The Church as a Woman

Yesterday, we looked at; “Why the Church?”  Today we are going to discuss “The Church as a Woman.”  We must remember; that God is a spirit being and He doesn’t have any particular form.  In the beginning, when it was just God, He was the all powerful, all knowing and all present WORD.  He was a voice.  Form and shape came with the material creation of the universe and all fleshly life.  Man and woman were created to share God’s image which is both masculine and feminine.  Masculine and feminine images are defined first and foremost in the mind and brain.  There are two distinct mindsets in human life.  Men are governed by the left side of the brain (logic) and Women are governed by the right side of the brain (emotion).  Men have traditionally filled the hunter/provider roles and Women have traditionally filled the nurturing/comforting roles.  Together, they make the whole image of God.  A man and a woman were to bind together as one and become one flesh.

Genesis 2:20-24 KJV And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.  (21)  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.  (23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  (24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Just as the man and the woman were to bind together and become one flesh, the Church is the body of Christ who is God.  Man and woman reflect God and the Church.

Colossians 1:24 KJV Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

God has taken on a dominant and masculine image.  The Church He formed in a submissive and feminine image.  This is for the sake of order.  God does everything in order. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

In a marriage, the man is the head of the woman; this is for order and not for superiority and inferiority.  Both are in God’s image and both are heirs to the promises; heirs in the Kingdom of God. 

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.

Likewise, in the relationship of the Church and God, the Church was not made inferior, but created in enduring perfection that would never die!  The gates of hell will never prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

A woman’s role is magnified by God through the Church; which is also referred to as a woman.  If we can understand the roles of man and woman; then we can understand the relationship that God has planned for us for all eternity with Him.