In my previous post, I pointed out that the idea of women coming from a rib lacks any justification. This claim, based on Genesis 2:21, only serves to cultivate feelings of servitude in women and promotes the ridiculous idea that they are unfit to share God’s Word.
Nevertheless, using this claim and twisting other selected Scriptures, many believers continue to promote these wrong ideas, that women carry less authority from God, need to submit to male “headship,” and cannot preach or teach the Bible to men in church.
In an almost insulting manner, advocates of the belief that women should be submissive to men, commonly emphasize that women are “different but equal.” This is ironic, as their very insistence on women’s submission to male authority suggests a lack of true equality.
The statement serves as a way to soften the harsh reality they present to women: that they are inferior to men. Although they claim otherwise, their message clearly conveys that women are indeed seen as less important. As far as they’re concerned, male is the dominant sex.
To support their argument, some refer to Jesus’ statement that the Father is greater than him (Jn. 14:28), to highlight their different but equal roles, with the Father being the superior authority and the Son being his subordinate. While Jesus serves under the Father, he is no less God in essence. This same type of relationship is also possible for men and women, according to this reasoning.
However, this argument isn’t valid for two main reasons: First, you’re comparing human relationships to the one between God and Christ, and that is not appropriate. Comparing our interactions with theirs, would be like comparing peas to a watermelon patch. Exactly where do the similarities begin?
Second, the Father is an infinite Spirit, while Jesus was limited by his physical form. Therefore, it becomes evident that the Father’s “greatness” isn’t a matter of authority, but of magnitude. That is, Jesus isn’t saying “My Father is more authoritative than I am,” but rather “My Father is more capable and available than I am because he is bigger.” He is more and he can do more.
It’s like when Jesus told his disciples they would do greater works than he (Jn. 14:12). Before the giving of the Holy Spirit, the Father had been doing his work, primarily through the life and body of Jesus (Jn. 14:10-11). However, after Pentecost, he began working through his disciples (Jn. 14:15-17; Jn. 14:26; Acts 1:4; Acts 1:8; Acts 2).
Nothing they could do would compare to what Christ did, but together they could do much more. Additionally, since he was going to the Father, Jesus promised to do whatever they asked in his name, as he would now have this capability, being at the right hand of the One, with whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). Thus, quantity is the emphasis here, not quality.
Although Christ was equal in nature, it made sense for him to rely and depend on his Father, given the Father’s superior capabilities. Out of love, not obligation, he submitted to his Father’s will, as he was sent specifically to do so (Jn. 14:30-31). That’s the whole reason why he came (Jn. 18:3; Jn. 12:27).
In our case, however, both men and women share the same flesh and bone, so there is no basis for one to be viewed as superior, greater, or more authoritative than the other. These ideas surrounding “gender roles” are rooted in cultural influences, pride, and ignorance rather than God’s Word.
And God’s Word is truth (Jn. 17:17). Everything else is either a lie or an opinion.
To continue our search for truth, in this post we will examine Genesis 2:18, another passage used to position women beneath men and encourage them to remain silent about sharing God’s message of love, hope, and restoration.
Context of Genesis 2:18
Another verse that’s often misused to back the idea that women cannot preach and should be submissive to men, is Genesis 2:18. The verse reads:
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (NIV)
In my previous posts, I noted that God made the earth and formed the person from its soil (Gen. 2:7). He also created a garden and positioned the person there to care for it (Gen. 2:15). God then declared that it wasn’t good for the person to be alone (Gen. 2:18), as he required assistance to perform the tasks God had given him and to execute the vision for humanity.
Therefore, the Lord created every animal of the field and all the birds in the sky and presented them to the person, and whatever name the person assigned to each creature became its identity. Nevertheless, no suitable companion was discovered for the human being (Gen. 2:19-20).
Consequently, God created a woman and presented her to the man, who recognized her as a suitable match. She shared his essence but was distinct. Crafted from the same material, she perfectly complemented him. This custom-made creature, as Adam realized, was a perfect fit for the role. He called her “woman,” as she was derived from a man.
As a next step, we’ll seek to answer a question that’s seemingly obvious but difficult to answer because it depends on one’s background, understanding, and culture: What is a helper?
What Is A Helper?
Despite women’s origin from men, they are equally valuable, and mankind’s survival is impossible without them. This emphasizes their immense significance. Likewise, humanity’s survival is unfeasible without men, demonstrating their equal importance.
But, the deep-seated mentality of slavery and oppression in our culture has endured through the years, maintaining a significant presence in the church. Consequently, even in God’s house, it’s a natural instinct to believe that someone must rule over another.
Because of this mindset, when people read about woman being created as a “helper” to man, they may perceive it as “she was the help,” similar to a slave or a servant to a master, suggesting her role was merely supportive and less significant.
Further, in America, we have the popular “Help Wanted” signs, associated with employees, who work under the authority of one or more superiors. It’s no surprise then, that many people view “helper” from this perspective.
Due to these wrong interpretations of Genesis 2:18, many people believe that all women are to be followers and not leaders because they’re only supposed to assist men—not lead them. Consequently, they aren’t supposed to preach to men or instruct them since preaching and teaching, according to them, involves leading.
However, the passage doesn’t convey that message. According to Scripture, what does it mean to be a helper?
Genesis 2:18 uses the Hebrew noun ezer, which can mean “help, support, or assistance.” In other parts of Scripture, it commonly refers to God, as a “help” or a “helper” to his people. The following examples illustrate this.
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:20)
After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; 4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (Exodus 18:2-4)
But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)
“You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. (Hosea 13:9)
The Greek word corresponding to ezer is the adjective boethos, which when used as a substantive, means “helper,” “assistant,” or “auxiliary.” It’s “someone who rushes to a cry for help.” The word is also used in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:6:
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Heb. 13:6)
God, as our helper, possesses no inferiority and stands unmatched. As a result, we can’t automatically equate “helper” with someone under another’s authority. Moreover, neither of these words, in Hebrew or Greek, indicate subordination or inferiority as John MacArthur implied in his misleading sermon about women preachers, saying:
“What does the Old Testament say about this? What does the Law say about it? Well, first of all, it says God created man, and the man was alone; and so God reached in him, took out a rib and created woman, and He created woman to be his helper, to be his helper. We know that from Genesis.”
He also stated:
This was designed by God. ‘For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.’ This is the divine order. ‘It was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.’ God created Adam; he was alone. He took a rib out of Adam and He made a woman, and the woman was to be Adam’s helper.”
There is something suspicious about a renowned church leader or pastor attempting to make a point by citing the Bible, but failing to elaborate. Nevertheless, the interpretation of “helper” as “servitude,” as he implies, is simply a preconception imposed by individuals, shaped by their societal norms, cultural background, and perhaps their upbringing.
In simpler terms: it’s an opinion. Within our society, the meanings of the words “help” and “helper” are open to interpretation. However, the Bible conveys a clear message: a helper is described as someone who saves or lends support. There is no indication of further complexity or levels of authority in relation to the role of the helper, or the one being helped.
Still, we can make an important observation from those who lended support in Scripture: the helper usually has resources that are equal to or greater than those of the one they assist, whether it is God aiding his people or the nations they turn to for support. Rarely, if ever, is someone with lesser power sought for help.
In the context of humanity, the Lord wasn’t just looking for a helper for man, but one who would be fitting and comparable to him, ensuring that this “helper” would be regarded as an equal—not as someone he would have to, in a sense, “drag along.” Therefore, women were not designed to be servants, secretaries, or subordinates to men, but to rule alongside them—a position that remains unchanged, despite the introduction of sin.
No superiority existed between Adam and Eve. When they “fell,” they fell together, as one flesh, both equally responsible for man’s downfall. Today, men and women are equally responsible for returning to submission to God and encouraging others to do the same.
What Does It Mean To Help?
What does it mean to help? Indeed, to help someone is to assist them. But assisting someone isn’t likened to a sports assist, as seen in basketball, baseball, or hockey in which the one who scores is generally more important than the one who assists. At least, it’s not described this way in the Bible.
At its core, helping is simply that: helping. It’s providing support or assistance with no specific power associated with it. So, while there may be various levels of authority involved, generally speaking, helping doesn’t equate to becoming someone’s secretary or personal assistant as many people perceive it. In fact, help can emerge from various sources and take many forms.
For instance, support can be extended from those in higher positions of power, authority, or resources, such as God, to individuals considered lower in rank. This is evident in situations where the wealthy support the less fortunate, citizens of developed nations help those in developing countries, or someone in a more advantageous position assists a friend or family member in physical, financial, or emotional ways. None of these examples suggest a hierarchy of subordination.
On the other hand, those who are considered poor or of lower rank can, in many ways, assist individuals who hold more authority or a higher position in society. A prime example is the classic film “Annie,” where the deprived orphan helps “Daddy Warbucks” by sharing significant lessons about life and love.
While this story is fictional, similar exchanges happen in real life, and not just regarding moral assistance. For instance, a viral story from several years ago, shared the account of Charles Logan, a homeless man, who helped a woman change her flat tire.
“”I’m old school. I believe in the Golden Rule,” Logan told InsideEdition.com. “If a little lady needs her tire fixed, you go down there and fix the tire. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Anyone that needs help, I’ll do it.’” (insideedition.com)
Mr. Logan understood the true essence of helping. What’s more, is that frequently, in circumstances like these, the recipient of help becomes aware of the helper’s needs and may reciprocate by offering their own resources. As Logan pointed out, this is what we, as human beings, are supposed to do, male or female. This is how we support one another.
Moreover, help can also take the form of collaboration, where two or more individuals work together towards a shared objective, benefiting everyone involved. Allow me to illustrate my point with an example.
Should you witness your husband, wife, or another family member struggling to move a 90-inch television into your new home alone, you might run over and offer help, or assistance. In a team effort, one of you grabs the right side and the other grabs the left side. Taking on the same position and carrying equal weight, both of you work together to bring the item inside.
In this situation, the problem belongs to everyone involved. The duty doesn’t rest solely on one person, but it is a shared obligation among all family members to keep the house and belongings in order. Consequently, no one is “serving” another, nor is anyone inferior; instead, everyone works together and provides assistance where it is needed to reach a common objective.
I believe the role of “helper” mentioned in Genesis 2, aligns with this last concept. Regardless of who was made first, the man was meant to be just as much a help to the woman, as the woman was to be to the man.
In a family, men, women, and even children of a certain age, contribute their resources, knowledge, strength, and skills, to assist one another. This is the essence of helping, which doesn’t equate to following orders from someone in charge. For women, although John MacArthur would have us believe otherwise, it’s also not just about having babies, though that’s important. MacArthur has said:
“So where does that leave women? If men are in charge of everything, where does that leave us? Verse 15, 1 Timothy 2:15, “But women will be” – and the Greek verb here is sōzō, which means “saved.” It’s the very word for “saved,” like spiritually saved. “Women will be saved through the bearing of children.” There’s the balance, right? You get to have the babies. You get to nurse the babies. You get to hold them in your arms. You get to spend every day with them. You get to nurture them. You get to develop them. That’s your marvelous privilege. In reality, there is a depth of influence at that level that no man will ever have with his children.”
If it weren’t so disturbing, it would be laughable. In addition to sounding ignorant, it implies the men have no responsibility to raise their own children, instead relying solely on the women to spend time with them, nurture them, and develop them.
Yes, men get to do everything else, but guess what? You get the wonderful privilege of staying knocked up, and the dutiful honor of pushing out the kids! Not only that, but you get to raise them all on your own—in whatever way that you see fit! After they’re grown and have families of their own, you will no longer be relevant or have a purpose in life, since this will be the entire basis of your existence! Congratulations! Enjoy!
Absolutely not.
God intended women to do so much more. We can see this clearly from Scripture. Also, it’s hard to imagine that Eve, who was likely without children at the time, did nothing more than dilly-dally in the garden all day picking fruit while her husband did all the work. She was created to help, not to be a bystander.
But if in helping, she was to obey the man’s orders, she would have been working for him, not aiding him, which leans more towards servitude or employment than helping. It is the Lord who has the authority. Both men and women work for God, not each other.
To fulfill his vision for humanity, both sexes need to equally collaborate in the home, in the church, and in society in order to accomplish his work. The only way to do this is by assisting one another, as equal partners.
Conclusion
God created a woman to be the first man’s helper. A helper isn’t necessarily inferior to the one they are helping. This is an idea created by our society, culture and backgrounds.
God himself was a helper to his people. He supported his people by coming to their aid, yet he was never subordinate to them. Likewise, we assist others by serving them willingly, not out of obligation, submission, or any hierarchical arrangement (Gal. 5:13).
Men and women—husbands and wives—are called to mutually submit (Eph. 5:21) and to support each other, with a willing heart and available resources, as circumstances require. This submission, however, doesn’t mean they should obey one another; rather, the context implies that they should each put the other’s needs before their own “wants” and freedoms since they operate as one body. (“needs” is implied by “feeding and caring” for the body stated in verse 29)
As the wife puts the Lord’s work before her own desires, so let her also care for her husband at the expense of herself, just as the church places Christ above all else (v. 22-24). And as Christ loved his church and gave himself up for it, let husbands sacrifice pride and comfort for the sake of their wives (v. 25-28).
Do these things because you are both part of the same body—-and no one continuously detests their own body to the point of neglecting and failing to care for it (v.29). How then, could the body survive? Therefore, love one another and respect each other. Care for each other’s bodies as if you were literally one body, so that your union will remain continuous. This is not merely for your benefit but so that together, you may honor Christ by doing his work (v. 21).
Thus, both women and men must work together, not one under the other’s authority, but both under God’s authority. This is supported by the shared dominion over the earth and its creatures, being given to both male and female, along with the same directive (Gen. 1:28).
Ultimately, this passage pertains not to preaching or teaching, but specifically to the set-up of a marital relationship between a man and a woman which involves all of mankind, not just the church. In light of this, it is irresponsible to directly associate Genesis 2:18 with the context of God’s church, particularly in relation to a church “worship service.”
Furthermore, it is equally foolish to conclude that this scripture implies all women must submit to all men, regardless of whether a marital bond exists, or to assert that women should refrain from sharing God’s truth with men. This human-made doctrine is harmful and misleading, attributing statements to God that he never made, which is a dangerous practice.
I must emphasize: God did not say this. Thus, anyone who teaches this doctrine as if it were divinely inspired, while condemning others for not adhering to it, is misrepresenting God and is no different from a false prophet. So why do some still promote it?
That’s a very good question that needs to be answered based on common sense and actual Scripture references that aren’t polluted by man-made ideas and beliefs. Until then, believers should stop using and accepting this passage as evidence that women should be subject to men and that they should not preach or teach to men.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In