woman not being the loving partner as she should be
• Eph 4:24 - the image of God restored
• The work of Christ is to restore the image of God in man
• What Adam lost has been restored in the Lord Jesus
• Fellowship has been restored
• Not only do we become as Adam, but we have become like Christ (in His image)
• Through woman the Saviour would come

Closing and summary comments