Women in Christ’s Mission!

International Women’s Day was celebrated around the world on 8th March to acknowledge womanhood and shower them with love and respect for who they are. The Bible with the best explanation of man’s creation portrays man and woman as coheirs and equally responsible towards building of the family, ruling the created universe, and be part of God’s mission. In the Bible, Genesis 1:27-28 states, “So God created man in his own image: he created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

When God created male and female, He did not mean to glorify men and demean women, as if helper somehow meant lesser. Sarah E. Fisher in her website (refer to the site link given at the end of this blog) explains, “And so God created woman to be an ēzer to man. But this word, translated as helper, is not about making brunch and darning a man’s socks. This word means an ally or rescuer, someone who comes running when the people cry out for help. An ēzer drops everything to save those in need… An ēzer is a hero.”.

Adrien Segal puts this beautifully, “Self-centered, bullying leadership was never God’s plan. Neither was self-centered resentment when called to help.”. The twisted lie that the first man Adam’s call means power and privilege, and Eve’s subjugation, springs out of the pride that human hearts have harbored since the fall. Men too often have been puffed up to lead with domineering power.

God created humans — men and women together — as the pinnacle of all creation, crafting both in His very image. He created them with distinct and complementary attributes, inclinations, and gifts that make them indispensable to one another and to His plan for filling the earth with His glory.

Today, it may look as though women around the world are fighting for identity because they have low self-esteem and suffer from inferiority complex, which is not true. Women all through the ages are victims of oppression and abuse of many kinds, yet they stand tall today for who they are. 8^th March is not the only day where they need to get recognition but every single day. They need to be intentionally respected and loved.

Genesis 2:18 is too often misquoted for the word ‘helper’ used in the passage. But the original Hebrew word used was ēzer kĕnegĕdô which literally means “a strength corresponding to him.” The Biblical Hebrew dictionary lists biblical meanings of ʿēzer as “help, assistance, might, and strength”. Unfortunately, the word ʿēzer here is often translated “helper,” which, in English, implies a subordinate or servant.  The Bible used the word ‘ēzer 21 times in the old-Testament does not suggest ‘helper’ as in ‘servant’, but help, savior, rescuer, protector as in God in helper.

Women are very much part of God’s mission always. Have we forgotten, women at the cross, women at the burial, women at the tomb, women first at the resurrection. Women were the first to proclaim He has risen. Remember the cross, Remember the women! Let us not forget Luke 8 where it says, “Afterward he (Jesus) was travelling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women . . . Mary, called Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s Steward; Susanna; and many others supporting them from their possessions.” (Luke 8:1-2). Women too went along with Jesus from one place to another for kingdom work.

Talk about Paul’s ministry, In Rom 16:1–16, Paul greets by name ten people whom he identifies as colleagues in Christian ministry. Seven of the ten are women: Phoebe, “deacon of the church of Cenchrea” (16:1) and “leader of many, including myself” (16:2); Junia, “outstanding among the apostles” (16:717); Prisca, “my fellow worker in Christ Jesus” (16:3; . Phil 4:3); and Mary, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis “worked hard in the Lord” (16:6, 12). Paul who is misquoted for stating hierarchical leadership had most of them women too. It is time for us to use women in a literal meaning ēzer kĕnegĕdô which is “a strength corresponding to him,” and tie strong partnership in Christ’s Mission.  Can we seriously make a conscious alignment to our perspective and treat them as equals in our mission work? 

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 Reference:

Helper: defining the EZER woman – Hebrew Word Lessons

 

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Imposter-knowingly or unknowingly?

The title of this blog intends to address a serious issue in Christendom today. I was tempted to borrow the phrase 'smooth criminal', from the popular song by Michael Jackson, which would be more appropriate for what I am going to expand on this topic, but prefer use the current title.

The word imposter as we all know means "a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others.". But probably all are not out there to deceive and take advantage, but just habitual in living with a different identity to save their face value. In my observation, the Church goers are so ardent in attending Church on Sundays, delivering distinct responsibilities given to them by Church leadership and make a great worship team. However, their identity in Christ seems to be extremely distorted in their personal lives. The so-called good Christians who are ardent Church members sadly fall into one or more traits mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:2-4 which says, "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..."

I struggle to comprehend the superficiality displayed by people who call themselves Christians. Where is the gap? Who is failing Christians miserably? Paul's warning in 2 Timothy about the traits mentioned above is not referred to non-Christians. Unfortunately, it very much applicable to us. Two hours of Church service on Sundays is failing to transform our lives, yet the congregation and the leadership come back home satisfied after the entire Sunday exercise. Probably regular Church attendees would claim and be boastful they don't drink alcohol or are addicted to substance abuse, unlike worldly people. If you closely observe them, you could identify them with one or more deplorable traits mentioned in the selected Bible passage in 2 Timothy. The spiritual ethics are good sounding to the ears but they have hardly created any impact. 

Leonard Ravenhill statement is worth pondering, "A man said to me, “Brother Ravenhill, I’m glad I’m saved from hell.” That’s wonderful, but it’s a fringe benefit. Are you saved from Lust? Are you saved from Fear? Are you saved from Doubt? Are you saved from Anger? Are you saved from Envy? Are you saved from Pride?" It is so true that many are struggling with real transformation within, how would you expect them to carry Christ’s Mission? Many programs whether in Church or conducted by Christian institutions intends to engage the believers and keep them intact with them so that they are not out of their sight, but I doubt if they are anywhere closer to Christ.

As we struggle with our basics, our Christ mission takes a beating. In the book of Hebrews, the author states, "Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.". Hebrews 5:12 (CSB) is a sad expression. Probably it is time Christians must unlearn and relearn Christ, Church, and His Mission. Philip Nation states, "We have a modern church that does not reach the lost because we never discipled the found. May we see a revival of making disciples who make disciples.". The trouble today, is we are holding on to the old revival model of getting people to the local church which is obscuring the contemporary revival. If this old model is the standard, the great awakening happening in our own time is going to be a farfetched dream and we would be breeding imposters.

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