O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

WHAT ARE THE BIBLICAL ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN?

To answer this question, it is necessary to go back to the Word of God. The biblical roles of men and women must be seen through the lens of creation, complementarity, and leadership within the family and the church. 

Created Equal but Distinct 

Paul’s letter to the Galatians 3:28 is the starting point, where the apostle writes, in Christ ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’ The teaching of this verse is that neither male nor female is superior to the other in the sight of God in His redemptive plan. Union with Christ creates a spiritual equality among all believers (Colossians 3:11). All are heirs together of salvation, equal in standing before God, equal in spiritual value, equal in inheritance. 

However, this does not mean that God has done away with the distinctions between men and women which appear first in the book of Genesis, that men are to have headship in marriage and in the church. This distinction is repeated in the New Testament, and it means that within the rules of headship we must not forget that our spiritual value and standing before God is equal. When we see the injunction that man is to be head, and the woman is to follow him in that, we do not deduce from that that men are superior to women, but always keep in mind Galatians 3:28. 

Referring to Genesis 1:27 we read, ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female.’ Here is a great distinction between men and women, but each is created in the image of God, reflecting in some measure their Creator, endowed with spirituality, given a soul, given the power of reason and various other special characteristics lifting them high above all other creatures. 

Moving on to Genesis 2:18, it reads, ‘And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.’ The Hebrew word for ‘help’ comes from the idea of surrounding something. So God is going to make for the man a ‘surrounder,’ ‘wall-builder’ or an aid, as it is often translated. Another translation of the Hebrew word is – an ­enabler. Adam will have an enabler, a protector even, a guide. All these ideas may crowd into the term, making this a high calling. 

So right from the beginning there is an order, and Scripture continues to advance that order. All this came before the Fall, and the New Testament looks back, and tells us that the man is made for God, and the woman is made for the man, to make him sufficient, to enable him, to support him, to assist him, to be with him. First the man, then the woman to complete the design and make it sufficient. There is still no notion, despite the distribution of roles, of superior and inferior. God’s Word further teaches that the man is made to serve God (1 Corinthians 11), to bring glory to him, and the woman is made to support the man, and to enable him to do that. So we see that the arrangement which relates men and women began at creation. 

Changes after the Fall 

However, after the Fall, everything changes, and in Genesis 3:16 the Lord spells out the consequences. ‘Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.’ The first consequence or punishment for the Fall is to Eve. The second, also to Eve is – ‘Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.’ These consequences gave rise to a more firmly established headship of the husband because an entirely voluntary submission is no longer sustainable. 

We also observe that man is punished, for ‘Unto Adam (God) said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.’ Adam will have to suffer toil and bitter frustrations and difficulty, so both are punished. The reason why Eve is now subject to a form of ‘rule’, is not because she sinned more but because that is the portion of punishment that falls to her, having sinned first. 

In each punishment God provides an everlasting reminder of the Fall, but the punishment can be seen as a great kindness. It is an immense blessing that there are things written into human life which remind us of the Fall, because the Fall must never be forgotten. It is the foundation of everything we need to know. 

Why We Need Such a Reminder 

The Fall of man is the cause of our greatest need. We cannot understand our predicament before God or feel our need of salvation without the doctrine of the Fall. We cannot understand ourselves. Even after conversion we cannot embark upon the work of sanctification without understanding depravity and the Fall. We cannot understand society, or how or why people think and act as they do, without the doctrine of the Fall. So God has seen fit to so order the punishment of men and women that there is a perpetual reminder of the Fall. 

Why must women in marriage and in the church be subordinate to men? Because they are inferior? No. Because they sinned more than men? No. They both equally sinned. Then for what reason does the woman bear her particular punishment and the man his? Because it is the message of the Fall.

Why does society today in fierce defiance seek to get rid of subordination in marriage, and even to dispense with marriage altogether? What is the real basis of the movement of feminism? What is its engine, its propulsive power? From where does it derive its energy? While it is true that many lean to feminism because of the appalling behaviour of many men, the real foundation is this Satanic desperation to dispose of the Fall. If you can abolish the distinction between men and women, and the great sign of subordination which God has given to remind us of the Fall, then you will have removed the reminder of the Fall and the need of salvation. Truth is at stake. God’s message is being communicated, and disobedience is opposition to vital truth.

— Mok Chee Cheong  

— adapted and edited from ‘Biblical Roles of Men and Women’ by Dr Peter Masters, in The Sword & Trowel 2020, issue 1.

Shorter Catechism Question 13

Q: Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?

A: Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Sep 23

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Intro to Biblical Counselling (Mr Joel Seah)

Tuesday, Sep 24

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Mok Chee Cheong)

Wednesday, Sep 25

      10.00 am     SF Meeting

Thursday, Sep 26

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: The Book of Proverbs (Rev Lim Chee Boon)

Saturday, Sep 28

        2.15 pm     Ladies’ Tea Fellowship (Rm 1-6)

        3.00 pm     Missions Seminar (MPH)

        3.00 pm     LTF

Sunday, Sep 29

  8.00 am Gospel Sunday: Christ, Not Religion, Brings True Righteousness Philippians 3:1-14 (Rev Mark Chen)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Gospel Sunday: Christ, Not Religion, Brings True Righteousness Philippians 3:1-14 (Rev Mark Chen)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Life BPC Job Vacancies

1. Church Operations Manager (COM)

Responsibilities:

The COM provides active oversight and support in the mission, administrative affairs and general operations of the Church including Financial Management, HR, MIS Technology, Media Technology, Facilities and General Administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree or higher
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in operations or managerial positions
• Good interpersonal and communications skills 

2. Estate Management Officer (EMO)

Responsibilities:

EMO plans, oversees and coordinates all property management and preventive maintenance activities associated for the church premises. Coordinates facilities usage for a range of Church activities and Church’s authorized users using the premises. The EMO reports to the Church Operation Manager.

Qualifications:

• Diploma or equivalent
• 5 years’ experience in real estate management and maintenance
• Certification in real estate management and maintenance is an added advantage
• Lifers are preferred 

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Thanksgiving

Our Brother Ricky and his family would like to thank God for leading his mum (Mdm Hui KY) to finish her pilgrimage life on earth and bringing her back to the heavenly home which the LORD hath prepared for her, and Session and Lifers for the condolences, prayers, words of comfort and support during the bereavement of his mother on 16 Sep 2024.

Infant Baptism on Church Anniversary, 20 October 2024

Parents, please email the church office, with your full names, contact numbers, and your child’s name and date of birth by 22 September 2024.

Traffic Warden Service

We welcome all church members to join in this work. Our TW’s role is to provide godly service to facilitate worship. We need help in following time slots for Sunday: 7.30-8am or 10.30-11am with a frequency of once or twice a month. Please contact Dn Chan Yong or Bro Kelvin .

Holy Communion Elements Preparation

Lifers are invited to serve in the Holy Communion elements preparation, clean-up and washing. Those interested may contact Jenny or Wendy .

Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Course (MBCC)

Another Church Outreach Ministry invites Lifers to register their young children, teens, or grandchildren with our MBCC. Those whose loved ones, friends or colleagues who are either young in their faith or being non-believers, are interested to know and explore more of Christianity, are also invited to register with us by filling in the registration forms which are now available at the Church front counter and post them to:

Life B-P Church

No.10, Gilstead Road

Singapore 309064

Attention: Mrs Ong Chuay Ying

Gospel Sunday

Please pray for our Gospel Sunday services which will be held on 29 September 2024.
English Service: "Christ, not religion, brings true righteousness" (Philippians 3:1-14) by Rev Mark Chen
Chinese Service: "Where does the Good News come from?" (Mark 1:1,14,15) by Rev Kew See Seong

Missions Seminar 2024

28 September; 3-6pm @ Beulah MPH. “Witnessing for Christ in the Last Days”

Speakers: Rev Charles Seet, Rev & Mrs Moses Hahn, Mr & Mrs Lim Kwang Taek, Bro Benjamin Heng

Registration link at: https://forms.gle/u92nfBsCWCgRDMaDA 

Senior Fellowship Seminar: Refire Not Retire! By Rev Lee Hann Yang

19 Oct 2024, Beulah MPH, 4-6pm followed by dinner. Register at https://www.lifebpc.com/sfseminar

YLM Seminar: The Multigenerational Church

12 Oct 2024 @ Beulah MPH, 3-6 pm.

LTF Camp: Sed or Blessed

2-6 Dec 2024 @ Life B-P Church. Age Grp: 12-17. Speaker: Rev David Wong

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