Did Methuselah Die After the Universal Flood?

Genesis 5: (1) A mystery of the ages in connection with the Flood is how Noah’s venerable grandfather Methuselah survived the universal cataclysm which destroyed all life except the Noah menage and menagerie in the ark. Methuselah did not die until a year or more after the Flood – fourteen years after according to the Septuagint. It is recorded that Methuselah was 187 years old when his son Lamech was born (Gen. 5: 25), and he lived for 787 years afterwards, dying at the ripe age of 969 years (5: 26, 27). Lamech was 182 years old when his son Noah was born (5: 28, 29). When the Flood began, Noah was in his six hundredth year, or, to be exact, he was 599 years, one month, and seventeen days old (v2: 11 ); and Noah lived for 350 years after the Flood, and was 950 years old when he died (9: 28, 29 ). Methuselah was alive when the Flood began and when it ended, if the Bible record is true: 1. From the birth of Lamech to the beginning of the Flood was (182 plus 599) 781 years; and from the birth of Lamech to the end of the Flood was 782 years. If Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech 782 years he survived the Flood. Or, again: (2) From the birth of Methuselah to the beginning of the Flood was (187 plus 182 plus 599 years) 968 years; the Flood ended a year later, when Methuselah was …

You Do Err Not Knowing the Scriptures

Genesis 8:20. The very first thing Noah did after he and his family and his animals landed in the neck-deep mud and slime of the year’s Deluge was to build an altar and offer up a thanksgiving sacrifice to the loving God. It is recorded that Noah took one each “of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar” to Yahweh there in the mud. As there were only two of these different kinds of animals and fowls (“the male and his female”) in the ark, and Noah killed and burnt in sacrifice one (whether male or female) of each kind, how the species was ever afterwards replenished on the earth. On one occasion during His earthly ministry, Jesus responded to the critics of His day by saying, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29 KJV). Anyone remotely familiar with the Bible is abundantly aware that the inquirer above demonstrates by his question a definite lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. In addition, the assumptions (i.e., “neck-deep mud and slime”) contained in the question are not in evidence, and they are prejudicial, too. First, Noah, his family and the floating zoo remained on the ark for 150 days after the rain stopped, and during which time the flood waters were receding. “The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was …

No Longer Blush

Several decades ago if an unmarried woman became pregnant, she was shipped out of town to a home for unwed mothers. Or, the young woman was sent to live with a distant relative far from home. Often, the child was given away for adoption upon his or her birth. Sometimes, there was a “shotgun wedding” – the father was forced to marry the mother. All this was done to save the family from the embarrassment of having an “illegitimatechild” – a child born to parents who are not married to each other – in their midst. Unwed mothers were never discussed at family gatherings. During this same period in history, one did not talk about the family member who divorced his spouse. It did not matter that the offending party committed adultery, divorce was an embarrassment to the family. Move forward a couple decades. When I was in high school in rural western Pennsylvania, a married individual was not allowed to attend high school. If school officials discovered a boy or girl were married, they were immediately expelled from school. Also, if someone discovered that a student was pregnant, she was immediately expelled from school. At this time in history, the girl could stay at home and have her baby. However, she was still an embarrassment to the family, but not to the extent that she should be sent away. Yet, she could not attend school because she represented an improper behavior and was deemed a bad influence upon her …

We Are Under Attack – All of Us!

Especially lately, businesses have very publicly entered the fray of cultural transformation away from traditional and biblical values to the Godless embracing of the homosexual agenda. That agenda goes far beyond a quest for peaceful coexistence, first, to outright attacks on everyone and everything that dares harbor God’s view on the subject, and secondly, to overtly convert every part and parcel of society to homosexuality. The laws of the land have been perverted. Children in the public schools are being indoctrinated with homosexuality, irrespective of the will of their parents. Denominations have incorporated homosexuality into their religions. Politicians at every level and the highest level (i.e., the President) in America frequently are champions for the sin of Sodom. Activist companies vocal in favor of same-sex marriages or homosexual rights include Adobe, Allstate, Amazon, American Airlines, American Apparel, Apple, Applebee’s, Ben & Jerry’s (owned by Unilever), Best Buy, Boeing (the aircraft manufacturer), Clorox, Coca-Cola, Costco, Delta Airlines, EBay, Ford, Gap, General Mills, General Motors, Gerber Baby Products, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hershey, Hilton Hotels, Home Depot, IMB, Intuit, J.C. Penny, Kraft Foods, Levi’s, Marriot International, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nabisco, Nationwide, Nike, Office Depot, Olive Garden, Pepsico, Proctor and Gamble, RealNetworks (makers of RealPlayer), Red Lobster, Rite Aid, Sears, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, State Farm, Target, United Airlines, UPS, Walgreens and Walt Disney Company. Doubtless, the list would be much longer than this already staggering display were I to continue looking for public declarations by or about the household names of familiar companies – several with which you and I do …

An Old, Old Story Remains Relevant Today (Unfortunately)

In spite of the powerful influence of Satan, who would ever have anticipated the extent of homosexuality that exists in our world today? Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of it all is the amount of acceptance and favorable publicity that this behavior is now enjoying, in spite of the history of degradation and shame associated with this practice that God dealt with in such a dramatic and forceful manner many centuries ago. Please understand that this is not an effort to “bash” homosexuals, but is a call to vigilance and righteousness, courage and conviction in our families, our communities, and throughout society as a whole. As both Christians and citizens, we dare not be unconcerned or adopt a “hands-off” attitude toward a behavior that is destroying the lives of thousands upon thousands, including a growing number of innocent victims. The Term “Gay” It is not uncommon at all for words to undergo a change in meaning over time. However, to alter the meaning of biblical terms can be a very dangerous action resulting in a conflict with or deterioration of God’s meaning which He conveyed in the Scriptures. Those who engage in homosexuality, as well as society in general, have chosen to avoid using terms related to this practice that are employed in God’s Word, and they have adopted the widespread use of the softer terms of “gay” and “lesbian.” To take a word that has historically denoted being lighthearted, merry, lively or bright and showy in color, and shamefully …

Are You Adopted?

Several years ago, I was working in my office when I received a phone call. It was a phone call from a man whom I had never met, by the name of Daniel Whitworth. Daniel said, “David, I have an unusual question to ask you.” “Uh, okay” I responded. “What is your question?” “David, are you adopted?” “Well,” I responded, “I don’t think so, but I can ask my parents. Why do you ask?” Daniel began telling me that he and his two brothers were adopted out to different families when they were all very young. They could not keep in contact with one another as they were growing up because none of the brothers knew where the others had gone. Daniel said he had been able to find and get reacquainted with one of his brothers. Now they were trying to find their other long, lost brother. They wondered if I might be their brother. Daniel had seen my picture in the Magnolia Messenger, an informational and instructional religious publication edited by A.L. Franks of Kosciusko, MS. Daniel thought that there may be some family resemblance in our looks, so he decided to call and ask if I had been adopted as a child. My parents Glenn and Sara Sargent assure me that I am their biological child. However, if I were not, they would still be my loving parents! They have taken care of me since I was born into the world, and they still bless me with their …

The Righteousness of the Pharisees

Jesus told us that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not make it into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). The scribes were the ones who were charged with writing things down, like the Law. The Pharisees were the “spiritual elite” in the days of Jesus, at least in their own eyes. So, how is our righteousness supposed to surpass the righteousness of those whose sole responsibility was to write the Law and those who lived their lives by it? The answer is that though they knew the letter of the Law, they did not know the spirit of the Law. John and Jesus both call them a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33). In Matthew 23, Jesus really let those people have it. Seven times they were called hypocrites. They were called fools and blind men (19) and whitewashed tombs (27). A good summary can be found in verses 23-24. The scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be so holy and so righteous, yet they neglected the weightier matters of the Law. They taught that some aspects of the law were more important than others, and that the less important aspects were not necessary to observe. The way our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees is that we teach the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:27).

Examine Your Attendance

It has been awhile since I have broached the subject of attendance; however, our little number in Bible study on Wednesday evening caused me to reflect on the subject. Upon leaving the building, Alice and I began to discuss the small crowd and the obvious lack of interest in spiritual things. We both agreed that it had helped us to be there. On one hand, we both felt as if we had gotten a tremendous “boost” by having been there to read and study God’s Word and by sharing thoughts and feelings with like-minded people. On the other hand, by looking into God’s Word and sharing together with others, we not only gained something from the meeting ourselves, but hopefully encouraged others who were present. So, just as the Bible study served a two-fold purpose for us by giving energy to our own faith and giving strength and encouragement to others, we can hope and pray that others present received the same benefits. We all know that the saints are commanded to not forsake the assembly on the Lord’s Day but to be present to worship as they take the Lord’s Supper, to study God’s Word, to give of their means to the work of the Lord, to commune with God in prayer and to sing and make melody in their hearts to God. However, what about the rest of the “assemblies”? Many seem to think that, if they assemble on Sunday morning, they have done their “duty,” and the …

It Will All Be Worth It

I have had several back surgeries, and each one has helped me. I went through the pain of surgery, but I always told myself it would be worth it when I recovered from surgery, and each time it was. However, this past spring I had knee surgery. I think that I rushed the timing too much, and should have waited a few days. I kept thinking, “It will all be worth it.” Then, a few weeks later, I went into the hospital because of a blood clot. In the course of this hospitalization, I missed Chris, my son’s first starring role in a play. To this day my knee is only slightly better and bothers me often. If I was to ever hear talk of doing knee surgery on me again, it would take a great deal of persuasion, and an assurance that it would indeed be worth it. We can endure a great many things if we are certain that it will be worth it in the end. This applies in many areas of life and is very true in our spiritual dealings. In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul absolutely nailed down the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, and that all of us will be raised from the dead. Based on this, he assures all of us that serving God will be worth it, with these words: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye …

The Work of the Holy Spirit

There are many today who attribute numerous things to the Holy Spirit. Most of those things are related by those who are highly emotional. They have a “zeal, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). Almost without exception those things are considered as miracles, such things as the Holy Spirit finding a parking spot for someone who is late for an appointment, surfacing a baby that is underwater into the arms of its father or unplugging a coffeepot at a youth gathering because it was making too much noise. Each of the above has been related to me personally. Perhaps these are more radical claims than most would make; however, there are those who make claims of the Spirit speaking directly to and through them, speaking in tongues, raising the dead – all by the miraculous power of the Spirit. Does the Holy Spirit work today in the conversion of the sinner and in the life of the saint? For the answer, shouldn’t we do as we ought to do with all the other areas of studies – go to the one infallible standard, the Word of God? The answer is an emphatic, “Yes!” How can we go to those who make claims about the Spirit working in their lives when they teach something absolutely contrary to what others who make the same claim are teaching? The question is not, “Does the Holy Spirit work in the conversion of the sinner, and life of the saint?” but “How does He work?” Please …

If Sin Is the Problem, Repentance Is the Fix

If sin is the problem, repentance is the fix. That was basically the message of John the Baptist as he was preaching and teaching down by the Jordan. The problem he faced was talking with and teaching people who did not really realize their sickness. After all, they could all claim Abraham as their father. Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Luke 3:7-8) To give a little background to those verses, John had been preaching a message of repentance. He had been preparing the path for Jesus, doing his little part to get the world ready for the Messiah. A group of Jews had come to him to be baptized with his baptism of repentance. If most church leaders heard of a huge group of people coming to repent and be baptized, they would jump at the opportunity to get it done. They could not get in the baptistery quickly enough! However, John was not like most church leaders. He wore funny clothes, ate weird food and probably did not impress most of the theological professionals. In fact, the idea of somebody like John baptizing Jews was completely unusual. He was …

Praying with Power

The manner and subject of our prayers are according to our knowledge and comprehension of God, and our practical relationship with Him. If we think of Him primarily as a Maker, Lawgiver or Judge, we will pray in certain ways. If we think of Him primarily in terms of the hope that we have of heaven, then our greatest desire will be for the strengthening of that hope and the ultimate attainment of it. That may cause the nature and subject of our prayers to be different. This does not mean that one is to be done in preference to the other. It simply means that as we are thinking of God in different ways, we will pray in different ways. Always, the more definite our awareness of the riches of divine grace we have in Christ Jesus, the greater will be the depth and breadth of our prayers. Paul starts his prayer in Ephesians 3:14 with, “For this cause.” He was referring to the wonderful truths expressed in chapters one and two. He had discussed the marvelous grace of God and the fact that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He had set forth the fact that we have been chosen and foreordained to obtain forgiveness in Christ, and though dead in trespasses, we have been made alive and to be joint heirs with Christ. There is probably nothing more significant that we can meditate upon as we come to God …

What Does It Mean to You?

You are given a picture. A school teacher asks, “What is it?” Your first response might be, “I’m not quite sure.” It is not too difficult to describe, but harder to identify. Different folks might have different ideas. However, to the one who made it, it represents only one thing – a train approaching as it comes through a tunnel. This information affects one’s future answer if asked again. A passage from Scripture is read. A Bible class teacher asks, “What does this verse mean to you?” This form of question makes it subjective. Fifty people might have fifty different answers. Forty-nine of them may be well “off the mark,” but none are considered incorrect since it was prefaced by what it means “to you.” If it means a certain thing to me does it necessarily follow that is what it means to God? A what-it-means-to-me subjective approach to Scripture has contributed to a divisive, denominational and unbiblical approach to Christianity. Rather, the Scriptures are designed to be approached in an objective way. God has revealed His message through Jesus, His apostles and additional penmen of Scripture via the Holy Spirit. The sense is vitally important. God is communicating the same message to every living individual. To God, the Author of the Holy Bible, a passage has its meaning. God wants every one of us to see what He is communicating to us. God wants us all to believe what He believes. Is God wrong? No way. God does not alter His thinking or His criteria …

Choosing to Remain Weak

Virtually all of us have experienced being weak to some degree from a physical stance. Definitions of weak and weakness include fragile, feebleness, lack of strength, firmness, vigor, liable to give way under pressure or strain. This vulnerability can be most aggravating, frustrating and at times frightening. Sometimes, we will seek medical attention to find the cause to rid ourselves of this feeling of helplessness in order to regain our strength and vigor as quickly as possible. Like physical weakness, spiritual weakness comes in all shapes and sizes. When we look candidly at our lives, we all must admit being spiritually weak in some aspect. The proper attitude toward spiritual weakness, in ourselves as well as in others, is spelled out in Romans 14:1 and Romans 15:1 respectively. “As for the one, who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (ESV). “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” We are further commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” A great many of us have heard or read the statement, “One week without God makes one weak.” An email circulated several years ago that said, “Without God, our week is: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday.” What rational person wants this? The focus of this article is choosing to remain spiritually weak. That choice can have the most catastrophic consequences! How tragic when …

Peter’s Eyes

Many wonderful people are shown throughout God’s Word. Their victories, their faith and their strengths are made known, but so are their trials, their pain, their weaknesses and sins – those things that plague every human who has ever been. I would love to see through the eyes of each great one, to be able to partake in the deeds that each one has done. However, of all of the characters that in the word I find, the way Peter was is most like me, in my mind. Sometimes it is like through Peter’s eyes I look at life. Just like him, I often cause my own strife, but hopefully from him, I can great lessons know. As I travel life’s paths down here below, I see sometimes through Peter’s eyes of doubt – when he did not understand what it was all about, when he failed to be as strong as he should be. Way too often, that is the picture of me. I see sometimes through Peter’s eyes of fear, as he followed Jesus to His trial, but not too near. As he was overcome by fear, he denied Christ. How many times have I fought that fear inside? I see sometimes through Peter’s eyes so weak, when he forgot it was after God’s will that he should seek, when he did not stand like he should have for right. Too many times, I am not ready to fight that fight. I see sometimes through Peter’s eyes of …

After All Else Fails, What Remains?

First Corinthians 13:13 reads, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The three great pursuits of the Christian life are not miracles, power and gifts, but they are faith, hope and love. Since these are so important, we see them emphasized significantly in Scripture (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; Galatians 5:5-6; 1 Peter 1:21-22; Colossians 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 1:12-13). On what is your Christian life focused? What more do you really want in life? Faith Makes Things Possible The word “faith” is from pistis. Faith is belief and trust; it is believing in the facts of the Gospel and trusting in them to save. Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. “Substance” (Hebrews 11:1), from hypostasis, means, “a setting or placing under, thing put under, substructure, foundation, undergirding.” It is the same as the rock upon which the “wise man” built his house (Matthew 7:24). By faith, Abraham stood strong (Romans 4:20), Moses led strong (Hebrews 11:24-28), Elijah spoke strong (1 Kings 18:21), Joseph lived strong (Genesis 39:12) and Joshua chose strong (Joshua 24:15). Faith makes all things possible. Hope Makes Things Bright The word “hope” is from elpis, which means, “anxious expectation.” Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing; it is also the fear of offending God’s love and incurring punishment. Hope is singular in nature (“one hope of your calling,” …

A Different Point of View

Why does the news you read in the paper or see on TV always sound so bad? I once had it explained this way. Our news focuses on the negative because it is out of the ordinary, atypical, not an everyday occurrence. A hurricane, then, is newsworthy for several reasons (the ecological impact, the economic impact, the human perspective, etc.), one of which is its uniqueness. The point being made is not everything happening in the world is bad. Of course, bad things do happen. We should not, however, allow the bad to keep us from seeing the good. A balanced perspective is needed. The same can be true spiritually. Elijah complained to God, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life” (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah was viewing the world through Jezebel’s threat to kill him. His response to God is, “Nobody serves you but me, and they are trying to kill me!” Obviously, the situation was bad in Israel, but it was not as bad as he was making it out to be. God reminded Elijah there were 7,000 in Israel who had not worshipped Baal (1 Kings 19:18). God helped Elijah see his life from a different point of view. It is easy to sit back and complain about problems, real or imaginary, …

Hindered Prayers

Christians can pray anytime. In fact, believers are instructed to never give up on praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17). However, we are sometimes discouraged when we think we have prayed sincerely and according to God’s will, and yet it appears that God has not answered. Could it be that something has hindered our prayers in those instances? Satan would be happy if we did not recognize the hindrances to prayer. If he can just get us distracted or discouraged, he has won a battle and hindered us in our prayer life. There are some devices of the devil that he uses to hinder our prayers. One such device is doubt. If a disciple of Christ begins to doubt his right to pray or doubt that God will hear, then it is all too easy to quit praying. Sometimes God may say no to our petitions. Even if He does, do not doubt His power. Do not doubt God’s faithfulness. Know that His ears are open to the supplications of the righteous (1 Peter 3:12). If we are arrogant and haughty like the Pharisee in Luke 18, we should expect our prayers to be hindered. This Pharisee spent his whole prayer boasting. He evidently had no humility, only pride. His self-righteous attitude kept him from being acceptable to God (Luke 18:14). If the believer has an unforgiving spirit, he should not expect God to give an affirmative response to his plea for forgiveness (Matthew 6:12-15). Another hindrance to prayer is not being in a right …

The Promised Kingdom (Church) Would Never Be Destroyed

Daniel prophesied that the Lord would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). Many other prophecies were made to indicate where and when it would be established (Isaiah 2:2-3; Joel 2:28-29). John the Baptist came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:1-2) and Christ said that the kingdom would come with power in the lifetime of some of those who were present as He was speaking (Mark 9:1). Christ also asked his disciples to pray for the coming of the kingdom (Matthew 6:10). After the apostles had confessed Christ to be the Son of God, the Lord responded by saying that He would build His church or kingdom on that rock, that truth (Matthew 16:18-19). Later, we have the writer of Hebrews saying that we have received that kingdom (Hebrews 12:28). Paul said to the Christians at Colossae – and he included himself – that the Father had delivered them from darkness and had translated them into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13-14). However, when was the kingdom or the church established? After the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, Christ appeared to the apostles, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise …

When the Clouds Are Gone

Which mountain was the tallest? It was hard to tell. They all looked like they were about the same height. I was sure I had picked out the tallest mountain the day before, but now it looked like it was about the same height (or maybe even shorter) than another one close by. The only difference between this day and the day before was that it had been clear the day before, but it was cloudy on this particular day. I knew that the clouds made things appear a little darker and somewhat changed how the colors looked, but could clouds make the height of something appear to be different than it really was? I found out that the answer to that question was a resounding, “Yes,” when the clouds finally moved on and uncovered the top of the tallest mountain! I had no idea that the cloud had actually obscured my vision to that extent. I have been thinking about that experience quite a lot lately. It may be that part of our lack of understanding about a lot of things may be due to the fact that we are not seeing the entire picture. I know that the more I read and try to understand God’s Word, the more it seems as though “clouds move on” in my understanding of His will for my life, His great plan of salvation, the marvelous church He has always had in His plans (cf. Ephesians 3:10) and a host of other things. I would …

The Common Salvation

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Though his mind was changed, Jude’s original intent was to write to his readers concerning the common salvation. Due to problems, Jude was compelled to write about “contending for the faith.” What would Jude have written, if these problems had not existed? What would his pen have detailed regarding the common salvation? While we know not for sure what Jude would have written, we do know some things about the common salvation Christians enjoy. Firstly, it is from a common source. The source of man’s salvation is from the benevolent hand of the Almighty Godhead. “But God commendeth his love toward us…” (Romans 5:8a). “…according to his mercy he saved us…” (Titus 3:5b). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Someone has correctly observed regarding this salvation, “God the Father thought it, God the Son bought it and God the Spirit brought it.” Secondly, it contains a common summons. All men are invited! This common salvation is for “all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and “every creature” (Mark 16:15). Jesus pleads with all to come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30). In fact, God’s heart will break when sinners are eternally lost (2 Peter 3:9). This common salvation is …

Male Leadership in the Home

In the Beginning The relationship of the female role to the male role (i.e., women subject to men) pertains to the origin of each gender and the supportive role of woman at creation. “For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man” (1 Corinthians 11:8-9 NKJV). Further, the order of creation affects the respective roles of men and women. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:13). Additionally, woman, represented by Eve, was the first human to sin. “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). (Adam sinned as a result of his devotion to Eve and his failure to lead as God intended. Scripture, naturally, does not excuse Adam in his sin.) The subjection of women to men is a divinely given principle that predates both Christianity and Judaism. God instituted the respective roles of men and women in the Garden of Eden, at the dawning of Patriarchy. “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’” (Genesis 3:16). Therefore, the subordinate role of women to men does not pertain to custom or culture, but predates both. Also, the Gospel has not altered or removed the subordinate role of women any more than it has affected (1) painful childbirth, (2) sweat and labor, …