HOME LEADERSHIP II

One of my seminary professors, Dr. Donald Joy, taught on the co-regency of Adam and Eve.  In Genesis 1, God made them and charged them with shared responsibility!  (vs. 26-28 - NASB)

Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;  male and female He created them.  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it;  and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

Clearly Adam and Eve were equals in responsibility.  However, the act of sinning brought some changes.  [Read the curses in Genesis 3:13-19]  One of the changes was directed toward the woman:  (v.16 - God speaking)  "...your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 

In Ephesians 5:22-31, this subject is revisited by the Apostle Paul.  Here, in a setting of mutual submission, Paul makes the following comments:  (NASB)

• Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  (v.22)
• ...the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church...  (v.23)
• ...as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.  (v.24)
• ...the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.  (v.33)

Co-regency continues.  Both still have the same charge to subdue and multiply;  they are to live in an atmosphere of mutual submission. 

Yet, something has changed.  All subsequent 'Adams' appear to have an increased role of responsibility. 

What does headship imply? 

Domination?  No! 

Paul (inspired by the Holy Spirit) makes it clear that headship implies love!  A self-sacrificing love.  A love that puts her welfare above his own.  It is a love that (according to I Corinthians 13:4-8):

• is patient
• is kind
• is not jealous
• does not brag
• is not arrogant
• does not act unbecomingly
• does not seek its own
• is not provoked
• does not take into account a wrong suffered
• does not rejoice in unrighteousness
• rejoices with the truth
• bears all things
• believes all things
• hopes all things
• endures all things
• never fails

Hmmm...if today's 'Adams' took this seriously, I think the divorce rate among Christians would drop to zero! 

[More tomorrow]