Both the Holy Spirit and Eve are described as helpers in the Bible. But I do not believe the role of Holy Spirit as helper, given in John’s Gospel, informs our understanding of Eve’s help (Genesis 2), and vice versa. Here’s why I think this.
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The creation order of man first, woman second, as recorded in Genesis 2, is often brought up in discussions about the place of men and women in ministry and in marriage. For some, this order even forms the basis of their views on gender. What significance did Paul place on man being created first, woman second?
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Does the Old Testament teach that husbands are to be the leaders of their wives, or that men have authority over women? Are some roles forbidden to women? This is part 1 of a series on gender roles in the Bible.
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The stance of the Roman Catholic Church in regards to mutual submission in marriage is much more egalitarian than the stance of many evangelicals. Here are some interesting excerpts from the Vatican document on the “Dignity of Women” (Mulieris Dignitatem).
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Does helping someone require that you subordinate yourself to that person? A few men whose essays I’ve read recently answer this question with a “yes”.
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What did Eve do to help Adam? Here are two very different views from three top scholars about Eve’s role as helper in Genesis 2.
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Here’s a paper I presented back in September 2015. The paper was published in a book, The Gender Conversation, in 2016. Just recently, the book has been made available as an affordable e-book.
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Does the Genesis story that Adam was created first mean that men have a greater authority than women? Does primogeniture have a place in Christian relationships?
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Complementarians believe that men have authority over women. They believe this principle is rooted in creation and is therefore timeless in application. Cynthia Westfall exposes the faults in this thinking.
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I’ve been using the Common English Bible and was surprised to read God say to the snake, “They will strike your head.” Other translations of Genesis 3:15 have he, she or it will strike. What is the correct understanding of who will attack the serpent? Is it us?
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Is the Hebrew word teshuqah, traditionally translated as “desire” in Genesis 3:16, better translated as “single-minded concentration” or “devotion”?
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Does “a suitable helper for him” in Genesis 2:18 & 20 speak about a defining gender role for women? Does the Bible teach that all women are the auxiliaries, or helpers, of men?
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