Adam and Eve were equal, she wasn't required to submit to him.
Jim,
This would not align well with the OC or NC. First, in the OC God created Eve as Adam's helper. This therefore does show she had a functional role. Equal to Adam in that she was also human as he was human? Yes! Were they both equal and loved by God? Yes! Were they just as important and valuable to God? Yes both were equal in value and importance. But Eve was created for a specific purpose, and that assignment was to follow Adam and be a help to him in the original commission he had been given. This is also what we find taught in the NC writings. Paul stated it very explicitly as to why a woman was created. Paul said: "
a woman is the glory of a man . . . man was not made for the woman but the woman was made for the man" (1 Cor. 11:7,9). Though highly unpopular in egalitarian circles if we accept the absolute inspiration of the text we are left that Eve was created for Adam and she was assigned to be his helper, not his leader or not in the same role as Adam. Equal? Yes. With different roles? Yes. the comment about ruling over Eve was not anything new other than now after sin there would be conflict in the roles as sin had disrupted the harmony. Does that make a woman less valuable? Not at all. If this is true then every employer who has employees is demeaning the employees for they too have a different assignment and role than the employer. Plus, it would mean that within the Godhead there is degradation as well. The Holy Spirit is also the Helper by Jesus Christ. Jesus, who though he was also God in the flesh, submitted to God the Father. Does that make Jesus less valuable than the Father? Certainly not! Does it make the Holy Spirit less valuable because the Spirit is called the Helper like Eve was called Adam's helpmate? Certainly not. Functional roles can be different even when all members are equal.
he cannot be blamed for being a bad leader of Eve.
I understand what I think you are trying to communicate. Adam did not control Eve and he did cause her to eat. But, it is not true that Adam was in the same type of sin as Eve. If you will read 1 Timothy 2 closely we find that God says Eve was deceived. Adam's sin was not one of deception but one of purposeful rebellion. And clearly Paul in Romans 5 places the blame for mankind's fall into sin directly on the shoulders of Adam. In chapter 5 verses 12 and following Paul said it three or four times that sin entered the universe through Adam, not through Eve. Adam stood as the covenant head of the human race. Thus Eve experience her fall into sin when Adam deliberately disobeyed God's order.
