The apostle Paul, in his theological writings, used male and female terms to describe components of the church, and John the revelator wrote of visions which included male and female figures. We need scriptural guidance regarding such symbolism in order to accurately apply their writings in our discussion of the church era in the next chapter. We get guidance from the creation story in Genesis because what God Almighty did in the natural at the beginning of the Old Testament era is a pattern for what He did in the spiritual at the beginning of the New Testament era.
In the garden, God Almighty created a physical man and a physical woman. In the beginning of the church era, God Almighty created a spiritual man and a spiritual woman. Specifically, God Almighty followed the same three-step process, which He used to create the man Adam, to create the church as a many-membered, spiritual man.
- Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground,
- and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
- and man became a living being [soul]. Genesis 2:7 NASB
With respect to step 1, the church, the many-membered body of Christ, was formed from humanity (dust from the ground) during Jesus’ ministry (more details follow in Chapter 6, p. 6-2).
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” Matthew 16:18 NASB
As for the second step in the creation of a spiritual man, the resurrected Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon founding members of the church after it was formed, just as God Almighty breathed the breath of life upon humanity
Jesus therefore said to them [the disciple] again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22 NASB
As for the third step, the church received life through Jesus Christ.
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal lives. 2Corinthians 4:11 NASB
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2Corinthians 3:5-6 NASB
Through the Holy Spirit bringing the power of Jesus’ life, the church/body of Christ became a life-giving entity.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48 NASB
Thus, the three-step process of creating the man Adam was repeated to create a many-membered, spiritual man–the church. Hence, the church was created male.
However, the newly created man Adam initially contained a female component that was later separated to become the woman. Male and female components of the man Adam are suggested in scriptures which include an otherwise confusing mix of number and gender.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27 NASB
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He create them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man [Adam] in the day when they were created. Genesis 5:1-2 NASB
Separating another person from the man Adam is totally different from separating another person from a female, which is the birthing that is part of human reproduction.
Just as the first Adam in the garden initially had a female component, so also the last Adam (Jesus) had a female component. Just as the woman was formed from the man’s side in the garden, so also the church was formed from Jesus’ side as a female partner. Again, the three-step process used in the garden for the creation of a female partner for the man Adam is the pattern for the creation of a female partner for Jesus (Gen 2:21-22). The following table displays the creation of the helpmate/female partner for the man Adam in the garden as a pattern for the creation of the church as a female partner for Jesus.
Each of these sons of God Almighty was alone, and there was no helper or mate for either of them. The man Adam was alone among the beasts of the field.
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 NASB
Likewise, Jesus was alone after his capture, and He told the disciples of this separation.
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHED, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ ” Matthew 26:31 NASB
As it was told, so it happened. Jesus was left alone after His capture.
And they laid hands on Him, and seized Him. … And they all left Him and fled. Mark 14:46,50 NASB
The first step of the creation of a partner for these two sons is to have a sleep fall upon them. A deep sleep came upon the man Adam.
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. Genesis 2:21 NASB
The sleep that fell on Jesus is death, which consistently is characterized as one having fallen asleep.
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay; Acts 13:36 NASB
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 1Corinthians 15:18-20 NASB
For this reason it says, “AWAKE, SLEEPER, AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU.” Ephesians 5:14 NASB
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 1Thessalonians 4:13-14 NASB
Hence, a “sleep” came upon Jesus when he died upon the cross.
As the second step of the creative process, the side of each of these sleeping sons of God Almighty was opened. The man Adam’s side was opened so that a rib could be removed.
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. Genesis 2:21 NASB
Similarly, Jesus’ side was opened while in sleep, i.e., while dead, and blood and water came from His side.
The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. John 19:32-34 NASB
As the third step of creation of the female, that which came from the man’s side was used to fashion a female partner for each man. The rib taken from the man Adam was used to form the woman.
And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:22 NASB
The blood and water from Jesus’ side suggest the blood and water by-products of the natural birth process and are indicative of the required spiritual birth (born again experience) of believers who enter the kingdom of God Almighty as members of the church. In other words, it is through blood and water that members are added to the church. First, there is blood for sanctification and release from sin.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13:12 NASB
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, Revelation 1:5 NASB
There is water for baptizing and cleansing the church.
And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 NASB
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, Ephesians 5:25-26 NASB
So, the church was fashioned by and is sustained by that which came from Jesus’ side, blood and water.
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean [by the blood of Jesus] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19,22 NABS
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 1John 5:6-8 NASB
Both the man Adam and Jesus, after waking from the sleep, are with the new “woman.” Once the man Adam is awake, the new woman and the man Adam are brought together.
And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:22 NASB
Likewise Jesus awakens from His “sleep” through resurrection, and is brought together with His woman, the church composed of born again believers.
To these [His apostles] He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 NASB
Each of these sons went to a different realm. The man Adam was banished from the garden realm to the lower realm of the ground.
therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 3:23 NASB
On the other hand, Jesus left the earthly realm and ascended to heaven.
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Acts 1:9 NASB
After being sent to a new realm, the first couple produced a son.
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” Genesis 4:1 NASB
Here, from the pattern of the man Adam, we have the suggestion that Jesus, after ascending to heaven, produced a many-membered, spiritual son with His newly formed partner, the church. We will consider this son of Jesus in the next chapter.
Thus, the church was created as female partner for Jesus. But, we also showed that the church was created male. Therefore, the apostle Paul described the church as the body of Christ, making it male, and he also described the church as the wife of Christ, making it female.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:25-32 NASB
Paul ends his comments regarding Christ and the church with “This mystery is great,” and so it is. This dual gender of the church complicates the interpretation of scriptures with male-female terms or figures.
The mystery of the dual gender of the church is similar to the mystery of the duality of Jesus as both divine and human, and we will use both of these dualities to establish the hierarchy of the church in male and female terms. In particular, even though scripture often speaks of the church as a single entity, the church is composed of identifiable constituencies, and the relationship between constituencies within the church is provided for us in male or female terms.
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 1Corinthians 11:3 NASB
Thus, the spiritual hierarchy consists of four categories–God, Christ, Man, and Woman–with God as the head of Christ, Christ as the head of Man, and Man as the head of Woman.
However, we can create a more detailed hierarchy using the dualities we cited and the levels of production of spiritual fruit from Jesus’ parable (Matt 13:3-8). Specifically, because of the duality of Jesus as both divine and human, Jesus is a part of both the God and the Christ categories. Because of the dual gender of the church, a component of the church will be a included in both the Man and the Woman categories. Furthermore, the categories of God, Christ, and Man have two components while the category of Woman has three components. These components of the four categories are differentiated as pure and defiled. Below, using the aforementioned dualities, we arrange Paul’s four categories of the church and Jesus’ levels of production of spiritual fruit into a spiritual hierarchy. The pure component of each category is colored green, the defiled component is colored brown, and the third component of Woman, the unredeemed with no spiritual fruit, is colored red.
First, notice the pair of categories shown on each side of the hierarchy. On the left side, there are God and Man, which remind us of the creation story (Gen 2:7) when God Almighty created man. On the right side, there are Christ and Woman, which suggest the heavenly marriage that is part of the consummation of all things (Rev 19:7). Thus, this hierarchy suggests completeness from beginning to end.
The components within the categories are differentiated as pure and defiled based on a pertinent criterion. For deity, the differentiation between the two components, God the Father and Jesus the crucified Christ, is Jesus’ humanity. Clearly, God Almighty is the pure state of deity, for He is the standard for holiness. On the other hand, Jesus partook of humanity, and His death on the cross made Him defiled because He was unclean with respect to Law of God.
“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the LORD.’ ” Numbers 9:10 NASB
Jesus crucified on the cross, the inspirational symbol of Christianity, is the defiled state of God in the hierarchy.
The two components of the category of Christ are Jesus the Head and the overcoming sons at the 100-fold level of production of spiritual fruit, and the differentiation between these is sin. Jesus, because He is without sin, is the pure component of Christ. The defiled component of Christ is the adopted sons at the 100-fold level of production of spiritual fruit who have overcome Satan’s temptation (Section 5-56).
The pure and defiled components for Man and Woman categories are differentiated by celibacy. The apostle Paul, in Chapter 7 of 1Corinthians, confirms this distinction by his preference for celibacy for both men and women.
Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. … But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 1Corinthians 7:1,8 NASB
Hence, those in the pure state of the Man category, the adopted sons who produce spiritual fruit at the 100-fold level, are characterized as celibates. Those in the defiled state of Man are characterized as husband/father, as serving as priests of God Almighty, and as producing spiritual fruit at the 60-fold level.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1Peter 2:9 NASB
The pure state for the Woman category is virginity, and the defiled state for Woman is wife/mother within marriage. The third characterization of the Woman category, used often in scripture, is harlot or adulteress, that is, a woman who engages in sexual activity outside marriage.
There is no intent here to denigrate sexual activity within marriage, which is the Biblical model for human sexuality, which is a necessity for perpetuating humanity, and which has been blessed by God Almighty.
Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. Hebrews 13:4 CEB
However, with the pure state defined as celibacy, then we must characterize a man or woman within a marriage as defiled.
With the components of the hierarchy established, we can use the woman of the garden of Eden as a pattern for the three components of the category of Woman, as opposed to two in the others. The woman first appeared as a virgin bride for the man Adam, so the woman of the garden is originally characterized as the pure state of Woman of the hierarchy. The second characterization of the woman was as the mother of a promised son.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15 NASB
“The woman” was promised a male seed, a son, and thus we have the woman characterized as a mother, the defiled state of Woman. The third characterization of the woman in the garden is as Eve, the mother of all the living.
Now the man called his wife’s name Eve [Living or Life], because she was the mother of all the living. Genesis 3:20 NASB
Because the woman Eve’s first son was a spiritual child of Satan (Section 2-40) rather than a spiritual child of God, she was characterized as unfaithful to God Almighty. So the third characterization of Eve, as unfaithful, is the Harlot component of the Woman category.
We get confirmation of this characterization of the woman Eve when we consider the unfaithfulness of the Israelites of the Old Testament, which is consistently characterized as harlotry.
Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. And I thought, ‘After she has done all these things, she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also” Jeremiah 3:6-8 NASB
Here, the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, when they were unfaithful to God Almighty, are described as a wife who commits adulteries, and they are characterized as a harlot.
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations! / For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. / You have loved harlots’ earnings on every threshing floor. Hosea 9:1 NASB
That part of humanity who forsakes God Almighty is characterized as a woman of harlotry.
The bottom to top progression through the levels of production of spiritual fruit helps to explain the vertical and horizontal connections shown in this spiritual hierarchy. The vertical connections are the baptisms/adoption associated with the transfer between the designated levels of production of spiritual fruit. The horizontal connections are due to duality of the components.
We start with the unredeemed as the harlot. The blessing of grace moves one to the designate, 30-fold level of production of spiritual fruit characterized as the wife/mother component of the Woman category. The baptism with the Holy Spirit moves one to the 60-fold level characterized as the virgin bride component of Woman. The transition from the virgin component of Woman to the priest/husband component of Man, both of which are at the 60-fold level, is possible because of the duality of gender of the church which we have discussed. Adoption by God Almighty moves one to 100-fold level of spiritual fruit characterized as the son component of Man. Overcoming the temptations of Satan moves one from a son to an overcomer, the defiled component of Christ. Jesus the sinless Son is also Head of Christ, the pure component of the Christ category. The duality of Jesus moves Him from humanity as Head of Christ to the God category as Jesus crucified on the cross and seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.
In summary, a component of the church characterized as a celibate male represents overcoming saints producing spiritual fruit at the designated, 100-fold level. A component of the church characterized as a priest, husband, or father or as a virgin woman represents saints at the designated, 60-fold level of production of spiritual fruit. A component of the church characterized as a wife or mother represents saints producing spiritual fruit at the designated, 30-fold level. Finally, a harlot represents the church with no spiritual fruit. This hierarchy of components of the church equips us to perceive the spiritual condition of the church when described in scripture in male and/or female terms.
It goes without saying that regardless of the portrayal, all components of the hierarchy will certainly include both males and females.
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