Who'd Want to be a Man! (1 Timothy 2)
1 Timothy 2.13-14 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. [tniv]I wake up every morning thanking God I was born male. I am not trying to be sexist or chauvinistic but I see what women have to go through in life, and I don't think I could do it. Just the thought of childbirth alone makes me want to grab my crotch and thank the Lord for His goodness to me!
Physical pain aside, what about the degradation women have had to endure right down through the ages as being seen as a lesser being. It still takes place today! Take for instance the role of women in the Church. In some denominations it still is a very touchy subject. There are many who take 1 Timothy 2 literally and believe that women are responsible for everything bad in this world. To support their claim, they use verses like these and the ones which follow which indicate that a woman's place in church and society is to remain silent, have babies, dress modestly and do good deeds.
But this verse clearly states, "Adam was not the one deceived." This is entirely true. Way back in Genesis 2, the first command is given to the human race. "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." The human race at that stage consisted of just one person - Adam. Eve had not yet been created!
So Adam received his command directly from God and Eve received hers from Adam. When the devil came into the Garden of Eden, Eve clearly sins first however scripture never blames Eve for the fall of the human race, instead according to Romans 5.12 ("through one man sin entered the world"), the Bible places the blame squarely on the shoulders of one man - Adam.
Because he had been formed first, he had been given the original authority on earth, Eve had not. And with that authority came the responsibility. Adam had an authority which Eve didn't have. He had a responsibility Eve never did.
Yes Eve was deceived but the point is, Adam wasn't. He knew exactly what he was doing. Adam failed in a far more significant way than Eve did. He rebelled against a direct command from God!
Men are very quick these days to play the "head of the home" card in order to push through some self serving agenda but we need to remember that God is the one who has given us that authority, and with that authority comes responsibility. It is a pretty sobering thing to consider that one day we may be called to give an account before God of just what we did with that responsibility.
As painful as childbirth is (my wife tells me I have no idea), the Bible says that it is soon forgotten. Maybe women got the better end of the deal after all!
