WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GENDER EQUALITY?

I find it ridiculous when people compare man and woman to mango and orange respectively. I mean that is way beyond God's standard! They say, man is a mango and woman, an orange, hence, they are not equal. And yet, they quote, Galatians 3:28 KJV

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.

Are we not contradicting ourselves when we say man is a mango and woman, an orange, then come up to say, there is no female or male but we are one in Christ? I mean Gender Equality is not really ambiguous as it seems.

Gender equality is giving equal rights and opportunities to both sexes. That is, as a female, you weren't opportune to be in school at a point, but now that you're in school, you share same rights and opportunities as the male. It's studying medicine, law, engineering or whatever as a female and it's studying nursing, education and all of those as a male because at a point, both sexes were not allowed to study those courses respectively due to gender roles which birthed stereotypes. The stereotypes which range from 'women are home makers and compassionate, they would be good at taking care of patients in the hospitals and teaching children' to 'men are strong and assertive, they would be good at being lawyers, doctors and engineers' are not true.

If you are in school and are studying something that seems like a taboo in the past for a female or male, congratulations! You haven't just restructured gender roles but have corrected some stereotypes by ending gender discrimination in education which of course is one of the targets of Gender Equality.

Back to the Bible. When God created woman and man, He created them in His image and likeness, yes?

Genesis 1:11,21 KJV
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. [21] And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:24-25;27 KJV
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. [25] And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This means God created every animal after their kind; every fruit after their kind in respect to their seed and man and woman after their kind, Himself!! So, why would you say a woman is mango, of a different kind and a man, orange, of another kind? Is that not an insult to God? Are you saying a man's Spirit is different from a woman's?

Also, some people say, 'the woman was created out of man, hence, man can not be equal with the woman.'

Genesis 2:21-22 KJV
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; [22] And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Factual! In fact, a man is different from a woman, biologically which shouldn't be an argument. However, if your argument is on the basis that the first woman was created from the first man, what would you say now that everybody is born of a woman? The woman is now equal because she delivers of a man?

1 Corinthians 11 :8-9;12 NLT
8 For the first man didn't come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. 12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

I like the way The Message translates verse 12,

1 Corinthians 11:12 The first woman came from man, true - but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let's quit going through these "who's first" routines.

What is the argument again?

Moreover, someone said Peter called women weaker vessels and the woman was being tempted of the devil in the garden not the man, hence, a woman can't have the same rights, privileges and opportunities as the man. My question is, why would Adam also eat of the fruit? He could have rejected it or something. He could have been assertive and strong enough to say no to that since the woman didn't force it down his throat. Does that mean the man is also a weaker vessel for being deceived by the woman? Let's look at what Peter says,

1 Peter 3:7 KJV
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Peter literally called wives weaker vessels based on their bodily make-up. However, he said something immediately after the weaker vessel, 'and as being heirs together of the grace of life' which is simply equality. When you treat a woman stereotypically, you limit her potentials.

'How could you say a man is equal to a woman, Latoria? Have you not read?';

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 KJV
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. [35] And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Oh, that! That was based on cultural beliefs at that time. But now, there is a restructuring and yes, Foursquare Gospel Church was founded by a woman, Aimee Semple McPherson; Joyce Mayer, the life-changing writer and teacher is a woman amongst other amazing women doing great things for God!

That was Paul's order to the Corinthian church and he wasn't wrong because culturally, he was right at that time! A woman not speaking in the church at that time was not inherent or hereditary but learnt or taught. But then, there is a restructuring in gender roles today. Isn't this giving women the same opportunities as men? Is this not what Gender Equality is about?

Paul said in the first text,

Galatians 3:28-29 KJV

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. [29] And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God was and is not biased! He gives both sexes equal opportunities, rights and privileges to enjoy in Christ Jesus irrespective of their biological differences. I mean that is God!!! The Great God gave both sexes-- irrespective of who was created first or not; deceived of the devil or not; weaker vessel or not-- the same rights and mandate to preach the Gospel. Why can't we say, 'Since the woman is a weaker vessel and you know she's not as strong as we, the stronger vessels, let her sit at home while we go preach the Gospel?' Did I hear you say God knows no gender? We are all equal in Christ? Oh! How interesting! I mean life is Spiritual, let's operate in the Spiritual-- no male or female regarding gender. We are all one in Christ Jesus. If this is true, women deserve the same rights, opportunities and privileges as men.

Most importantly, God didn't come up with cultures. Human form cultures! The only culture-- way of life that is expected of us to live by is to love and walk by faith.

Romans 13:8 KJV
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Furthermore, a man as well as the woman is complete in Christ which means both are open to same privileges, rights and opportunities in Christ, huh?

Colossians 2:10 KJV
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Since both sexes seem complete in Christ, they need someone to complement, make them better, right?

1 Corinthians 11:11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.

Even God knew this from the beginning, hence, He created the woman;

Genesis 2:18 KJV
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

A woman is meant to be a help meet not a burden to the man. A woman is supposed to make a man better not to make him worse-- poorer, older than his age and the likes. It is important to know that in the olden days, children hardly went to school and the father spent little on feeding because he was a farmer and his wife and children helped out on the farm. Hence, they really didn't spend so much and the woman could only help in that way. However, we are in a time and season when the naira has lost its value which affects everything from getting a house, the children's fees, bills, food, maintenance, clothes to the likes and you just want your woman to do nothing but house chores? And women, you just want to resolve to not helping your husband and giving your children the best?

Genesis 2:24 KJV says,
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

God knew from the beginning that He created male and female based on their sexes but He knows no gender because gender is a function of man not God. He knows that being one flesh is giving each other the same rights, opportunities and treatment. He is not a God of favouritism. He doesn't show fair treatment as of equity. He gives us all equal opportunities. If He didn't deprive a sex of their salvation and all spiritual blessings because they are female or male, why should you deprive a woman her rights and opportunities?

Gender equality is not far fetched. It is men doing what is expected of women to do in terms of jobs, duties and the likes and vice-versa. It is developing yourself as an individual which enhances the family, church, society, country and world because it is about what the female as well as the male can bring to the table to effect a change in the family, society, church, country and the world at large.

I leave you with this,

ARE YOU AWARE?

That if Nigeria could achieve GENDER EQUALITY by 2025, GDP could increase by 23%, which is equal to an overall gain of $229 billion or $1, 264 per person. These gains from gender inclusion could raise Nigeria from a low-income economy to a MIDDLE-INCOME economy by 2030.-- CFR Report

You want to be RICH as a Nigerian? Then support Gender Equality!

Thank you.