Some are disturbed by the female figure in Revelation 17. What does she suggest about John’s attitude to women, or about women in general? Who or what is Babylon the Great?
In this somewhat technical post, I quote the 5 verses in John’s Gospel that mention “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Is the beloved disciple a woman?
Here’s a call and response prayer that thanks God for Bible women who served God and his people with bravery and grace.
Each of the four Gospels contains an account where a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. In this article, I compare these stories. How many times was Jesus anointed?
In this blog post, I give a brief overview of the Greek and Hebrew words used in the Bible for divorce.
The Greek word adelphoi is used over 100 times in Paul’s letters. Is “brothers and sisters” or “siblings” an acceptable translation?
In Luke 13:10–17, Jesus sets free a woman who had been disabled for 18 years. Click to see Barbara Schwarz’s painting and to read the story that inspired her artwork.
Here are a few excerpts from a chapter written by Judith Gundry that are helpful in understanding Paul’s arguments and use of creation in 1 Cor. 11:2-16.
Drawing on ancient texts, I give 3 reasons why there should be a consensus on the general sense of “authentein” as bad bossy behaviour.
Rachel Speght responded to a misogynist in the early 1600s by writing a witty piece that encourages respect for women. It still entertains.
Who was Damaris? What was her social status? What does her name mean? What was her role in the church? Evidence from ancient inscriptions help to answer some of these questions.
Paul said in 1 Cor. 11:10 that a woman should have “authority on her head.” Whose authority is it?
Gen 3:16, about Eve, and Gen 4:7, about Cain, both contain the Hebrew words teshuqah (“desire”) and mashal (“rule”). Does 4:7 help us to understand 3:16?
Who are the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14? What do they symbolise? Are women really excluded from this group?
What if Malachi 2:16 isn’t a general statement on divorce but about a priest named Manasseh who divorced his first wife in around 350 BCE? It’s likely.
Here’s a complete list of women identified as prophetesses in the Bible, with a note on each. There was a recognised place for such women in Israel.
in 1 Cor. 11:14-15, Paul says that nature is a teacher of hair lengths or hairstyles for men and women. What did he mean by “nature”?
The story of David’s ten concubines, especially when linked with God’s words in 2 Samuel 12:11, is a deeply troubling story. Warning: sexual violence.
In this article, I give a brief overview of how I read 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. This passage includes the phrase, “the head of woman is man.”
Salome was a follower of Jesus, a witness of his crucifixion and empty tomb. She is mentioned twice in the Bible but many more times in other early church documents.
Some Christians claim that submission is always to a person in authority. In this article, I quote early church bishops who spoke positively about mutual submission.
Throughout her book, Dr Barr aims to show that complementarianism isn’t the only option for those who believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God.
The Reformation is “a story of loss rather than a story of gain, of increased subordination rather than of liberation.”
In her book The Making of Biblical Womanhood, Beth Allison Barr argues that the concept of “biblical womanhood” doesn’t come from the apostle Paul.
Mary Magdalene was the herald of Jesus’s resurrection and of his impending ascension. After his resurrection, why did Jesus tell her, “Do not cling to me”?
In this article I answer the question, Where in the New Testament does it say women were pastors? There is a biblical case for female pastors.
I’ve seen people express dismay that Paul disparages women in 2 Timothy 3:6–7. Here’s a short note looking at Paul’s words here and at his main concern.
Part 3 looks at what Jael’s story and the accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion have in common, and at why some early and medieval theologians used Jael as a type of Mary the mother of Jesus.
In part 2 I look at the sexual and maternal imagery in Jael’s story, and the deadly determination in her actions. What was motivating her? *This article mentions rape.
Jael is a popular Bible figure, famous for her brutal act of violence against Israel’s enemy. In part 1 (of 3), I look at her story as recorded in Judges 4.
Is Ephesians 5:21-22 one sentence or two? What is the best way to punctuate these verses? How do ancient manuscripts treat them?
Is it significant that there is no “submit” word in Ephesians 5:22 in two of the oldest Greek manuscripts? Did Paul tell wives to submit?
In this article, I look at the Greek participles in Ephesians 5:18-21, especially the “submit” participle in verse 21.
Here are 12 blogs on Christian theology and biblical studies written by evangelical scholars who don’t push a complementarian or patriarchal agenda.
Miriam is identified as a prophet and leader in the Bible, but some say her ministry was only to women. Was this the case? What does the Bible say?
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife are the only women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Why only these four women?
D.A. Carson and Tim Keller recently had a conversation about 1 Timothy 2:12 posted on YouTube. I was asked about it. Here’s my response.
Paul honours Lois and Eunice and acknowledges they had been Timothy’s teachers. These women enabled Timothy to face challenges in Ephesus.
In this article, I briefly explain what I think it means to be made in the image of God and why it doesn’t have much to do with either God’s gender or ours.
In this short article, I sketch the case that 1 Tim. 2:12 says nothing, one way or the other, about whether competent women can be pastors, preachers, priests, elders, or any kind of church leader.
Some Christians think women should be “keepers at home” and stay out of the workforce and away from leadership ministries in the church. Here’s a list of respected Bible women who weren’t “keepers at home.”
I’ve been getting emails lately from young women convinced that men are physically superior to women. The hurt in these emails is profound. Here’s part of an email exchange I had with a woman named Jade.
Paul’s message in Romans 14 has some relevance to the issue of women ministers, an issue that continues to cause division in some sectors of the church.
I was honoured to write a foreword to Graham Hill’s book “Holding Up Half the Sky” where he presents a biblical case for women leading and teaching in the church. The foreword is in this post.
Is meekness a masculine virtue? How do ancient writers use the Greek word praus (“meek”)? What do ancient writers say about meek warhorses?
Atto, bishop of Vercelli in the 900s, saw in church tradition that women had led churches and were presbyters (priests or elders). He did not think this was a bad thing.
Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia. He acknowledged that these women were leading ministers in their churches.
Here are six 30-minute videos where Kenneth Bailey discusses the topic of women in the New Testament. Dr Bailey was a scholar of the New Testament in its Middle Eastern context.
Eph. 5:21 is one New Testament verse that encourages mutual submission. 1 Peter 5:5 is another. This post looks at the Greek grammar and vocabulary of 1 Peter 5:5.
Jesus used hyperbole in his Sermon on the Mount, especially in Matt 5:17-48 and perhaps also in the phrase “makes her an adulterer.”
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© 2022 Marg Mowczko