
Deuteronomy 22:28–29 and Marrying your Rapist
Though it sounds heartless, even preposterous, to modern Westerners, the Deut. 22:28-29 law, for a rapist to marry his victim, may have benefitted the raped woman. Here’s why.
Though it sounds heartless, even preposterous, to modern Westerners, the Deut. 22:28-29 law, for a rapist to marry his victim, may have benefitted the raped woman. Here’s why.
Does helping someone mean you subordinate yourself to that person? 3 men whose essays I’ve read recently answer this question with “yes”.
Elizabeth was a faithful woman of God who was given a remarkable son, John the Baptist. She was also given a prophetic voice.
Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:14ff), and women like her, were vital and strategic players at the forefront of the expanding Christian mission.
What did Eve do to help Adam? Here are two very different views from three top scholars about Eve’s role as helper in Genesis 2.
What do the New Testament and other early Christian and Jewish documents say about meekness and gentleness? (cf. 1 Peter 3:4)
Matthew 27:19 mentions Pontius Pilate’s wife and her dream about Jesus. What do we know of this woman? Was she a Jewish convert? A Christ-follower?
Here is a coherent interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12 that takes into account surrounding verses as well as documented heresies in the 1st-2nd century church.
The Greek word for “head” rarely, if ever, meant “leader” in works originally written in Greek in Paul’s time. Here are four facts that support this claim.
Aemilia Lanyer was an English author and professing Christian who advocated for equality for women in a poem published in 1611.
Is male headship and female submission the best way for husbands and wives who are in Christ to live by New Testament and New Creation principles?
In this article I look at the text of 2 John, especially at the words the letter writer uses to identify the people he is writing to, including the “chosen lady.”
After 8 years, this is my last post from newlife.id.au. My next post will be from my new address MargMowczko.com. I hope you will join me there later this week.
Here is a close look at the word authentein (translated as ‘to usurp authority’ in 1 Tim. 2:12 KJV). A brief history of how authent- words and their meanings developed is included.
Was Paul concerned about women’s hair or veils in ancient Corinth? Would he be concerned about it in 21st-century Sydney? I wrote this piece in response to teaching at the Equip 17 women’s conference.
Here’s a paper I presented back in 2015 and which is included in the book “The Gender Conversation.”
Here’s a short review of Cynthia Westfall’s superb new book, “Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ,” published by Baker Academic.
Not all first-century women fit the stereotype of being hidden and housebound. Some were influential and prominent in society and in the church.
Complementarians say men and women are equal in Christ, but the finer points of their beliefs reveal something different, especially regarding single women.
Does the Genesis story that Adam was created first mean that men have greater authority than women? Does primogeniture have a place in Christian relationships?
Complementarians believe that men have authority over women and that this principle is rooted in creation and timeless in application. Cynthia Westfall exposes the flaws in this thinking.
Here are four short clever videos which look at 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and intelligently discuss whether women can teach in church.
In this article, I look at the language of 1 Timothy 2:12 and discuss the idea that this verse concerns an anonymous couple in the Ephesian church rather than men and women more generally.
This is a somewhat technical look at the word presbyteroi (“elders”) in New Testament letters, including the presbyterai (“women elders”) 1 Timothy 5:2.
Three times this past week I’ve been in online conversations where a person has stated that women were not leaders or elders in early churches. Was this really the case?
Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junia were Christian ministers who sometimes travelled. The NT shows that, at the very least, their paths crossed one or twice. Were they friends?
Who will strike the serpent’s head? Some translations of Genesis 3:15 have “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they.” Is it us?
There were powerful women in Bible times. Some were godly, others were not. This article looks especially at the Queen of Sheba and at Berenice who is mentioned in Acts.
Apphia, a woman, is greeted by Paul in his letter to Philemon. What was her role or position at Colossae? Was she Philemon’s wife or another Phoebe?
In this very short post, Matthew Malcolm shows that Paul has a keen interest in setting up hierarchies of human honour and then subverting them by subjecting all humans to God.
Is the Hebrew word teshuqah, traditionally translated as “desire” in Genesis 3:16, better translated as “single-minded concentration” or “devotion”?
In Luke 14:25-27, Jesus told his disciples have to hate their father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters. Was Jesus speaking to only men here?
Tertullian wrote about equality and mutuality in marriage; he did not regard the household code in Ephesians as comprehensive or prescriptive.
Is 1 Tim 2:13 (“For Adam was formed first …”) a reason for 1 Tim 2:12? How is the created order significant? What does “gar” mean?
Not understanding the context and challenges of 1 Timothy 2:12 can lead to flawed interpretations. Here are 6 factors that should be considered when interpreting this verse.
This essay looks at the distinctive appearance of Artemis of Ephesus, and at what her items of clothing symbolise. A short history of the goddess is included to help explain her importance and power.
This post is about two brave unnamed women mentioned in 2 Samuel 17 who each risked their lives to help King David’s, and God’s, cause.
Eve, Delilah, Bathsheba, Mary Magdalene, and the Samaritan woman have often been thought of as immoral. What’s with that? This article looks at the Samaritan woman without negative prejudices.
Here are a couple of lines from the Acts of Peter about Candida, a woman who instructed her husband in the faith in the first century.
What is the context of Jesus’ words on divorce with the Pharisees? Did he teach that all second marriages, with a former spouse still living, are adulterous? Probably not.
Here are some better translations of Malachi 2:16 that faithfully reflect the Hebrew grammar and do not have God saying, “I hate divorce.”
Does the creation of Adam first mean that only men may teach? Is the created order a reason for the prohibition in 1 Tim 2:12?
This is part 2 of a series which looks at the women in the church at Smyrna around AD. This article focuses on Gavia and the Virgin Widows.
In Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers, we discover that women were active in ministry in the church at Smyrna. Part 1 looks at Alke (or Alce) of Smyrna.
Michael Jensen: “It is no surprise to learn that many of the early feminists were evangelical Christians. … Feminism is a response to a deeper problem in human relations – not the problem itself.”
Jesus talked about theology with women, a life-giving, vital theology. He answered their theological questions which answered their deepest needs, and he equipped them to talk theology to others.
Does “a suitable helper for him” (ezer kenegdo) in Genesis 2:18-20 speak about a defining gender role for women? Are all women “helpers” of men?
One misunderstanding about what Christian egalitarians believe concerns the words “equal” or “equality.” How do egalitarians understand and use these words?
Does God’s lament in Isaiah 3:12 (“women rule over them”) show that the leadership of women is a bad thing? What does Isaiah 3:12 mean?
Do husbands have a particular responsibility for the spiritual growth of their wives? Will husbands one day present their wives to Jesus?
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