Turn with me in your Bibles to:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved {δόκιμος dokimos} unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing {ὀρθοτομέω orthotomeō} the word of truth.

The Apostle tells us that we are to prove the genuineness of our salvation through study of God’s Word. But we are not to just take scriptures singularly or out of context. We are to “rightly divide” the Scripture, a word that means “to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly”. When the Scripture is not “rightly divided”, when Bible verses are read out of Scriptural or historic context, problems occur. For instance, some people quote:

2 Peter 3:8 beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

and use this to support Evolutionary Theory. They say, “This proves the earth is millions of years old just as Evolutionary Scientists teach”. Hogwash! When we study the Bible, we will see that God created all things within a six day, 24 hour day. If you disbelieve this, you disbelieve the Bible.

“Rightly dividing” the Scripture reads the Bible verse in context. What is around the text of 2 Peter 3:8? Peter is addressing those unbelievers who say:

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

These unbelievers, “scoffers”, say “We’ve heard that God is coming again. If He is, then why does He linger?” Peter tells us that God does all things according to His timetable, not according to ours. God is eternal. What God promised – like the Noahic Flood – God will accomplish in His time.

Context Teaches Us What Applies To Our Lives

Illustrate: It seems as if you can hardly turn on the television without seeing someone push one of the following:

Transgenderism or Gender Dysphoria
Same Sex Marriage (LGBTQ2S+)
Heterosexuality outside of traditional marriage
Polygamy or Polyamorous Relationships

I am told that there are 57 different genders that a person could be – though that number is debated (for anything not of God can be confusing – 1 Corinthians 14:33). Most of the confusion could be cleared up if people would believe God and read His Bible! Turn with me to Genesis chapter 1. The first five books of the Bible are written by Moses as he was inspired by God (Jesus spoke of this in Mark 1:44; 7:10; 10:3; 12:19; Luke 16:29; Et al.). The Law of God to Israel was written by Moses – again, as God directed. In three parts, the Mosaic Law had moral codes that were to all people, social codes that were to Israel alone, and ceremonial codes that were temporary shadows or teachings of the coming Christ.

Though not all of the Mosaic Law applies to anyone but Israel, Moses also wrote the Creation Account which precedes the creation of Israel, and applies to ALL PEOPLE.

How do we KNOW that God created all things in six – 24 hour days? We know from the Creation Account of Genesis. Read with me:

Genesis 1:5 And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:8 And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Genesis 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Genesis 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

The phrases “ evening and evening” are normal language for a 24 hour day. God created everything but the land creatures on the first five days. On the sixth day God spoke into creation the land creature out of the soil of the earth:

Genesis 1:24 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.

All creatures were spoken into being by ‘ĕlōhîm – except mankind. Mankind was MADE or MANUFACTURED by God.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God {‘ĕlōhîm} said, Let us make {ʻâsâh, aw-saw’, to manufacture} man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them

Word Study: Chapter one tells us that humanity was deliberately made or manufactured by ‘ĕlōhîm – this being the Triune Name of God. God is an OUR and a US in our creation. God is Triune or a Trinity, and all of God was involved in our creation. God says to Himself:

Let us make {ʻâsâh, aw-saw’, to manufacture} man
in our image, after our likeness

God is One God in three Persons – Father, Son, and Spirit – a Compound Unity. “Man” is in God’s image, and is a compound unity like God is. Genesis Chapter 2 is a periscope that gives us more information on the creation of humanity:

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord {Yᵊhōvâ} God {‘ĕlōhîm} formed man {‘āḏām} of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

“Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm” created man by breathing into Adam life. He did not do this with animals. After the breath of God entered Adam, he became “a living soul”. Only man has a living soul. God created man distinctly different than the other creatures because man was to rule creation:

Genesis 1:28-30 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Though creatures have life, they do not have the image of God. Humanity was told to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion”. Mankind, not animal-kind, was given orders to follow.

Genesis 2:15-19 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Adam was created BEFORE Eve. God gave Adam very specific instructions – commands – and told him what would occur in he, Adam, disobeyed. It was only after Adam was given these instructions that we read that woman was created.

Genesis 2:21-24 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.

Why wasn’t Eve formed of the dust of the ground as was Adam? Because Man and Woman are in “The Image of God”. Within the Godhead, the Father leads the Trinity, whereas the Son and the Spirit follow.

Father, Son, and Spirit are co equal in worth and in Godhood
– but the Father leads the Compound Unity called the Trinity.

Woman is equal in value to man, and BOTH woman and man were commissioned to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion”.

Just as the Father leads the Trinity, Man leads in the Marriage.

The Pattern of Creation Precedes The Mosaic Law

Though we know that the Mosaic Law largely applies to Israel alone, the Design of God in creation precedes the creation of the nation of Israel. What God designed in the Garden of Eden is a pattern that applies to ALL people today. Rightly dividing the Word of Truth helps us to understand this. When someone asks the question:

“Why don’tyou believe inordaining women Pastors?”

my answer is simply, “Because of God’s design in creation”. Man and woman are of equal value in the eyes of God. Yet in a Compound Unity, one must lead. God created man to lead in the marital union. Some have suggested that this policy only applied while in the Garden of Eden. Yet the Apostle Paul applied the creation account to the Church itself.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I {do not allow} a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

In our modern age you might be tempted to call Paul misogynistic (a woman hater). You would be wrong. In Romans we read:

R omans 16:1-5 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. …

Paul was not a woman hater, but commended women who worked with him in ministry. Yet Paul is careful to affirm the Divine Design of Genesis 1-2 of the marital union. Within the marital relationship, the man is to instruct and guide his wife in the Word and Will of God. The statements that we see above relate to Adam and Eve, or the bonds of marriage.

God demands that man be the leader in the marriage.

The Divine Design of the Garden translates to the leadership of the Church itself. Paul wrote:

1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop {ἐπισκοπή episkopē, the office of the Overseer}, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The “episkopē” or the Office of the Overseer or Pastor is limited to men who are mature in the faith, and the husband of but one wife. Furthermore, the “episkopē” or Overseer must “rule well his own house”or his family. The question is asked:

For if a man know not how to rule his own house,
how shall he take care of the church of God?

I have known young men who wanted to move into the office of Pastor who were disqualified because they did not lead their families. A man who will not lovingly lead in marriage is not needed in the Pastorate. It is the call of men to lead. Paul told the Pastors at Ephesus:

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Deacons likewise are expected to lovingly lead and serve their families:

1 Timothy 3:8-13 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Deacons are to be the husbands of one wife, and leaders in their family. This is based on the design of God in creation. Again, both man and woman is of equal worth. However, in the marital relationship, the man is to lovingly lead and the wife to lovingly follow his leadership.

The Effect Of Poor Leadership In Marriage
Led To The Fall Of Humanity

The Covenant that God made with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is called “The Edenic Covenant”. As long as man led his family to love God, then the family would enjoy the blessings of Paradise. Both man and woman are called to together oversee God’s creation, and man was to lead in this oversight. What caused the fall of man from Paradise? Man failed to protect creation and to lead and protect his family. The Serpent (Satan, that Old Serpent – see Revelation 12:9; 20:2) came into the Garden. He came to Eve, not Adam and asked:

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

The Devil came into the marriage, and tested Adam and Eve. Did Adam lead in the marriage when challenged by Satan? No. We read:

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Adam was with Eve while Satan was tempting her. The Bible says that the husband is to

E phesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Husbands must lead in the family. The reason that children grow up to be adults who are confused sexually is because they grew up in a household that did not follow Divine Design. The way to blessing is to do as God directs, to be as God has made you. Do not fall for the trap that Satan has set before America.

May God the Holy Spirit guide you to the truths of God’s Word. Amen and Amen!