Does the Bible Give Preferential Treatment to Men?

Does the Bible give preferential treatment to men best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We would love to hear from you and here's our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a girl right now live on our YouTube channel and message us that way course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Dan in Wichita, Kansas. Dan what your question for Pastor Israel. All are very well and I write about. All right about about given to us in accordance also the grace given to my question is how are the gifts related to this. Given and what is that mean anyway given by God thanks hey Dan, thanks for that question will throughout the New Testament faith is often referred to as a gift that God gives to us you think of Ephesians chapter 2.

For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, and I think that's supporting other places in the New Testament, even even here in Romans chapter 12, where the context is in particular spiritual gifts and of course the list.

It's given in Romans chapter 12 is an exhaustive list of all the spiritual gifts you have other lists find places like first Corinthians chapter chapters 12 through 14 were Paul has an extended discussion of spiritual gifts, but in the context here in Romans chapter 12 and then also I think in first Corinthians you to one of the challenges that the Christians face when when having discussions about spiritual gifts in and up thinking through this.

In particular, is that sense of pride that individuals can have. I have this gift I'm I'm better than another person because God has called me to do this that and the other, and often times when Paul is bringing up spiritual gifts he's trying to combat that pride that can rise up inside of us. Again he does that in first Corinthians chapter 12 by emphasizing that it is the Spirit who distributes to each one individually as he wills is a God is the gift giver. This is it. You know, this is just your own special skill that you get to have to make you great know these gifts are given by God the Holy Spirit to all of us. If we are united to Jesus Christ that's really good news, and are given for the good of others is not about you it's not about your greatness. I think again that's what Paul's getting at in Romans chapter 12 he says in verse three. For by the grace given to me. I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think the writer that this resets the context don't don't think of yourself is greater than that you then you should hear the recipient of a gift here, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God is assigned.

This is not the greatness of your faith. It's this gift of the Lord is given for as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we know many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, in proportion to our faith. If service, in art, serving the one who teaches, in his teaching, the one who exhorts, in his expectation. One who contributes, in generosity, one who leads, with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. You note again that these gifts are all about no outpouring. You know, to others serving others. Whether it's through teaching or through generosity and and we can't boast about these gifts as it is if it was something great about me or in me because it's the Spirit who gives to each one individually as he wills. And so what Paul's goal here is to help the Romans without Christians view this with with the degree of humility to say wow got on the recipient of these gifts and they're not primarily about making me great there about building up your body. The people around me and so Dan appreciate your your question brother and I thank you for given us a call. This is core Christianity and if you have a question for Pastor Israel. We would love to hear from you. Our phone lines of the open for the next 20 minutes or so, so now's the time to call. Here's the number again it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 gives a call right now.

You can also email us your question. Here's our email address its questions at core, Christianity.com got this email from one of her listers name Sandra she says does God favor men over women. It seems to me that God created Eve as an afterthought in the creation process and that he created a woman to give to Adam like she was just some kind of object to help alleviate Adams boredom.

Sandra you know well one. I'm sorry that you feel that way and I can see how this is may be confusing me think about the fact Adam was created first and then Eve was even created. Just as an object for Adam is sadly there are people who treat women like objects today and that's totally against the teaching of the Bible and I think this is very clear. Actually when we look at Genesis and the creation account I in particular the creation of woman. The first thing to note in Genesis chapter 1 beginning in verse 26 is not God said God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them. The first thing I want to know standard is that both men and women are created in the image of God so so there's equality there in terms of in terms of substance, you know who we are as human beings.

God made us man and woman in his image. Now some people get a little bit you know confused because later in Genesis 2 verse 18 it says then the Lord God said, and this is wooden when the Lord created Eve. It is not good that man should be alone I will make him a helper fit for him. Now the question is, does this you know prove or show that Ivor woman is subservient in some since she's the helper that kind of a thing well and important thing to note is that throughout the Bible, and in particular even even in the book of Genesis that word helper is often used it to describe what God does for his people.

It's the Hebrew word as their God is the one who is the mighty helper of his people so far from suggesting inferiority right out of this word is actually a word God applies to himself for his people and the idea of being made a helper fit for him that words. The Hebrew word negated. It can mean that in front of her opposite of but but thereto you have this idea if equality now that doesn't mean that man and woman aren't different in really important ways. They are at end and you know that's that's okay. We can embrace that reality, while still recognizing that man and woman are equal. Both made in the image of God and both called to serve the Lord and it's only through that that relationship together that they were able in the early chapters of Genesis to fulfill what God commanded a go and be fruitful and multiply, and so both man and woman have an integral role in carrying out that mission.

If you will, in advancing God's kingdom there in the early chapters of Genesis. Through their relationship with each other and so now I'm in the.

The Bible has a very high view of women and if this would we contrasted with the oftentimes views you had in the ancient near East Scripture is is really clear on this, and of course Jesus, I think even confirmed in the New Testament. So thank you for that question you're listening to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez school is starting up for most kids very soon and in some areas of the country especially already started and to coincide with that. We have a free resource would like to offer parents and grandparents today Bill it's called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school to resource that helps parents think through how to give you know your kids courage as they face peer pressure how to remind them of their standing before God when they're tempted to measure their worth by their performance and and a number of other things and so right now more than ever, in a way to help our kids understand what they believe and why they believe it. And as your children are your grandchildren are preparing to go back to school, get a hold of this resource seeks ways to help your kids as they go back to school. It's a free download. Just go to core Christianity.com/offers and look for that six ways to help your kids as they go back to school. We think it will be a resource will be really helpful to all families also call us for that resource or any one of our resources. Here's our phone number again it's 833 the court.

That's 833-843-2673 let's go to Chad who is calling in from Curlew, Iowa.

Chad what your question for Pastor Israel. Adios, when the Lord's to pick up our cross and follow him. What exactly does he mean by that. A Chad thank you for that very very important question I just opened up to the gospel of Matthew and of course this is in the synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke a command that Jesus gives to his disciples. Matthew chapter 16 verse 24 then Jesus told his disciples if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul.

What shall a man give in exchange or in return for his soul for the Son of Man is going to come with his angels, and the glory of his father and then he will repay each according to the to what he has done truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until the sink they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. I did this call to discipleship is something that we see throughout the Gospels and and actually even prior to the Gospels, I think.

I think it's similar to the call that God gave to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 basically pack up everything and follow me. It's it's the call that God has placed on his people from the very beginning of creation.

Now the cross was what in the ancient world. It was this instrument of death. The very fact that Jesus was saying if you want to follow me, take up your cross and made it would've been shocking. It would've been jarring.

It would've been like sing like it if you want to follow me. But you know, pick up your electric chair or take up your new stat kind of a thing it was. It was this instrument of death is someone since it was a call to die to self, to die to the lusts of the flesh, and that is what the Christian life looks like, and in terms of sanctification.

In particular, day by day, growing in grace and the spirit of God putting to death the sinful deeds of the body.

As the apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 8 and so I think the heart of this call is that that vision of saying, Lord, my life is yours. My life is yours and and sometimes that means choosing God's way over our own way. You know too many people. I think today Chad think that following Jesus just is a sort of this. You know I'm at a little bit of Jesus to my life so that he can make my life better so that he can give me everything that I want us so that he can help me in.

In affirming myself and my desires and and that insofar as he does that that's that's great and that's why have religion. It helps meet it to be better and to get more out of life that kind of a thing when Jesus says no that's that's not what it's about. I'm actually the Lord, follow me, take up your cross and follow me now course, this is not right of the cross that we take up isn't the cross that saves us.

The cross saves us is the cross of Jesus Christ himself. It was the fact that he took up the cross died on it shed his blood so that we might have the forgiveness of sins, and it's through his work through his paving the path so that we might be forgiven and justified that we are able to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him. And so Chad God bless you is as you seek to do that in your own life. May the Lord fill you with his spirit and I bless you and Chad thank you so much for your call.

Great question.

This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez, one of the things one let you know. Is it you can leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day and we do screen are our voicemails each day and listen to them and then choose many of them to use on the air.

Here's one we received from one of our listeners named Jos� I am so glad you ministry. Thank you for it and my question is been listening to be musically hard rock Christian metal band. I believe there's the freedom of worship. You know of Psalm 150 says what more should the Lord with that has breath praise the Lord and other people say you know what the devil music because of the screaming and always heavy music but I just wanted to know your opinion about it and thank you, thank you for as a thank you so much for giving us a call and in the questions right like someone hundred 50 says let everything that has breath praise the Lord all of creation is called to praise God with our lips you're asking about a particular genre of music. Is it okay to praise God with heavy metal music I and I don't know what band you're speaking of. Personally you know that's not the kind of music that I listen to all day long but is it okay if if somebody a believer has a heavy metal band that they that they appreciate that is maybe speaking the truth through heavy metal. There's nothing wrong with that. There's there's freedom there is that the best sort of medium for communicating the truth. I'm not entirely sure you know, one of the issues that I have is I often don't understand what's being said. With that kind of the music and I think one of the things with discuss with church music on what what we sing in church as it needs to be clear needs to be understandable. I think about what the apostle Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5.

He says, verse 18.

Don't get drunk with wine, that's debauchery, but be filled with the spirit addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart was in the context of worship and in in church were not just singing to God.

It's not just my personal private time with Jesus while I'm surrounded by a bunch of other people and often deadly thinking in in churches.

That's sort of how we how we operate. We sort of vetoed. Let's dim the lights, let's light the candles. It's dark and were having this kind of private personal experience even while were altogether in church, Paul says in Ephesians that were singing were not just singing to the Lord were singing for the benefit of one another inside Tibet that that that singing should be clear. Should be understandable should communicate the truth of the gospel. The truth of God's word and that doesn't mean that you know in your own time is your is your driving in the car that you you can't and shouldn't you know listen to other kinds of music and and especially if if they're edifying if they're uplifting at their encouraging for you and if the message is good. I would say I would say go for it and so yeah appreciate your your question and may the Lord bless you as you rock out this ghetto Israel, you're probably a little too young to remember this but one of the earlier Christian rock bands was called stripers there from Southern California and they their costumes. They dressed up like honeybees that makes a lot of sensibility. Honeybees thought up now look at Google and you'll see what I'm talking about man this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and we love to hear from you. If you have a question you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com there's one from Christine. She says in Mark 411 through 12. Jesus says he is speaking in parables so that those outside may not understand. Otherwise, they would turn and be forgiven, why does he say this isn't God's will that none should perish, That's a great question is, is our Lord talked about you know the parables and then the asserted outsider insider thing Jesus to you to his disciples, has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. Of course, even the disciples oftentimes had a hard time understanding it and they go to Jesus and Jesus would have to explain it over and over again and at a they oftentimes missed it but but in particular you have the outsiders are the religious leaders, the, the spiritual authorities there in Israel at that time who frankly were abusive authorities. They were not godly you think about when when John the Baptist first came to them calling them to repentance and is as you know that that the ax is laid to the root of the tree. You guys are about to be felt. God knows how it is that you've been living in essentially I think that that's continuing here. You know they they rejected the truth of God's word. Christine and as a result, God basically confirmed them in that rejection. This is something that you do see at times, especially for a spiritually abusive leadership for wolves who have disguised themselves in the church dinner and are praying on the sheep, which again I think was what a lot of the spiritual authority in Israel at that time was doing you think of Ezekiel 34 of the false shepherds who were feeding themselves and not caring for the sheep. Will that was that the many of the scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus's day and so there is a judgment that's brought upon in their blindness they they sort of continued and said Isaiah prophesied about them and as a result, they were they were left to perdition. It's not that God wasn't merciful to many of them because he was you think of Nicodemus that the Pharisees came to Jesus in John chapter 3, who probably became a believer, became a Christian man is not that Jesus wasn't patient with them many times right calling them to repentance and faith. But there was a hardness of heart, that cause them to reject the truth of the gospel and so God gave them over to that in a part of that I think is is evidenced by Jesus's conversation there with regard to the parables and saying, look there knocking understand there on the outside and and part of that was their own sin and their sinful condition been confirmed by got a very scary thing, but that's that's I think the best answer your question, and may the Lord bless you. Thanks. Reaching out to us. This is core Christianity, just a reminder we have a great resource for parents and grandparents called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school it's absolutely free will help parents think through how to give their kids courage as they face peer pressure and remind them of their standing before God. So check it out go to core Christianity.com/offers and look for six ways to help your kids as they go back to school is our phone number again. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can call us at 833. The core let's go to Michael from Fowler, California like to know when Jesus died on the cross did he go to hell or was there a paradise that hell than the angels have their own like hell and then the people that didn't believe in Jesus before you start like the Pharisees.

All those people today get a second chance. Great question. Oftentimes, this question comes up in the context of the apostles Creed. For example, there's that phrase in the apostles Creed is. He descended into hell and that's been interpreted a number of ways. Sometimes people just refer to that is is death is speaking of, you know what Jesus experienced on the cross is suffering on the cross. There were theologians in the history of the church like John Calvin who had that view. In particular, others understand it as not Jesus going to hell in the sense of being tormented for three days prior to his resurrection. II think that's that's a view that idea that Jesus was like suffering in hell after his death on the cross. We just need to get rid of that that's where the language of of the creed may be can can sound a little bit confusing. He descended into hell.

I would think of it as going to the place of the dead proclaiming victory if you will, over the dead over the grave. We know what Jesus told the thief on the cross. Today you're going to be with me where in paradise and so that paradise.

There is sometimes people refer to it as is Abraham's bosom as the place of victory of of power but it's not the Jesus was suffering.

No, really. After his death he was proclaiming victory over the grave he conquered it trampled down death by death, and that he rose again from the grave and ascended into heaven leading a host of captives, if you will a Paul talks about this in Ephesians chapter 4, and so so it really is a wonderful thing, a triumphal thing a positive thing and then with regard to you. No second chance for those who had died and I don't know. Another thing, he will say what maybe what he was doing was used. He was preaching the gospel again to those who had died giving them another chance to salvage that I don't believe that that's the case he was proclaiming his victory over the grave over the that Shea old the place of the dead, and his salvation to Sally the once real salvation that he ushered in through his death on the cross that many prior to the you know the accomplished work of Jesus Christ were looking forward to through the that the prophecies through that that shadowy types that we had in the Old Testament you think of the sacrificial system you think of the temple. They were laying hold of Jesus by faith. Even then Paul in Romans chapter 4 makes it absolutely clear.

Even Abraham himself was justified by faith. Faith in the promise of God and in the promise of that seed that would come. The seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent and so wasn't preaching a second chance of salvation.

For some it was it was that the redemption, the once real redemption that Jesus had one in his death and resurrection your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's an email we received from one of her listeners, he says. Was Jesus actually Michael the Archangel, and was he made after Satan. I have a friend who's suggesting this but I can't find it anywhere in the Bible, yes, well your friend is is a wrong one.

Jesus was not made. Jesus is in the category of creator, not creature.

The Angels are creatures created by God in Paul in Colossians chapter 1. This is a Jesus made all the angels by him all things were made, whether in heaven or on earth.

You know, thrones, dominions, authorities, Paul makes it absolutely clear that Jesus made the Angels and if you turn to a place like Hebrews chapter 1 the author to the Hebrews makes it absolutely clear that Jesus is superior to the Angels from the earliest days of Christianity. There been some of who have tried to lump Jesus, together with creation. He's a creature he flip like the angels are. He is this elevated man that kind of thing will know the Bible says he is the uncreated Lord. The second person of the holy Trinity worthy of our worship worthy of our praise and that's what the Scripture teaches. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together