The creation order given in Genesis 2 is often brought up in discussions about ministry and marriage. What significance did Paul place on man being created first?
The household codes in Eph. 5-6 and Col. 3-4 are not about gender but primarily about power and about mitigating abuse that often comes with power.
In this post, I look at Nympha, a Christian mentioned in Colossians 4:15. What was her association with Paul? What was her ministry? Where was her house church? Was she really a woman?
Timothy knew Paul’s views on ministry and it’s unlikely he needed to be reminded of them. 1 Tim. 2:11-15 is not Paul’s general teaching on ministry but something else.
Does 1 Corinthians 11:7 express superiority of men over women. Is this what is meant by “man … is the image and glory of God but woman is the glory of man”? Here’s a different interpretation.
Here’s a look at a common Greek phrase used in Phil. 4:2 concerning Euodia and Syntyche. What did Paul want them to think? Were the women quarrelling?
Does 1 Timothy 3:4a (“managing his own household well”) show that men, and not women, are to rule or manage their households? What was the role of the first church overseers and bishops?
This article looks at Junia, a Christian missionary mentioned in Romans 16:7 who was persecuted for her faith and may have known Jesus personally. Was she also known as Joanna?
A few verses in Paul’s letters are frequently cited by Christians who exclude women from some ministries. Did Paul really restrict women in either ministry or marriage? This is part 3 of a series on gender roles in the Bible.
This short post looks at the verb authenteō (authentein) in 1 Tim. 2:12. My claim is that “to have, exercise, usurp authority” is an inadequate and misleading translation.
Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:14ff), and women like her, were vital and strategic players at the forefront of the expanding Christian mission.
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.
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?
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.
Not all first-century women fit the stereotype of being hidden and housebound. Some were influential and prominent in society and in the church.
Does Adam being 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.
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?
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 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.
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?
Do husbands have a particular responsibility for the spiritual growth of their wives? Will husbands one day present their wives to Jesus?
A good understanding of scripture is an important qualification for many Christian ministries. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 mentions this qualification and does not exclude women like Priscilla.
Are ascetic teachings that emphasise celibacy behind Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:15? What does “saved through childbearing” mean?
One reason I believe 1 Tim. 2:12 and 1 Cor. 14:34 were ad hoc regulations addressing local problems is because of a Greek verb found in both verses.
What do Jesus and Paul say about purity, modesty, and lust?
If Paul had meant for only men to be leaders and teachers, why doesn’t he mention this in his lists of ministries in Rom. 12:6–8, 1 Cor. 12:28, and Eph. 4:11?
What does the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila to Apollos reveal? (Acts 18:18-28). How did others feel about the couple and their ministry? (Romans 16:3-5)
The examples of Adam & Eve (Gen. 3) and Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5) challenge the idea that husbands are responsible for the actions of their wives.
When we put Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 into practice, we honour all people equally. This means giving extra honour to those lacking it.
Does Romans 5:12–21 show that God holds only Adam, and not Eve, responsible for the first sin? How does Paul use the example of Adam in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15?
In what way (or ways) is the relationship between Jesus and the church a model for marriage? What does Paul mean in Ephesians 5:22-33?
More than a century ago, church historian Adolf von Harnack was honest and approving in his appraisal of women ministers mentioned in the New Testament.
Chloe is a woman mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11? Was she a pagan or a Christian? A concerned house church leader or the quarrelsome leader of a faction?
When we read the NT household codes, we need to keep in mind that some “masters” were women. How does this affect our understanding of these passages?
Here are excerpts from ancient Gnostic texts that present Adam and Eve in a very different light. Do they help us to understand 1 Timothy 2:13-14?
How are we to understand “man was not created for woman, but woman for man”? Does 1 Corinthians 11:9 indicate that service or submission is the role of women and not men?
What did Paul mean by “A wife/ husband does not have authority of her /his body” in 1 Cor. 7:4? This verse has been terribly misunderstood by some.
In part 4 I look at the deacons in the Philippian church and at the development of church offices in the apostolic and post-apostolic churches.
We have only two lines about Phoebe in the Bible, but Theodoret of Cyrrhus has more information about her. Did Phoebe travel to Spain with Paul? Did she deliver his letter to the Romans?
Here I look at Paul’s introduction of Phoebe to the church at Rome. I also look at the ministry of certain women in the Gospels, and Tabitha’s ministry in Acts, and compare them with Phoebe’s ministry.
A short post on why Christian women, as well as Christian men, are sons of God. What does it mean to be an adopted son of God?
In this article I provide a brief overview of church life in the first century and I highlight the ministry contributions of women.
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