For many years the church has taught that women are inferior to men both in the home physically, and in the church spiritually. The role of a woman has been thought to be of little significance. This is not so with God! Because of the errors concerning this issue, the body of Christ has failed in both the home and the church.

Since the Word of God does not contradict itself, we must search the scriptures with the mind of Christ to understand what is truly being said.

The religious church uses their own human understanding and intellect to teach that which is spiritual. As we yield to the Spirit of God putting on the mind of Christ, we allow Him to reveal to us what the Spirit is speaking to the true church.

Now as we read through the scriptures I will list below you will probably think, "Surely they are saying the woman is inferior," but you see, most of us have a traditional church doctrine as a background for our thinking.

The scriptures most quoted by the religious church pertaining to this subject are as follows:

But the fact is, women did indeed teach men in the church, enjoyed God's blessings in doing it and were praised for it by other believers.

One evidence we see of this is found in Acts 18:26

Here we see Priscilla had a part in straightening out Apollos and she did this in the synagogue!

Lois and Eunice taught Timothy as a youngster. In fact they held church in their home.

So Deborah is seen here judging all of Israel for forty years. In that forty years surely someone would have informed her that she was out of line! Instead she had prophetic insight, talents and leadership abilities that she was loved and accepted for. She was a military commander as well as judge and in her time of rule the land had rest for forty years from their enemies.

Let us look at Ephesians 5:22-24, another misunderstood scripture.

Wives are to submit to their husbands this is true, but not the way or for the purpose most of the church believes. We will discuss what is really meant in this scripture later, but let us look at some examples from the Bible that will show us that Godly women did in fact act apart from the unrighteous decisions of their husbands. Let us look at the story of Abigail. Abigail who knew her husband was very wrong in his attitude towards King David, chose to serve the King. We know also that Jesus is referred to in scripture as the greater David. The key is this. Women are to submit to the Jesus in their husbands. Women do not have to submit to the carnal nature of man and his wrong attitudes as we shall see, but first let us read this account found at 1 Samuel 25:14.

David and his men had provided protection for Abigail's family and friends and now her husband slanders David as though he were a slave running from his master. This strong lady served God and His appointed leadership rather than follow her husband in this very crucial circumstance.

In talking to David, Abigail said:

What did God do to Nabal for his disobedience?

How did God through David reward Abigail for her obedience? He ended up marrying her! How will Jesus reward women who are obedient to Him and do the correct thing??

Let us continue reading in 1 Samuel chapter 25 to see what would have happened if Abigail had not overridden her husband's decision.

This statement came from a man who was anointed and appointed by God as king. He was not prejudiced. Let us read further:

Here is another very often misquoted scripture:

See the key (as is fitting in the Lord.)

But tradition teaches women should not teach men at all, let alone teach their husbands! How many men there must be that have not answered the call of God on their lives because the church taught that women were to say nothing to encourage them. Many times the traditional church will even teach that if a man resists going to worship services the women should wait to attend until he (the husband) decides to go. How sad! This false doctrine has lead many women back into the worldly lifestyle of their husband and both were lost to God! But what really is our responsibility to God as an individual?

We are to walk worthy of our calling, or what God has called us to do. We as individuals cannot stand before God at His judgment and say I could not serve You or do anything for Your kingdom because my husband or my wife did not want to.

1 Timothy 2:9-15 talks of silence and submission. Did you realize that in the Ancient Near East this statement actually means to hear the will of God and to obey His will. The ancient peoples understood this.

So in order to understand what the Spirit of God was speaking through the Apostles, we must look to the exact renderings of the words from the language in which was spoken at the time. We must also understand that man, over the ages has twisted many passages of scripture to fit his own desires and doctrine for his selfish gain. This is what is referred to as the false doctrine and tradition of man.

In each of the verses we have just read, a common denominator is the word husband. In addition to the word husband, we have the words submit, submissive, subject and the like.

At first glance these scriptures seem to be saying that the husband holds a position above that of the wife. However if you take a closer look at the Greek word for husband you will find that the definition never indicates a mortal man. Nor does this word give reference to the husband as being master or ruler as if an owner of a slave. It simply states the gender. In all the above scriptures used by the church to teach women to be submissive to their husbands, in the sense she must submit to him in all things, the number for husband is always 435 in the Strong's Concordance in the Greek section.

The same holds true in the Old Testament. The number most used for husband is 376.

There were adverse conditions referred to where other numbers were used. For instance:

This would certainly be an undesirable husband.

Another number was 1167 used in the sense of women being married to a great man, not necessarily a Godly man.

And if the husband described in scripture was really brutish, evil, or harsh etc. the number could continue back to 1166.

But what I am trying to establish is the fact that the numbers 605, 1167 and 1166 for husband are not those used in the scriptures we are examining. This is important because these numbers refer to a master as having the rule, thus differing from the words used, which simply mean a husband as a man or male, and not a master.

The words submit, submissive and subject mean exactly that. The context in which they are used is important, however, to correctly understand its intent. The wife is not submissive to the husband as a man per se, rather she is submissive to the authority that has been placed in the man through God to have dominance over the powers and principalities. This authority has been placed in the male to protect his family, not to control it.

We do not war in the flesh, husbands against wives or wives against husbands! Our enemy is Satan and his hosts. Then what do the scriptures mean that a wife should submit to the husband? As we continue our study we will see that God chose the man to stand as a type of covering over the woman in order to shield her from the onslaught of the above enemy. She in turn however, must submit to the authority delegated to him by God to be perfectly covered by this authority. Now I am not saying the husband should not run a smooth household, but the wife has an equal part in this function as well. Is the God of the Old Testament the same God of the New? If your answer is yes, let us read Proverbs 1:8-9.

Another often-misunderstood scripture is 1 Corinthians 11:7-10.

Let us first look at the latter part of the scripture where it refers to angels. To understand we will turn to Genesis 6 and read one through seven.

Those of angelic birth, along with their fathers the angels, turned themselves back into their original state in the invisible realm. We see a much deeper account of this part of mankind's history in the book of Enoch. We see Jude, the half brother to Jesus, explaining this also at Jude 6.

But what about the first part of the scripture in 1 Corinthians eleven? It said man was the image and glory of God and woman the glory of man. It stated also that man was not from woman but the woman from man.

Surely this makes men better than women somehow? For a clearer understanding however, let us go back to Adam and Eve, starting at Genesis 1:27.

Number one fact: the word man (120 in the Hebrew section of the Strong's Concordance) means human being or mankind. So God created them both as humanity and it would take both of them to make up the image of God. How can this be? An image is an appearance that is a visible or seen thing that is a reflection or appearance of something else.

It said in this scripture (1 Corinthians 11:7-9) that Adam was the glory or appearance of God and Eve was the glory or appearance of man. The word glory in the Strong's is number 1391 in the Hebrew section.

Paul explains this phenomenon to us at Romans 1:20.

Adam's body (as an individual) was created to reflect how God sees Himself outwardly, whereas Eve's body was created to reflect how God sees mankind, which is His Bride, but on the inside she was still a part of the original being that was created in God's image.

She was formed from the outward reflection of God which was man, but she (woman) was actually the manifestation of the other half of the inner invisible God. Again remember, He created both of them in His image. In other words Adam's physical body shows us what God looks like and Eve's physical body shows us what mankind looks like, but what is inside of both Adam and Eve was the image of the invisible God. Again, on the outside Adam reflected God's image, on the outside Eve reflects man's image, but both bodysuits contained the invisible God. So man is covered by God's reflection and woman is covered by man's reflection, but again on the inside is the invisible God. How can we possibly say that one is any more important than the other? Both are a part of God on the inside. This is where the saying came from: "My other half" when a man or woman refer to their marriage mate.

Another way of looking at all this is: the outside of God reflects His image as Adam and that image in turn reflects itself in Eve, but the entire reflection is originally from God. An example God gives us for better understanding is the relationship of the sun and the moon. The sun reflects its light to the moon. The moon has no light of her own but she is filled with the same light of the sun and shines beautifully in the dark. The light that originates with God, is then passed to the sun, which in turn passes it to the moon. Together the sun lights the day and the moon gives light to the darkness. Both are equally important! This example is symbolic of God and His church as well. The Father of Light reflects through His Son, who passes this Light into His church, who in turn shines the way out of the sin, iniquity and the evil darkness that is so prevalent on this planet. The darkness Satan has brought to our world when he took dominion away from Adam and Eve will be dispelled by the light of the church. She will never-the-less be dependent on the light from the Son of God.

Here is the sun / Son / Adam / husband.

Here is the moon / church / Eve / wife.

In the church: The light of the Father shines through the King's city: Zion, the home of His government. Zion reflects that light to the city of New Jerusalem, His Bride. What is this light? The Light is the Word or the Truth or revelation of God's hidden mysteries.

The Apostle Paul understood all this. We in our human intellect have just let false doctrine in.

Let us now go back to the scripture we were discussing in 1 Corinthians 11 and continue our study reading at verse 11 and 12.

Let me sum this up by saying it this way: When God looks down on man, He sees a holy being, a man that is a reflection of Himself (again like a mirror). When He looks on woman, however, He sees His Bride, His wife, the reflection of mankind, and He wants her covered or protected by the reflection of His image. The church can boldly shine her light, preach the truth and release the revelation that will draw mankind out of the darkness to be birthed into new life if she is covered or protected by the greater husband from the power of darkness. It is the same principle in the human home. The wife can only be all she is in God if she is properly covered by her husband, or if not the husband, the Greater Husband through the leadership of the church.

The veil covering the woman's head as is custom in some countries is symbolic of this understanding, but a more natural symbol that shows we understand, is the hair. Longer hair on the women than on the men in today's society is symbolic of this understanding as well. Plus it is a sign to the supernatural that this is a woman protected by God's image (the Godly man).

Side Note: It is true that man is the spiritual covering over the woman in the home, she is his bride in the natural, but all mankind is actually God's Bride. The Symbolizing of this was when the men in the Old Testament took a vow of separation to God for priestly duties they didn't let a razor touch their hair. This was symbolic of the time of the end when humanity would become His Bride: men and women. To be shaved was a sign of being cursed, denoting a wife had been unfaithful to her husband. The long hair on the priests was a sign of their faithfulness and loyalty to God. The haircuts, that so many of the youth today indulge in, give a message to the powers, principalities and rulers of darkness that they are the unfaithful ones. They are unknowingly exposing themselves to the evil powers through their baldness or short hair. They are uncovered, and an easy target for the evil ones to attack or come into. Satan is very cunning! God's people will die for a lack of knowledge. They will also perish of course if they are informed, but rebelliously do as they want.

God loves His church. He provides for her, guards and watches over her as a protective covering and sees to her every need through His appointed leadership.

It is very important for all the people of God to have an understanding of this covering. Without it, we too will be an open target for the enemy. We have an understanding now through our study of why the woman is to be covered by the man in the home, but what about the covering in the church?

Jesus, who took Adam's place by becoming the last Adam, will cover the church, who has now replaced Eve (the mother of all living on the planet).

Jesus explains to Peter how he was a target, but Jesus covered him.

Here again in scripture we see that even the seventy who were sent out were a direct target of the enemy. Those seventy were people called to leadership positions and so were given the authority over the powers of darkness to protect His people.

So again let us make this clear: who is the covering for the church?

Answer: If God calls someone to be a covering, He gives them the authority over the enemy as in the above scripture. Where the church is concerned however, God chooses both men and women as leadership. He does not see gender or care about gender because it is actually Him through the leadership protecting the church. They are just vessels He manifests through.

Remember that the word glory means very apparent? Christ cannot appear on this planet without the knowledge of His people concerning Him, bit men and women, so He can manifest in His full stature to defeat our enemies.

Through His body, made up of both men and women, He manifests the daily walk in His Kingdom, but through His government or leadership, composed of both men and women, He manifests as the Head of the church. As stated before, in the home the duty and responsibility of covering belongs to the male, so the authority is placed in him. The woman must submit or be submissive to this arrangement, as she cannot cover herself! But, in the same vein of study the church must submit to the leadership, all of it. That means women as well as men, or the church will not be covered. Now maybe we can understand better why the physical human marriage is used by God as a visual aid to teach us about His relationship with His church. When the Body as the Bride recognizes the authority of God or sees the Head (God's government) and accepts its covering, the two can become one, and the body of Christ as well as the body of the Bride will be in its full stature that the power and life of God can flow. Let us look at Ephesians 4:11-13 for the government.

Here comes the Bride:

The head in the local church is Christ through the local leadership with one as overseer. The head in the universal church is Christ through the five-fold ministers with the Capstone at the top. (See our book Government of God)

Our study concerns mostly the home, however, and the role of the house priest. So let us continue once again in this direction.

The husband, not the carnal / mortal man, but the regenerated born-again spiritual man is God's authority in the home. God is a Spirit and He has given His Spirit to man as authority in the spiritual to protect his wife and children from the powers and principalities. Why? So that the life of Jesus in the wife and the children is not hindered from being able to completely manifest whatever it is that He chooses to do through them. The husband is not the authority over the wife and family, Christ is. Their loyalty must be to Him first! But he is the authority over the powers and principalities as their covering. He prays and his prayers are heard and answered on their behalf. It is God's arrangement. As stated before, if the spiritual authority God has placed in the husband is not recognized by the wife, then she will be left open for attack by the enemy. But, the husband must also recognize and fulfill his duty to honor the wife by covering her, or the wife can still be open for attack. Hence, the marriage will be defeated and the devil wins.

The same pertains to the body of Christ. If the congregation of Israel (body of Christ) does not recognize the Government of God, including the Capstone (God's revealers) as the Head of Christ's body then the church will be Ichabod, meaning the glory has departed. Christ in all of us must be recognized in order for the body to fully function and be visible to the nations so they too can come into this relationship with God and be covered from Satan.

We all must submit to one another so that the power and life of God can flow through us. We must see the Jesus in one another so His glory or (the appearance of His presence) can flood the earth bringing defeat to the enemy's attempt at one world government, one world religion and one world economy. The word clearly says:

Again, the body must recognize the Christ in each other for God to be able to live through His body to protect His Bride and possesses once again all that is His. The word at Daniel says it will be done without human hands, and this is true. It will be Christ in us! The Bride in her full stature covered by the Groom in His full stature.

Satan successfully divided the unity of God in man and woman when he caused Adam and Eve to partake of Intellect and Reason (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). Lies and false doctrine were introduced to mankind at the very beginning of their creation. Satan means to divide and conquer. Eve acted apart from Adam, her covering, or it may have been that Adam chose not to cover as scripture tells us he was not deceived. Rather than allowing the wisdom of God to flow through her as she confronted Satan, she allowed the intellect of Satan to beguile her. Adam chose to be in harmony with Eve over God. Now God will use the woman in the church in the last days to restore what was lost through her - wisdom! His Wisdom! He will not be defeated. The church as the last Eve will stand firm against the wiles of Satan this time.

Most often people will read the scriptures and quit at a certain point, not reading on to obtain the full meaning. In 1 Peter 3, such is the case. They read verses 1-5 and stop, not seeing that verse 7 says ‘Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.'

This scripture states that they are heirs together. Not one or the other, but together. From an in depth study however, we see that this scripture is saying so much more than even that. The unity of the husband and wife make up a complete dwelling place for God to manifest through. The understanding that the husband is to dwell with them is of a spiritual nature. It will bring a strength and protection joined with wisdom in the supernatural. Together or united they will obtain the highest degree of honor, a sharer by lot and possessor of the spiritual gift of life, not hindered or cut off from worship and prayer to God. Most of the scriptures centered around the marriage between husbands and wives are identical in meaning and definition except Titus 2:5. One could ask ‘How do we reckon Titus 2:5 with what we now understand?'

In the previous scriptures the spiritual aspects of both husband and wife have been addressed. Titus 2:5 however, seems to give a description of the duties women are expected to do.

We have addressed submission and obedience as being submissive and obedient to the authority placed in the husband as the covering, but what about the keepers of the home in the light of what the scriptures show us about different women in ministry?

Let us take Phoebe for instance.

Phoebe was a lady who was a minister at Cenchrea. This word minister is diakoneo, the same word used for a governmental official. The word used elsewhere in the Bible is even overseer. Cenchrea is a port city in Corinth. Remember that is where Paul made the statement that if a woman wanted to learn anything let them ask their own husbands at home because it was a shame for women to speak in the church. Yet at Romans 16:1,2 Paul calls Phoebe a diakoneo that does church business and tells the church there to help her!

Furthermore, in verse 7 you will see Paul greeting Junia as an apostle of note that was in Christ before him.

Back to the Strong's we go and again we will find a whole different train of thought was actually being taught in this scripture by Paul's co-worker Titus.

Let us break down Titus 2:5.
1.To be discreet is to be preserved completely.
2.Chaste is holy, perfect and innocent.
3.Keepers at home refers to the temple, the dwelling place of God (1 Corinthians 3:16).
4.Good means beautiful.
5.Obedient to means set.
6.Their own means apart from.
7.Husbands is the spiritually renewed man.
8.That the means in order that.
9.Blasphemed is speaking evil of, being hindered and hurt.

To put this all together would be to read it this way:

Finally the enemy can be defeated through the restoration of truth. God can restore what Satan divided in the garden as he caused Eve to prostitute herself to him and believe his lies. The truth is: men and women are equally important to each other and to God. The lie that men or women can run the home by themselves, or the church, is false and of Satan. It takes harmony between men and women in the home for God to dwell there in peace, and it takes harmony between men and women in the church for God to dwell there in peace. This is why the scripture at Ephesians 5:31 and 32 says:

In conclusion of this study, let us look at the part of the scripture that says a man should leave all others and be joined or bound forever to his wife. Did you know that bone is number 6106 in the Hebrew Section of the Strong's Concordance and means: selfsame body or life, and also to bind fast or join? So those we are bound fast to, we are bone of their bone!

The scripture then goes on to say "the two shall become one flesh". The word flesh is number 1320 in the Hebrew, meaning: rosy from its freshness, to 1319 – glad news! It also means message, preach, publish, bearer of good news, glad tidings. So when they become one flesh it really means they will speak the same message: The message from the Tree of Life and not the False Doctrines of the Tree of Good and Evil. The rest of the scripture says – "this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church"!

We, men and women, are His Bride and He is the High Priest over His house!