Tenet 2

The Image of God and Gender Roles

Tenet 2. Both man and woman are made in God’s image (their human characteristics enable them to reflect His character) and they are both called to exercise dominion over the earth. They share an equal worth as persons before God in creation and redemption. The man is also the image and glory of God in terms of authority, while the woman is the glory of man. (Gen. 1:27-28; 1 Cor. 11:3,7; Eph. 5:28; 1 Pet. 3:7)

Gen 1:27-28 – So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

I Cor. 11:3 – But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Man is the head, but not all Greek scholars agree on the meaning of head here. 1 Cor. was first written in Greek, and their word here is kephale. Like the English head, kephale has the first meaning of the body part above the neck. After that, it has some symbolic meanings. Is "authority figure" one of them? Some Greek scholars say this word never mean authority figure. Even scholars who very much like to see male authority in the Bible, claim head mean "origin" more often than "authority."

(If you read authority into head here, you would read the authority figure of every man – atheistic man, male murderer, male Hindu priest, or drug abuser in the gutter- is Christ. “Is Christ.” Not “ought to be Christ.” Is He indeed their authority figure?)

1 Cor. 11:7 – For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

This text is rather baffling, as the woman was already called the image of God in Gen. 1, and God crowns us with glory according to Ps. 8:5 (man in :4 is not a gender specific word in the Hebrew),and we (male and female) change into the image of God’s glory (2Co 3:18).

Eph. 5:28 – So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Eph. 5:28 is a very good truth, but seems to have no relevance to the tenet.

I Pet. 3:7 – Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
 

Being heirs together of the grace of life probably mean that they share equal worth in redemption. Whatever is meant by "as to the weaker vessel", this does not deminish the equal worth of women before God. Women should not be dishonored.
 

2a) Both man and woman are made in God’s image

Yes. That is Biblical.

b) (their human characteristics enable them to reflect His character)

If that explanation of what "made in God's image" mean is in the Bible, they should give a Bible reference for it. It’s easy to believe, but these are called Biblical tenets, and this one is not backed up from the Bible.

c) and they are both called to exercise dominion over the earth.

Yes. (Note that earth does not include people. Humans should exercise domininion over animals and planet, but Gen. 1:27-28 cannot be used to defend taking dominion over other humans. After all, they have the same dominion mandate.)

d) They share an equal worth as persons before God in creation and redemption.

Yes. Men and women were created equal, and God saves them completely and equally from whatever was marred by sin. As such, even if sin marred the equality, then saved men and women would be again equal in God's sight, or "equal in redemption." It could have had a verse to back it up, but it is Biblical. In fact, equality seemingly goes further: In the church, by Gal. 3:28, it does not matter if someone is male or female, as (s)he has Christ inside.

TBP show lip service to equality here, but in practice, where do we see them applying this truth? In what ways are men and women treated as equals within Vision Forum’s teachings and actions? (Also see the words “functional equals" in tenet 14.)

e) The man is also the image and glory of God in terms of authority, while the woman is the glory of man.

The text certainly does not say that man is the image and glory "in terms of authority." Authority is not in the text. By Ps. 8:5 and 2Co 3:18, we know "woman is the glory of man" is only a part of the truth, as she is, like man, also the glory of God.
 

Other ways Christians understand this:

I already touched on the opinion difference over head in Greek. Also notice that "the head of woman is man" is singular, and may refer to Adam being the head (source, beginning) of Eve. If women are the glory of man, men should be proud of them.
Many Christians believe that 1 Cor 11, the passage from which they get woman as the glory of man, is a place where Paul mentions a lot of contradictory ideas the Corinthians had about head coverings. "Woman is the glory of man" and perhaps even "Christ is the head of the man, the man of the woman" are quotes from those contradictory ideas. Paul answers the arguing factions with: "Everyone can decide for her(him)self, rather than to argue (with the choice of anyone else)."
Some think that it is dishonoring towards women to suggest men - not women - have a type of authority which scripture does not mention, and that it therefore contradict the command to show honor to wives.

Summing it up

How reliable is this tenet? I will use a color code:

      The color code:

      This is adequately Biblically defended

      This is defended biblically, but another view could also be defended biblically

      This is not Biblically defended

2. Both man and woman are made in God’s image (their human characteristics enable them to reflect His character) and they are both called to exercise dominion over the earth. They share an equal worth as persons before God in creation and redemption.
The man is also the image and glory of God in terms of authority, while the woman is the glory of man.