THEOS prōtos

To have a proper and more complete understanding of Godly Womanhood, we need to go way back to the beginning. This gives us proper foundation and understanding how and why things go wrong and how and why things may be corrected and fixed.

What is a woman?

A woman is a female human being different in design and genetics from a male human being, a man, who is equal in value and worth, but different in role (Genesis 1:27; 5:2; Matthew 19:4). Only the woman can be a daughter, become a wife, get pregnant and give birth to bring new life into the world and become a mother.

Man & Woman’s Designed Purpose

Genesis 1:26-28

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make mankind 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 livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ 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.” 

God’s commands to Adam AND Eve was for THEM to rule over the sea, sky, and “over all the earth”. God said to THEM to “be fruitful and multiply” Thus, growing wealth and family is the main manifestation of their faith that brings honor and glory to God.

Starting out, we first dive into Genesis. First God made Adam. He knew he was already going to make Eve, but he wanted Adam to see that he NEEDED another, like him.

But prior to Eve being made, God interacted with Adam differently than he did with Eve. God gave an extremely important command to Adam alone, initially.

Gen. 2:16-17

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

It is critically important to note that God gave the first and most important command to Adam, not Eve. In fact, Eve at this point wasn’t even created yet. This is an important element in God’s design. Also, God had Adam, not Eve, name all the creatures of creation (Gen 2:19). Even Adam gave Eve the name of her form, “woman” (Gen 2:23) and Adam even gave Eve her name (Gen. 3:20).

Gen. 2:16-17

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 

Before sin even entered the world, the concept of something that is less than good, or “not good” was known. Whether or not God spoke this to or in the presence of Adam is unknown. But God did give the command to Adam that mentioned “evil” and death. Two things that had never occurred yet in all of creation.

Relational Nature

God designed humans to be relational to Him AND each other. A relationship with another person is in our nature, as is God’s nature as a Triune God. Thus, it is naturally “not good” for people to be alone with no friends or family. God even showed Adam that all the animals are not suitable helpers for him (Gen 2:20). Sorry “fur baby” people.

Nature of Leader and Co-equal Companion

Adam, as the leader of the family is established by God when God declares that someone suitable for Adam is designated the “helper“. This has nothing to do with someone that is “less” in value or worth. That is NOT being said. As the HELPER, they are not the leader, but that which is helping the other reach certain goals and purposes. Adam was made first and was given the direct commands of God as well as the responsibility to name all creation. As a leader of the help, they are responsible to guide who is helping them achieve their purpose. What is their purpose? To worship and glorify God. Period.

Equality & Gender Roles

A Helper is NOT less valuable, less important, or inferior. Any thing or anyone can be a helper, even things or people that are SUPERIOR to that which they hare helping. Thus, because their purposes are the exact same, they are equally valuable, equally important, and neither are superior to each other, EXCEPT their authority in their roles to achieve their shared purpose were purposefully different and ordained by God. The hate for gender roles is hate for God’s design. The rebellion against godly gender roles is exactly what Eve did when she sinned, but, we’ll get there below. In Galatians 3:28, God says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Though we may have different roles and responsibilities, we are all one and equal in Christ.

The Birth of the First Woman

Gen 2:21-22

 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. ²² And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Eve wasn’t made from the earth like Adam and all the creatures were. At this point, only Eve was made out of flesh, the flesh of Adam. Then, God himself introduces Eve to Adam like a Father does when he gives his daughter away at her wedding.

Adam and Eve were different from the very beginning. Adam was made from dirt, Eve was made from Adam’s flesh (rib). God gave Adam his commands, not Eve, but Adam knew because she was “of” Him and same substance as him, She could sympathize with him and him with her. They could suitably understand each other (Gen 2:23).

MARRIAGE, Wifehood

Genesis 2:24 is the first recorded time the term “wife” is used.

Gen. 2:24

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.

Here we see what the original marriage is. Before there were prior mothers or fathers, the concept and purpose was still understood. A Godly Wife is joined to her husband who has left his family, they become one flesh, and create their own, new family, just as God instructed them to do (Gen 1:28). When done as prescribed, there is NO shame of marriage. No shame in the act of becoming one flesh. No shame of intimacy in marriage between a wife and her husband.

God further expounds on the details of his original design in Ephesians 5:22–24

Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

In Greek, “subjection yourselves to your own” = ἴδιος – means: “pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self” So this means that women don’t obey every man in regards to her marriage, she only needs to heed the direction and decisions of her own husband. Verse 23 provides that context.

And to provide deeper clarity, “the head of” in Greek is κεφαλή which means: “metaph. anything supreme, chief, prominent; of persons, master lord: of a husband in relation to his wife.”

Given that God went to Adam first for making the decisions and final say on matters effecting both of them, such as naming creatures, naming gender, naming Eve, and disseminating and instructing on God’s divine commands, it is clear the role of Adam, the husband, is to lead and make decisions as head of the family unit and as priest of the family; not Eve, the wife; reinforced here in Holy Scripture in Ephesians. Verse 24 makes this explicitly clear.

THE FALL

It is also important to notice that Satan spoke only to Eve (Gen 1:1-5). And we know that Satan is “crafty” and sneaky (2 Corinthians 11:3). He knew it was Eve that was more vulnerable because she didn’t receive the command directly. The question then becomes, did Adam tell Eve what God commanded him? Satan may have even observed Adam failing at fulling explaining the command to her (but that’s only an extra biblical thought). We think so because she did have some understanding of it in her reply to Satan.

Satan’s first mode of attack is directly about the Words of God. Not what she thought or feels about what was said, but what exactly was said. Satan flips it from a positive context (you can eat all these, except) to a negative context (you can’t eat from any tree?). Interestingly, this is the argument for woman overseers, it is justified and argued for from the negative context (See Priest of the Family & Church). We see a difference in how Eve phrased God’s command from the actual command given to Adam.

This is what Eve said: God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

This is what God told Adam: “… you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Notice her phrasing is slightly different than what God told Adam. She added the “touch it” and left out the “certainly”. It also seems she didn’t know the name of the tree. Adam, out of his imperfection and ignorance, failed to properly and exactly educate her on exactly what God commanded. Which was his duty because God didn’t repeat himself to Eve. It can also be said that Eve added words to God’s command to fill in the gaps of her ignorance. It could even be said that she was expressing a doctrine of Adam, not God (Matthew 15:9). We can almost picture Adam telling Eve, “See that tree in the middle of the garden? Don’t touch it or God says we’ll die!” While this is better than saying nothing, what Adam didn’t explain made a vulnerable place where Satan could attack. Adam may not have given Eve the WHOLE council of God.

BUT Eve doesn’t have an excuse either, because the essential elements of the command is still there, and she knew exactly what NOT to do. The failure and ultimately the fall into sin rests on both of them equally.

Notice what She does after Satan muddied the water and added confusion due to Adam’s poor leading

Gen 3:6 

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

First, she considered and entertained what Satan said to her. Her entertaining his statements was the first step to the fall (1 Corinthians 10:13). Satan said, so she chose to look and see. She shouldn’t have even had a conversation with someone that was challenging God’s commands (Ephesians 4:27).

And what she saw, she saw in a different light, birthed a new perspective apart from God’s perspective given to her, a ungodly perspective. What she was not to “touch,” had become “a delight to the eyes” and seeing the world through new eyes of outside of God’s will, it led her to desire something (1 John 2:16) that went against what God had said (Hebrews 11:25).

She then coveted what she desired. Which was the wisdom and god-like-ness, and then she acted on her desire and “took.” Pride was brought into the world the moment she desired that which was outside of God’s will (Romans 5:12).

She trusted in a false doctrine, either she made it up or Adam did, “not eat from it or touch it.” Then, when she did touch it and didn’t instantly die, she assumed something was incorrect about the commands of God. Despite the fact that God didn’t say that. This is why doctrine matters. All Satan had to do was to get Eve to simply touch it, then doubt and pride would foster and grow in her mind and heart. All from faith in a false doctrine proven wrong. I mean, they were going to die, but not because it was touched.

Eve Takes the Lead

Without even a second thought, after she took what she desired and didn’t die, she tasted it. Knowing full well that this is exactly what God didn’t want her to do. Eve decided on her own that she didn’t need to obey God. That she could take what was desirable and a delight in her own eyes, so she did.

She didn’t need to follow any sort of leadership from Adam or God, despite that it was poor leadership anyway; she wasn’t humble or faithful to the leadership of her husband regardless. In fact, she took the lead for herself. Not only did she take the lead on disobeying God, she led Adam to do the same.

This is also where Adam failed, again. He allowed her to disobey God without rebuke or correction, AND he cowardly went along with her and obeyed HER lead instead of God. She gave, he ate. Adam wasn’t deceived, he knew the exact words of God, he was a coward (1 Timothy 2:14). This is at the heart of the modern gender equality debate.

The Blame Game

Gen 3:9-13 

Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” ¹¹ And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Again, also notice that God is initially only speaking to Adam, not Eve. He came to find Adam first. See, Adam knew exactly what God said to him, “which I commanded you” (v.11). Adam responds to God Almighty but blaming Eve AND HIM! Adam blamed Eve, “the woman” and then tagged along God in that excuse by including “whom You gave.” Failed leaders always blame everyone else, but, sometimes leaders fail because they weren’t supported by those who they are leading.

So, then God turns his sights to Eve and speaks directly to her, but instead of asking her why she disobeyed his commands, he just asks “What is this that you have done?” What did she do, exactly? If God didn’t give her the command directly then what exactly is he offended by? He is offended by her new found desire to be god-like herself (Isaiah 14:13-14). The desire to take as she pleases and to make herself wise, like God, make herself a god. He was offended by her pride. Then, she finally decides to follow the lead of Adam and plays the blame game too, and blames Satan for her actions.

And just like that, a new perception of the world comes into fruition and a new understanding in the mind and heart of self is born that can’t be unlearned, unseen, unknown, unexperienced, or forgotten; that will get passed down to all people. The sinful nature is born.

God’s Curse on Women

When God was speaking directly to Satan, interestingly, he gives the universe the very first hint at his redemptive plan. And for the first time he alludes to His Son.

Gen. 3:15

And I will make enemies
Of you and the woman,
And of your offspring and her Descendant;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”

Coming out of the flesh of the woman, born into the world is a SINGULAR “descendent.” This single descendent born into the world will be a male. This “He” will do greater damage to Satan than Satan does to him. But, Satan does “bruise him on the heel” and allows for something seemingly bad to happen to this single male descendent. (Spoiler Alert: It’s Jesus, born into the world, gets crucified (bruised on the heel) but resurrects from the dead, defeating sin and death (bruised the head of Satan))

The Divine Privilege of Womanhood

THIS is a massive PRIVILAGE of Womanhood. To bring LIFE into the world. But not just any life, to be part of the class of person, the only gender capable, to usher in the Messiah, God incarnate, into space time and be the only gender that can and will do so. THAT is an honor bestowed by God on women alone and proves the gender differences and uniqueness of God’s design of men and women. A privilege and honor God did not grant to men.

God honors women instead of men in all sorts of areas throughout scripture. Not only do women get to bring life into the world, they get to be the ones to bring GOD INCARNATE into world. AND if that wasn’t enough, they were chosen by God to be the first witnesses to the risen Christ! God appointed women as Judges over Israel (not to be confused with the Office of Overseer/elders of the church) as judgement over the men of Israel before Israel’s enslavement. AND even though men are the ordained spiritual heads of the family and church (See ‘Priest of the Family & Church’ section), God still chooses to speak through women at various times through his gift of prophesy, such as Philips’ daughters (again, not to be confused with the Office of Overseer/elders of the church). AND because of how unique women are from men, THEY are THE most effective in ministries that target their unique experiences as a woman. But, looking back at Genesis, God still has to judge Eve for her offensive desires and actions.

Gen. 3:16

To the woman He said,

“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you shall deliver children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

Why did God make child birth painful? Because it is an HONOR and divine privilege to bring LIFE into God’s creation. To be the chosen vessel for growing physical life and to birth that life into the creation of God. She took that for granted when she decided to offend God instead.

The “Yet” is huge. He declares that her new desires will be for intimacy and control over her desired husband-like figure, whether its her husband, someone else’s husband, a male stranger, even masculine female trying to fulfilling the role of husband; all before and over brining forth life into the world. But, she will always and forever struggle with her desires because “he shall rule over you.” And THAT is why there is so much relational conflict, gender discrimination, sexism, abuse, rape, willful abortion, and sexual immorality. God really isn’t actually cursing Eve with this one, he is revealing what SHE has brought upon her self into the world. The only thing God did do as a consequence was “greatly multiply your pain in childbirth.” The rest, the “yet” is what he is making known what HER heart will bring into the world because of her pride, disobedience, and rebellion.

The Heart of A Godly Woman

Now that we understand the original design for the woman via Eve, we can now look at Proverbs 31 to highlight the woman only role of wife.

Notice, God makes it abundantly clear her value is beyond materialism and any humanistic value placed on her.

A godly wife is worth more than physical worldly treasure (Prov. 31:10).

A godly wife is the sort of companion and partner that her husband can trust. Trustworthiness is a natural character trait of a godly wife (Prov. 31:11).

Faithfulness is another character trait of a godly wife. She seeks to do good for her husband at all times, even if that “good” is tough love, rebuke, and correction. It is “good” for her to compel her husband to be a good leader. This avoids Eve’s major sin, rebellion against her husbands leadership duties. Keeping him focused on obeying God and fulfilling his godly role is good (Prov 31:12).

But she, as a godly wife, is not idle or slothful either (Prov. 31:27). She too has duties and responsibilities herself that which also supports the end goal of both their purposes; to glorify God in all that they do (Prov 31:13).

While the godly man toils in the field by the sweet of his brow, the godly woman works and toils to meet the needs of the family in which is being led by the husband. But, not just meeting needs, but also seeking to be prosperous, just as God commanded from the very beginning. Both seek to “Be fruitful and multiply” so that God is glorified through their hard work in obedience to God’s command (Prov 31:13-19).

Her character traits are such that it reflects the nature of God, whose image she was made in. A godly wife personally helps those in need. She doesn’t pass off this responsibility to someone else or the state, she does it herself; SHE is compassionate, directly. She shows mercy, grace, and love. She serves those who have less and doesn’t see herself above them (Prov 31:20).

Regardless of her own businesses and investments to increase prosperity and being fruitful (Prov 31:24), she ensures her family is well taken care of (Prov. 31:27). She makes sure her family has food, even her guests are fed (Prov. 31:15). She makes sure her family has all the clothing they need, but not only need, but honored with quality (Prov. 31:21). She respects her self too and presents herself honorably (Prov. 31:22). Because she is trustworthy, faithful, and honorable, her husband benefits from her godly efforts as well, thus, the whole family benefits from her godly efforts (Prov. 31:23). BUT it is her character that is her true power, the source of her trustworthiness and honor, not her fancy clothing, wealth, or superficial materialism (Prov. 31:25). She is wise because she seeks the ways of the Lord and not the ways of the world; which is loving kindness (Prov. 31:26).

As a mother, she ensures her children are taught the ways of the Lord. SHE is the standard by which her daughters can see true godly womanhood. Her husband knows his daughters are being raised in love and honor of the Lord (Prov. 31:26-29). She builds her life on things that last, things that honor God and bring HIM glory, not her self (Prov. 31:30-31).

Proverbs 31 and the elements of a honorable godly woman can be summed up like this:

She seeks to obey God’s purposes as a woman, for his Glory, and bring him honor in her community by:

• 1. Diligently working to be fruitful and multiply
• 2. Strives to honor her husband and his family headship
• 3. Closely watches over the activities of her household
• 4. She teaches her children how to honor and glorify God
• 5. She assertively cares for those in need

To achieve these ends, she must be trustworthy, faithful, honorable, kind, compassionate, praiseworthy, have dignity, and understand her self worth and the worth of obedience to the Lord and her husband’s headship.

These aren’t subjective “cultural” or “societal” things that change over time or location. These are timeless universal truths of a woman of God (1 Peter 3:1-6). Now, a society that penalizes or is hateful toward these truths only reveals how far that society is away from God and from understanding the ways of God.

A woman that is unfruitful is not being obedient to God.

A woman that goes against the leadership of her husband and takes his duties for herself is rebellious and is acting just as Eve did.

A woman that works so much that she doesn’t have time to care for her household is also not being obedient to God. Only Adam was commanded by God to labor by the sweat of his brow outside of the household. That command wasn’t given to Eve.

Keep in mind, “fruitfulness” isn’t only about material wealth, as God has made clear there are things that are worth more than material wealth. Children are fruit of the womb and raising them to honor God is producing amazing honorable fruit for God. Being trustworthy is a fruit of the Spirit, which honors God. Being faithful is a fruit of the Spirit, which honors God. Honoring her husband is an act of worship unto the Lord as well.

The POWER of The Godly Woman

1 Peter3:1 makes a massive statement about the power of a godly wife.

In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,

This is where Eve failed. Adam was disobedient in his guidance, leading, and correction of Eve when she was tempted. He failed to properly teach and prepare her on the ways of God. BUT, if she remained steadfast in what she did know about God’s command, she would have “won over” Adam and inspired him to seek God’s commands more intently and diligently, more honorably (but we know this wasn’t God’s will for them).

A Godly Wife has the power to correct her husband without even saying a word. Her steadfast trustworthiness, faithfulness, graciousness and loving kindness eats away at her husbands disobedience and compels him to repentance and self-correction through the prompting of the Holy Spirit (if he is a godly man).

See, its a perfectly naturally harmony of keeping each other on track and remaining obedient to God. The husband leads, but the wife influences. A failure of leading can be corrected by faithful righteous influence. BUT that all hinges on the next statement of truth in 1 Peter 3:2:

as they observe your pure and respectful behavior.

If the wife isn’t living in a manner that honors the Lord or is due respect, her influence over her disobedient husband is void and she may actually influence him the wrong way, like when Eve gave Adam the apple to eat.

Priest of the Family & Church

God makes it clear that Adam and The Husband is the priest of his household, not Eve or the Wife. When we take a further step back and consider the Body of Christ at large, we see this theme continued by God.

Even though God commanded them both to “be fruitful and multiply,” God gave his extremely specific and prolific command only to Adam to then instruct Eve. They both failed when Adam failed to lead. He failed to properly instruct Eve and failed to correct and rebuke her, but instead allowed her to lead and influence him to sin as well.

Just as women are given the privilege to bring physical life into this world, men are ordained by God to be used by God to bring spiritual life into the world by making known God’s decrees and truths; each has their own role in brining life. First, the Messiah and Savior was a male and is literally the head of the church. The revealed symbolic gender of God, is male, God the Father is the source of all knowledge and Jesus was perfectly obedient to the will of God the Father. Secondly, God explicitly and directly reveals whom HE qualifies as godly ordained overseers and shepherds of his Church; of whom are male. For further study, check it out here, here, and here.

When a women takes over as head overseer/elder at a church assembly (this does not include one who has the gift of prophesy, which isn’t an overseer or elder), she is actually following in the footsteps of Eve and rebelling against God’s ordained order in His creation. She is doing exactly what God said she would struggle with at the end of Gen. 3:16 and took for herself the role as head overseer/elder, like Eve did in Gen 3:6. Which is why, the men of that church are also judged for their failure of leading in that congregation and their wife, who took for herself the role, but is unqualified before God. A women stepping up as head pastor is an inditement on all the men of that church and the decline of godliness, honor, and glory to God alone begins to fade.

This theme of only male priests was the standard and expectation since the days of Adam all through Jesus’ days and on into the modern era. Only false religions, worldly and carnal minds, apostate churches, and unrepentant rebellious women with weak men have an issue with this.

When it comes to matters of faith and revealing and proclaiming divine truth, this is what the Holy Spirit states:

1 Tim 2:11-15

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness [without contention]. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer. ¹⁵ But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.

Real quick in verses 15, Paul is encouraging women that even though it was Eve that sinned and they suffer from her as a result, they can be free from doing what she did. childbirth is a woman’s divine role, not a mans. He is reminding women of their specific and ordained roles and why they are not to step on the toes of the men who are trying to fulfill their ordained role.

The context here is in verse 12, “teach or to exercise authority.” They are to receive the instructions of God by submitting to and not arguing with what the male priest/overseer/elder/pastor is declaring and proclaiming the things of God and fulfilling his role ordained by God as one who is qualified by God to do so. Only qualified male priest/overseer/elder/pastors can exercise and have authority over the teaching, correcting, rebuking, and proclaiming the decrees of God. The qualifications of a godly ordained priest/overseer/elder/pastors can be found in 1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9

Paul also validates that the order of creation is meaningful and applicable here in relation to authority on spiritual matters. The whole reason why we looked into Genesis in the first place.

Ministries of Women

Just as their role is designed only for them, they then have the full advantage and better influence and impact on areas of life that only effect them. Ministries that men can’t effectively do. A true wise pastor knows this and would appoint a wise godly woman for these sort of service roles:

• Director of or server in the Nursery Ministry
• Director or teacher of Kids Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the Youth Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the Young Adults Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the Singles Women’s Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the Women’s Business Support Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server of the Women’s Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server of the Women’s Sports Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server of the Wives Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the ministry that serves survivors of abuse
• Director, teacher, or server in the ministry that serves Family Support
• Director, teacher, or server in the ministry that serves new mothers
• Director, teacher, or server in a pregnancy care and support ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the musical Ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the hospitality ministry
• Director, teacher, or server in the evangelism ministry
• Lead an Apples of Gold course at church
• Lead an American Heritage Girls group at church
• Lead a homeschool group at church
• Directly disciple other women

All these are just a FEW examples of all the things woman do in the body of Christ that are far more effective than men. THE ONLY caveat is that they adhere to and teach doctrines that which is under that authority of the head overseer of the church they are members of.

With the existence of all these possible ministries that women are far more effective in AND the ordained qualifications of overseer, we KNOW women aren’t called by God to be what God ordained me to do, or when they do, are a judgment on the men and that church. It’s usually a combination of these things: They haven’t tried to serve in any of the above ministries wholeheartedly and desire to take for herself her husbands authority or the role of the men of her church, and the men, like Adam, were to weak to take a stand for that which God has ordained.

Superficial & Materialistic

These two desires and mindsets are contrary to that which honors and glorifies God.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; ⁴ but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Read that again, “a gentle and quiet spirit” is literally what God’s finds “precious” in a godly woman, over fancy hair, expensive jewelry, and flashy accessories. God is not impressed by $50,000 Hermes handbags, $2,000 hair extensions, $25,000 diamond ring, $15,000 designer wardrobe, mint Jordans, weekly manicures and pedicures, a perfect makeup complexation, lashes, or 2.2 million followers in Instagram.

1 Tim. 2:9-10

Likewise, women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly [or “self control”], not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

This is a problem statement for all the superficial materialistic women claiming to walk in the ways of the Lord.

And because of the brokenness of the world, this bible verse also is under attack (remember, Satan attacks God’s words, e.i. Gen. 3). Some translations inject the words “i want” before “woman” in verse 9. This makes it feel and seem that this is Paul’s opinion. The context nor the manuscripts support this injection, at all. Sorry, it’s not Paul’s subjective person opinion on this matter, it’s God’s by way of the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul’s mind and pen.

Godly woman should not be materialistic and superficial, it’s that simple. Understanding the symbols of wealth and materialism in the culture helps. Braided hair with gold and or pearls was a flashy symbol if personal wealth for everyone to see. No different in concept than that of a flashy woman with $10,000 hair extensions, $1,000 designer styled hair cut with highlights and colors. It’s something done to draw attention to one’s self and give the impression of status and material success.

Paul’s other point here is that women should desire that same level of adornment for their good works, instead of the intense focus on their self and their physical appearance. Godly women let their character and works speak for them and in such a way that it brings honor and glory to God, not themselves.

Verse 10 states that superficial and materialistic Christian women are hypocrites and are ungodly in their desires of selfishness, greed, and covertness.

My Body, My Choice

There is an idea and perception in the world that is used to justify all sorts of disgusting and ungodly behaviors and desires. The idea that your body is yours to do whatever you want with it and no one can tell you otherwise. This is an extremely unbiblical idea. In fact, it is exactly at the heart of why Eve did what she did when she took the apple. We need to know what God has revealed to us about this sort of corruptive worldly and carnal way of thinking.

Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And, another:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

And, finally, one more:

Luke 9:23

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

These three simple yet explicit verses expose that worldly idea as a LIE. A lie to deceive women, like Eve, into doing things that are contrary to the things of God, like Eve did.

*This article is constantly being updated, revised, and more studies are added*