The wife cannot bring glory to God:The Excellent Wife P/6

 
                                     Read Part One HERE

In this post I will continue to focus on bible teacher and author Martha Peace. This time we will look at statements from Chapter Six of her book "The Excellent Wife."

Martha Peace: "Women are created in God's image but for some reason fail to bring glory to God. Because only men can bring glory to God, the husband will always be the head of the wife. Husbands are in charge of the home, but he may not be fully in charge since he can delegate responsibilities to others in the home."

Martha Peace: "How can a wife practically bring a husband glory?"
a. "Ask your husband, "What are your goals for this week?"
b. Ask your husband, "How can I help you to accomplish these goals?"
c. "Ask your husband, "Is there anything that I can do differently that would make it easier for you?"
d. "Think of specific ways that you can help him accomplish his goals."
e. "Consider the things that you are involved in. How do they glorify your husband? Ask his guidance."
f. "Realise that just as God is glorified when man obeys Him, so your husband is glorified when you obey your husband."

My Comment

Women are created in God's image and likeness according to Genesis 1:26-28. However, Martha Peace is of the opinion that women fail to bring glory to God. She very likely refers to

1 Corinthians 7:11
"A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man."

The above text is part of a very complicated passage but one thing is clear: it does not say that women fail to bring glory to God even though Martha Peace believes that to be the case. In fact, according to Scripture, female believers, whether married or not, are encouraged to give glory to God as we can read in

John 15:8
This is to My Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces, all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The reason Martha Peace misunderstands 1 Corinthians 11:7 is because she may not realise that the words in this verse are not Paul's words but are words of Corinthian male leaders who believe that men only are the glory of God and that women are the glory of men. Their view is in opposition to the Creation Account in Genesis 1:26-28 where we read that God created both the man and the woman in His image and likeness. It seems Martha Peace's view is more in line with the view of these male Corinthian leaders than with God.
Martha Peace next connects her faulty understanding of 1 Corinthians 11:7 to

Ephesians 5:22 where we read
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the Church, of which He is the Saviour.

As for the husband being "the head of his wife," Paul used the Greek term "kephale," which does not mean "authority" but means "source," "source of life." Moreover, he does not write here that the husband is the "head" or "kephale" of the home. He only writes that the husband is "the head of the wife " and not even "the head over the wife."
Paul then associates the husband's function as "head of his wife" with Christ's function as "Head of the Church" in relation to "His Saviourship," which is a sacrificial function. The husband's function as "head of his wife" is therefore a loving, ministering, nourishing, self-giving, sacrificial function without even a hint of authority attached to it.

As for a husband being in charge of the home, husband and wife share the responsibilities for the home as equal partners (1 Timothy 3:4; 1 Timothy 3:12; 1 Timothy 5:14).

As for a wife practically bringing glory to a husband, as already mentioned, that is not what the apostle Paul taught but was a corrupted form of teaching on the Creation Account of Genesis 1:26-28 brought by male leaders in Corinth.
Moreover, a wife can only bring glory to God since He will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8).

 

Read Part Seven HERE