Original Sin Reveals Distinct M & F Roles

Adam Wimps Out. Eve Grabs the Power.

Complementarianism believes that men and women
are equal in the sense that they bear God’s image equally. Complementarianism further believes that Scripture teaches male/female distinctions in design and roles. Not the result of the Fall of Man as evangelical feminists
(or egalitarians) believe, God’s gift of complementary manhood and womanhood was exhilarating in the beginning. Its attendant masculine headship and feminine submission was intended for humanity's good.

The following excerpt from CBMW by J. Ligon Duncan, III argues that God’s intended roles were disregarded by Adam and Eve, and their disobedience to His design caused the Fall.

A Dramatic Role Reversal

"When we turn to Genesis 3:1-24, we see several… important factors relating to biblical manhood and womanhood. In verses 1-5, in which the serpent approaches Eve with the temptation of taking the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that God had expressly forbidden to Adam, you will note that role reversal plays a significant part in the whole fall scenario. Eve is placed in the position of defending God's words to the mocking serpent while Adam is silent, though he is apparently present. Adam is the one who has been given the command not to take of the fruit of the tree, and he is apparently right there. And when Eve finally decides, she looks, she sees, she sees that the fruit is good and it's desirable; she takes of it herself and then we're told simply that she took and gave to Adam… She could turn to him and say, "Here, you take this too."

Not the result of the Fall of Man as evangelical feminists (or egalitarians) believe, God’s gift of complementary manhood and womanhood was exhilarating in the beginning. Its attendant masculine headship and feminine submission was intended for humanity's good.

And this is further confirmed by the fact that when God comes later to meet with Adam, he doesn't come looking for Eve; He comes looking for Adam. It's not as if God is tracking down Eve who has done this, while poor Adam is totally clued out, [and] doesn't know anything that is going on. God immediately is looking for Adam, because Adam knew everything that was going on and failed to defend God's word while his wife stood there having this conversation with the serpent.

So, the whole picture is a picture of role reversal where Adam failed his spiritual responsibility. He should have stepped up and said, "Serpent, you have no business questioning my wife about the commands God has given to her. God gave those commands directly to me, and it's my responsibility to give an account and to be faithful to Him, and I'm here to give you the answers to your questions." Adam simply abdicates that spiritual responsibility, and Paul will highlight this in I Timothy 2, in fact, as he interprets Genesis 3, and indicates that role reversal is part of that whole scenario of the fall of Adam and Eve into sin."

Unique Punishments

"…If you look at verses 16-19 we find that God's punishments correspond to Adam and Eve's respective created purposes and roles, as well as their respective defections. The punishments are therefore gender specific and gender related... For instance, if you note in verses 16-19, what are two of Eve's punishments? They relate to her area of child bearing and her being a wife. She's now going to bear children in pain and furthermore, there's going to be tension interjected into her relationship with her husband, where she desires him and yet he rules over her. So the language indicates a tension introduced into the husband-wife relationship.

…On the other hand, the man who has been given the job of providing and spiritual leadership, what will happen to him? In precisely the areas in which is to provide, the ground itself, the earth itself, is going to fight him. So the punishments relate to Adam and Eve's respective created purposes and roles, as well as to the way they defected from those roles, and therefore they are gender specific and gender related. So we see even in God's punishment a distinction between the being and the roles of man and woman…"

The Outcome Today

"…In the home, the husband's loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife's intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.

In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries.

We have to work hard to make sure that we don't use the biblical principles as an excuse to allow the distortions to go on. We must address those distortions, but we must also promote the biblical principles being lived out as best as we can possibly live them in the life of the home and church. Amen."

Related

Check out Bonnie’s thoughtful article at Intellectuelle where she wrestles with the challenging topic of Original Sin. A more recent entry of Bonnie's discusses the issue of male kephale (headship) in marriage.

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Do you agree or disagree with this author's viewpoint?


Photo Credits: ~Camsbrat~, Intuitive Cat, MikeMac29b (Flickr)

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