Marriage for God’s Benefit (6)

Acts 2:47 - Growing the church in the Urban Area

The core issue in Genesis 3 is not that Adam should have coerced Eve, but that both Adam and Eve failed to obey God. The text places blame on Eve for being deceived and on Adam for listening to his wife and eating the forbidden fruit, while later Scripture says the serpent deceived Eve by craftiness.

Genesis presents Eve as deceived by the serpent, and Paul later echoes that point in 2 Corinthians 11:3, saying the serpent deceived Eve and could lead minds astray from devotion to Christ. In Genesis 3:17, God tells Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,” meaning Adam obeyed her in sin rather than obeying God.

Adam is not charged in Scripture with physically stopping Eve from talking to the serpent, intellectually overpowering her, or forcing her not to eat. What he is charged with is failing to obey God himself and, in that moment, yielding to his wife’s voice instead of God’s command. Later biblical reflection places primary responsibility on Adam for the fall, while still treating Eve as personally accountable for her own deception and sin.

What did happen with Eve?
Eve listened to Satan.
Eve became deceived by Satan.
Eve became deceived by Satan and dishonored God.

What should have happened with Eve?
Eve should have listened to Adam, who had heard from God.
Eve should have become enlightened by Adam, who had heard from God.
Eve should have become enlightened by Adam and honored God.

What did happen with Adam?
Adam listened to the voice of his wife.

What should have happened with Adam?
Adam should not have listened to the voice of his wife.

Eve was deceived because she listened to the serpent, and Adam sinned because he listened to his wife in contradiction to God’s word. The central lesson is not “men must coerce women,” but “both husband and wife must submit first to God’s word.” That keeps the emphasis where Genesis and Paul place it: on obedience, discernment, and faithfulness to God.

How did they get so far off course? They did not honor what God said. How did we get so far off course? We, too, are in the same ditch, failing and in some cases refusing to honor what God said.

In the garden, Eve listened to the serpent, became deceived, and sinned. Adam then listened to his wife and ate with open eyes, choosing disobedience over God’s command. The record does not show that Adam was commanded to coerce Eve; it shows that he failed to remain faithful to God’s word himself. The tragedy of Genesis 3 is not simply weak leadership or misplaced authority, but the terrible power of a false voice when God’s voice is not first. When God’s word is no longer the highest authority, the serpent’s voice becomes convincing, and both deception and disobedience follow.

Apology
In the April issue, a graphic showing a woman in a clerical collar was inserted alongside Dr. Carolyn Medlock’s article. She did not include that photo in her article. My graphics designer simply chose a photo to fill the extra space. I have apologized to Dr. Medlock and am now apologizing to my readers for any concerns this may have caused.

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. (1 Timothy 2:11-13).

Neither this paper nor I support women preachers. Based on (1) the order of creation—the fact that man was created first—and (2) the fact that Eve was deceived, I believe there are limitations placed on the woman’s role.
  
I do not believe that prohibition was just cultural but eternal, based on these two irreversible, undisputable facts. And besides, God has the right to decide who will do what. It is, therefore, not a dismissal of women’s inherent worth nor their abilities. The limitation is an executive decision made by God.