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Monica Brakemen September 19, 2013 Men and Women Equal Yet Different is a book written by Alexander Strauss on the study of what the Bible says about gender roles. Through this book Strauss brings the reader to the conclusion that a complimentarily view, women and men as equal yet with different roles, is based on scripture and therefore what God intended. Prior to even reading chapter one Strauss writes a statement of purpose and about the two views that have prompted him to go into further research on this topic.
In his statement of purpose he writes that his intended audience are young students, high school and college, and those who are unfamiliar with the biblical passages that deal with women and men and their roles in the world. Alexander Strauss is very clear that he wrote this book based on what the scripture says about the “battle of the sexes”. Proceeding writing the purpose of the book he then writes why it is so important to know what a person believes on this specific topic. He also includes the main arguments of two most common views in Christianity, the complimentarily and he evangelical feminist view.
This shows the reader that Strauss has acknowledged beginning with creation and includes Stratus’s three main points. The first one being that both man and women where created equal in God’s image. A verse you can use to back this up is found in right in Genesis 1: 27. In the NIB version of the bible Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ” Secondly, he tells the reader how he created male and female as equal but yet how they are different.
And the last mint in the first chapter shows how the fall in Genesis contributed to the battle of the sexes we are still battling today. This whole chapter really shows how God created women and men to have different roles to reflect his image. The second chapter goes even deeper into why male leadership is so important, not because they are better than women but because that is what they were made for. Strauss includes four general points to help the reader see how the bible makes this so clear. The first thing he points out is that Jesus had to be a man.
This does not mean that en are above women, this is what was prophesied through the Old Testament. As Strauss wrote on page 30, at the end of the second paragraph, “Jesus not only had to be human, but a male human-a first born, Jewish male from a certain tribe and family’. The second thing the reader finds out is that the disciples had to be male. “If Jesus is the supreme egalitarian that some with Him to be, He surely failed women at a critical moment in history. As the hailed liberator of women, should not Jesus have chosen six women and six men apostles, or at the very least one female apostle?
Could not a woman apostle have ministered to women? ” (Strauss 1999, 38). From this the reader can conclude that men are the leaders and we are to be submissive. Strauss makes it very clear that men are also supposed to love and respect their wives. In the third chapter Alexander Strauss shows us verses in the Bible that show what he intended for marriage. He start off with 1 Peter 3: 1-7 which talks about submission and understanding. There is no way to get around it, the bible tells women to submit to their husbands, who is a believer or a non-believer.
Women get so offended by the word submissive and they do not actually know the meaning. Strauss goes deeper into showing women what this word actually means. The New Testament was originally written in Greek and the where we put the word submission they would put the word hypocaust. Although some Christians want to down play the word and say “helper” it actually means to submit to authority. Society looks down on this word and makes it seem negative. In marriage the decision might be a mutual decision but it is the man who takes the responsibility.
From this perspective woman should be more appreciative of men and their role because the faults of the relationship fall on the man’s shoulders. To sum up the passage in 1 Peter 3:1-7 there is verse eight, ” Finally all of you be harmonious, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. ” So Strauss is showing us that God tells wives to be submissive because the husband is the leader, but the husband as a leader must be all those things to his wife.
When both men and women follow what God intended for marriage, it reflects the image of Christ he made us to be. Alexander Strauss also uses verses to back up his theme in the fourth chapter Differences in the Christian Community’. One of the apostles, Paul, addresses this in 1 Corinthians 14:33-40. In this passage Strauss shows us what Paul meant in two main arguments. His first argument is that the law and Christianity agree on submission. When women are in church or in a community they are still under their husbands authority. God wants to protect women from conduct that is against his ill.
Again, God created man to take the responsibility so woman can still speak and be instrumental in the church but under the husband and God’s authority. The second argument is that the universal church practice agrees with submission. In the last several verses of this passage Paul is convicting the body of Christ as a whole. Paul is basically saying to us, who are you to overwrite what the Word of God says? The bible tells women to submit and that the leaders of the church, community, and the home are the men. We cannot put that aside because that is how God made society to work.
If we cannot submit Tao husband, how then can we submit to God? It is very important for Christians to realize their roles and how it benefits not only our own families, but societies, and the body of Christ. In the last two chapter of his book, Strauss tell the reader that Jesus Christ did not use fancy words of hard-to- grasp concepts and that we need to submit to Christ ultimately and be courageous in it. God made man and women, two separate beings with separate roles but with the same purpose, to reflect him. The bible clearly states that after Jesus came we are no anger bound by the law but have freedom in him.
So many people try to find who they are and what they are supposed to be when God made it so clear to us already. The path is already set yet we all wonder around like the truth is not right in front of us. It is not complicated, God’s word has everything we need to know and the spirit provides us with all we need to keep going. Strauss reminds Christians to stand firm on this promise and our roles as women and men will Just fall into place. Citation Page: 1 . Hunt, Mary, and Dianna Nee. New Feminist Christianity Many Voices, Many Views.