2:5-8 For unto the
angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But
one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of
him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him
over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his
feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is
not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
The angels are ministering companions to the saints, as
we have already seen in Hebrews 1:14; we shall enjoy their company for eternity
in the new Heavens and Earth. They will not be beneath us as slaves, but are
fellow servants, Revelation 19:10. Though this passage does in fact indicate
that our joint rule with Christ our Lord will place as above the angels in
authority, which is positively mind boggling.
The writer goes on to quote from Psalm 8:4-6, declaring
the stewardship man was entrusted with, and is still charged with despite the
fall and our sinful nature. I have encountered at least one fellow saint who
uses this passage to teach that of the things “put under man,” women fall in
this category. Though it is a slight detour, I would like to point out the rest
of the passage from Psalm 8, verses 7 and 8: “All sheep and oxen—even the
beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, that pass
through the paths of the sea.” Man’s dominion then is over livestock,
the creatures of the ocean and the wild beasts that haven’t been tamed for
domestic usage. Nowhere are women found in this depiction of man’s authority.
In fact the term “man” is generic at this point for “humankind”; both men and
women. This is clarified from the beginning when we read: “Then God blessed them (plural,
Adam and Eve), and said to them (again plural), “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,”
Genesis 1:28. Clearly women are not part of man’s “dominion.” While it is true
that wives are to submit to their husbands, it is nowhere taught that women in
general are to submit to all men.
Since our inheritance is a co-inheritance with our Lord
it makes sense that all things are placed under man. Only God Himself is the
exception, 1st Corinthians 15:27. The saints shall judge both the world and
angels (1st Corinthians 6:2-3), and herein lies I think the point of this
passage. Though such authority has been vouchsafed for the saints, it is not
yet ours in this present life, and in this current evil world. Instead we see
the figure of Jesus Christ, our assurance that what God has promised His
children He will invariably bring to pass in His own good time. Presently we do
not rule, nor see the boundaries of our kingdom; we have not entered into this
portion of our lives with Christ, but it is coming, 1st Corinthians 4:8. Christ
our Lord is there; it is absolutely certain then that we shall follow.
Another great post Ian.
ReplyDeleteGalatians 3:28 states, "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." As you pointed out the womans subjection is to be a voluntary submission to an equal, rather than enforced subjection to all men.