Question 42 – Doesn't the Bible discriminate against women?
Aren't men somehow superior? Doesn't the Bible treat women as mere objects? These and similar arguments are part of the traditional critique against Christianity and are often raised in discussions about faith. I believe that the primary thing keeping this critique alive is not the biblical text itself, but rather our neglect and disobedience of God's commands as men. Indeed, it is true that many men behave toward women in utterly unacceptable ways—insulting, degrading, blackmailing, and harming them in numerous ways. Some even try to justify such behavior by misinterpreting the Bible. Therefore, I understand why some people are angry. Yet, it is not God's fault.
Yes, if you read certain passages superficially and take them out of context, you may indeed find statements that seem to diminish the role of women. However, the Bible addresses this issue both directly and indirectly in various ways. It is much like mixing colors. Take a simple example—the color gray. It is created by mixing black and white. It makes no sense to look at the composition of this color and claim that gray is essentially black or white—it is neither. It is simply gray. Critics of the Bible often, metaphorically speaking, point only to the black, ignoring the white, thus missing entirely that the color is gray.
The Bible clearly teaches that before God, we are all equal. There is no difference! Whether you are rich or poor, strong or weak, educated or uneducated, a woman or a man. There are no bonus points before God for a lakeside villa, a luxury car in the garage (such as a Jaguar), an Olympic medal, or the ability to write your name in the snow with your urine. A man is not more than a woman, and a woman is not more than a man. Nevertheless, I do not wish to deny that there is a certain difference. However, this difference does not speak to the status or worth of a man or woman, but to their social roles.
"Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, … In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. … However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:21-25, 28, 33)
There are many "controversial" texts that can be found in the Bible, but the one mentioned above captures the essence of the issue most effectively. What kind of treatment, then, should a woman receive from a man according to the Bible? John MacArthur expressed it well in his commentary on the New Testament: A man should love his wife
"with the same unconditional, unselfish, and sacrificial love that Christ loves the church. Christ gave up everything for the church, including His life, and that is the measure of sacrifice through which a man is to show love to his wife." [21]
Men are to love their wives as their own bodies, as themselves. Where is there room for disrespect, humiliation, or any kind of belittlement? God indeed provides for the loving treatment, respect, and protection of women—when men respect and obey His commands. And here may lie the core of the problem. We men fail in our roles (to our shame). It is challenging to fulfill this command for those who take it seriously, let alone for those who despise it or do not take it seriously. Poor treatment of women is thus not a problem of the Bible or Christianity, but of men in general.
Elsewhere, the Bible assigns significant importance to women (despite historical conventions) or roles in Jesus's plan for human salvation. Some Old Testament books are even named after significant women of faith (Ruth, Esther).
According to general Christian belief, a woman is not disadvantaged or diminished by God. What might pose a problem for some is her role in relation to a man—submission.
Throughout the world, there exists a multi-layered system of submission and authority ensuring the functioning of any society. We see such a principle in many areas of our lives. We submit to state authority, officials, police officers, employers, teachers, and so on. However, this does not mean that an official, police officer, or teacher is "more." They only fulfill a role that gives them authority (in the case of a police officer) to stop my car or ask me to prove my identity. If the system of submission and authority in society were to collapse, immediate chaos, lawlessness, and near non-functionality would ensue.
Therefore, God (and at times, people) established a system of submission and roles, which are to be respected and serve the common good. One of these roles is the submission of children to their parents or a woman to her husband. In His sovereign power, God decided to assign men leading roles in the family and, to some extent, in society. Yet again, I emphasize that this submission must occur within the context of love. Surely, even this very fact is unacceptable to many (feminism is a glaring example, though it might not even exist if men loved women as God desires...).
God's plan is perfect. He loves all people and shows no favoritism. However, for us to coexist, God has ordained various systems of social roles, including the relationship between a man and a woman. The woman's role is not to demean her but to protect her. For men, their position brings a greater responsibility for which they will one day be held to stricter account by God.
Summation
The Bible teaches that there is no difference in standing before God between a man and a woman. Different conceptions exist within the system of responsibilities and submission, where the man is to be the head of the woman. However, he must also love her with deep and self-sacrificial love. If we, as men, were to fulfill this command, women would have no reason to point out or complain about their social standing.