Expressions of Glory

Man is an expression of God’s glory, and in the human relationship, woman is an expression of man’s glory – 11:7

⁷For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.

The wrong way to view this is as a statement of value. Not at all. Other passages make it clear that both man and woman are made in the image of God. In that sense, both are equally for the glory of God. This is not a value statement of personhood; it is a statement of glory. Man exists to bring honor to God and does so when his manhood is expressed as God designed and intended. In the human relationship, women are a wonderful and praiseworthy compliment to man because femininity is the beautiful complement to masculinity.

You agree with this point even if you don’t realize it. Husbands, how many of you are wise enough right now to verbally acknowledge that you married way better than you deserved? How many of you married up?

I was talking with my best buddy growing up and we were talking about how great his wife is. He said, Yep, in marrying her, I outkicked my coverage. I have another friend who gladly embraces years of people bewildered at how on earth he landed the wife he did.

Any good and godly wife is that to her husband. She’s way more than he deserves. Or could we say it this way, the glory of her personhood brings praise to her husband. She is his glory and when a husband sees his wife as a glorious gift and way more than he deserves, there is something inherently good and right about it. It is God’s truth!

That’s what Paul is saying here. Men, we are in a relationship with God where our existence as image bearers brings glory to God AND the existence of the stunningly beautiful inside and out creatures known as women brings undeserved glory to us in our God-ordained position of headship and co-image bearers of God.[1]

I hope you are getting a sense that maleness and femaleness, manhood and womanhood is way more significant than merely body parts and plumbing; there is a deep and divine glory in a biblical manhood and womanhood.

[1] Paul probably means that the existence of the one brings honor and praise to the other. –Fee, p. 516.

© 2010 Steve DeWitt. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author, (2) any modifications are clearly marked, (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, (4) you include Bethel’s web site address (http://www.bethelweb.org/) on the copied resource.