Page 92 - Sarah's Children

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

II Timothy 2:15

Neither Male Nor Female

robably the most often heard argument that is used to justify the overthrow of
Yahweh’s governmental order among men and women today is that which is
Pbased upon Paul’s words to the Galatian believers. A fragment of one verse that
is removed from its context is repeated over and over, “in Christ... there is neither
male nor female.”

This one snippet of a verse is used to justify women being independent of men and
declaring that man is not the head of woman. This verse is used to support the role
of women as pastors of churches even when Paul has declared elsewhere that he does
not allow a woman to teach or usurp authority over a man. This verse is used to
proclaim that a patriarchal family structure has no place in the church age. This one
phrase, taken out of its context, is used as the “killer argument” to overturn the
governmental order of Yahweh that is found everywhere throughout the scriptures.

Indeed, when one takes this fragment of a sentence by itself, as it is most often
offered, it appears to give great trouble to the teachings of governmental order
between men and women. However, we should always examine the context of the
scripture quotations we use, to know whether we are properly understanding the
meaning of the writer. Paul admonished Timothy to “study to show yourself
approved, rightly dividing the word of God”, addressing the problem of many who
do not rightly divide the word.

Many grievous errors have occurred as saints have taken scriptures out of context
and have used them in an improper manner. This brings up a point that I would like
to address before I venture further on this topic. There is a danger of examining the
scriptures to find something that we desire. We may have a certain prejudice on a
topic leading us to seek to find scriptures that will support our prejudice.

In the book of Proverbs we are told that every man is justified in his own eyes
(Proverbs 21:2). It is quite possible to find a scripture passage, a verse, or a snippet
of a verse that will support anything we desire. I have even seen some use scriptures
to support fornication, and even adultery. The child of God should always have as his
or her first goal to know the mind of Yahweh on a matter, and with no concern of