So that we can get through this in a reasonable amount of time, I'm going to stick to the assertions Jonathan makes, versus what the Bible actually says. There are things he brings up throughout, that (at times) do appear in the Bible, but he does not represent the story or the intent of its appearance accurately. If you have specific questions about those things, please feel free to send them in and I'll do my best to answer as many as I can--but please remember that I'm just a working man. I'm not a writer, or Pastor, this blog is just a service I do in love: I have to fit this in between being a husband, dad, and friend, while finding time to get a responsible amount of sleep so I can faithfully perform the duties I am paid for in my profession.
So let's begin by starting with Jonathan's placard, specifically in the upper left corner, where he quotes Genesis Chapter 2, verse 24, as if it were a reference from which he takes his amplifying comments which appear directly below the verse reference:
Jonathan quotes Gen 2:24: Here is what GEN 2:24 actually Says: "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh".
That's it. That's GEN 2:24 without any edit or commentary from me--look it up for yourself.
How does Jonathan get all that stuff from Gen 2:24? I don't know--maybe someone he trusted told him that this is what it says and he was so incensed that he just ran with it. I've done that before, only to find out I (and the person who gave me the bad information) was wrong.
Maybe your thinking that I'm being unfair to by focusing only on the verse he cited? Maybe there's more to it if you look before and after the quoted text? Let's take a look at that.
Look up all of Chapter 2 and you'll find that most of the Chapter has to do with God's ongoing work of creation. He [GOD] had already created man, and in verse 18 said, "it is not good that man should be alone--I will make a helper, suitable for him".
Later, in verse 22, God takes a rib from Adam's side and forms woman. Upon seeing her, Adam (in verse 23) said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” As Adam's words end here, verse 24 continues with a divine decree spoken by God: These words show us our first glimpse of how important marriage is and will be to humankind from the very beginning. As both a relational thing for us, and as a foretelling reflection of God's relationship with all of us, "becomming one" is a recurrent theme. Using the model of marriage God intends to teach us about his love for us: Jesus is often referred to as "The Bridegroom" and his believers (the Church) are referred to as "The Bride". Even Psalms in the old testament foretells of The King and his Bride.
Now, for added perspective, let's look back at the creation story and notice something you've probably heard but never took due note of in the past: Every other animal was created by God as an independent entity unto itself--both male and female, yes, but each was created independently--as individuals--from the elements. They had no biological commonality, one to another.
Adam and Eve (on the other hand) were the only living things created from one flesh. God tell us (for the first of many times) in Gen 2:24 "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." From this example of Adam and Eve, we see that this "one flesh" thing is not merely a figure of speech, but literally tells of how something happened.
This great mystery is often spoken of in the bible. "Becomming one" in marriage is a reflection back to the story of creation, and a foretelling of things to come, when we are united with God--first through salvation, and again when Jesus returns to take his bride.
This is why men are instructed throughout the Bible to love and care for their wives like they care for their own body--because through the sacriment of marriage she has become and she is his own body. God has made them one flesh.
In the Gospel of John, the concept of two becomming one is used again as Jesus prays to God just before he gives himself in crucifixion. See John, Chapter 17, verses 20-25 where He prays:
“My prayer is not for them [the deciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, (all of us should be "one" with each other) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
As we can see by Jesus' prayer, unity(being one) in love are important to God. He wants us to experience this with all the fullness and satisfaction possible. Love is important to God and he is the one who made it important for us. He tells us that he is love and gives us over three-hundred examples of how he wants us to love one-another throughout the Bible.
While there is a call for submission in relationships, our irresponsible modern interpretations are more the result of bad-teaching, bad-examples and a bad frame of mind than anything else: Think about it. Name a single healthy relationship you have with anyone that doesn't involve some level of submission, and respect?
If you have a job, you submit to your boss--does that mean the boss gets treat you disrespectfully? Of course not.
In school, do you deomonstrate some level of submission to your professors? Of course--but does this mean you berate yourself and put off all of your own dignity for the purpose of flattering the professor for having a title? Of course not.
If you play organized sports, do you submit to your coach? If you want to play you do, but you God has not given the coach the right to abuse and humiliate you.
Even in friendship relationships, we submit to each other all the time! In the bond of friendship, we seek to show our esteem and serve each others needs, preferences and desires. This is mutual submission and is a natural reflection and expression of love!
Mutual submission, service and sacrifice is an essential element in any relationship, yet, when it comes to Christian relationships it is treated as some ancient method that has to be struck down, conquered and done away with. This is not only foolish thinking, but is hypocritical in it's foundations.
If you can accept the idea of submission within all these contexts? Why not marriage? And, most who read the bible casually don't know that God actaully calls married men and women to be mutually submissive to each other (not just women).
Read Ephesians 5, beginning in verse 21, which begins with "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ". I hope this begins to clear this up and helps bring us a little closer together and demonstrates that our beliefs aren't really as far apart as they may seem.
Even if you haven't decided you "believe the Bible", at least you can see that it's not the kind of whacky, mental-ward story you may have been led to believe in the past. I hope that will be reason enough for you to keep reading it, because remember, this story is good news. The Bible says it's good news for ALL THE PEOPLE...not just a specific race or nationality....all the people.
Do you know why? Because Jesus loves you! (and so do I). Until next time, shine on!
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