TL

”The’image of God’ has failed to be shown as equal. Adam’s exclamation of Eve really does nothing to promote total equality without distinctions of roles. The ‘one flesh’ verse is never used in scripture to promote the egalitarian view of equality.”

I strongly dispute that there is inequality in the image of God. God is a perfect unified ONE. There is no inequality in Him/Them (Eloheim).

Yes, the fact that both man and woman were created in the image of God is the first place to show of their equality. We are all human first and foremost. Maleness and femaleness do not detract from our humanness or being in the image of God.

The second place to show of their equality is that they are both to govern the earth and it’s creatures. Together, the first mandate of God is to rule as guardians over the creatures of the earth. “Rulership”, guardianship, leadership are abilities all humans are capable of. It is in our genes.

The third place to show of their equality is that the woman is presented to the man as the ezer (strong help – not helper or assistant) kenegdo (equal to, counterpart to, corresponding to, facing) for him. It is the Hebrew neged that brings this element to their relationship. Interestingly, it is out of this root word, neged, that another word , nagid, arises which means prominent one, ruler and leader. Both of these words, neged and ezer, are strong words describing the one who is to allay or fix the human’s need of an other. Humans were not meant to be alone. We are meant to live in community. But that community ideally is not supposed to be one of superiors and inferiors but equals living in mutuality and harmony each blessing the other.