1: Children obey your parents[1] in the Lord for this is right 2: Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with [that includes a] promise 3: That it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth[2] 4: And fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord 5: Slaves obey lords according to the flesh with fear [3] phobos/phobou and trembling [4] in singleness of your hearts as [to] Christ 6: Not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart 7: With good will doing service as to the Lord and not to people 8: Knowing that whatsoever good thing each one does the same shall they receive of the Lord whether slave or free [5] 9: And lords do the same to them Leave off threatening knowing that your same Lord also is in heaven neither is there respect of persons with him [6] 10: Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might [7] 11: Put on the whole armor of God that you may be powerful to stand against the methods and trickery [methodeia] of diabolos [8] 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood [9] but against principalities [ἀρχάς archas] [10] against powers [ἐξουσίας exousia] [11] against the rulers of the darkness of this world [12] against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies[13] 13: Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all[14] to stand 14: Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth [15]
and having on the breastplate of righteousness [16] 15: And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace [17]16: Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the wicked 17: And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God 18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Philippians 2:25 19: And for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel 20: For which I am an ambassador in bonds that therein [even as a prisoner] I may speak boldly as I ought to speak 21: But that you also may know my affairs and how I do Tychicus a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord shall make known to you all things 22: Whom I have sent to you for the same purpose that you might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts 23: Peace be to the brethren and love with faith from God Father and Lord Jesus Christ[18] Godhead 24: Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen
[1] In the day 'Elohiym
created '‘âdâm [humanity]
in the likeness of 'Elohiym
made he him Male and female created he them and blessed them and called their
name '‘âdâm [human]
in the day when they were created. The first of the Ten Commandments, instructs
children to obey their mothers equally with their fathers. Nowhere in the Ten
Commandments, can it be found that wives are commanded to submit to husbands or
that husbands are commanded to lead wives. How is it then, that complementarian
teachers have written that female submission to male “headship” is an eternal
life or eternal death issue?
Search the scriptures in vain to find a verse or passage to back that claim. It is simply not “written.” Yet it is a familiar refrain among traditional-role-religionists that Adam neglected to lead his wife in the Garden, and therefore was responsible for his wife’s sin.
When
did Adam become a savior? Genesis 3:1-6 Jocelyn Andersen - YouTube
If
female submission to male “headship” is scriptural and indeed a life-or-death
issue, the nexus on which our salvation hinges, then surely YHWH ELOHIYM
would have addressed it at Mt. Sinai. But he didn’t. Why? Because he settled
the issue when he created the first couple. In Genesis chapter one we read
where he commanded them to dominate the earth together. Male headship is
entirely man-made. A fabrication cut from whole cloth, depriving women of
liberty when the scriptures say, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
[2] It is
notable that when 'Elohiym
commanded children to obey their parents, he showed respect even for children
by explaining the reason for it. He did not simply say, “You must obey because
they are adults, and you are children.” No, he said if you obey this command,
there is a conditional promise of long life attached to it. Likewise, when the apostle
quoted the commandment he highlighted the promise. Both 'Elohiym
and the Apostle Paul, felt it worthwhile to explain to children the reason for obedience, yet many complementarian
teachers would have us believe that Paul commands adult women to obey
husbands blindly, with no **promise
attached, only threats of dire consequences if they don’t.
**Some
complementarian leaders do make
unscriptural and extravagant
promises of temporal and eternal bliss if wives subjugate themselves to
husbands, but common sense reduces their
hypothesis’ to
nonsense. One presumptuous
complementarian promise is, “A woman finds peace and
shelter in the submission to her husband.” There is no hint of such thing in the Bible, yet is a popular mantra among gender-role-religionists.
The obedience of children is
temporary. Once children reach their majority, they are free from the command
to obey parents (honoring and obeying are
not synonymous). Not so with complementarian wives.
Complementarian wives are commanded to obedience throughout their earthly lives
and into eternity, where they are told their husbands will present them to
Christ and answer for them at the judgement. This creates god-complexes in boys
and men, and husband-idolatry and irresponsibility
on the part of complementarian wives, who believe they have a husband-mediator
between them and God, when the Bible says there is only one mediator between
God and humanity, and that is the man Christ Jesus.
[3] The
Greek word, phobos [G5401, translated as fear in Ephesians 6:5], is used
in the New Testament forty-seven times. It is translated as fear 41 x’s, as
terror 3 x’s, as miscellaneous 3 x’s. Not once is the word
translated as “reverence for one’s husband.” Not once is the word
translated as “reverence” for anything. Yet the definition is listed as one of
three primary meanings of the word (image below as seen on the
complementarian Blue Letter Bible website).
Students of the Bible are being deceived by respected scholars at the most basic level when researching simple definitions of Greek and Hebrew words. It is generally acknowledged that, historically, gender bias in Bible translation has been pervasive, but contemporary gender-role-religionists [complementarians] continue the vile tradition, unabated.
In the definition (above image),
notice that “Reverence for God” is not listed as one of the main definitions of
the word. That is because “reverence” is not a definition of the word phobos,
anywhere in the Bible. But when it comes to women and wives, scholars feel free
to manipulate the texts any way that suits them. And they get away with it.
This type of hermeneutical bungee-jumping is systemic. It is practiced
in virtually every seminary and Bible college in America. It is reprehensible
and unacceptable. A simple word search reveals that “Reverence for one’s husband”
is not a definition of the Greek word, phobos, and contemporary scholars
and Bible Colleges should be called to account for their deliberately deceptive
perpetuation of gender-biased-role-religionist-theology.
[4] The
apostle meant what he said to Christian slaves about fear and trembling before
their masters. Slaves were considered sub-human. Roman Lords could do what they
liked with their slaves. They could harm or kill them in any manner they chose.
Paul was not condoning slavery when he wrote this but rather was intent on the
physical safety of those in his congregations who were slaves.
The standing of women in Roman
society [and in Jewish tradition] was only slightly higher than that of slaves.
Women were honored and respected in the Hebrew scriptures, but not in the Tradition’s. Jesus had nothing good to
say about the Traditions, so Paul would have been greatly concerned for the
physical safety of the wives in his congregations as well as for slaves, hence
his warning for wives to fear their husbands.
Well into the first century, beginning
with Jesus’ earthly ministry, Christian women experienced an equality of the
sexes almost unheard of in all of history [both before and after that
era]. This liberty would certainly pose a physical threat to wives of
violent controlling husbands. Such men would not tolerate wives who dared to
exhibit personal autonomy. This liberty among early Christians would naturally
have the effect of escalating tension in men prone to domestic violence or
abuse. Violence would have increased in such marriages. One shudders to think
what the domestic violence mortality rate of first century women must have
been. The apostle knew this. He also knew there was no [or limited] legal
recourse in cases of violence against women.
[5] Paul
was not condoning slavery. He was not insinuating that slavery was a biblical
part of God’s plan for women and men. He was simply giving the best advice he
could considering the consequences to Christians who happened to be slaves [If
they defied the laws concerning slavery] and to Christians who happened to be
slave owners [and may have been bringing sin and condemnation into their lives
by causing misery to their slaves].
Paul’s counsel was certainly
foreign to both slave and owner, but the Roman empire was not a place where a
slavery abolition movement could either be started or tolerated. The example of
Spartacus comes to mind. He is famous for his slave uprising. He and his
followers were overthrown and crucified. Greek and Roman culture was built on
slavery, and the institution was well-protected by an empire that well knew how
to keep its citizens in line. Brutal deaths were inflicted on any who opposed
Roman rule.
[6] This
statement of the unqualified, intrinsic, equality of all human beings was
unparalleled in the ancient world. The legal
separation between slave and free could not be altered, but the apostle was
clear that it ended there. On personal levels, the Roman [Christian] slave
owners were informed that they were not intrinsically superior to their slaves
or to anyone else. This was a completely new concept to them. Later at Antioch,
Paul expanded on this concept of equality to encompass every group, including
the gender groups of male and female.
[7] This
simple statement is frequently glossed over and sometimes forgotten in studies
of spiritual warfare. But it is the nexus, the beginning and the end, the alpha
and omega, of the entire subject. It is too easy to fall into the deception of
self-sufficiency, to confuse the power of our might with the power of His might.
Yes, King David had physically mighty men in his army. Yes,
Bathsheba wrote of valiant women in
her letter to her son (Proverbs 31). All Christians, both women and men, are
commanded be strong in the Lord and
in the power of His might. A premiere
example of how to do this is found in the life of Moses.
Moses, was the most
politically powerful man among all the Hebrews, yet he was also called the most
humble person on earth. When faced with the overthrow of his God-ordained
government, Moses did not rally the armies, which he could have done, but
rather fell on his face before God in intercession and prayer for a people who
were condemning themselves. He knew that real victory entailed much more than
mere physical victory over a physical enemy. Moses was raised as a member of
the royal family in Egypt. He was a physically powerful man trained in physical
warfare. At the age of 40, he was capable of fighting and single-handedly
defeating multiple adversaries, simultaneously. The Bible says, he remained a
physically powerful man throughout his life. Yet, when he became God’s man, we
never again see even a hint of the masculine pride that had dominated his early
life.
[8]
Whether we realize it or not, Christians are always in a state of warfare with
the enemies of our souls. The Bible tells us precisely who these enemies are
and how to prevail over them.
We are given powerful weapons
with which to wage spiritual warfare, but the weapons of spiritual warfare are
very different from those of physical warfare. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal. That means they are not weapons that can be manufactured through
human invention. But the weapons God gives us are mighty, through Him. They are powerful spiritual weapons that will
pull down every fortification the enemy can build in our lives.
The only way to defeat
powerful spiritual opponents (principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of
this world, and spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies) is by putting on the whole
armor of God. This is not optional. Christians must use every spiritual
weapon at our disposal. The "whole" armor means wearing every piece
of it...at all times.
The protective armor given to
all Christians is powerful, protecting our minds, hearts, and even our physical
persons as we walk out our faith in the wisdom of God, waging spiritual
warfare in a world that despises our King. God’s armor consists of: His Truth,
His Righteousness, His people always being prepared to share the Good News
of humanity’s Peace with God, Faith, and mental deliverance.
Every utterance must always be
in line with the written Word of God. The utterances of God’s people can be
either defensive or offensive. Jesus gave us a perfect example of this in
Matthew chapter four, where he stuck stubbornly to his iteration and
re-iteration of, "It is written...."
The prophet Isaiah confirmed this when he wrote that those whose words did not
line with what was already written, had "No light” in them (Isaiah
8:20).
[9]
Familiar verses, such as this, where the text says, “We wrestle not against
flesh and blood,” have become rote to many Christians, who gloss over it as
they hurry to study the “more interesting” parts of the Armor of God. But
unless both the importance and the mechanics of this information is grasped,
God’s children stand defenseless before powerful spiritual enemies that can and
do wreak havoc in our physical, spiritual, and emotional lives.
Understanding this, Christians
must realize, that though the enemies of our souls often work through people to
accomplish their evil plans, we must (to the best of our ability) not allow
ourselves to be drawn into conflict with our fellow human beings. Easier said
than done. But as the psalmist wrote, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a
light unto my path.” The Word of God is filled with counsel on how to deal,
God’s way, with situations and difficulties confronting Christians. But unless
we read the Bible in such a way as to gain a comprehensive and working
knowledge of what is in it, how can God’s Word light our paths?
This writer recommends reading
the Bible every day, always picking up today where you left off yesterday. That
way, over time, the Bible is read over and over, and a comprehensive knowledge
of what it says and what it does not
say is acquired. We get “the big picture,” so to speak.
As we deal with everyday
situations, the devil will do his best to draw us into verbal and physical
conflict with other people, but if we know the Word of God, it will light our
paths, providing counsel straight out of Heaven on how to deal with every
situation. It is crucial that Christians understand that, whether we like it or
not, we are engaged in warfare. We must be able to see beyond human opposition
and recognize the spiritual battles for what they are.
Warfare for the Christian
looks nothing like the warfare we watch on the nightly news. The weapons of our warfare are vastly
different from those we are conditioned to think of as weapons. The weapons God
gives us are mighty…. But before we
can put on God’s armor and pick up his weapons, we must fully understand who
our real enemy is, who the wicked spiritual forces are that oppose every
Christian who is determined to serve God by His
Spirit and by His Truth.
[10] The Principalities
archaggelos in Ephesians six, are high ranking fallen archangels. There are Principalities
who are not fallen, like Michael, who is a holy
archangel [ἀρχάγγελος archaggelos],
a chief prince among the holy angels. Daniel 10:5-13 provides insight
into angelic ranks and battles and the importance of fasting and prayer in the
lives of God’s people. Jude provides further insight in describing an
interaction between the archangel, Michael and the devil [διάβολος diabolos].
[11] The
Greek word translated as Powers [ἐξουσίας exousia], has a variety of meanings, and
there is no reason why all or most of them could not be applied to the
spiritual foe Paul describes in Ephesians six, as "Powers." The word
is derived from a family of words that denote "right," as in rights
and privilege. The word also has a "public" connotation. We see this
in its use throughout the New Testament with reference to public officials. "Token
of Control" and "Potentate" are found in its list of meanings
along with "ability" and "competency." When the
definitions of mastery, force, superhuman, freedom, and influence, are added to
the above descriptions, a horrifying picture emerges of superhuman beings who
are highly privileged and have the right and freedom (along with amazing
ability and competency) to control through influence, mastery, and force.
[12] The
word "darkness" in Ephesians 6:12 comes from a root word meaning
shade or error. Another word to describe this darkness is obscurity.
Jesus said we would know the
truth, and the truth would set us free. The Rulers of the Darkness of this
World are beings who are committed to keeping the people of this world in
darkness and error concerning the Truth of God’s Word. They accomplish this
through outright lying. Satan is a liar and the father of it. They also work in
subtle ways, by shading, manipulating, and obscuring the truth.
The Rulers of the Darkness of
This World oppose all truth. Jesus is the Truth. His words are spirit and life. Therefore, the Rulers of the
Darkness of This World are committed to opposing the truth of Jesus Christ on
every level of understanding, using any method or person they can. There is an
entire class of devils [fallen angels—Powers] committed to this one thing. They
are a formidable army with only one goal, that of keeping humanity in darkness
concerning every truth that will save, set free, bring any blessing, healing,
or relief whatsoever.
They bitterly hate us. And if
they cannot keep us from eternal life, they delight in causing untold needless
suffering.
Suffering and trials in life
cannot be avoided. Jesus said as much. But much human suffering is avoidable
and needless if we know the scriptures. The Bible says many are destroyed for
lack of knowledge. The knowledge that is lacking is the knowledge revealed in
the Word of God. The Truth. The Light.
Light overcomes darkness.
The scriptures say, "Thy
Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light
unto my path." Jesus said, "The Blind lead the blind, and they all
fall into the ditch."
We have an enemy who is
committed to keeping us in the shade, to obscuring the light, blinding from the
truth, and to leading as many as possible into the dark ditch of error…The
Rulers of the Darkness of This World.
In His Word, God has revealed
how we can prevent this from happening. Commit to reading his Word daily. And
then be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.
[13] The
apostle Paul informs us that one of the enemies we fight against is,
"Spiritual wickedness in high places." What exactly does that mean?
To determine that and correctly identify this particular enemy, let's look at
what the term "wickedness" means.
That's a given you say?
Everyone knows what wickedness means! That may be true in a general sense, but
how about in a specific, biblical,
sense? Exactly what is it the Spirit of the Lord is trying to tell us about
wickedness?
To find out what a biblical
word means, we can't always go to Webster's Dictionary. We need a Bible dictionary
or lexicon. In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (the original Strong's as
opposed to the New Updated or the Strongest Strong's), the Greek word
translated as "wickedness" in Ephesians 6:12 means: depravity,
malice, plots, sins, hurtful, evil, degeneracy, calamitous, diseased, ill,
guilt.
As if all of this isn't
enough, the Greek root words the word "wickedness" is taken from
mean: toil, anguish, starving, indigent.
This spiritual wickedness we
fight against encompasses the entire spectrum of evil, anything that can possibly be conceived of.
But what about the high places,
the heavenlies? What does this refer to?
The high places mean exactly
that. The word translated as "high" means: above, sky. The scriptures
reveal that evil spirits do indeed inhabit the high places, which include the
sky and beyond, the earth's atmosphere,
and even the space surrounding this earth, possibly even this entire galaxy and
beyond. This is one of the reasons the "heavens" will need to be made
new along with the earth.
The heaven that will be made
new is the one that is corrupted by sin, this earth's atmosphere and the
surrounding spaces presently inhabited by fallen angels, not the sinless place
the Bible calls Heaven.
If we did not have God's
promise that we are provided with powerful weapons with which to fight such
powerful spiritual enemies, we would live in utter hopelessness.
[14] What did
the apostle mean when he wrote to do “all?” What are believers instructed to do when confronted with evil spiritual
attacks, which can manifest physically through adverse people or situations, or
even illness or injury? Taken in context, when believers are told to do all, it
is a reference to putting on the “whole” armor of God, which consists of ongoing action rather than simply
completing a few tasks. Putting on just part
of God’s armor, and doing it just once, will not win the day.
[15] Belt
on the Truth. The Truth is whatever God has to say about any given situation.
Sickness? Epidemic? Pandemic?
…Psalm 91:1-7: “…He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shall
you trust His truth shall be thy shield and buckler 5: You shalt not be
afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flies by day 6:
Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness nor for the destruction that
wastes at noonday 7: A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand
at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee….” Psalm 91:9-10 No plague
shall come near thy dwelling….
[16] The
enemy of our souls seeks to overthrow Christians through lies about our
worthiness. The Rulers of the Darkness of this World lie to us by telling us we
are unworthy to expect our prayers to be answered, that we are unworthy to apply
the promises in God’s Word to our lives. The Breastplate of Righteousness
guards our hearts from the darkness and devastation of this lie.
The Breastplate of
Righteousness guards our hearts with the knowledge that we are the
Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
We do not go about seeking to establish our own righteousness [which is
impossible anyway and leads to cruel legalism anytime we try], but rather we
submit to the righteousness Jesus purchased on the cross and freely gives to
all who come to him by faith in his death, burial, and resurrection from the
dead.
It is true; we are all
unworthy. But we need not fear that we are unworthy recipients of God’s love
and favor, because He loves us despite our unworthiness. He proved it by
providing a remedy for our unworthiness by sending his son to pay our sin-debt
by dying for our sins while we were yet sinners, while we were yet unbelievers,
while we were yet enemies of God, and alienated from the life of God.
While the whole world lay in
that sad condition, God made the first
move. It is because of Jesus, that all who believe have been made worthy and are now safely hidden in Christ. That means when our
Creator looks at us, he sees us through the redemptive work of the cross,
through the shed blood of his Risen Son. That’s what it means to be hidden in
Christ. We have been made righteous
by what Jesus did, not by anything we can ever do.
Will we sin after we are
saved? Of course we will. That is why it is important to
gain a working knowledge of the Bible, so that we can know what the expressed
will of God is. When we sin, which all do, even after we are born again, it is
vital that we heed our God-given conscience and the conviction of the Holy
Spirit, to confess and forsake all known sin. We have a great promise that
when we confess known sin in our lives, he is faithful and just to forgive us
of even unknown sin, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. That is
powerful. So, allow the Breastplate of Righteousness to guard our hearts. Accept the righteousness freely given to
us by our Risen Savior. Put it on. Walk in it…and by faith, stand in it.
[17] Part
of our armor is putting feet to our faith by always being ready to share the
hope that is in us (how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of them who
bring good news). The good news is the hope of eternal life through the Risen
Son of God.
That hope was declared by the
angels on the night Messiah was born in Bethlehem. That tiny infant was the
human embodiment of God’s love, of God’s “…good
will toward men.” That baby grew into a man and became the one who reconciled
humanity, all who would receive him, back to their Creator. Through the body of
his torn and tortured flesh, through his physical death, and through his
physical resurrection, Jesus, the only
begotten Son of God, the only
perfect human, took the punishment for sin that he did not deserve. And he will
come again to raise the dead, and those in him who are alive and remain will
not be left behind when that great and glorious day comes. The apostle wrote, “Behold,
I tell you a mystery, we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed….” For
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever
believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. If we believe in
our hearts and confess with our mouths that God raised him from the dead, we
shall be saved. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
[18]
Without translator supplements, this is a clear reference to the Godhead. See
footnote for Philippians 1:2.
"This
book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."
"Andersen
is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful
and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great deal
about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is nothing
new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach and
covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with
footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."
"The
author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied
and informed."
" I
was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs
to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or
everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our
Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are difficult to
translate and bias can come into play."
"Andersen
tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an
impressive exegesis"
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