The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family

The Family - Part 3

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Family Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2007-09-09

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his series on the family by examining Genesis 2:18-25, emphasizing that marriage is a creation ordinance with God-designed differences between men and women. He argues that understanding these creational distinctions—physical, judgmental, and emotional—is essential for husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, as commanded in 1 Peter 3:7. Ignoring these differences leads to family breakdown and societal decay.

[John Weaver] So Genesis chapter 2, beginning there with verse 18. Genesis 2, verse 18. And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help meet for him. 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. Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 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 in hell meat for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept.

[John Weaver] And he took one of the ribs, and closed up the flesh, and stead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

[John Weaver] Now, the last two messages I dealt with the dominion aspect of the family. I pointed out the fact that God has only created three institutions. He created the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. And of those three institutions, The family was the most foundational and fundamental and the most necessary. For without the family you don't have a church or a state. So the family then is an absolute necessity. The destruction of the family equals the destruction of the church and the destruction of the state. And I also pointed out that the anarchy and rebellion that we are observing, not only in churches, but also in government, is a result of the rebellion and the anarchy that we're finding in the family.

[John Weaver] In other words, the family is disintegrating, and likewise all society as well. I also pointed out that the family must be understood from a theological perspective, that is, in reference to God. You cannot understand the family from an evolutionary perspective. God did not allow the family to evolve. God created the family, and God created Adam and Eve, and God performed their first marriage when he brought Eve unto Adam. Thus the family, therefore, is an instrument of dominion and is designed to conquer under the banner of Christ. And I pointed out how dominion involves authority and responsibility and stewardship. And that dominion must be accomplished according to God's word, according to God's orderly way.

[John Weaver] Now when you look in Genesis chapter 2, one of the questions that you might ask is why in the world was this passage placed right where it is in regard to the first marriage? Well, I believe there's an answer for that. And the answer is not placed there just simply to satisfy our curiosity. Many times you read something or I do, I look at the Bible, I thought, wow, why did the Apostle Paul say that right there?

[John Weaver] What is the implication of this word? Or what is the implication of this statement of this question? And sometimes curiosity will indeed make us study and do more research. But God does not place things in the Bible just merely to satisfy our curiosity. Genesis 2, verses 18-25 was placed there intentionally, purposely by God in order that we might have a real understanding concerning creation and marriage, and we're going to see that creation and marriage are intimately connected. This text was not given here to provide an academic battlefield just so people can fight over it. Let me tell you why God gave us this text right where He did.

[John Weaver] Here's what the Scripture says in Romans 15 and verse 4. The Bible says,"...for whatsoever things were written aforetime," that's the Old Testament,"...were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." So everything that God has recorded in the Old Testament is written there for our learning and for our admonition.

[John Weaver] Now, the Greek word for learning is the Greek word didaskalia, which means learning, instruction, doctrine, and precept. So, to answer the question, why did God place the text of Genesis chapter 2 verses 18 through 25 right where He did? And the answer comes back, for our learning, for our instruction, for our doctrine and that the precepts of his word might be made plain."

[John Weaver] Now, I've pointed out already, I'm going to emphasize it again. It's important to notice that marriage is closely connected with creation. I mean, he gives us this right after he tells us about how he created the world. Why? Because we must remember that we are creatures. I hate to burst anybody's bubble, but I'm going to go ahead and burst someone's bubble when I say there is no such thing as a superman and there is no such thing as a superwoman. All of us are creatures.

[John Weaver] That means all of us have limitations. Sometimes I tease Alice and she'll say, Well, do you expect me to do this or can I do that? I said, why not? Aren't you superwoman? Well, I know better than that and she knows better than that. And I'm not a superman. Each of us are creatures. We are limited. We have our limitations. And we're never ever going to have a proper relationship and a proper understanding of the family until we grasp that principle.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you to hold Genesis 2, but look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Psalm 33. And let's begin reading there with verse 6, because here is a passage that deals with creation. Notice, if you would please, Psalm 33. And begin reading there with verse 6. Look what the Bible says. Psalm 33, verse 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

[John Weaver] He gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap. He layeth up the depths and storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Why? Now watch. For he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast."

[John Weaver] Now watch this,"...the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever the cause of his heart to all generations."

[John Weaver] Now notice if you would how the Bible is teaching that God created everything that exists. And then the Bible says,"...for he spake, and it was done." He commanded, it stood fast. And he says, here's what our responsibility is in light of his creation. We are to fear the Lord and stand in awe of him. So in light even of the creation of the institution of marriage, we're still to stand in awe of him and fear him. And then he goes on to say this, the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught. The counsel of the Lord, that is that which will stand forever. Now, what is God telling us? It does you no good to fight against God. It doesn't do you any good to imagine against God. It doesn't do you any good to try to purpose and plan contrary to the counsel of God, because it is the counsel of God that is going to stand. Now, all the Bible is telling us and teaching us right here is a very simple principle, and the principle is this.

[John Weaver] We may either submit to him and obey him and be happy and prosperous, or we may rebel against him and disobey him and be cursed and be miserable. That's not only true in creation, but it's also true in our families. You see, the Bible says in Psalm 100, verse 3, Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.

[John Weaver] We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. So if God is the one who has made us, He is the one that has the sovereign right to dictate to us our responsibilities and also our accountability to Him.

[John Weaver] Now, in the context of Genesis chapter 2, we understand that God sovereignly ordained marriage. I'm going to say something that I do not need to say for this group, but I'm going to say it anyhow. Would God sovereignly ordain marriage? He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women. or between a man and an animal, or a woman and an animal, no. He ordained marriage between a man and a woman. So the only marriage that there is, that in reality that exists, is a marriage between a man and a woman. So without a man and without a woman, there cannot be a marriage.

[John Weaver] Out of all of creation, the Bible says there was not a help found that was suitable for Adam, and so he made him the woman. He did not make Adam another man. We must understand that God's creation, and in that creation, God has perfectly designed and perfectly suited man and woman for each other in marriage. Therefore, when the husband and when the wife fulfilled their functions according to God's orderly way, when they fulfilled their role, When they submit to his word, they will not only be successful, but they will exercise a biblical dominion as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about something today, because if you look around in our day and time, you're going to find broken homes, divorces, spousal abuse, child abuse, fornication, adultery, unhappiness, misery. And you ask why? Let me tell you, every one of those things and a multitude of other sins all stem from a violation of the principles that God has laid down in His Word. Every one of these sins stem from a violation of the law of God. So what God is telling us is this, there are not only principles in the Bible that we're to grasp, but there are also creational differences. I'm going to explain those in just a moment. When we overlook those creational differences, we always have heartache and heartbreak. You're going to find that as you look around today, all of our homes are disintegrating. You're going to ask why.

[John Weaver] Why is it that there are so many people that are unhappy in their marriages? I hear people all the time wanting to get out of their marriage. Why? Why? Well, why are there so many that are seeking divorce? Why are there so many that are willing to commit fornication or adultery? Why are there so many problems in the average home? And when I say problems, I mean some problems that are longstanding in nature.

[John Weaver] They've gone on like that for years. Well, there can be several answers to these questions. But let me give you at least three today. This is still by way of introduction. The first answer that we could give as to why so many problems exist in modern day families is simply because of ignorance. I mean, most people, let's be honest, have never been taught the Word of God.

[John Weaver] They do not know biblical principles. I often wonder how in the world any man and woman can stay together in this day and age without Christ and without the Word of God. You look at the pressures on every side. I saw a bumper sticker recently and I snickered at it. And then I thought, well, there's a biblical application of that. The bumper sticker said this. I started out with nothing.

[John Weaver] And I have most of it left." Well, we could change that and say, I started out with ignorance and I still have most of it left. Because the truth is, most of us are ignorant about biblical principles. But do you realize that ignorance is really and truly no excuse? Why? Because each of us have the responsibility and we have the privilege and the obligation to study the Word of God and find out for ourselves. So if we're ignorant, it is basically our fault.

[John Weaver] We may not be able to acquire perfect knowledge, but we are able to acquire some knowledge. And the problem is this, that most who are ignorant are willfully ignorant. They will not study the word of God. They will not seek help. They will not ask for help. They will not fulfill their responsibility. They really and truly want to remain ignorance. You've heard the old adage. Ignorance is curable, but stupidity is forever. So one of the reasons there are so many problems is because of ignorance.

[John Weaver] The second reason is because of rebellion. You know what rebellion is? Let me tell you. Rebellion is nothing more than a clenched fist in the face of God. Saying, God, I know what you said, but I don't like it and I don't want to do it and I'm not going to do it. I may know what's right, but I'm determined to do what I want to do. In other words, we want our will, our way, our wishes above and beyond that which God has ordained and declared. It was the Apostle Paul who in Romans 9 verse 20 asked this question, Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replies against God?

[John Weaver] Shall the thing form save him that formed it? Why hast thou made me thus?

[John Weaver] Now listen, Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replies against God? And the Greek word for the word replies literally means to contradict in reply, or to answer by contradiction, or to reply against. In other words, man doesn't like what God says, and so he contradicts God, and he replies against God, and says, I don't care what you say, and I want my will, and I want my way. All who do such are rebels, and are in rebellion against God.

[John Weaver] So there are some who hear what is right and they just won't do it. They prefer their will and their way over above the will and the way of God. The third answer that I could give you as to why we have so many problems in our families is not only because of ignorance and rebellion, but some simply do not have the power or the ability to obey. It is one thing to know what is right. It's another thing to have the power and the ability to do that which is right. Now, when I'm talking about power and ability, I'm referring to the fact that we who have been saved by the grace of God have been given power and ability by His grace.

[John Weaver] You remember that passage in John 6 and verse 44 when our Lord said this, No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him." Now, can is a term of ability. No man has the ability, said Christ, to come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him. In other words, no man can come to Christ without a supernatural drawing of the Father.

[John Weaver] Men may have heard The Word of God preached audibly. Some may have memorized scriptures and can quote it left and right, but unless God's grace has been in their life, they literally do not have the power to obey. Our Lord said it very succinctly in John 15 and verse five, he said, without me, you can do how much? Well, it's obedient something. Well, without him, you can't obey.

[John Weaver] So there are some who are unconverted. They may have heard the truth. They may know the truth, but they just don't have the power to obey because they've never, ever experienced the grace of God in their life.

[John Weaver] Now, when I talk about problems in our homes, the big problem or the main problem is not all the multitudinous problems that we have. But our main problem is that most will not seek Christ for grace and mercy and power to help. We just think we're going to do it on our own.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 2 that God made the woman and he brought her to the man. Now, look, if you would, please, in verse 21 of Genesis 2. 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. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her to the man. 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."

[John Weaver] Now let me give you one simple point today, and then I'm going to go a little bit further from this one point. But women are partakers of the image of God just as men are.

[John Weaver] Now, I know the Bible just told us that God caused that deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and that He took the woman out of man. That is, He took the rib out of the man and made the woman, and He brought her to Adam. But if you look back in your Bibles to Genesis 1 verse 27, look what the Bible says. So God created man in His own image, In the image of God created he him, are you looking, male and female created he them.

[John Weaver] What is that telling us? That is telling us that the woman is made in the image of God just like man is made in the image of God, although the woman was taken from man.

[John Weaver] Now, when the Bible says that God created man, the Hebrew word is Adam or Adam, which literally would include men and women. But there are specific words for men and women in the Hebrew, and when the Bible says here that He created them male and female, He uses the Hebrew words zakar and nekabah, which means men and women, or male and female. So these two words are used distinctively for men and women. Thus God created mankind in general. He created us and Adam. But then he made a distinction in mankind by dividing us between men and women.

[John Weaver] Now, there is a passage in Galatians 3 and verse 28 that I want to quote. And I want to give you what Albert Barnes says on this commentary of this verse. Listen to Galatians 3 and verse 28. Our Lord says, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus.

[John Weaver] Now what is God doing there? What is He saying? Is He saying that there's neither male nor female? There's neither bond nor free? Is He saying somehow we kind of merge into some abstract blob? No. You'd have to take that verse into context. And this is what Albert Barnes says, and of course I could take you there and show you, but he says it so beautifully. He says this concerning Galatians 3.28, All are on a level.

[John Weaver] All are saved in the same way. All are entitled to the same privileges. There is no favoritism on account of birth, beauty, or blood. All confess that they are sinners. All are saved by the marriage to the same Savior. All were admitted to the same privileges as children of God. The word Greek here is used to denote the Gentiles generally, since the whole world was divided by the Jews into Jews and Greeks, and Greeks being the foreign nation best known to them. The Syriac renders it the Aramean, using the word to denote the Gentiles generally. The meaning is that whatever was the birth, or rank, or nation, all under the gospel were on a level. They were admitted to the same privileges, endowed with the same hopes of eternal life.

[John Weaver] This does not mean, listen carefully, this does not mean that all civil distinctions among men are to be disregarded. It does not mean that no respect is to be shown to those in office or to men in elevated rank. It does not mean that all are on a level in regard to talents, comforts, wealth. But it means only that all men are on a level in regard to standing before God.

[John Weaver] This is the sole point under discussion and the interpretation should be limited to this. It is not a fact that men are on a level in all things, nor is it a fact that the gospel designs to break down all the distinctions of society. Paul means to teach that no man has any preference or advantage in the kingdom of God simply because he is a rich man or because he is of elevated rank, No one is under any disadvantage because he is poor or because he is ignorant or a slave.

[John Weaver] All at the foot of the cross are sinners. All at the communion table are saved by the same grace. All who enter into heaven will enter clothed in the same robes of salvation and arranged, not as princes and nobles and rich men and poor men in separate orders and rights, but mingling together as redeemed by the same blood and arranged in ranks according their eminence in holiness."

[John Weaver] So all he's saying is there, he's not absolving the distinctions. All he's saying is that we are one in the sense that we have a standing before God, which I will develop a little more next week.

[John Weaver] Now, at this point, I just want to emphasize one simple thing, and that is this. When the Bible says that a woman was made in the image of God, it just simply means that she is the creature of God, just like men are the creatures of God. And therefore, women may be redeemed and they may approach God in the same distinction. That is, male and female are on an equal footing before God.

[John Weaver] But that does not mean that there are not creation differences. When you go back to Genesis 2 and verse 21, and the Bible says, that God took the rib from Adam. We know for a fact that when He made the woman, He did not make an exact copy of Adam. He made a woman and He brought her to the man. There are distinctions between male and female which are embedded in Genesis 127 And Genesis 2 and verse 21, the Bible says, male and female created He them. God made the woman and He brought her unto the man. He made the mankind in a generic sense, but then He made a specific differentiation when He says male and female. Now, our Lord refers to this fact and He emphasizes this fact in Matthew 9 and verse 4 when He said, to the Pharisees, have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female?

[John Weaver] So what is he saying? He's saying there are some creation differences that exist between men and women.

[John Weaver] Now let me just tell you, I do not care how much the liberals rant and rave. I don't care how much the feminist organizations shout defiantly I do not care how many amendments the government tries to pass. The truth is there are differences between men and women. And they're not just physical differences. No governmental decree can change the creation of God. No organization can alter the purpose of God. All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about this. Any attempt then to change what God created is a necessity to fly in the face of God and shake your fist in the face of God and say, I don't like your creation. I don't like what you're doing. I am going to change things. So to attack these differences then is to attack the family, the church, and society as a whole.

[John Weaver] Now, obviously there are physical differences between men and women, and certainly every man appreciates those differences, every woman should appreciate those differences, but there are more than physical differences between men and women. For instance, I have been around women and have seen and heard them, when they're frustrated, put their hands on their hips and say, men, I've been around men who look around and say, women, you can't live with them, you can't live without them. What are they saying? They're saying there's some differences.

[John Weaver] You think of all the jokes that exist. concerning the differences between men and women. But in reality. They're really not jokes. It's the truth. There are differences, the downside of these differences is this. These differences usually become problems only because of our sin, our ignorance and our anger. The difference was not a problem before the fall, but the difference is now a problem after the fall. But even after the fall, it is these very differences that attract men to women and women to men. God made us different.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in Genesis 2 in verse 18, Why in the world did God bring Adam, his wife, to begin with? Look in verse 18. And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone. The very first reason that God gives us that he made the woman, he said it's not good for man to be alone. Well, now let me ask you a question. Was Adam literally alone?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. When I say that, he had all those animals. For those animals could not fellowship with Adam, in that sense of the word, because Adam was different from the animals, and therefore Adam was alone, although he was in the middle of creation. And God said it's not good for a man to be alone. And so he saw in those animals not one animal that would satisfy his needs or the longings. He had no one to be his confidant. And so here's the second thing God says in verse 18.

[John Weaver] I will make an help meet for him." That is, I'm going to make someone who will be suitable to Adam. Someone who will be answerable to Adam. Someone who's going to meet his needs. And thus we find then that when God made the woman, He did not make an exact duplicate of Adam, but He made someone to complement, that is, complete the man. He made someone to provide for the man mental, physical, emotional, and social health.

[John Weaver] Now don't you think about this. To deny these differences brings about the destruction of the race. What are the sodomites saying? Well, it's alright for men to marry men, it's alright for women to marry women. Well, let me ask you. If women marry women and men marry men, What's going to happen to the race because sodomites cannot reproduce? It's genocide. I mean, it's literally a killing of the race. And as I pointed out earlier, in the strictest sense of the word, sodomites really cannot marry because marriage is between a man and a woman, according to the Bible. If you say, well, all right, I'm going to acknowledge those differences, but I'm not going to acknowledge the fact that God created those differences. Well, that is still suicide as well, because what you're saying is God has not placed distinguishing roles for the man and the woman. And therefore, you're trying to say that the man and the woman are capable of doing the same thing, which is not true either. So if you try to alter what God created in any way, all you're going to do is basically fight against God and destroy yourself.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles, whole Genesis 2, but turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3 and look at verse 7. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. Here's a very interesting verse. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. I'm going to give you time to get there because I want you to see it. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. Look at what he says. 1 Peter 3, verse 7.

[John Weaver] Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them, that is, the wives, according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." Now, the Bible says, likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge. What is God telling us? Very simply, if you're going to live with a woman, there are some things you better know. You've got to know it. The word knowledge is the word gnosis, which signifies an intelligence, an understanding, wisdom and discernment. He just says you've got to know some things. He says, likewise, you husbands, dwell them according knowledge. Now look, giving honor unto the wife. Now, the word honor is the Greek word teme, which means deference. That is, it is honor that you show to someone by deference. In other words, you would show deference to someone who is of a higher rank or someone who has a more important office. So you would give them honor.

[John Weaver] This is exactly what he's saying here. You just honor them because there is deference due to the wife in the role that she has. Now watch this. Likewise, you husbands, throw them according knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel. In other words, God is saying there's some things you need to know men to live with a woman, and one of them is that the woman is the weaker vessel. By the way, the Greek word for weaker is the word asthenes, and guess what? It means weak and weaker. That's what it means. Giving honor unto the wife as the weaker vessel. In other words, it refers to her weakness, that she is more feeble, that she doesn't have the strength.

[John Weaver] Now, feminist organizations will shout and scream and they'll tell you, listen, women can do everything that a man can do. It's not so. The government says, I believe that women are capable of doing what men can do, and therefore I'm going to put them on the front line in battle. No, it doesn't mean it's so. I want to show you something, men. I'm going to cover this in just a moment. But look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Verse 7, Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel. Oh, that means then that we're the strong ones.

[John Weaver] Now, that's not what the scripture says. When the scripture says, likewise you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, what does that teach us? That men are weak too. Women are just weaker. So it's not that we're superheroes. It's not that we're supermen. We are weak too. The wife is just simply weaker. It is a comparative statement.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note something very carefully. He says in verse 7, likewise you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge. You've got to know something. You need to give honor to the wife as being the weaker vessel. You're weak too, but she's just weaker than you. And as being heirs together of the grace of life, what? That your prayers be not hindered. So when you do not dwell with your wife according to knowledge and you do not give honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, what happens? Your prayers are hindered. Why are your prayers going to be hindered? Because there's going to be nothing but conflict between the two of you. Now, the Bible declares in 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 that the woman is the weaker vessel. How are women weaker than men? I'm going to give you three answers. And that's as far as I'm going to go today, but listen to this. First of all, the most obvious Women are weaker physically.

[John Weaver] It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Men are bigger and stronger than women. If there was ever a slugfest between men and women, I would always bet on the men. Because men usually can whip the women. The United States government doesn't believe that because, you know, they're going to put this 120-pound woman on the front line in full battle gear next to a 250-pound man.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. If I'm in battle and I'm in a foxhole with someone, I do not want to be in a foxhole with a 120-pound woman. Why? Because if I get wounded and I weigh 250 pounds, there is no way she's going to drag me off to safety. She just cannot do it. She is not physically able to do it.

[John Weaver] Now, I usually tell people, I get so exasperated at some of this. I look at some of these women that are on the police force.

[John Weaver] Now, I realize some of them look like men and are built like men, walk like men, talk like men, but I also see these little pretty petite 115, 20-pound girls. I've got news for you. Outside of the weapon, outside of the weapon, If I did not want to be arrested, I don't believe there's any woman that can arrest me outside of her weapon. I'm not telling you that I can whip every woman in this world.

[John Weaver] I know that there are some women somewhere that can probably wipe me out. Cynthia Rothrock would be one of them, probably. Because she's been a martial artist and several different styles all of her life. I'm sure there's some somewhere can wipe me out. But the truth of the matter is most women cannot. You remember that little. Woman. They put in Atlanta. The woman deputy they put in Atlanta to guard that six foot two prisoner while he was changing clothes. What did that six-foot-two prisoner do? He slapped that little woman down, beat her, took her pistol, killed her, went out and killed a judge and another person as well. Why in the world would anybody with one and a half cents put a 120-pound woman to judge or to try to control a 250-pound man? It's unbelievable. I'll tell you why. Simply because they try to obliterate these creation differences. Women are not the same physically.

[John Weaver] I don't care what feminist organizations say. I don't care what the federal government says. Women are weaker than men physically.

[John Weaver] Now let me translate this. That means this. Our wives cannot lift the heavy objects that we do. Nor can they keep up with us in difficult, strenuous tasks. What's that mean? That means, men, you ought not to get mad and upset just because your wife can't lift that 100-pound feed bag. Now, mine can. No, I'm teasing. I'm teasing. But, you know, listen. There are plenty of things that Alice can do that she can outdo me in. But when it comes to physical things outside, although I stay inside and study a lot, that's true, but I can still outdo her. I can outperform her.

[John Weaver] I remember back when we used to throw hay. When I say throw hay, yeah, we did it. I would try to let her drive the truck most of the time. I do the loading the wagon, and the men would be putting it in the barn. I wouldn't expect her to stand there and throw three to five hundred bales of hay and stacking it and throwing it up over it. She can't do it.

[John Weaver] All I'm trying to say is, look, if we are going to understand that we've got to dwell with women according to knowledge and give honor to them as the weaker vessel, there are some things physically that they cannot do. And there's no reason to get upset. There's no reason to get mad. There's no reason to get frustrated. There's no reason to fight about it. It's just a creative difference. And to be absolutely honest, I'm kind of thankful that my wife can't whip me. Brother Ernie for sure. Let's face it, folks. There are creative difference. That's just the most obvious one. The second one is this, and I want you women to listen carefully to what I say and what I do not say. Secondly, women are weaker judgmentally. Now let me tell you what I did not say. I did not say that women were weaker mentally. I did not say that women have a lower IQ. I did not say that women were stupid. I didn't say that. I said that women are or weaker judgmentally.

[John Weaver] In studies, as I pointed out before, between men and women, there are only two areas in which men excel women, and that was abstract thinking and aggression or dominion orientation. You've got to remember We may have chased our wives, but they let us catch them, you know? So some of them didn't have too good a judgment, did they? But let me show you what I'm talking about.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 14. Let me show you what the Bible says. 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 14. I'm going to deal with some of these in more detail later. But look in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 14. The Bible says, concerning Adam and Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression, verse 72-14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. So it was not Adam who was deceived back in Genesis chapter 3. Adam sinned, but Adam sinned willingly. knowingly, premeditatedly, his sin was worse than that of Eve's sin. Eve was seduced. Eve was deceived. Eve was let alone. She did not enter into the sin the same way that Adam entered into sin. Adam was more blameworthy than Eve. Adam knew what was going on, but Eve did not. So it's true now that Eve was the first one to sin, but It was Adam who was responsible. Do you remember what the Bible said when Eve saw that the tree was good for fruit?

[John Weaver] And a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took and did eat. And then she gave to her husband. Eve should never have made that momentous decision alone. She should have consulted with Adam. God had told Adam specifically You're not to eat of this fruit. That's my tree. You can have everything else in the garden. Just don't eat of this tree.

[John Weaver] Now, please remember what I'm saying is comparative. I know that somewhere there's a woman that has shrewder judgment than a man. I understand that. But by and large, women do not have that shrewdness and judgment. Therefore, they are easier targets for scam artists, for crooked mechanics, and for anyone who wants to hoodwink them. I remember years ago, right here in this town, there was a business that had a sale on shock absorbers, and I needed some, so I ordered four.

[John Weaver] And I was busy working, and I sent Alice over there with those shocks to have them put on. They told me how much they would cost. Well, Alice took the car over there. And they tried to tell her that they couldn't put those shocks on without replacing this, this, this and this. And so what initially was to be 20 bucks was going to end up being 200 or 300 bucks.

[John Weaver] Thankfully, she knew enough to call me. And when she told me what the mechanic said, I left what I was doing and I took the car up there And I said, you get the manager here right now, we're going to have an understanding. Because what you're trying to do is scam my wife. I know better than this and you're not going to do this. All I'm saying is, look how many women have been taken advantage of simply because they don't know anything about mechanics. And I'm not a mechanic. But I know a little bit. At least I know enough not to tell them that I need my blinkers filled with water, you know, to make my blinkers work. Come on.

[John Weaver] Do not attempt to inform me, yes, Brother Weaver, here's a sharp woman. that has all of this objective shrewdness and all of this objective judgment and, boy, she can put a man down and she can... I understand that. And I understand Proverbs 31. But that Proverbs 31 woman was a woman that worked at home under her husband. And then you've got to ask yourself this question. How many Proverbs 31 women are there? Very few. The difference between men and women in this area is very simple.

[John Weaver] Let me give you some illustrations. Do you realize that when men enter into sin, they usually enter into it openly, willingly, knowingly. They know what they're doing. Many times the women are let alone. They're deceived. They're seduced. When it comes to adultery, when it comes to fornication, the truth of the matter is, it's usually the man who initiates and pursues and plans for it. Oftentimes, the woman does not even know what's happening until it's too late.

[John Weaver] We had an incident of that just recently. When a 15-year-old boy said to his mother, Mom, that man's hitting on you. And the mother didn't even realize it. I'm just simply saying. There's a difference judgmentally. One of my illustrations that I like to use in this is. It happens so many times in the Christian school. The little boy would do something wrong, wicked. And I would have to call the parents and let them know what had happened and what course of action we were going to take. Whenever I had to call the parents and get someone to come up that I can talk with, always I preferred to talk to the father. Always. You know why? Because usually when that mother came into office and I then laid out what her son had done The next thing you know, here come the tears. I mean, they're coming down her cheeks and she's saying, I just can't believe he would do something like that. There's got to be some mistake. My son wouldn't do that.

[John Weaver] Well, ma'am, he did. No, the teacher had to have not been looking. And when I tell the dad what happened, The dad would say, preacher, beat his butt, and when he gets home, I'll give him another one. I took care of that. But all I'm just simply pointing out, there's a difference judgmentally. I mean, come on. I understand there's exceptions. But generally speaking, comparatively speaking, not only are women weaker than men physically, Women are weaker than men judgmentally. Thirdly, women are weaker than men emotionally. I'll guarantee you, I can make a woman cry before she can make me cry. Women are far more sensitive than a man.

[John Weaver] This is not a fault. This is a creation difference. Being weaker judgmentally is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Being weaker physically is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do. You put me under pressure and I will produce Or I'll get angry and say, I'm going to work this out. I'm going to take care of this right now. You put Alice under pressure and she'll go to pieces. Is that a fault with her? No, that's a creation difference. The sensitivity of women is not a fault. It is a creation difference. Women just simply do not hold up under stress and pressure as a man.

[John Weaver] On the other hand, you've got to make this observation. That sensitivity will make a woman more gracious and more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. A woman will recognize the need of a child before the man ever does. A woman will recognize the need of other women and other men and other families before the man ever does. That's a created difference. Now, let me make an application. When we understand this, we can see how women are far more easily and quickly hurt than a man. It's an amazing thing. And every man in here has experienced this. When you were a child, young boy, you got in a fight with somebody. And just shortly after the fight was over, you had your arms around each other's shoulder going off to play together. Isn't that amazing? Men in a hurdle, slaying at each other. fuss at each other, cuss at each other, fight each other, and five minutes, it's over, it's done with. It just doesn't work that way with a woman. I mean, we usually shake things off easily as men.

[John Weaver] Women don't. And sometimes, about a month or two later, you find out what you said that upset her so. That she's been holding back and holding it against you for two months. You don't even remember saying it. You don't even remember doing it. But believe me, she does. Why? Because that's a difference. You see, this is a creative difference. Women are weaker than men, and that is no shame. That is no fault. Men are weaker than Christ. Men are weak, too.

[John Weaver] Why in the world am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you, let's let me just go back and quote 1 Peter 3 and verse 7. Likewise, you husbands. Dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as into the weaker vessel. and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." So if we are going to function in the area of dominion, if we're going to function in God's orderly way in our homes, then we must know something and we must know how to honor each other. If we're to live with our wives, we must do so according to knowledge. It's the correct knowledge that will lead us to right considerations. They are indeed weaker than we are in some areas.

[John Weaver] If they're more sensitive, it means this. Men, listen, I can tell you, it means that women cannot take the jokes and the jabs that we throw at each other. I said things to Allison joking at times, and next thing I know, she's in the corner crying. What? Well, why are you upset? Well, you said so and so. Sweetheart, that was a joke. Don't you understand? That was a joke!

[John Weaver] I had no intent to hurt you. Nothing! Huh? But we can cut each other as men and it doesn't bother us at all. But they are more sensitive. Often times we hurt our wives without meaning to do so simply because of their creative sensitivity. How many times have you said something and your wife took it the wrong way? Didn't mean a thing by it. So they took it the wrong way. I can see the men and the women smiling.

[John Weaver] I know you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's why Marilyn pushes Brother Ernie down. She doesn't understand his jokes. She doesn't like his jokes. So she just pushes him down. No, I know better than that. But I'm just simply saying, when we get frustrated, We tend to take it out on each other. And we've got to understand that, look. There are differences and God created these differences, and if you and I are to function in our homes the way God would have us to function, we have to understand these differences. And let me tell you, men, God places the primary responsibility of this upon you.

[John Weaver] Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge. It is our responsibility. We must understand these differences that God has created.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true, it is our primary responsibility as men, but it is equally the responsibility of women. And women, please listen to this, why in the world should you get upset when we're not upset because you're upset? Don't expect us to cry at a stupid love scene in a movie. I mean, come on, we're not going to do it. And then don't expect your wife to get happy just because you're watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship and she sees nothing in it.

[John Weaver] You know, she doesn't jump up and down at your ballgame. God created us difference. With differences. So women ought not to expect us to get mad every time they get mad. Men ought not to expect women to get upset every time they get upset. There's differences. They're not faults. They're not failures. God created these differences. And I'll tell the young people here, before you marry, You better make sure that you understand these differences, and your fiancé would understand these differences as well. You better make sure that you know that there is a way to live with each other according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. All of these differences, let me repeat again, are not false. They're not failures. That's just simply the way God created us. In the beginning, created he them male and female. And when God brought Eve to Adam, she was not an exact duplicate. She was not an exact copy, thankfully.

[John Weaver] And God designed the man and the woman to complement or complete each other. And God says, dwell with them according to knowledge, understanding these created differences. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for your grace and your mercy to us. We pray, Lord, that you help us to understand these differences that you've created in us and help us, Lord, to live together according to knowledge. Giving honor, Lord, to the wife as the weaker vessel, as being heirs together to the grace of life, that our prayers be not hindered. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We ask for Your divine protection and provision and kind and gracious providence. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

The Family - Part 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11107111876
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-09-09
Dictation Name
Book	Book 035: The Family — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	92

Formatted Transcript

Opening

So Genesis chapter 2, beginning there with verse 18. Genesis 2, verse 18. And the Lord God said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:18-25

"It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him an help meet for him."

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. Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 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. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept.

And he took one of the ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Introduction: The Foundational Role of the Family

Weaver reviews previous messages, stating that the family is the most foundational of God's three institutions (family, church, state), and its destruction leads to societal anarchy.

Now, the last two messages I dealt with the dominion aspect of the family. I pointed out the fact that God has only created three institutions. He created the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. And of those three institutions, the family was the most foundational and fundamental and the most necessary. For without the family you don't have a church or a state. So the family then is an absolute necessity. The destruction of the family equals the destruction of the church and the destruction of the state. And I also pointed out that the anarchy and rebellion that we are observing, not only in churches, but also in government, is a result of the rebellion and the anarchy that we're finding in the family.

In other words, the family is disintegrating, and likewise all society as well. I also pointed out that the family must be understood from a theological perspective, that is, in reference to God. You cannot understand the family from an evolutionary perspective. God did not allow the family to evolve. God created the family, and God created Adam and Eve, and God performed their first marriage when He brought Eve unto Adam. Thus the family, therefore, is an instrument of dominion and is designed to conquer under the banner of Christ. And I pointed out how dominion involves authority and responsibility and stewardship. And that dominion must be accomplished according to God's word, according to God's orderly way.

Why Genesis 2:18-25 Was Placed Here

God placed this passage intentionally for our learning and doctrine, not mere curiosity, as Romans 15:4 teaches that Old Testament writings are for our instruction.

Now when you look in Genesis chapter 2, one of the questions that you might ask is why in the world was this passage placed right where it is in regard to the first marriage? Well, I believe there's an answer for that. And the answer is not placed there just simply to satisfy our curiosity. Many times you read something or I do, I look at the Bible, I thought, wow, why did the Apostle Paul say that right there? What is the implication of this word? Or what is the implication of this statement of this question? And sometimes curiosity will indeed make us study and do more research. But God does not place things in the Bible just merely to satisfy our curiosity. Genesis 2, verses 18-25 was placed there intentionally, purposely by God in order that we might have a real understanding concerning creation and marriage, and we're going to see that creation and marriage are intimately connected. This text was not given here to provide an academic battlefield just so people can fight over it. Let me tell you why God gave us this text right where He did.

Here's what the Scripture says in Romans 15 and verse 4. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"...for whatsoever things were written aforetime,"

that's the Old Testament,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"...were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

So everything that God has recorded in the Old Testament is written there for our learning and for our admonition. Now, the Greek word for learning is the Greek word didaskalia, which means learning, instruction, doctrine, and precept. So, to answer the question, why did God place the text of Genesis chapter 2 verses 18 through 25 right where He did? And the answer comes back, for our learning, for our instruction, for our doctrine and that the precepts of his word might be made plain.

Marriage Is Connected to Creation

Marriage is closely tied to creation; we are creatures with limitations, and God sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman.

Now, I've pointed out already, I'm going to emphasize it again. It's important to notice that marriage is closely connected with creation. I mean, he gives us this right after he tells us about how he created the world. Why? Because we must remember that we are creatures. I hate to burst anybody's bubble, but I'm going to go ahead and burst someone's bubble when I say there is no such thing as a superman and there is no such thing as a superwoman. All of us are creatures.

That means all of us have limitations. Sometimes I tease Alice and she'll say, "Well, do you expect me to do this or can I do that?" I said, "Why not? Aren't you superwoman?" Well, I know better than that and she knows better than that. And I'm not a superman. Each of us are creatures. We are limited. We have our limitations. And we're never ever going to have a proper relationship and a proper understanding of the family until we grasp that principle.

Now, let me ask you to hold Genesis 2, but look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Psalm 33. And let's begin reading there with verse 6, because here is a passage that deals with creation. Notice, if you would please, Psalm 33. And begin reading there with verse 6. Look what the Bible says. Psalm 33, verse 6. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."

"He gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap. He layeth up the depths in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." Why? Now watch. "For he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast."

Now watch this, "...the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." Now notice if you would how the Bible is teaching that God created everything that exists. And then the Bible says, "...for he spake, and it was done." He commanded, it stood fast. And he says, here's what our responsibility is in light of his creation. We are to fear the Lord and stand in awe of him. So in light even of the creation of the institution of marriage, we're still to stand in awe of him and fear him. And then he goes on to say this, the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught. The counsel of the Lord, that is that which will stand forever. Now, what is God telling us? It does you no good to fight against God. It doesn't do you any good to imagine against God. It doesn't do you any good to try to purpose and plan contrary to the counsel of God, because it is the counsel of God that is going to stand. Now, all the Bible is telling us and teaching us right here is a very simple principle, and the principle is this.

We may either submit to him and obey him and be happy and prosperous, or we may rebel against him and disobey him and be cursed and be miserable. That's not only true in creation, but it's also true in our families. You see, the Bible says in Psalm 100, verse 3, "Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves." "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." So if God is the one who has made us, He is the one that has the sovereign right to dictate to us our responsibilities and also our accountability to Him.

Now, in the context of Genesis chapter 2, we understand that God sovereignly ordained marriage. I'm going to say something that I do not need to say for this group, but I'm going to say it anyhow. Would God sovereignly ordain marriage? He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women, or between a man and an animal, or a woman and an animal, no. He ordained marriage between a man and a woman. So the only marriage that there is, that in reality that exists, is a marriage between a man and a woman. So without a man and without a woman, there cannot be a marriage.

Out of all of creation, the Bible says there was not a help found that was suitable for Adam, and so he made him the woman. He did not make Adam another man. We must understand that God's creation, and in that creation, God has perfectly designed and perfectly suited man and woman for each other in marriage. Therefore, when the husband and when the wife fulfill their functions according to God's orderly way, when they fulfill their role, when they submit to his word, they will not only be successful, but they will exercise a biblical dominion as well.

Reasons for Family Problems: Ignorance, Rebellion, and Inability

Family problems stem from ignorance of biblical principles, willful rebellion against God's order, and lack of power to obey due to being unconverted.

Now, I want you to think about something today, because if you look around in our day and time, you're going to find broken homes, divorces, spousal abuse, child abuse, fornication, adultery, unhappiness, misery. And you ask why? Let me tell you, every one of those things and a multitude of other sins all stem from a violation of the principles that God has laid down in His Word. Every one of these sins stem from a violation of the law of God. So what God is telling us is this, there are not only principles in the Bible that we're to grasp, but there are also creational differences. I'm going to explain those in just a moment. When we overlook those creational differences, we always have heartache and heartbreak. You're going to find that as you look around today, all of our homes are disintegrating. You're going to ask why.

Why is it that there are so many people that are unhappy in their marriages? I hear people all the time wanting to get out of their marriage. Why? Why? Well, why are there so many that are seeking divorce? Why are there so many that are willing to commit fornication or adultery? Why are there so many problems in the average home? And when I say problems, I mean some problems that are longstanding in nature.

They've gone on like that for years. Well, there can be several answers to these questions. But let me give you at least three today. This is still by way of introduction. The first answer that we could give as to why so many problems exist in modern day families is simply because of ignorance. I mean, most people, let's be honest, have never been taught the Word of God. They do not know biblical principles. I often wonder how in the world any man and woman can stay together in this day and age without Christ and without the Word of God. You look at the pressures on every side. I saw a bumper sticker recently and I snickered at it. And then I thought, well, there's a biblical application of that. The bumper sticker said this. "I started out with nothing.

And I have most of it left." Well, we could change that and say, "I started out with ignorance and I still have most of it left." Because the truth is, most of us are ignorant about biblical principles. But do you realize that ignorance is really and truly no excuse? Why? Because each of us have the responsibility and we have the privilege and the obligation to study the Word of God and find out for ourselves. So if we're ignorant, it is basically our fault. We may not be able to acquire perfect knowledge, but we are able to acquire some knowledge. And the problem is this, that most who are ignorant are willfully ignorant. They will not study the word of God. They will not seek help. They will not ask for help. They will not fulfill their responsibility. They really and truly want to remain ignorant. You've heard the old adage. Ignorance is curable, but stupidity is forever. So one of the reasons there are so many problems is because of ignorance.

The second reason is because of rebellion. You know what rebellion is? Let me tell you. Rebellion is nothing more than a clenched fist in the face of God. Saying, "God, I know what you said, but I don't like it and I don't want to do it and I'm not going to do it." I may know what's right, but I'm determined to do what I want to do. In other words, we want our will, our way, our wishes above and beyond that which God has ordained and declared. It was the Apostle Paul who in Romans 9 verse 20 asked this question, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?"

"Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" Now listen, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" And the Greek word for the word repliest literally means to contradict in reply, or to answer by contradiction, or to reply against. In other words, man doesn't like what God says, and so he contradicts God, and he replies against God, and says, "I don't care what you say, and I want my will, and I want my way." All who do such are rebels, and are in rebellion against God. So there are some who hear what is right and they just won't do it. They prefer their will and their way over above the will and the way of God. The third answer that I could give you as to why we have so many problems in our families is not only because of ignorance and rebellion, but some simply do not have the power or the ability to obey. It is one thing to know what is right. It's another thing to have the power and the ability to do that which is right. Now, when I'm talking about power and ability, I'm referring to the fact that we who have been saved by the grace of God have been given power and ability by His grace.

You remember that passage in John 6 and verse 44 when our Lord said this,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him."

Now, can is a term of ability. No man has the ability, said Christ, to come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him. In other words, no man can come to Christ without a supernatural drawing of the Father. Men may have heard the Word of God preached audibly. Some may have memorized scriptures and can quote it left and right, but unless God's grace has been in their life, they literally do not have the power to obey. Our Lord said it very succinctly in John 15 and verse five, he said, "Without me, you can do how much?" Well, it's obedient something. Well, without him, you can't obey.

So there are some who are unconverted. They may have heard the truth. They may know the truth, but they just don't have the power to obey because they've never, ever experienced the grace of God in their life. Now, when I talk about problems in our homes, the big problem or the main problem is not all the multitudinous problems that we have. But our main problem is that most will not seek Christ for grace and mercy and power to help. We just think we're going to do it on our own.

Women Are Made in the Image of God

Though woman was taken from man, Genesis 1:27 shows both male and female are created in God's image, giving them equal standing before God in salvation.

Now let me give you one simple point today, and then I'm going to go a little bit further from this one point. But women are partakers of the image of God just as men are. Now, I know the Bible just told us that God caused that deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and that He took the woman out of man. That is, He took the rib out of the man and made the woman, and He brought her to Adam. But if you look back in your Bibles to Genesis 1 verse 27, look what the Bible says. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him, are you looking, male and female created he them." What is that telling us? That is telling us that the woman is made in the image of God just like man is made in the image of God, although the woman was taken from man.

Now, when the Bible says that God created man, the Hebrew word is Adam or Adam, which literally would include men and women. But there are specific words for men and women in the Hebrew, and when the Bible says here that He created them male and female, He uses the Hebrew words zakar and nekabah, which means men and women, or male and female. So these two words are used distinctively for men and women. Thus God created mankind in general. He created us in Adam. But then he made a distinction in mankind by dividing us between men and women.

Now, there is a passage in Galatians 3 and verse 28 that I want to quote. And I want to give you what Albert Barnes says on this commentary of this verse. Listen to Galatians 3 and verse 28. Our Lord says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus."

Now what is God doing there? What is He saying? Is He saying that there's neither male nor female? There's neither bond nor free? Is He saying somehow we kind of merge into some abstract blob? No. You'd have to take that verse into context. And this is what Albert Barnes says, and of course I could take you there and show you, but he says it so beautifully. He says this concerning Galatians 3.28, "All are on a level.

All are saved in the same way. All are entitled to the same privileges. There is no favoritism on account of birth, beauty, or blood. All confess that they are sinners. All are saved by the marriage to the same Savior. All were admitted to the same privileges as children of God. The word Greek here is used to denote the Gentiles generally, since the whole world was divided by the Jews into Jews and Greeks, and Greeks being the foreign nation best known to them. The Syriac renders it the Aramean, using the word to denote the Gentiles generally. The meaning is that whatever was the birth, or rank, or nation, all under the gospel were on a level. They were admitted to the same privileges, endowed with the same hopes of eternal life.

This does not mean, listen carefully, this does not mean that all civil distinctions among men are to be disregarded. It does not mean that no respect is to be shown to those in office or to men in elevated rank. It does not mean that all are on a level in regard to talents, comforts, wealth. But it means only that all men are on a level in regard to standing before God. This is the sole point under discussion and the interpretation should be limited to this. It is not a fact that men are on a level in all things, nor is it a fact that the gospel designs to break down all the distinctions of society. Paul means to teach that no man has any preference or advantage in the kingdom of God simply because he is a rich man or because he is of elevated rank. No one is under any disadvantage because he is poor or because he is ignorant or a slave.

All at the foot of the cross are sinners. All at the communion table are saved by the same grace. All who enter into heaven will enter clothed in the same robes of salvation and arranged, not as princes and nobles and rich men and poor men in separate orders and rites, but mingling together as redeemed by the same blood and arranged in ranks according to their eminence in holiness." So all he's saying is there, he's not absolving the distinctions. All he's saying is that we are one in the sense that we have a standing before God, which I will develop a little more next week.

Now, at this point, I just want to emphasize one simple thing, and that is this. When the Bible says that a woman was made in the image of God, it just simply means that she is the creature of God, just like men are the creatures of God. And therefore, women may be redeemed and they may approach God in the same distinction. That is, male and female are on an equal footing before God.

Creational Differences Between Men and Women

God created male and female with distinct differences beyond the physical; these are not faults but divine design, and attempts to erase them attack the family and society.

But that does not mean that there are not creation differences. When you go back to Genesis 2 and verse 21, and the Bible says that God took the rib from Adam, we know for a fact that when He made the woman, He did not make an exact copy of Adam. He made a woman and He brought her to the man. There are distinctions between male and female which are embedded in Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2 and verse 21, the Bible says, "male and female created He them." God made the woman and He brought her unto the man. He made the mankind in a generic sense, but then He made a specific differentiation when He says male and female. Now, our Lord refers to this fact and He emphasizes this fact in Matthew 19 and verse 4 when He said to the Pharisees, "Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female?"

So what is he saying? He's saying there are some creation differences that exist between men and women. Now let me just tell you, I do not care how much the liberals rant and rave. I don't care how much the feminist organizations shout defiantly. I do not care how many amendments the government tries to pass. The truth is there are differences between men and women. And they're not just physical differences. No governmental decree can change the creation of God. No organization can alter the purpose of God. All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.

Stop and think about this. Any attempt then to change what God created is a necessity to fly in the face of God and shake your fist in the face of God and say, "I don't like your creation. I don't like what you're doing. I am going to change things." So to attack these differences then is to attack the family, the church, and society as a whole.

Now, obviously there are physical differences between men and women, and certainly every man appreciates those differences, every woman should appreciate those differences, but there are more than physical differences between men and women. For instance, I have been around women and have seen and heard them, when they're frustrated, put their hands on their hips and say, "Men!" I've been around men who look around and say, "Women, you can't live with them, you can't live without them." What are they saying? They're saying there's some differences. You think of all the jokes that exist concerning the differences between men and women. But in reality, they're really not jokes. It's the truth. There are differences. The downside of these differences is this. These differences usually become problems only because of our sin, our ignorance and our anger. The difference was not a problem before the fall, but the difference is now a problem after the fall. But even after the fall, it is these very differences that attract men to women and women to men. God made us different.

Now, if you look in Genesis 2 in verse 18, why in the world did God bring Adam his wife, to begin with? Look in verse 18. "And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone." The very first reason that God gives us that he made the woman, he said it's not good for man to be alone. Well, now let me ask you a question. Was Adam literally alone?

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Physical Weakness

Women are physically weaker than men, which should be acknowledged without frustration; this is a creational difference, not a deficiency.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Men are bigger and stronger than women. If there was ever a slugfest between men and women, I would always bet on the men. Because men usually can whip the women. The United States government doesn't believe that because, you know, they're going to put this 120-pound woman on the front line in full battle gear next to a 250-pound man. I've got news for you. If I'm in battle and I'm in a foxhole with someone, I do not want to be in a foxhole with a 120-pound woman. Why? Because if I get wounded and I weigh 250 pounds, there is no way she's going to drag me off to safety. She just cannot do it. She is not physically able to do it.

Now, I usually tell people, I get so exasperated at some of this. I look at some of these women that are on the police force. Now, I realize some of them look like men and are built like men, walk like men, talk like men, but I also see these little pretty petite 115, 120-pound girls. I've got news for you. Outside of the weapon, outside of the weapon, if I did not want to be arrested, I don't believe there's any woman that can arrest me outside of her weapon. I'm not telling you that I can whip every woman in this world. I know that there are some women somewhere that can probably wipe me out. Cynthia Rothrock would be one of them, probably. Because she's been a martial artist in several different styles all of her life. I'm sure there's some somewhere can wipe me out. But the truth of the matter is most women cannot. You remember that little woman they put in Atlanta. The woman deputy they put in Atlanta to guard that six foot two prisoner while he was changing clothes. What did that six-foot-two prisoner do? He slapped that little woman down, beat her, took her pistol, killed her, went out and killed a judge and another person as well. Why in the world would anybody with one and a half cents put a 120-pound woman to judge or to try to control a 250-pound man? It's unbelievable. I'll tell you why. Simply because they try to obliterate these creation differences. Women are not the same physically.

I don't care what feminist organizations say. I don't care what the federal government says. Women are weaker than men physically. Now let me translate this. That means this. Our wives cannot lift the heavy objects that we do. Nor can they keep up with us in difficult, strenuous tasks. What's that mean? That means, men, you ought not to get mad and upset just because your wife can't lift that 100-pound feed bag. Now, mine can. No, I'm teasing. I'm teasing. But, you know, listen. There are plenty of things that Alice can do that she can outdo me in. But when it comes to physical things outside, although I stay inside and study a lot, that's true, but I can still outdo her. I can outperform her.

I remember back when we used to throw hay. When I say throw hay, yeah, we did it. I would try to let her drive the truck most of the time. I do the loading the wagon, and the men would be putting it in the barn. I wouldn't expect her to stand there and throw three to five hundred bales of hay and stacking it and throwing it up over it. She can't do it. All I'm trying to say is, look, if we are going to understand that we've got to dwell with women according to knowledge and give honor to them as the weaker vessel, there are some things physically that they cannot do. And there's no reason to get upset. There's no reason to get mad. There's no reason to get frustrated. There's no reason to fight about it. It's just a creative difference. And to be absolutely honest, I'm kind of thankful that my wife can't whip me. Brother Ernie for sure. Let's face it, folks. There are creative differences. That's just the most obvious one. The second one is this, and I want you women to listen carefully to what I say and what I do not say. Secondly, women are weaker judgmentally. Now let me tell you what I did not say. I did not say that women were weaker mentally. I did not say that women have a lower IQ. I did not say that women were stupid. I didn't say that. I said that women are weaker judgmentally.

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Judgmental Weakness

Women are weaker judgmentally, as seen in Eve's deception (1 Timothy 2:14); they are more easily deceived, though this is comparative, not absolute.

In studies, as I pointed out before, between men and women, there are only two areas in which men excel women, and that was abstract thinking and aggression or dominion orientation. You've got to remember we may have chased our wives, but they let us catch them, you know? So some of them didn't have too good a judgment, did they? But let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 14. Let me show you what the Bible says. 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 14. I'm going to deal with some of these in more detail later. But look in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 14. The Bible says, concerning Adam and Eve,

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:14

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Verse 2:14.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:14

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

So it was not Adam who was deceived back in Genesis chapter 3. Adam sinned, but Adam sinned willingly, knowingly, premeditatedly. His sin was worse than that of Eve's sin. Eve was seduced. Eve was deceived. Eve was let alone. She did not enter into the sin the same way that Adam entered into sin. Adam was more blameworthy than Eve. Adam knew what was going on, but Eve did not. So it's true now that Eve was the first one to sin, but it was Adam who was responsible. Do you remember what the Bible said when Eve saw that the tree was good for fruit?

"And a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took and did eat. And then she gave to her husband." Eve should never have made that momentous decision alone. She should have consulted with Adam. God had told Adam specifically, "You're not to eat of this fruit. That's my tree. You can have everything else in the garden. Just don't eat of this tree."

Now, please remember what I'm saying is comparative. I know that somewhere there's a woman that has shrewder judgment than a man. I understand that. But by and large, women do not have that shrewdness and judgment. Therefore, they are easier targets for scam artists, for crooked mechanics, and for anyone who wants to hoodwink them. I remember years ago, right here in this town, there was a business that had a sale on shock absorbers, and I needed some, so I ordered four. And I was busy working, and I sent Alice over there with those shocks to have them put on. They told me how much they would cost. Well, Alice took the car over there. And they tried to tell her that they couldn't put those shocks on without replacing this, this, this and this. And so what initially was to be 20 bucks was going to end up being 200 or 300 bucks.

Thankfully, she knew enough to call me. And when she told me what the mechanic said, I left what I was doing and I took the car up there. And I said, "You get the manager here right now, we're going to have an understanding. Because what you're trying to do is scam my wife. I know better than this and you're not going to do this." All I'm saying is, look how many women have been taken advantage of simply because they don't know anything about mechanics. And I'm not a mechanic. But I know a little bit. At least I know enough not to tell them that I need my blinkers filled with water, you know, to make my blinkers work. Come on.

Do not attempt to inform me, yes, Brother Weaver, here's a sharp woman that has all of this objective shrewdness and all of this objective judgment and, boy, she can put a man down and she can... I understand that. And I understand Proverbs 31. But that Proverbs 31 woman was a woman that worked at home under her husband. And then you've got to ask yourself this question. How many Proverbs 31 women are there? Very few. The difference between men and women in this area is very simple.

Let me give you some illustrations. Do you realize that when men enter into sin, they usually enter into it openly, willingly, knowingly. They know what they're doing. Many times the women are let alone. They're deceived. They're seduced. When it comes to adultery, when it comes to fornication, the truth of the matter is, it's usually the man who initiates and pursues and plans for it. Oftentimes, the woman does not even know what's happening until it's too late.

We had an incident of that just recently. When a 15-year-old boy said to his mother, "Mom, that man's hitting on you." And the mother didn't even realize it. I'm just simply saying. There's a difference judgmentally. One of my illustrations that I like to use in this is, it happens so many times in the Christian school. The little boy would do something wrong, wicked. And I would have to call the parents and let them know what had happened and what course of action we were going to take. Whenever I had to call the parents and get someone to come up that I can talk with, always I preferred to talk to the father. Always. You know why? Because usually when that mother came into office and I then laid out what her son had done, the next thing you know, here come the tears. I mean, they're coming down her cheeks and she's saying, "I just can't believe he would do something like that. There's got to be some mistake. My son wouldn't do that."

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Emotional Weakness

Women are emotionally weaker, being more sensitive and less enduring under stress; this sensitivity also makes them more compassionate and gracious.

"Well, ma'am, he did." "No, the teacher had to have not been looking." And when I tell the dad what happened, the dad would say, "Preacher, beat his butt, and when he gets home, I'll give him another one." I took care of that. But all I'm just simply pointing out, there's a difference judgmentally. I mean, come on. I understand there's exceptions. But generally speaking, comparatively speaking, not only are women weaker than men physically, women are weaker than men judgmentally. Thirdly, women are weaker than men emotionally. I'll guarantee you, I can make a woman cry before she can make me cry. Women are far more sensitive than a man.

This is not a fault. This is a creation difference. Being weaker judgmentally is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Being weaker physically is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do. You put me under pressure and I will produce. Or I'll get angry and say, "I'm going to work this out. I'm going to take care of this right now." You put Alice under pressure and she'll go to pieces. Is that a fault with her? No, that's a creation difference. The sensitivity of women is not a fault. It is a creation difference. Women just simply do not hold up under stress and pressure as a man.

On the other hand, you've got to make this observation. That sensitivity will make a woman more gracious and more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. A woman will recognize the need of a child before the man ever does. A woman will recognize the need of other women and other men and other families before the man ever does. That's a created difference. Now, let me make an application. When we understand this, we can see how women are far more easily and quickly hurt than a man. It's an amazing thing. And every man in here has experienced this. When you were a child, young boy, you got in a fight with somebody. And just shortly after the fight was over, you had your arms around each other's shoulder going off to play together. Isn't that amazing? Men in a huddle, slaying at each other, fuss at each other, cuss at each other, fight each other, and five minutes, it's over, it's done with. It just doesn't work that way with a woman. I mean, we usually shake things off easily as men.

Application: Dwelling with Wives According to Knowledge

Husbands must understand these differences to honor their wives and avoid hindering prayers; both spouses should accept God's design without expecting the other to react identically.

Women don't. And sometimes, about a month or two later, you find out what you said that upset her so. That she's been holding back and holding it against you for two months. You don't even remember saying it. You don't even remember doing it. But believe me, she does. Why? Because that's a difference. You see, this is a creative difference. Women are weaker than men, and that is no shame. That is no fault. Men are weaker than Christ. Men are weak, too.

Why in the world am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you, let's let me just go back and quote 1 Peter 3 and verse 7. "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." So if we are going to function in the area of dominion, if we're going to function in God's orderly way in our homes, then we must know something and we must know how to honor each other. If we're to live with our wives, we must do so according to knowledge. It's the correct knowledge that will lead us to right considerations. They are indeed weaker than we are in some areas. If they're more sensitive, it means this. Men, listen, I can tell you, it means that women cannot take the jokes and the jabs that we throw at each other. I said things to Alice joking at times, and next thing I know, she's in the corner crying. What? Well, why are you upset? Well, you said so and so. Sweetheart, that was a joke. Don't you understand? That was a joke!

I had no intent to hurt you. Nothing! Huh? But we can cut each other as men and it doesn't bother us at all. But they are more sensitive. Often times we hurt our wives without meaning to do so simply because of their creative sensitivity. How many times have you said something and your wife took it the wrong way? Didn't mean a thing by it. So they took it the wrong way. I can see the men and the women smiling.

I know you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's why Marilyn pushes Brother Ernie down. She doesn't understand his jokes. She doesn't like his jokes. So she just pushes him down. No, I know better than that. But I'm just simply saying, when we get frustrated, we tend to take it out on each other. And we've got to understand that, look. There are differences and God created these differences, and if you and I are to function in our homes the way God would have us to function, we have to understand these differences. And let me tell you, men, God places the primary responsibility of this upon you.

"Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge." It is our responsibility. We must understand these differences that God has created. Now, it is true, it is our primary responsibility as men, but it is equally the responsibility of women. And women, please listen to this, why in the world should you get upset when we're not upset because you're upset? Don't expect us to cry at a stupid love scene in a movie. I mean, come on, we're not going to do it. And then don't expect your wife to get happy just because you're watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship and she sees nothing in it.

You know, she doesn't jump up and down at your ballgame. God created us different. With differences. So women ought not to expect us to get mad every time they get mad. Men ought not to expect women to get upset every time they get upset. There's differences. They're not faults. They're not failures. God created these differences. And I'll tell the young people here, before you marry, you better make sure that you understand these differences, and your fiancé would understand these differences as well. You better make sure that you know that there is a way to live with each other according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. All of these differences, let me repeat again, are not faults. They're not failures. That's just simply the way God created us. In the beginning, created he them male and female. And when God brought Eve to Adam, she was not an exact duplicate. She was not an exact copy, thankfully.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Family as a Foundational Creation Ordinance

Summary: The family is the most fundamental institution created by God, and its health directly affects the church and state.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God has only created three institutions... the family was the most foundational and fundamental... without the family you don't have a church or a state.'

Creational Differences Between Men and Women

Summary: God intentionally created men and women with distinct physical, judgmental, and emotional differences that are not faults but part of His design.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There are distinctions between male and female which are embedded in Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2... God made the woman and He brought her unto the man.'

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel

Summary: 1 Peter 3:7 teaches that wives are weaker physically, judgmentally, and emotionally, requiring husbands to dwell with them according to knowledge and honor.

Evidence: Weaver expounds, 'Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel.'

Ignorance, Rebellion, and Inability as Causes of Family Breakdown

Summary: Family problems arise from ignorance of God's Word, willful rebellion against His order, and the inability of the unconverted to obey.

Evidence: Weaver lists three reasons: 'ignorance... rebellion... some simply do not have the power or the ability to obey.'

Equal Standing Before God in Salvation

Summary: Though men and women have different roles, they are equally made in God's image and have equal access to salvation through Christ.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Galatians 3:28 and Albert Barnes: 'All are on a level... in regard to standing before God.'

Key Arguments

Marriage is defined by God as between a man and a woman only.

Summary: God sovereignly ordained marriage exclusively between one man and one woman; any other union is not a true marriage.

Evidence: Weaver asserts, 'He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women.'

Attempts to erase gender differences destroy society.

Summary: Denying creational differences between men and women leads to the destruction of the family, church, and state, and is rebellion against God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.'

Women are physically weaker, which has practical implications.

Summary: Women generally cannot perform the same physical tasks as men, and this should be accepted without frustration or unrealistic expectations.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates, 'Our wives cannot lift the heavy objects that we do. Nor can they keep up with us in difficult, strenuous tasks.'

Women are judgmentally weaker, as seen in Eve's deception.

Summary: 1 Timothy 2:14 shows Eve was deceived, indicating women are more susceptible to deception; this is a comparative weakness, not absolute.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.'

Women are emotionally weaker, being more sensitive and less stress-enduring.

Summary: Women are more easily hurt and have less endurance under pressure, but this sensitivity also makes them more compassionate.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do... That sensitivity will make a woman more gracious and more compassionate.'

Husbands bear primary responsibility to understand these differences.

Summary: 1 Peter 3:7 commands husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, placing the primary onus on men to understand and honor their wives' weaknesses.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes, 'Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge. It is our responsibility.'

Scripture References

Genesis 2:18-25

Context: The foundational passage on the creation of woman and the institution of marriage, read at the opening of the sermon.

Romans 15:4

Context: Used to explain that Old Testament passages like Genesis 2 were written for our learning and instruction.

Psalm 33:6-11

Context: Cited to show that God created all things by His word and that His counsel stands forever, calling us to fear Him.

Psalm 100:3

Context: Quoted to affirm that God made us and we are His people, giving Him the right to dictate our responsibilities.

Romans 9:20

Context: Used to illustrate rebellion: man has no right to reply against God or question why he was made as he is.

John 6:44

Context: Cited to show that no one can come to Christ without the Father's drawing, indicating human inability without grace.

John 15:5

Context: Quoted to emphasize that without Christ we can do nothing, including obeying God's commands.

Genesis 1:27

Context: Used to show that both male and female are created in God's image, establishing their equal standing before God.

Galatians 3:28

Context: Explained with Albert Barnes' commentary to mean all believers are equal in standing before God, not that civil distinctions are erased.

Matthew 19:4

Context: Jesus' reference to creation as male and female, emphasizing the creational differences.

1 Peter 3:7

Context: The key text commanding husbands to dwell with wives according to knowledge, honoring them as the weaker vessel.

1 Timothy 2:14

Context: Used to demonstrate that Eve was deceived, supporting the argument that women are weaker judgmentally.

Historical References

Albert Barnes' commentary on Galatians 3:28

Context: Weaver quotes Barnes to clarify that Galatians 3:28 does not abolish civil distinctions but affirms equal standing before God in salvation.

Cynthia Rothrock (martial artist)

Context: Mentioned as an example of a woman who might physically outperform most men, acknowledging exceptions to general physical weakness.

Atlanta courthouse shooting incident

Context: Referenced to illustrate the danger of ignoring physical differences, where a female deputy was overpowered by a male prisoner.

Important Quotes

God has only created three institutions. He created the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. And of those three institutions, the family was the most foundational and fundamental and the most necessary.

Significance: Establishes the foundational thesis of the series: the family is the bedrock of society and its health determines the health of church and state.

He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women, or between a man and an animal, or a woman and an animal, no. He ordained marriage between a man and a woman.

Significance: Defines the biblical boundary of marriage as exclusively heterosexual, a key point in the sermon's argument against redefining marriage.

All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.

Significance: Warns that denying God-created gender differences is an attack on all divinely instituted spheres of authority.

Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Significance: Key proof text for the argument that women are judgmentally weaker, as Eve was deceived while Adam sinned knowingly.

Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do. You put me under pressure and I will produce. Or I'll get angry and say, 'I'm going to work this out. I'm going to take care of this right now.' You put Alice under pressure and she'll go to pieces.

Significance: Personal illustration of the emotional weakness of women, used to teach husbands to be understanding rather than frustrated.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding the family as a creation ordinance (rather than an evolving social construct) change the way we approach marriage and parenting?

Context: Weaver argues that the family was created by God and cannot be understood from an evolutionary perspective.

In what ways have you seen ignorance, rebellion, or inability contribute to problems in families today?

Context: Weaver lists these three reasons for family breakdown and challenges listeners to examine their own hearts.

How can husbands practically 'dwell with their wives according to knowledge' regarding the physical, judgmental, and emotional differences Weaver describes?

Context: The sermon's main application is based on 1 Peter 3:7, calling husbands to understand and honor their wives' weaknesses.

Why is it important to affirm that women are made in the image of God equally with men, even while teaching distinct roles and weaknesses?

Context: Weaver balances Genesis 2:21-22 with Genesis 1:27 and Galatians 3:28 to show equal value but different function.

How should the church respond to cultural pressures to erase gender distinctions, especially in light of the sermon's warning that this destroys society?

Context: Weaver strongly condemns feminism and governmental attempts to ignore creational differences.

Applications

Husbands must study and understand their wives' God-given differences.

Summary: Men are commanded to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, meaning they must learn about the physical, judgmental, and emotional ways their wives are weaker.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge. It is our responsibility. We must understand these differences that God has created.'

Do not become frustrated or angry at your spouse's limitations.

Summary: Recognizing that differences are creational, not faults, should prevent husbands from getting upset when wives cannot perform certain tasks or react differently.

Evidence: Weaver advises, 'There's no reason to get upset. There's no reason to get mad. There's no reason to get frustrated. There's no reason to fight about it. It's just a creative difference.'

Honor your wife as the weaker vessel.

Summary: Husbands should show deference and honor to their wives, recognizing their comparative weakness and treating them with gentleness and respect.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel... you would show deference to someone who is of a higher rank or someone who has a more important office.'

Accept that your spouse will not react to situations the same way you do.

Summary: Both husbands and wives should not expect the other to share their emotional responses, as God created them with different sensitivities.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Women ought not to expect us to get mad every time they get mad. Men ought not to expect women to get upset every time they get upset.'

Seek Christ for grace and power to obey God's design for the family.

Summary: Those who lack the ability to obey God's commands for family life must turn to Christ for supernatural enablement.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Our main problem is that most will not seek Christ for grace and mercy and power to help.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:25:32Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:24:58Z

Clean Transcript

The Family - Part 3

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So Genesis chapter 2, beginning there with verse 18. Genesis 2, verse 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." 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. Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 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. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept.
#1 | 0:02 to 0:41 | cleaned
And he took one of the ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
#2 | 0:43 to 1:08 | cleaned
Now, the last two messages I dealt with the dominion aspect of the family. I pointed out the fact that God has only created three institutions. He created the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. And of those three institutions, the family was the most foundational and fundamental and the most necessary. For without the family you don't have a church or a state. So the family then is an absolute necessity. The destruction of the family equals the destruction of the church and the destruction of the state. And I also pointed out that the anarchy and rebellion that we are observing, not only in churches, but also in government, is a result of the rebellion and the anarchy that we're finding in the family.
#3 | 1:09 to 2:03 | cleaned
In other words, the family is disintegrating, and likewise all society as well. I also pointed out that the family must be understood from a theological perspective, that is, in reference to God. You cannot understand the family from an evolutionary perspective. God did not allow the family to evolve. God created the family, and God created Adam and Eve, and God performed their first marriage when He brought Eve unto Adam. Thus the family, therefore, is an instrument of dominion and is designed to conquer under the banner of Christ. And I pointed out how dominion involves authority and responsibility and stewardship. And that dominion must be accomplished according to God's word, according to God's orderly way.
#4 | 2:03 to 2:54 | cleaned
Now when you look in Genesis chapter 2, one of the questions that you might ask is why in the world was this passage placed right where it is in regard to the first marriage? Well, I believe there's an answer for that. And the answer is not placed there just simply to satisfy our curiosity. Many times you read something or I do, I look at the Bible, I thought, wow, why did the Apostle Paul say that right there?
#5 | 2:55 to 3:25 | cleaned
What is the implication of this word? Or what is the implication of this statement of this question? And sometimes curiosity will indeed make us study and do more research. But God does not place things in the Bible just merely to satisfy our curiosity. Genesis 2, verses 18-25 was placed there intentionally, purposely by God in order that we might have a real understanding concerning creation and marriage, and we're going to see that creation and marriage are intimately connected. This text was not given here to provide an academic battlefield just so people can fight over it. Let me tell you why God gave us this text right where He did.
#6 | 3:26 to 4:10 | cleaned
Here's what the Scripture says in Romans 15 and verse 4. The Bible says, "...for whatsoever things were written aforetime," that's the Old Testament, "...were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." So everything that God has recorded in the Old Testament is written there for our learning and for our admonition.
#7 | 4:11 to 4:37 | cleaned
Now, the Greek word for learning is the Greek word didaskalia, which means learning, instruction, doctrine, and precept. So, to answer the question, why did God place the text of Genesis chapter 2 verses 18 through 25 right where He did? And the answer comes back, for our learning, for our instruction, for our doctrine and that the precepts of his word might be made plain.
#8 | 4:38 to 5:07 | cleaned
Now, I've pointed out already, I'm going to emphasize it again. It's important to notice that marriage is closely connected with creation. I mean, he gives us this right after he tells us about how he created the world. Why? Because we must remember that we are creatures. I hate to burst anybody's bubble, but I'm going to go ahead and burst someone's bubble when I say there is no such thing as a superman and there is no such thing as a superwoman. All of us are creatures.
#9 | 5:07 to 5:46 | cleaned
That means all of us have limitations. Sometimes I tease Alice and she'll say, "Well, do you expect me to do this or can I do that?" I said, "Why not? Aren't you superwoman?" Well, I know better than that and she knows better than that. And I'm not a superman. Each of us are creatures. We are limited. We have our limitations. And we're never ever going to have a proper relationship and a proper understanding of the family until we grasp that principle.
#10 | 5:47 to 6:20 | cleaned
Now, let me ask you to hold Genesis 2, but look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Psalm 33. And let's begin reading there with verse 6, because here is a passage that deals with creation. Notice, if you would please, Psalm 33. And begin reading there with verse 6. Look what the Bible says. Psalm 33, verse 6. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
#11 | 6:20 to 6:52 | cleaned
"He gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap. He layeth up the depths in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." Why? Now watch. "For he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast."
#12 | 6:53 to 7:11 | cleaned
Now watch this, "...the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations."
#13 | 7:11 to 7:23 | cleaned
Now notice if you would how the Bible is teaching that God created everything that exists. And then the Bible says, "...for he spake, and it was done." He commanded, it stood fast. And he says, here's what our responsibility is in light of his creation. We are to fear the Lord and stand in awe of him. So in light even of the creation of the institution of marriage, we're still to stand in awe of him and fear him. And then he goes on to say this, the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught. The counsel of the Lord, that is that which will stand forever. Now, what is God telling us? It does you no good to fight against God. It doesn't do you any good to imagine against God. It doesn't do you any good to try to purpose and plan contrary to the counsel of God, because it is the counsel of God that is going to stand. Now, all the Bible is telling us and teaching us right here is a very simple principle, and the principle is this.
#14 | 7:23 to 8:37 | cleaned
We may either submit to him and obey him and be happy and prosperous, or we may rebel against him and disobey him and be cursed and be miserable. That's not only true in creation, but it's also true in our families. You see, the Bible says in Psalm 100, verse 3, "Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves."
#15 | 8:38 to 9:07 | cleaned
"We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." So if God is the one who has made us, He is the one that has the sovereign right to dictate to us our responsibilities and also our accountability to Him.
#16 | 9:08 to 9:23 | cleaned
Now, in the context of Genesis chapter 2, we understand that God sovereignly ordained marriage. I'm going to say something that I do not need to say for this group, but I'm going to say it anyhow. Would God sovereignly ordain marriage? He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women, or between a man and an animal, or a woman and an animal, no. He ordained marriage between a man and a woman. So the only marriage that there is, that in reality that exists, is a marriage between a man and a woman. So without a man and without a woman, there cannot be a marriage.
#17 | 9:24 to 10:12 | cleaned
Out of all of creation, the Bible says there was not a help found that was suitable for Adam, and so he made him the woman. He did not make Adam another man. We must understand that God's creation, and in that creation, God has perfectly designed and perfectly suited man and woman for each other in marriage. Therefore, when the husband and when the wife fulfill their functions according to God's orderly way, when they fulfill their role, when they submit to his word, they will not only be successful, but they will exercise a biblical dominion as well.
#18 | 10:13 to 10:54 | cleaned
Now, I want you to think about something today, because if you look around in our day and time, you're going to find broken homes, divorces, spousal abuse, child abuse, fornication, adultery, unhappiness, misery. And you ask why? Let me tell you, every one of those things and a multitude of other sins all stem from a violation of the principles that God has laid down in His Word. Every one of these sins stem from a violation of the law of God. So what God is telling us is this, there are not only principles in the Bible that we're to grasp, but there are also creational differences. I'm going to explain those in just a moment. When we overlook those creational differences, we always have heartache and heartbreak. You're going to find that as you look around today, all of our homes are disintegrating. You're going to ask why.
#19 | 10:54 to 12:02 | cleaned
Why is it that there are so many people that are unhappy in their marriages? I hear people all the time wanting to get out of their marriage. Why? Why? Well, why are there so many that are seeking divorce? Why are there so many that are willing to commit fornication or adultery? Why are there so many problems in the average home? And when I say problems, I mean some problems that are longstanding in nature.
#20 | 12:02 to 12:37 | cleaned
They've gone on like that for years. Well, there can be several answers to these questions. But let me give you at least three today. This is still by way of introduction. The first answer that we could give as to why so many problems exist in modern day families is simply because of ignorance. I mean, most people, let's be honest, have never been taught the Word of God.
#21 | 12:37 to 13:08 | cleaned
They do not know biblical principles. I often wonder how in the world any man and woman can stay together in this day and age without Christ and without the Word of God. You look at the pressures on every side. I saw a bumper sticker recently and I snickered at it. And then I thought, well, there's a biblical application of that. The bumper sticker said this. "I started out with nothing.
#22 | 13:09 to 13:42 | cleaned
And I have most of it left." Well, we could change that and say, "I started out with ignorance and I still have most of it left." Because the truth is, most of us are ignorant about biblical principles. But do you realize that ignorance is really and truly no excuse? Why? Because each of us have the responsibility and we have the privilege and the obligation to study the Word of God and find out for ourselves. So if we're ignorant, it is basically our fault.
#23 | 13:42 to 14:13 | cleaned
We may not be able to acquire perfect knowledge, but we are able to acquire some knowledge. And the problem is this, that most who are ignorant are willfully ignorant. They will not study the word of God. They will not seek help. They will not ask for help. They will not fulfill their responsibility. They really and truly want to remain ignorant. You've heard the old adage. Ignorance is curable, but stupidity is forever. So one of the reasons there are so many problems is because of ignorance.
#24 | 14:15 to 14:54 | cleaned
The second reason is because of rebellion. You know what rebellion is? Let me tell you. Rebellion is nothing more than a clenched fist in the face of God. Saying, "God, I know what you said, but I don't like it and I don't want to do it and I'm not going to do it." I may know what's right, but I'm determined to do what I want to do. In other words, we want our will, our way, our wishes above and beyond that which God has ordained and declared. It was the Apostle Paul who in Romans 9 verse 20 asked this question, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?"
#25 | 14:55 to 15:33 | cleaned
"Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"
#26 | 15:34 to 15:38 | cleaned
Now listen, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" And the Greek word for the word repliest literally means to contradict in reply, or to answer by contradiction, or to reply against. In other words, man doesn't like what God says, and so he contradicts God, and he replies against God, and says, "I don't care what you say, and I want my will, and I want my way." All who do such are rebels, and are in rebellion against God.
#27 | 15:38 to 16:10 | cleaned
So there are some who hear what is right and they just won't do it. They prefer their will and their way over above the will and the way of God. The third answer that I could give you as to why we have so many problems in our families is not only because of ignorance and rebellion, but some simply do not have the power or the ability to obey. It is one thing to know what is right. It's another thing to have the power and the ability to do that which is right. Now, when I'm talking about power and ability, I'm referring to the fact that we who have been saved by the grace of God have been given power and ability by His grace.
#28 | 16:13 to 17:01 | cleaned
You remember that passage in John 6 and verse 44 when our Lord said this, "No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him." Now, can is a term of ability. No man has the ability, said Christ, to come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him. In other words, no man can come to Christ without a supernatural drawing of the Father.
#29 | 17:02 to 17:31 | cleaned
Men may have heard the Word of God preached audibly. Some may have memorized scriptures and can quote it left and right, but unless God's grace has been in their life, they literally do not have the power to obey. Our Lord said it very succinctly in John 15 and verse five, he said, "Without me, you can do how much?" Well, it's obedient something. Well, without him, you can't obey.
#30 | 17:33 to 18:00 | cleaned
So there are some who are unconverted. They may have heard the truth. They may know the truth, but they just don't have the power to obey because they've never, ever experienced the grace of God in their life.
#31 | 18:02 to 18:19 | cleaned
Now, when I talk about problems in our homes, the big problem or the main problem is not all the multitudinous problems that we have. But our main problem is that most will not seek Christ for grace and mercy and power to help. We just think we're going to do it on our own.
#32 | 18:20 to 18:45 | cleaned
Now, the Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 2 that God made the woman and he brought her to the man. Now, look, if you would, please, in verse 21 of Genesis 2. "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. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her to the man. 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."
#33 | 18:45 to 19:21 | cleaned
Now let me give you one simple point today, and then I'm going to go a little bit further from this one point. But women are partakers of the image of God just as men are.
#34 | 19:21 to 19:35 | cleaned
Now, I know the Bible just told us that God caused that deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and that He took the woman out of man. That is, He took the rib out of the man and made the woman, and He brought her to Adam. But if you look back in your Bibles to Genesis 1 verse 27, look what the Bible says. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him, are you looking, male and female created he them."
#35 | 19:35 to 20:13 | cleaned
What is that telling us? That is telling us that the woman is made in the image of God just like man is made in the image of God, although the woman was taken from man.
#36 | 20:14 to 20:24 | cleaned
Now, when the Bible says that God created man, the Hebrew word is Adam or Adam, which literally would include men and women. But there are specific words for men and women in the Hebrew, and when the Bible says here that He created them male and female, He uses the Hebrew words zakar and nekabah, which means men and women, or male and female. So these two words are used distinctively for men and women. Thus God created mankind in general. He created us in Adam. But then he made a distinction in mankind by dividing us between men and women.
#37 | 20:25 to 21:11 | cleaned
Now, there is a passage in Galatians 3 and verse 28 that I want to quote. And I want to give you what Albert Barnes says on this commentary of this verse. Listen to Galatians 3 and verse 28. Our Lord says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus."
#38 | 21:11 to 21:36 | cleaned
Now what is God doing there? What is He saying? Is He saying that there's neither male nor female? There's neither bond nor free? Is He saying somehow we kind of merge into some abstract blob? No. You'd have to take that verse into context. And this is what Albert Barnes says, and of course I could take you there and show you, but he says it so beautifully. He says this concerning Galatians 3.28, "All are on a level.
#39 | 21:37 to 22:07 | cleaned
All are saved in the same way. All are entitled to the same privileges. There is no favoritism on account of birth, beauty, or blood. All confess that they are sinners. All are saved by the marriage to the same Savior. All were admitted to the same privileges as children of God. The word Greek here is used to denote the Gentiles generally, since the whole world was divided by the Jews into Jews and Greeks, and Greeks being the foreign nation best known to them. The Syriac renders it the Aramean, using the word to denote the Gentiles generally. The meaning is that whatever was the birth, or rank, or nation, all under the gospel were on a level. They were admitted to the same privileges, endowed with the same hopes of eternal life.
#40 | 22:08 to 22:49 | cleaned
This does not mean, listen carefully, this does not mean that all civil distinctions among men are to be disregarded. It does not mean that no respect is to be shown to those in office or to men in elevated rank. It does not mean that all are on a level in regard to talents, comforts, wealth. But it means only that all men are on a level in regard to standing before God.
#41 | 22:49 to 23:15 | cleaned
This is the sole point under discussion and the interpretation should be limited to this. It is not a fact that men are on a level in all things, nor is it a fact that the gospel designs to break down all the distinctions of society. Paul means to teach that no man has any preference or advantage in the kingdom of God simply because he is a rich man or because he is of elevated rank. No one is under any disadvantage because he is poor or because he is ignorant or a slave.
#42 | 23:16 to 23:45 | cleaned
All at the foot of the cross are sinners. All at the communion table are saved by the same grace. All who enter into heaven will enter clothed in the same robes of salvation and arranged, not as princes and nobles and rich men and poor men in separate orders and rites, but mingling together as redeemed by the same blood and arranged in ranks according to their eminence in holiness."
#43 | 23:46 to 24:09 | cleaned
So all he's saying is there, he's not absolving the distinctions. All he's saying is that we are one in the sense that we have a standing before God, which I will develop a little more next week.
#44 | 24:09 to 24:22 | cleaned
Now, at this point, I just want to emphasize one simple thing, and that is this. When the Bible says that a woman was made in the image of God, it just simply means that she is the creature of God, just like men are the creatures of God. And therefore, women may be redeemed and they may approach God in the same distinction. That is, male and female are on an equal footing before God.
#45 | 24:22 to 24:49 | cleaned
But that does not mean that there are not creation differences. When you go back to Genesis 2 and verse 21, and the Bible says that God took the rib from Adam, we know for a fact that when He made the woman, He did not make an exact copy of Adam. He made a woman and He brought her to the man. There are distinctions between male and female which are embedded in Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2 and verse 21, the Bible says, "male and female created He them." God made the woman and He brought her unto the man. He made the mankind in a generic sense, but then He made a specific differentiation when He says male and female. Now, our Lord refers to this fact and He emphasizes this fact in Matthew 19 and verse 4 when He said to the Pharisees, "Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female?"
#46 | 24:49 to 26:00 | cleaned
So what is he saying? He's saying there are some creation differences that exist between men and women.
#47 | 26:01 to 26:08 | cleaned
Now let me just tell you, I do not care how much the liberals rant and rave. I don't care how much the feminist organizations shout defiantly. I do not care how many amendments the government tries to pass. The truth is there are differences between men and women. And they're not just physical differences. No governmental decree can change the creation of God. No organization can alter the purpose of God. All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.
#48 | 26:09 to 26:52 | cleaned
Stop and think about this. Any attempt then to change what God created is a necessity to fly in the face of God and shake your fist in the face of God and say, "I don't like your creation. I don't like what you're doing. I am going to change things." So to attack these differences then is to attack the family, the church, and society as a whole.
#49 | 26:53 to 27:17 | cleaned
Now, obviously there are physical differences between men and women, and certainly every man appreciates those differences, every woman should appreciate those differences, but there are more than physical differences between men and women. For instance, I have been around women and have seen and heard them, when they're frustrated, put their hands on their hips and say, "Men!" I've been around men who look around and say, "Women, you can't live with them, you can't live without them." What are they saying? They're saying there's some differences.
#50 | 27:17 to 28:05 | cleaned
You think of all the jokes that exist concerning the differences between men and women. But in reality, they're really not jokes. It's the truth. There are differences. The downside of these differences is this. These differences usually become problems only because of our sin, our ignorance and our anger. The difference was not a problem before the fall, but the difference is now a problem after the fall. But even after the fall, it is these very differences that attract men to women and women to men. God made us different.
#51 | 28:05 to 28:54 | cleaned
Now, if you look in Genesis 2 in verse 18, why in the world did God bring Adam his wife, to begin with? Look in verse 18. "And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone." The very first reason that God gives us that he made the woman, he said it's not good for man to be alone. Well, now let me ask you a question. Was Adam literally alone?
#52 | 28:54 to 29:14 | cleaned
And the answer is no. When I say that, he had all those animals. For those animals could not fellowship with Adam, in that sense of the word, because Adam was different from the animals, and therefore Adam was alone, although he was in the middle of creation. And God said it's not good for a man to be alone. And so he saw in those animals not one animal that would satisfy his needs or the longings. He had no one to be his confidant. And so here's the second thing God says in verse 18.
#53 | 29:15 to 29:49 | cleaned
"I will make an help meet for him." That is, I'm going to make someone who will be suitable to Adam. Someone who will be answerable to Adam. Someone who's going to meet his needs. And thus we find then that when God made the woman, He did not make an exact duplicate of Adam, but He made someone to complement, that is, complete the man. He made someone to provide for the man mental, physical, emotional, and social health.
#54 | 29:50 to 30:19 | cleaned
Now don't you think about this. To deny these differences brings about the destruction of the race. What are the sodomites saying? Well, it's alright for men to marry men, it's alright for women to marry women. Well, let me ask you. If women marry women and men marry men, what's going to happen to the race because sodomites cannot reproduce? It's genocide. I mean, it's literally a killing of the race. And as I pointed out earlier, in the strictest sense of the word, sodomites really cannot marry because marriage is between a man and a woman, according to the Bible. If you say, well, all right, I'm going to acknowledge those differences, but I'm not going to acknowledge the fact that God created those differences. Well, that is still suicide as well, because what you're saying is God has not placed distinguishing roles for the man and the woman. And therefore, you're trying to say that the man and the woman are capable of doing the same thing, which is not true either. So if you try to alter what God created in any way, all you're going to do is basically fight against God and destroy yourself.
#55 | 30:23 to 31:46 | cleaned
Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles, hold Genesis 2, but turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3 and look at verse 7. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. Here's a very interesting verse. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. I'm going to give you time to get there because I want you to see it. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. Look at what he says. 1 Peter 3, verse 7.
#56 | 31:46 to 32:14 | cleaned
"Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them," that is, the wives, "according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." Now, the Bible says, "likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge." What is God telling us? Very simply, if you're going to live with a woman, there are some things you better know. You've got to know it. The word knowledge is the word gnosis, which signifies an intelligence, an understanding, wisdom and discernment. He just says you've got to know some things. He says, "likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge." Now look, "giving honor unto the wife." Now, the word honor is the Greek word time, which means deference. That is, it is honor that you show to someone by deference. In other words, you would show deference to someone who is of a higher rank or someone who has a more important office. So you would give them honor.
#57 | 32:15 to 33:35 | cleaned
This is exactly what he's saying here. You just honor them because there is deference due to the wife in the role that she has. Now watch this. "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel." In other words, God is saying there's some things you need to know men to live with a woman, and one of them is that the woman is the weaker vessel. By the way, the Greek word for weaker is the word asthenes, and guess what? It means weak and weaker. That's what it means. Giving honor unto the wife as the weaker vessel. In other words, it refers to her weakness, that she is more feeble, that she doesn't have the strength.
#58 | 33:36 to 34:30 | cleaned
Now, feminist organizations will shout and scream and they'll tell you, listen, women can do everything that a man can do. It's not so. The government says, I believe that women are capable of doing what men can do, and therefore I'm going to put them on the front line in battle. No, it doesn't mean it's so. I want to show you something, men. I'm going to cover this in just a moment. But look what the Bible says.
#59 | 34:31 to 34:59 | cleaned
Verse 7, "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel." Oh, that means then that we're the strong ones.
#60 | 35:00 to 35:10 | cleaned
Now, that's not what the scripture says. When the scripture says, "likewise you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel," what does that teach us? That men are weak too. Women are just weaker. So it's not that we're superheroes. It's not that we're supermen. We are weak too. The wife is just simply weaker. It is a comparative statement.
#61 | 35:11 to 35:37 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note something very carefully. He says in verse 7, "likewise you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge." You've got to know something. You need to give honor to the wife as being the weaker vessel. You're weak too, but she's just weaker than you. "And as being heirs together of the grace of life," what? "That your prayers be not hindered." So when you do not dwell with your wife according to knowledge and you do not give honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, what happens? Your prayers are hindered. Why are your prayers going to be hindered? Because there's going to be nothing but conflict between the two of you. Now, the Bible declares in 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 that the woman is the weaker vessel. How are women weaker than men? I'm going to give you three answers. And that's as far as I'm going to go today, but listen to this. First of all, the most obvious: Women are weaker physically.
#62 | 35:39 to 36:43 | cleaned
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Men are bigger and stronger than women. If there was ever a slugfest between men and women, I would always bet on the men. Because men usually can whip the women. The United States government doesn't believe that because, you know, they're going to put this 120-pound woman on the front line in full battle gear next to a 250-pound man.
#63 | 36:44 to 37:19 | cleaned
I've got news for you. If I'm in battle and I'm in a foxhole with someone, I do not want to be in a foxhole with a 120-pound woman. Why? Because if I get wounded and I weigh 250 pounds, there is no way she's going to drag me off to safety. She just cannot do it. She is not physically able to do it.
#64 | 37:19 to 37:40 | cleaned
Now, I usually tell people, I get so exasperated at some of this. I look at some of these women that are on the police force.
#65 | 37:42 to 37:51 | cleaned
Now, I realize some of them look like men and are built like men, walk like men, talk like men, but I also see these little pretty petite 115, 120-pound girls. I've got news for you. Outside of the weapon, outside of the weapon, if I did not want to be arrested, I don't believe there's any woman that can arrest me outside of her weapon. I'm not telling you that I can whip every woman in this world.
#66 | 37:51 to 38:27 | cleaned
I know that there are some women somewhere that can probably wipe me out. Cynthia Rothrock would be one of them, probably. Because she's been a martial artist in several different styles all of her life. I'm sure there's some somewhere can wipe me out. But the truth of the matter is most women cannot. You remember that little woman they put in Atlanta. The woman deputy they put in Atlanta to guard that six foot two prisoner while he was changing clothes. What did that six-foot-two prisoner do? He slapped that little woman down, beat her, took her pistol, killed her, went out and killed a judge and another person as well. Why in the world would anybody with one and a half cents put a 120-pound woman to judge or to try to control a 250-pound man? It's unbelievable. I'll tell you why. Simply because they try to obliterate these creation differences. Women are not the same physically.
#67 | 38:28 to 39:38 | cleaned
I don't care what feminist organizations say. I don't care what the federal government says. Women are weaker than men physically.
#68 | 39:39 to 39:46 | cleaned
Now let me translate this. That means this. Our wives cannot lift the heavy objects that we do. Nor can they keep up with us in difficult, strenuous tasks. What's that mean? That means, men, you ought not to get mad and upset just because your wife can't lift that 100-pound feed bag. Now, mine can. No, I'm teasing. I'm teasing. But, you know, listen. There are plenty of things that Alice can do that she can outdo me in. But when it comes to physical things outside, although I stay inside and study a lot, that's true, but I can still outdo her. I can outperform her.
#69 | 39:49 to 40:48 | cleaned
I remember back when we used to throw hay. When I say throw hay, yeah, we did it. I would try to let her drive the truck most of the time. I do the loading the wagon, and the men would be putting it in the barn. I wouldn't expect her to stand there and throw three to five hundred bales of hay and stacking it and throwing it up over it. She can't do it.
#70 | 40:51 to 41:14 | cleaned
All I'm trying to say is, look, if we are going to understand that we've got to dwell with women according to knowledge and give honor to them as the weaker vessel, there are some things physically that they cannot do. And there's no reason to get upset. There's no reason to get mad. There's no reason to get frustrated. There's no reason to fight about it. It's just a creative difference. And to be absolutely honest, I'm kind of thankful that my wife can't whip me. Brother Ernie for sure. Let's face it, folks. There are creative differences. That's just the most obvious one. The second one is this, and I want you women to listen carefully to what I say and what I do not say. Secondly, women are weaker judgmentally. Now let me tell you what I did not say. I did not say that women were weaker mentally. I did not say that women have a lower IQ. I did not say that women were stupid. I didn't say that. I said that women are weaker judgmentally.
#71 | 41:16 to 42:27 | cleaned
In studies, as I pointed out before, between men and women, there are only two areas in which men excel women, and that was abstract thinking and aggression or dominion orientation. You've got to remember we may have chased our wives, but they let us catch them, you know? So some of them didn't have too good a judgment, did they? But let me show you what I'm talking about.
#72 | 42:31 to 43:03 | cleaned
Look in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 14. Let me show you what the Bible says. 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 14. I'm going to deal with some of these in more detail later. But look in 1 Timothy 2 and verse 14. The Bible says, concerning Adam and Eve, "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." Verse 2:14. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." So it was not Adam who was deceived back in Genesis chapter 3. Adam sinned, but Adam sinned willingly, knowingly, premeditatedly. His sin was worse than that of Eve's sin. Eve was seduced. Eve was deceived. Eve was let alone. She did not enter into the sin the same way that Adam entered into sin. Adam was more blameworthy than Eve. Adam knew what was going on, but Eve did not. So it's true now that Eve was the first one to sin, but it was Adam who was responsible. Do you remember what the Bible said when Eve saw that the tree was good for fruit?
#73 | 43:03 to 44:28 | cleaned
"And a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took and did eat. And then she gave to her husband." Eve should never have made that momentous decision alone. She should have consulted with Adam. God had told Adam specifically, "You're not to eat of this fruit. That's my tree. You can have everything else in the garden. Just don't eat of this tree."
#74 | 44:30 to 45:01 | cleaned
Now, please remember what I'm saying is comparative. I know that somewhere there's a woman that has shrewder judgment than a man. I understand that. But by and large, women do not have that shrewdness and judgment. Therefore, they are easier targets for scam artists, for crooked mechanics, and for anyone who wants to hoodwink them. I remember years ago, right here in this town, there was a business that had a sale on shock absorbers, and I needed some, so I ordered four.
#75 | 45:02 to 45:44 | cleaned
And I was busy working, and I sent Alice over there with those shocks to have them put on. They told me how much they would cost. Well, Alice took the car over there. And they tried to tell her that they couldn't put those shocks on without replacing this, this, this and this. And so what initially was to be 20 bucks was going to end up being 200 or 300 bucks.
#76 | 45:45 to 46:05 | cleaned
Thankfully, she knew enough to call me. And when she told me what the mechanic said, I left what I was doing and I took the car up there. And I said, "You get the manager here right now, we're going to have an understanding. Because what you're trying to do is scam my wife. I know better than this and you're not going to do this." All I'm saying is, look how many women have been taken advantage of simply because they don't know anything about mechanics. And I'm not a mechanic. But I know a little bit. At least I know enough not to tell them that I need my blinkers filled with water, you know, to make my blinkers work. Come on.
#77 | 46:08 to 47:02 | cleaned
Do not attempt to inform me, yes, Brother Weaver, here's a sharp woman that has all of this objective shrewdness and all of this objective judgment and, boy, she can put a man down and she can... I understand that. And I understand Proverbs 31. But that Proverbs 31 woman was a woman that worked at home under her husband. And then you've got to ask yourself this question. How many Proverbs 31 women are there? Very few. The difference between men and women in this area is very simple.
#78 | 47:04 to 47:42 | cleaned
Let me give you some illustrations. Do you realize that when men enter into sin, they usually enter into it openly, willingly, knowingly. They know what they're doing. Many times the women are let alone. They're deceived. They're seduced. When it comes to adultery, when it comes to fornication, the truth of the matter is, it's usually the man who initiates and pursues and plans for it. Oftentimes, the woman does not even know what's happening until it's too late.
#79 | 47:43 to 48:14 | cleaned
We had an incident of that just recently. When a 15-year-old boy said to his mother, "Mom, that man's hitting on you." And the mother didn't even realize it. I'm just simply saying. There's a difference judgmentally. One of my illustrations that I like to use in this is, it happens so many times in the Christian school. The little boy would do something wrong, wicked. And I would have to call the parents and let them know what had happened and what course of action we were going to take. Whenever I had to call the parents and get someone to come up that I can talk with, always I preferred to talk to the father. Always. You know why? Because usually when that mother came into office and I then laid out what her son had done, the next thing you know, here come the tears. I mean, they're coming down her cheeks and she's saying, "I just can't believe he would do something like that. There's got to be some mistake. My son wouldn't do that."
#80 | 48:18 to 49:46 | cleaned
"Well, ma'am, he did." "No, the teacher had to have not been looking." And when I tell the dad what happened, the dad would say, "Preacher, beat his butt, and when he gets home, I'll give him another one." I took care of that. But all I'm just simply pointing out, there's a difference judgmentally. I mean, come on. I understand there's exceptions. But generally speaking, comparatively speaking, not only are women weaker than men physically, women are weaker than men judgmentally. Thirdly, women are weaker than men emotionally. I'll guarantee you, I can make a woman cry before she can make me cry. Women are far more sensitive than a man.
#81 | 49:49 to 50:57 | cleaned
This is not a fault. This is a creation difference. Being weaker judgmentally is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Being weaker physically is not a fault. It's a creation difference. Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do. You put me under pressure and I will produce. Or I'll get angry and say, "I'm going to work this out. I'm going to take care of this right now." You put Alice under pressure and she'll go to pieces. Is that a fault with her? No, that's a creation difference. The sensitivity of women is not a fault. It is a creation difference. Women just simply do not hold up under stress and pressure as a man.
#82 | 50:58 to 51:55 | cleaned
On the other hand, you've got to make this observation. That sensitivity will make a woman more gracious and more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. A woman will recognize the need of a child before the man ever does. A woman will recognize the need of other women and other men and other families before the man ever does. That's a created difference. Now, let me make an application. When we understand this, we can see how women are far more easily and quickly hurt than a man. It's an amazing thing. And every man in here has experienced this. When you were a child, young boy, you got in a fight with somebody. And just shortly after the fight was over, you had your arms around each other's shoulder going off to play together. Isn't that amazing? Men in a huddle, slaying at each other, fuss at each other, cuss at each other, fight each other, and five minutes, it's over, it's done with. It just doesn't work that way with a woman. I mean, we usually shake things off easily as men.
#83 | 51:55 to 53:37 | cleaned
Women don't. And sometimes, about a month or two later, you find out what you said that upset her so. That she's been holding back and holding it against you for two months. You don't even remember saying it. You don't even remember doing it. But believe me, she does. Why? Because that's a difference. You see, this is a creative difference. Women are weaker than men, and that is no shame. That is no fault. Men are weaker than Christ. Men are weak, too.
#84 | 53:37 to 54:24 | cleaned
Why in the world am I emphasizing this? Let me tell you, let's let me just go back and quote 1 Peter 3 and verse 7. "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." So if we are going to function in the area of dominion, if we're going to function in God's orderly way in our homes, then we must know something and we must know how to honor each other. If we're to live with our wives, we must do so according to knowledge. It's the correct knowledge that will lead us to right considerations. They are indeed weaker than we are in some areas.
#85 | 54:26 to 55:09 | cleaned
If they're more sensitive, it means this. Men, listen, I can tell you, it means that women cannot take the jokes and the jabs that we throw at each other. I said things to Alice joking at times, and next thing I know, she's in the corner crying. What? Well, why are you upset? Well, you said so and so. Sweetheart, that was a joke. Don't you understand? That was a joke!
#86 | 55:10 to 55:40 | cleaned
I had no intent to hurt you. Nothing! Huh? But we can cut each other as men and it doesn't bother us at all. But they are more sensitive. Often times we hurt our wives without meaning to do so simply because of their creative sensitivity. How many times have you said something and your wife took it the wrong way? Didn't mean a thing by it. So they took it the wrong way. I can see the men and the women smiling.
#87 | 55:40 to 56:14 | cleaned
I know you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's why Marilyn pushes Brother Ernie down. She doesn't understand his jokes. She doesn't like his jokes. So she just pushes him down. No, I know better than that. But I'm just simply saying, when we get frustrated, we tend to take it out on each other. And we've got to understand that, look. There are differences and God created these differences, and if you and I are to function in our homes the way God would have us to function, we have to understand these differences. And let me tell you, men, God places the primary responsibility of this upon you.
#88 | 56:14 to 57:04 | cleaned
"Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge." It is our responsibility. We must understand these differences that God has created.
#89 | 57:04 to 57:17 | cleaned
Now, it is true, it is our primary responsibility as men, but it is equally the responsibility of women. And women, please listen to this, why in the world should you get upset when we're not upset because you're upset? Don't expect us to cry at a stupid love scene in a movie. I mean, come on, we're not going to do it. And then don't expect your wife to get happy just because you're watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship and she sees nothing in it.
#90 | 57:17 to 57:56 | cleaned
You know, she doesn't jump up and down at your ballgame. God created us different. With differences. So women ought not to expect us to get mad every time they get mad. Men ought not to expect women to get upset every time they get upset. There's differences. They're not faults. They're not failures. God created these differences. And I'll tell the young people here, before you marry, you better make sure that you understand these differences, and your fiancé would understand these differences as well. You better make sure that you know that there is a way to live with each other according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, and being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. All of these differences, let me repeat again, are not faults. They're not failures. That's just simply the way God created us. In the beginning, created he them male and female. And when God brought Eve to Adam, she was not an exact duplicate. She was not an exact copy, thankfully.
#91 | 57:59 to 59:23 | cleaned
And God designed the man and the woman to complement or complete each other. And God says, dwell with them according to knowledge, understanding these created differences. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for your grace and your mercy to us. We pray, Lord, that you help us to understand these differences that you've created in us and help us, Lord, to live together according to knowledge. Giving honor, Lord, to the wife as the weaker vessel, as being heirs together to the grace of life, that our prayers be not hindered. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We ask for Your divine protection and provision and kind and gracious providence. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
#92 | 59:25 to 1:00:22 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:25:32Z

The Family - Part 3

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his series on the family by examining Genesis 2:18-25, emphasizing that marriage is a creation ordinance with God-designed differences between men and women. He argues that understanding these creational distinctions—physical, judgmental, and emotional—is essential for husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, as commanded in 1 Peter 3:7. Ignoring these differences leads to family breakdown and societal decay.

Opening

So Genesis chapter 2, beginning there with verse 18. Genesis 2, verse 18. And the Lord God said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:18-25

"It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him an help meet for him."

Introduction: The Foundational Role of the Family

Weaver reviews previous messages, stating that the family is the most foundational of God's three institutions (family, church, state), and its destruction leads to societal anarchy.

Why Genesis 2:18-25 Was Placed Here

God placed this passage intentionally for our learning and doctrine, not mere curiosity, as Romans 15:4 teaches that Old Testament writings are for our instruction.

Here's what the Scripture says in Romans 15 and verse 4. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"...for whatsoever things were written aforetime,"

that's the Old Testament,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"...were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

Marriage Is Connected to Creation

Marriage is closely tied to creation; we are creatures with limitations, and God sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman.

Reasons for Family Problems: Ignorance, Rebellion, and Inability

Family problems stem from ignorance of biblical principles, willful rebellion against God's order, and lack of power to obey due to being unconverted.

You remember that passage in John 6 and verse 44 when our Lord said this,

Scripture Reading — John 6:44

"No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him."

Women Are Made in the Image of God

Though woman was taken from man, Genesis 1:27 shows both male and female are created in God's image, giving them equal standing before God in salvation.

Creational Differences Between Men and Women

God created male and female with distinct differences beyond the physical; these are not faults but divine design, and attempts to erase them attack the family and society.

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Physical Weakness

Women are physically weaker than men, which should be acknowledged without frustration; this is a creational difference, not a deficiency.

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Judgmental Weakness

Women are weaker judgmentally, as seen in Eve's deception (1 Timothy 2:14); they are more easily deceived, though this is comparative, not absolute.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:14

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Verse 2:14.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 2:14

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Emotional Weakness

Women are emotionally weaker, being more sensitive and less enduring under stress; this sensitivity also makes them more compassionate and gracious.

Application: Dwelling with Wives According to Knowledge

Husbands must understand these differences to honor their wives and avoid hindering prayers; both spouses should accept God's design without expecting the other to react identically.

The Family - Part 3

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11107111876
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-09-09
Dictation Name
Book	Book 035: The Family — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	92

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Foundational Role of the Family: Weaver reviews previous messages, stating that the family is the most foundational of God's three institutions (family, church, state), and its destruction leads to societal anarchy.
Why Genesis 2:18-25 Was Placed Here: God placed this passage intentionally for our learning and doctrine, not mere curiosity, as Romans 15:4 teaches that Old Testament writings are for our instruction.
Marriage Is Connected to Creation: Marriage is closely tied to creation; we are creatures with limitations, and God sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman.
Reasons for Family Problems: Ignorance, Rebellion, and Inability: Family problems stem from ignorance of biblical principles, willful rebellion against God's order, and lack of power to obey due to being unconverted.
Women Are Made in the Image of God: Though woman was taken from man, Genesis 1:27 shows both male and female are created in God's image, giving them equal standing before God in salvation.
Creational Differences Between Men and Women: God created male and female with distinct differences beyond the physical; these are not faults but divine design, and attempts to erase them attack the family and society.
The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Physical Weakness: Women are physically weaker than men, which should be acknowledged without frustration; this is a creational difference, not a deficiency.
The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Judgmental Weakness: Women are weaker judgmentally, as seen in Eve's deception (1 Timothy 2:14); they are more easily deceived, though this is comparative, not absolute.
The Woman as the Weaker Vessel: Emotional Weakness: Women are emotionally weaker, being more sensitive and less enduring under stress; this sensitivity also makes them more compassionate and gracious.
Application: Dwelling with Wives According to Knowledge: Husbands must understand these differences to honor their wives and avoid hindering prayers; both spouses should accept God's design without expecting the other to react identically.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Marriage is defined by God as between a man and a woman only.

God sovereignly ordained marriage exclusively between one man and one woman; any other union is not a true marriage.

Weaver asserts, 'He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women.'

Attempts to erase gender differences destroy society.

Denying creational differences between men and women leads to the destruction of the family, church, and state, and is rebellion against God.

Weaver says, 'All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.'

Women are physically weaker, which has practical implications.

Women generally cannot perform the same physical tasks as men, and this should be accepted without frustration or unrealistic expectations.

Weaver illustrates, 'Our wives cannot lift the heavy objects that we do. Nor can they keep up with us in difficult, strenuous tasks.'

Women are judgmentally weaker, as seen in Eve's deception.

1 Timothy 2:14 shows Eve was deceived, indicating women are more susceptible to deception; this is a comparative weakness, not absolute.

Weaver states, 'Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.'

Women are emotionally weaker, being more sensitive and less stress-enduring.

Women are more easily hurt and have less endurance under pressure, but this sensitivity also makes them more compassionate.

Weaver explains, 'Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do... That sensitivity will make a woman more gracious and more compassionate.'

Husbands bear primary responsibility to understand these differences.

1 Peter 3:7 commands husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, placing the primary onus on men to understand and honor their wives' weaknesses.

Weaver emphasizes, 'Likewise, you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge. It is our responsibility.'

Scripture References

Genesis 2:18-25: The foundational passage on the creation of woman and the institution of marriage, read at the opening of the sermon.
Romans 15:4: Used to explain that Old Testament passages like Genesis 2 were written for our learning and instruction.
Psalm 33:6-11: Cited to show that God created all things by His word and that His counsel stands forever, calling us to fear Him.
Psalm 100:3: Quoted to affirm that God made us and we are His people, giving Him the right to dictate our responsibilities.
Romans 9:20: Used to illustrate rebellion: man has no right to reply against God or question why he was made as he is.
John 6:44: Cited to show that no one can come to Christ without the Father's drawing, indicating human inability without grace.
John 15:5: Quoted to emphasize that without Christ we can do nothing, including obeying God's commands.
Genesis 1:27: Used to show that both male and female are created in God's image, establishing their equal standing before God.
Galatians 3:28: Explained with Albert Barnes' commentary to mean all believers are equal in standing before God, not that civil distinctions are erased.
Matthew 19:4: Jesus' reference to creation as male and female, emphasizing the creational differences.
1 Peter 3:7: The key text commanding husbands to dwell with wives according to knowledge, honoring them as the weaker vessel.
1 Timothy 2:14: Used to demonstrate that Eve was deceived, supporting the argument that women are weaker judgmentally.

Historical References

Albert Barnes' commentary on Galatians 3:28: Weaver quotes Barnes to clarify that Galatians 3:28 does not abolish civil distinctions but affirms equal standing before God in salvation.
Cynthia Rothrock (martial artist): Mentioned as an example of a woman who might physically outperform most men, acknowledging exceptions to general physical weakness.
Atlanta courthouse shooting incident: Referenced to illustrate the danger of ignoring physical differences, where a female deputy was overpowered by a male prisoner.

Important Quotes

God has only created three institutions. He created the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. And of those three institutions, the family was the most foundational and fundamental and the most necessary.

Establishes the foundational thesis of the series: the family is the bedrock of society and its health determines the health of church and state.

He sovereignly ordained marriage between a man and a woman. He did not ordain marriage between two men or two women, or between a man and an animal, or a woman and an animal, no. He ordained marriage between a man and a woman.

Defines the biblical boundary of marriage as exclusively heterosexual, a key point in the sermon's argument against redefining marriage.

All attempts to obliterate these differences are simply attempts to destroy the family, the church, and the society as a whole.

Warns that denying God-created gender differences is an attack on all divinely instituted spheres of authority.

Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Key proof text for the argument that women are judgmentally weaker, as Eve was deceived while Adam sinned knowingly.

Women have less endurance under stress and under pressure than men do. You put me under pressure and I will produce. Or I'll get angry and say, 'I'm going to work this out. I'm going to take care of this right now.' You put Alice under pressure and she'll go to pieces.

Personal illustration of the emotional weakness of women, used to teach husbands to be understanding rather than frustrated.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding the family as a creation ordinance (rather than an evolving social construct) change the way we approach marriage and parenting?

[Context]

Weaver argues that the family was created by God and cannot be understood from an evolutionary perspective.

[Question]

In what ways have you seen ignorance, rebellion, or inability contribute to problems in families today?

[Context]

Weaver lists these three reasons for family breakdown and challenges listeners to examine their own hearts.

[Question]

How can husbands practically 'dwell with their wives according to knowledge' regarding the physical, judgmental, and emotional differences Weaver describes?

[Context]

The sermon's main application is based on 1 Peter 3:7, calling husbands to understand and honor their wives' weaknesses.

[Question]

Why is it important to affirm that women are made in the image of God equally with men, even while teaching distinct roles and weaknesses?

[Context]

Weaver balances Genesis 2:21-22 with Genesis 1:27 and Galatians 3:28 to show equal value but different function.

[Question]

How should the church respond to cultural pressures to erase gender distinctions, especially in light of the sermon's warning that this destroys society?

[Context]

Weaver strongly condemns feminism and governmental attempts to ignore creational differences.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:24:58Z