Paul’s main purpose for writing First Timothy was to address the heresy in the Ephesian Church, possibly a precursor to Gnosticism.
In Part 4 we begin looking at 1 Timothy 2:11-15, verse by verse, phrase by phrase.
Why are Adam and Eve mentioned immediately after Paul’s prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12? What does Paul mean by salvation and childbirth in 1 Timothy 2:15?
Mary Magdalene and some other women knew a large stone had been rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. They went to the tomb anyway. [300 words]
In this article, I look at Paul’s statements of equality and unity in ministry from 1 Corinthians chapter 12, including his instruction to give more honour to those lacking it.
Here are links to several articles that look at arguments related to the idea of a male-only priesthood, arguments that keep women out of church leadership.
According to the late Dr David M. Scholer, a former New Testament professor at Fuller, here are the top ten reasons men should not be ordained as ministers.
Michael Bird notes discrepancies between the ideology and the practice of some complementarians regarding women teaching men.
In his 2012 book “Hearing Her Voice,” scholar and minister John Dickson argues that women can preach, exhort, exposit Scripture, prophecy, pray, etc, in church.
Does the New Testament teach that men and women have different roles in the church Are some ministries too important for women?
Kathy Keller argues that women are prohibited from just one kind of speaking ministry and from holding one kind of position in the church.
Many Christians are concerned with who has authority in the church and about whether a woman can have authority over a man. Who has authority in the church?
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is a difficult passage to understand, but it makes more sense when read as a chiasm. What are Paul’s concerns and instructions here?
Some Christians think the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12 is straightforward in meaning. The various ways this verse is understood and implemented indicates otherwise.
Some complementarians believe women cannot be pastors and Bible teachers, yet they read Bible commentaries and theological books written by women. How does that work?
The book of Acts bears testimony to the Holy Spirit’s roles as the great energiser and equaliser in the first decades of the church. The Spirit continues to foster equality and my aim is to work with the Spirit.
Are women more easily deceived than men? What does the Bible, including 1 Timothy 2:14, say about Eve and women and deception?
King Lemuel’s mother is one of two women mentioned in Proverbs 31. These Bible women, and others, serve as inspiration for godly women who teach.
Rahab in the Old Testament, and Lydia in the New, are separated by 1000s of years and 1000s of miles, yet there are intriguing similarities between the two women.
Jezebel of Thyatira is a teacher mentioned in Revelation 2:20ff. What does her example brings to discussions about women in ministry?
Deborah in the Bible is described as a prophet and leader of Israel. Did God choose her because there were no suitable men available?
This article looks at the women Paul greeted in his letters, including 10 women mentioned in Romans 16. His greetings show that Paul did not have a problem with women ministers.
Plenty of people are “distressed, dispirited, and without a shepherd” and the harvest has never been more plentiful (Matt. 9:36-37). Do we ask God to send only male workers into the harvest field?
Paul described his ministry in maternal and paternal terms. It seems God does not want his people led only in a masculine manner.
This article looks at several shortcomings to the argument “Jesus’ twelve apostles were all male, so women cannot be church leaders.”
Here are some of my older articles on the apostle Paul’s teachings that especially apply to women. I love Paul!
In this post I share a quote from Dr John T Bristow about how some in the early church treated slaves with equity and even tried to free them.
There are differences between the Old and New Testaments in how women are described, especially in regard to beauty, marriage, motherhood, and ministry.
Is protection a man’s job? Do women need protecting? Perhaps instead of “protecting” capable Christian women, the church should be empowering her women.
It seems many Christians use a dichotomous key to determine who can be a pastor. For many, the first question is, “Is the candidate a man?” A “no” answer brings instant disqualification.
How is this increase in biblical and theological scholarship from women being received by the church? And how will it affect the church?
Some Christians believe that because Jesus is a man, only men can represent Jesus in their congregations. Does the fact that Jesus is male mean that women cannot be church leaders?
Complementarian Mark Chanski seems to think men and women each have just one role, or position, they are to play and maintain throughout their lives. I disagree.
What does the Bible say about working women? Does God want women to stay out of the workforce and stay at home?
The New Living Translation (NLT) seems supportive and inclusive of women because it often translates adelphoi as “brothers and sisters” but it promotes male authority.
In 1 Peter 3:1-6, Peter instructs wives to submit and he uses the examples of “the holy women of the past” and Sarah to help make his points. Who were these “holy women of the past”? In what way did Sarah submit to Abraham?
This is my account about how I went from thinking that a gender hierarchy in marriage and ministry was God’s design to realising that equality and mutuality is scriptural and God’s ideal.
I have included some of my personal views on topics related to biblical equality or “Casteless Christianity”. [3000 words]
Who were Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3)? Were they leaders of the Philippian church? Early Church Father John Chrysostom seemed to think so.
Revelation 5:9-10 is about the universal, inclusive nature of the church and the priesthood of believers. Some Christians, however, divide the church into two distinct groups on the basis of gender.
Can you name a woman who is called a pastor in the New Testament? Are there any women identified as church ministers in the NT?
Hierarchical complementarians don’t like it when Christian egalitarians (like myself) compare their views with racism, but I can’t help seeing the similarities.
Here are summaries of a range of interpretations of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 proposed by well-known New Testament scholars. How do these verses apply today?
Do you read the Bible through “blue-tinted” lenses? My friend Norman does. He completely ignored Samson’s mother when retelling Judges 13.
The fact that only men were permitted to serve as priests in the Old Testament is sometimes used to argue that women cannot be church leaders. There are several significant shortcomings in this argument.
Mary Kassian recently posted an article on her website about “Scary Straw Women of Complementarity”. But she failed to mention two important women of complementarianism.
Mary Kassian claims that Complementarianism represents the Church’s “traditional, orthodox, historic belief” on gender. She must be reading different accounts of Church history to me.
In a 1995 article, Wayne Grudem ranked 83 ministries in order of decreasing authority. His lists reveal whether he really thinks men and women are equal.
Out of the almost 100 theologians and scholars who contributed to the ESV Study Bible not one of them was a woman. They were all men!
Is motherhood the highest calling for women? Is fatherhood the highest calling for men? What did Jesus have to say about this?
Is it logical to prohibit women from teaching grown men? What was the reason for Paul’s prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12? Was it because Eve was deceived?
Would you like to support my ministry of encouraging mutuality and equality between men and women in the church and in marriage?
© 2022 Marg Mowczko