THE WOMAN'S ROLE--THE WOMAN'S WORK
So, if the woman cannot work a full-time career
job outside of her home, what is she supposed to do all day? That is the question
posed by the supporters of the woman-worker outside of the household. Some have
openly stated that she has very little to do and becomes lazy, so she should get a job to keep her busy. Obviously these folks have little knowledge of what is required to run a home efficiently. Others have said that women can work outside the home and hold down jobs if it doesn't interfere with her
work at home. No matter what anyone says it is not possible to do both. The scriptures openly declare what is to be doctrine for our lives to be righteous
in the sight of God. He wants Christian women to be keepers at home. That is her position in life to be cherished and honored as the scriptures describe. But, there are still contenders who demand to know what a woman is to do with her day if she isn't working
a full-time job. Again, the Bible provides the answers and we will examine them.
Marriage
The Bible encourages that women marry. I Timothy 5:14 states: "I will therefore that the younger
women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." Marriage is a sacred union that God created for the man and woman.
To be a Christian wife is one of the things that God desires from women in the church.
It is a precious position and one to be cherished by women in the church. Paul,
under the guidance to the Holy Spirit, explains that God wants the younger women in the church to marry and have children. By today's feminist movement standards this is demeaning and the "traditional" mold
of womankind. Modern women are encouraged to find identity in themselves and
their work, not in the sanctity of marriage and child-rearing. Unfortunately,
some women in the church have heeded these words, instead of the Bible and have been led astray from the truth. God's will is very clear in this matter and should be taught as the true way for a woman.
As part of marriage, a woman is to submit to
her husband. Ephesians 6:22-24 states:
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and
he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." Ephesians 5:33, I
Peter 3:1-6, and Colossians 3:18 all have similar wording concerning the concept of submission to the husband. It is clear that God has a plan for all of his children and wants them to follow a strict order of living
life. The hierarchy of authority is very important in God's plan for man. Women have a great responsibility to their husbands, just as the husband does to his
wife. It is not meant to be altered by modern-thinking or rejected because it
does not fit in with the times. God is not concerned with such worldliness. God wants us to follow His will. Ecclesiastes
3:14 states: "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever…." When we deal with this issue of the keepers at home, we are not dealing with an optional,
multiple choice plan from God. When God establishes something, it is meant to
last no matter the changing times or crumbling moral structure of society.
Marriage has always been viewed by God as being
a team effort on the part of the husband and wife. Just as the wife has duties
to her husband, the husband also has responsibilities to his wife that God expects of him.
What the world says about marriage--if in conflict with the scriptures--is of no use and no concern to the Christian. We are interested in serving God and His will, therefore we will do everything we
can to obey His commandments for our lives. Although many in the world today
slander the sanctity of marriage and its "traditional" standing, Christians should value it and stand for its purity and truth. After all, it is one of God's institutions and deserves respect.
The Christian woman is to marry as God sees it. He wishes for men and women in the church to marry and bear children. Again, this may seem "traditional" to many critics of the Bible, but it is the truth to those of us who
listen to the Father's word. A woman is to value marriage and the bond that she
has with her husband. She is to submit to him and give him reverence. This is not for pride's sake on the part of the man in the marriage.
On the contrary, it is a holy and pure union that God established as an institution.
In her marriage, the wife should be encouraging to her husband, unselfish, and not nag.
Judges 16:16 describes Samson wanting to die because he was so discouraged by Delilah; obviously the woman has great
influence upon a union with her husband. Proverbs 27:15 and 21:19 deal with the
"contentious woman" and how damaging she can be to a husband in a marriage. A
woman is to provide support and aid to the husband in any way she can. Again,
this is God's will for women in a marriage union.
Bearing Children/Motherhood
Having children has always been a thing of great
value to God. It is encouraged throughout the Old and New Testament. Children are a great blessing from God and He wishes for the Christian woman to bear them into the world. I Timothy 5:14 (which was used above) also states that women should "bear children"
as part of their Christian duty. God wants Christian people to produce offspring,
if it is physically possible. Parenthood is another valued character-
istic for the Christian
to have in the sight of God. Good parenting is a qualification for an elder (Titus
1:6; I Timothy 3:4-5) and is encouraged throughout the scriptures. God wants
righteous parenting taking place in the church.
Women have a responsibility to bear children
as the Bible states. This means bringing them into the world and helping the
father raise them, no pay a daycare, or school, or grandparents to do it for you. A woman who is not a keeper at home cannot
rear up her children the way that the Bible suggests. Being a Christian mother
is not about going through pregnancy for nine months, suffer labor, and then pay someone else to raise your children while
you work and strive for a career. In fact, this is a terrible example for any
Christian woman to be setting. We have already shown that the man is to provide
and not the woman. She has a responsibility to bear children and carry out the
raising that she and her husband have deemed fit from studying the Bible and praying.
To be a mother is another quality that is valuable to our Heavenly Father. II
Timothy 1:5 discusses the "unfeigned faith" of Timothy's mother and grandmother. It
is very clear that these women took an important role teaching Timothy about right and wrong and having faith and love for
God. Proverbs 29:15 states: "The
rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother
to shame." Mothers have a duty given to them to help raise up the children in
the ways of righteousness in God's sight. Having a daycare or school raise the
children is the same as leaving a child to himself and letting the world be the primary influence, instead of the mother and
the father. If a child is raised in such conditions, the parents should not be
surprised by the things he says, does, and conforms to in his life. It is a guarantee
that if the parents aren't influencing the child, someone else is.
Too many times children are sacrificed so the
woman can hold down a full-time job away from the home. They are left to themselves
and have guidance and raising from the outside world, which is not acceptable to God.
And, many of these parents wonder why, after years of this lifestyle, their children leave the church never to return. The answer is obvious, clear, and painful--they were left to themselves and were not
given proper raising my Mom and Dad. They were sacrificed for money, status,
and career, which are worldly, sinful, and carnal in the sight of the almighty God.
Why
do some Christians still insist on disobeying God's word when the cost is so high? For
material goods? It all passes away. To
give their children the things they never had when they grew up? God is not concerned
with giving your children carnal objects to provide a luxurious lifestyle; He wants His righteousness and word taught to them
on a continual basis. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 states:
"And these words, which I command thee tis day, shall be in thine heart: And
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou
shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." Although these commands were given to the children of Israel in the Old Testament, the message still applies
to us today--teach our children about the ways of God. Talk about Him all the
time, explain His word, demonstrate His goodness, and teach obedience to Him. How
can we do that if the parent is not around the child? The answer is simple--we
can't. Women have a duty to be good mothers and help the father raise the children. How can they do this if they are not a keeper at home as the Bible directs?
Working for the Lord's Church
Every single Christian in Christ's Church has
a function to perform, a task to complete, a contribution to give. I Corinthians
12:20 states: "But now are they many members, yet but one body." In fact, I Corinthians 12:12-31 deals with the concept of the church being made up of many members, but
still functional in the body as a whole. The Bible mentions and lists specific
works that the woman is to attend to in her life.
Proverbs 31--the "virtuous woman" chapter--mentions
specifically in verse 20: "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she
reacheth forth her hands to the needy." This is something that all Christians
have an obligation to take care of, but we see mentioned that this is one of the things that the virtuous woman does in her
life. I Timothy 5:3-15 deals with the issue of widows and the church's responsibility
dealing with financial assistance. Paul gives the impression that this is acceptable,
but some criteria must be followed. I Timothy 5:9-10 states: "let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints'
feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work."
If is very clear here that women are to see to the needs of others who are less fortunate and need assistance. Paul's criteria is very specific concerning supporting a widow--who is indeed a widow
(I Tim. 5:5)-- and to examine what type of life she has led.
This woman is to be "well-reported of for good
works," which suggests that she is to be known for this attribute to those in the world and in the church. Good intentions on the part of the woman do not count here in this passage, only the works that she has
done that have been noted by those around her. A Christiona woman is to actively
seek those who are poor and in need and help them in any way possible.
An example of modern-day good work for women
to perform is food preparation, singing, and emotional support at a funeral. I
amazes me how much effort goes into the preparation for a luncheon for a grieving family.
But, it is a duty to be taken care of by those who are able to assist. If
a Christian woman is working at her 'other' job/career, how can she possibly help serve, sing, or assist? Of course she can cook a dish and send it with someone else, but she has neglected to be there to aid in
person and give 100% of what God has asked. In this day and age, it is not uncommon
to have to depend on outsiders from another denomination to help with such needs because our Christian women are out working
at a job. What does this say for us as Christians?
Romans 16:1-2 gives a good example of a Christian
woman doing work for the church: "I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which
is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord,
as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you:
for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also." Phebe is given
a "good reference" by Paul who encourages the church at Rome to take care of her in any way that she needs. She has been "a succorer to many," he says. One who succors
is one who gives aid in time of distress to another. This is what Paul attributes
to Phebe. We don't see Paul giving her praise because she holds down a full-time
career/job, do we? And we wouldn't expect to, either. Phebe was a good Christioan woman who saw to the needs of others.
Acts 18:24:28 gives us another example of a Christian
woman working for the Lord. We see a woman by the name of Priscilla who, along
with her husband, helps teach the ways of the Gospel to another. Acts 18:24-28
says:
And
a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently
the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak
boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took
him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when
he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, shen he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
Apollos was a mighty
teacher for the Lord; however, he was only instructed in th ebaptism of John. Priscilla
and Aquila talked to him privately and taught him the baptism of Jesus Christ. Priscilla,
along with her husband, took the opportunity to teach someone about Jesus, which is something that all of us--including women--should
be doing.
We know from the scriptures that a woman is permitted to
do this outside of the assembly, but never as part of a "church service." I Corinthians
14:34-35 mentions this specifically: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience,
as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands
at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." This is supported in I Timothy 2:11-12: "let the woman learn
in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp
authority over the man, but to be in silence." These verses refer to the assembly
of the church. A woman is not to teach in the public assembly of the church. This is God's will and must be followed; however, we see the example of Priscilla
assisting her husband, outside of an assembly situation, teaching the word of God. Christian
women of today should take heed to this example and do the same with people in private and teach the word of God.
The Christian woman indeed has many responsibilities when
working for the Lord's Church. There are many tasks delegated to the woman and
should be fulfilled on the part of the Christian female. This is to be taken
seriously on the part of the Christian woman and incorporated into her activities throughout her da-to-day life. It is something that the younger should clearly see in the older on a daily basis.
Guide the Home
We see in
I Timothy 5:14 that the woman is commanded to "guide the house" as part of her duty to God.
We list this one because it directly ties into the study of keepers at home.
In this scripture we see the woman given the authority to guide the house as one of her responsibilities. Since homemaking is one of the things God is concerned with for Christian women, it stands to reason that
they should have the duty to guide the home. Although we understand that the
Bible teaches that man is head of the house, woman is to guide it, or "run" the daily activities of that home. Day-to-day decisions must be made for the proper running of a household (ask any keeper at home and she'll
agree) to maintain order, function, and peace in the operation o f a home.
The argument here is that it is not possible
for a woman to guide the home if she is not there for the majority of her day. Many
claim that they can and are supported by husbands that want them to work, but the true fact of the matter is that it is not
possible. How can a woman guide the home if she is not there to do so? The answer is very simple: she cannot. Guiding indicates an active role of work, maintenance, and effort.
It means being present where the guiding is needed and wanted. The debate
is that if a woman can keep the house clean, do the laundry, and cook the meals, she can certainly work a full-time job outside
of the home--being a guide implies more than just cleaning! Again, that point
of view is simply untrue and has a touch of being ridiculous. God wants a woman
to guide the home--it is that simple. Either she will or she won't. Her (and her husband's) decision will be taken into account and she will be judged accordingly. This I not about what we want and desire. It is bout what
God wants. If we are to be Christian, we must fully understand and appreciate
the gravity of that fact. God's will is to be considered in all that
we do. In our decision to come to repentance and be baptized, we are giving up
our own will to accept God's into our life. This is not given in the scriptures
as something to be taken lightly or as an option to choose like on a multiple-choice test.
We are to follow and obey God the Father. If we decide not to incorporate
specific items of His will, He will judge us accordingly.
