This is a question that comes to me time and again; why does the Bible say that men are better than women? This comes from a misunderstanding of what it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman, and what it means to have complementary roles in the spheres of life, namely, the home, the church, and society.
People who say that the Bible is discriminatory against women or elevates me to a superior position will often use the same Scriptures as proof. They will point to Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”
Or perhaps they will turn to 1 Peter 3:7, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
So, what does it mean for the man to be head of his wife and that women are the weaker vessel? How are we to understand this considering our current society and culture? Is the Bible an out-of-date book that isn’t on par with our sophisticated understanding of men and women.
Well, since the Bible is God’s Holy Word and is completely infallible, inerrant, and sufficient, we can take it as absolute truth. And since God created men and women perfectly, we can trust that He knows more about humanity than any philosopher, scientist, or sociologist.
The Bible does not say that men are better than women or vice versa. The Bible says that everyone is equal because they are created in the image of God. A woman is just as valuable, and her life has just as much meaning as that of a man. What the Bible does say is that men and women are different. Men are not like women and women are not like men (Praise God! I can assure you that I would not want to marry someone who is exactly like me!) This truth is visible and exhibited in every facet of humanity and this includes in the church, in the home, and in society at large.
In the home, the man is to be the head of the home. He is the leader, the protector, and the provider. The woman, according to God’s design is to be the helper, the supporting structure, the caretaker of the family and the home. She is the scaffolding that is holding everything in place. What a tremendous responsibility that is given to the woman. Only a female can be a woman. Only a woman can be a wife and a mother. No man can ever do those jobs.
Yet at the exact same time, the woman is the pearl of great price that is to be protected, cared for, and nurtured by her husband. That is what the Apostle Peter means when he says that the wife is the weaker vessel. It does not mean she is weaker emotionally or spiritually. It means that women have a different physical makeup than a man. Men are to be the strong protector of the family and the primary provider that shepherds his family in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
The idea of roles and responsibilities shouldn’t be a foreign concept. We all have a boss. We all have responsibilities. I currently have a job as the administrative assistant at a private school. My job is not to run the school, but instead, to assist the administrators and the teachers. That’s my role. That doesn’t mean I’m less of a person or less of an employee. I simply have a different role.
As a matter of fact, both of direct supervisors are women. And in the societal structure I can be a strong, protecting, providing man, and yet still be submissive to the women who are my supervisors in that role.
Yet, when it comes to the pastor of a local church, Scripture says that the spiritual leaders are to be men. The job of the pastor is to care for the sheep of God. That doesn’t mean they’re any less than me. We simply have different roles.
So, it’s not about who is better or superior. It is simply that God has ordained a natural order in the universe. Animals follow natural order. The seasons follow natural order. Nature follows natural order. But for some reason men and women fight against the natural order. Because, as Scripture says over and over, man will always do what is right in his own eyes. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its way leads to destruction.
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