I recently wrote about some of the characters in the Bible
that illustrate how highly Christianity views women, and in this post I want to
look at some of the instructions that are given in regards to women today.
As a wife a woman has a unique call and office to hold. How
does God’s Word instruct the husband to deal with his wife? For starters, he is
told to view her for what she is: a priceless treasure.
“An excellent wife, who can find? She is far more precious than
jewels.”
Proverbs 31:10
That same chapter tells the husband that he is to recognize
and appreciate his wife’s character, not just her beauty:
“Her
husband also…praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them
all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is
to be praised.”
Proverbs
31:28-30
The New Testament gives further instruction for how the husband is to treat
his bride. The Apostle Paul, who himself never married, was led of God to
write, “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them (Colossians
3:19).”
It is hard to take the unsaved world seriously when they say that the Bible
is a male-dominating book when we see that it actually commands men to not be
harsh towards women.
But that isn’t the only time that Paul told the church to love their wives.
In Ephesians 5 he again wrote, “Husbands, love your wives as (or, in the same way that) Christ loved the
church and gave Himself up for her…in the same way husbands should love their wives
as their own bodies…let each one of you love his wife as himself (verses 25, 28,
33).”
Three times in one passage Paul commanded husbands to love their wives. And
notice the model that he gave them: as Christ loved the church and gave Himself
for it. And in case you didn’t know, the way Christ gave Himself for the church
was by both living and dying for it. Paul literally instructed husbands to both
live and die for their wives.
Paul wasn’t the only New Testament writer who addressed husbands; Peter did
as well. In 1 Peter 3:7 he wrote:
“Husbands,
live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the
weaker vessel… so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Peter said that men should exercise understanding towards
their wives, realizing that they are the weaker of the sexes. This is not a
macho mentality referring to women’s physical strength, but a recognition of
the common sense fact that women are more emotional than their male
counterparts. While men tend to be brash and rough around the edges, women are
more careful. Men need to understand, according to Peter, that women need their
husbands to be sensitive and understanding of their different emotions.
This verse also shows that Peter said to give honor to
the women. Again, how can people say that Christianity is anti-woman when the
men were instructed to show honor to the women? What did Peter say would be the
consequence of failing to treat women the right way? He said the men’s prayers
would be hindered.
Here we see another important truth. It isn’t just the
men who were defending the women’s honor, it is God as well. God is the one
meting out punishment towards the men who don’t treat their wives with honor,
and it comes in the form of unanswered prayer.
Hopefully the point has been made well that Christianity
is not a religion that puts women down. Christianity promises better treatment
towards women than any other group.
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