The Bible: Good News for Women?
YCAT Questions - Can a woman really feel called to ministry and leadership if some believe women do not have a place in either? - What is the role of men and women in church? - Should women be allowed to teach from the pulpit at church?
Egalitarianism Holds that women and men properly have equal and interchangeable roles in the home, church, and wider society. Egalitarianism holds that women can hold all the same roles in church leadership as men, and that in a marriage authority is properly shared equally between husband and wife. Egalitarianism also holds that women and men may properly hold the same positions in society more broadly. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Complementarianism Holds that women and men are spiritually equal but have distinct and complementary roles in the home, church, and wider society. Complementarian positions usually hold that certain positions in church leadership are reserved for men only, and that in a marriage the husband is properly the head of the family and has some degree of authority over the wife. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary
In the Beginning So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
Gender: Cultural Construct? Far from being a mere cultural construct, God depicts the existence of a man and a woman as essential to his creational plan. The two are neither identical nor interchangeable Dividing the human race into two genders, male and female one or the other, not both, and not one then the other is not the invention of Victorian prudes or patriarchal oafs. It was God s idea. Kevin De Young
1 Timothy 2:8-15 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. Painting by Sam Day
The Goddess Artemis Surviving statues of Artemis Ephesia show her to be a multi-breasted mother-goddess, clothed in ornate garments and wearing a large headdress. Artemis Ephesia was associated with fertility, having the exaggerated sexual features of other Near Eastern fertility goddesses (King and Stager, Life in Biblical Israel, 348 49). LBD
1 Timothy 2:8-15 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. It can equally mean: I don t mean to imply that I m now setting up women as the new authority over men in the same way that previously men held authority over women. Why might Paul need to say this? N. T. Wright Painting by Sam Day
Dr Amy Orr-Ewing Ephesus, a pagan city, was totally dominated by the temple of the goddess Artemis. That goddess was primarily served by a cult of female priestesses who used their sexuality to dominate men. They refused to have children because they saw childbearing as tainting them. In this Gentile context, the church in Ephesus has converts from among the women who had been dominating men. Paul is correcting the bad theology / imbalance/ extreme of the culture. He says women will be saved through childbearing - in other words, childbirth will not taint you or bring you down. Ultimately, we are saved through the child born of a woman - Jesus Christ.
Mary & Martha Mary, who sat at the Lord s feet listening to what he said. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Lk 10: 38-42 Painting by Sam Day
Other things the Bible says A certain ruler asked him, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Lk 18:18-22 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Ac 2:44 45.
Hermeneutics: Bible Interpretation Exegesis: bringing out of the text all that it contains of the thoughts, attitudes, assumptions Synthesis: the process of gathering up and surveying in historically integrated form the fruits of exegesis Application: applying the truth of what God has said and done into the current context. J. I. Packer
Contextualisation: Engaging Culture While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. Acts 17 Paul purposefully withholds a revealed biblical truth ( idolatry is evil ) so that he can better engage the culture with the good news of Jesus.
Women Celebrated in the Bible Miriam was a prophet (Ex 15:20) Now Deborah, a prophet was leading Israel at that time. (Jdg 4:4) Two Bible books named after women: Esther and Ruth Anna was a prophet (Lk 2:36) The first person Jesus reveals his messianic status in John s Gospel is a women (Jn 4) The first witnesses to the resurrection and the first to proclaim Jesus has risen were women. Philip the evangelist has 4 daughters who prophesied (Acts 21) Phoebe was a Deacon (Rom 16) Junia outstanding among the apostles (Rom 16) Priscilla and her husband taught about Jesus together (Acts 18)
Dr Amy Orr-Ewing Jesus was radically counter cultural in his treatment of women. Patriarchy is not a logical outworking of Jesus teaching. Truth matters. Ideas have consequences. If male and female are equal bearers of the divine image then one gender cannot subjugate or dominate the other. Where the church may have failed women, Christ gave humanity the perfect pattern of how to affirm the true humanity of women.
On a Personal Note