What did Paul mean when he said “husband of one wife”? What was Priscilla’s role in Ephesus and Rome? What is Paul’s overall theology of ministry and women?
Here is more from a talk I gave on February 11. In part 2, I look at 1 Timothy 2:12 within its immediate context and within the context of First Timothy.
This is part 1 of a talk I gave recently which looks at Paul’s overall theology on ministry and the verses often used to limit women.
With some trepidation, I critique Troy Martin’s idea that peribolaion means testicle in 1 Cor. 11:15 and his idea that Paul thought hair is a conduit of semen.
I look at how Paul uses the phrase “in everything” in his letters and at what it means in, “wives submit to your husbands in everything.”
In this article, I provide an overview of how Paul uses the word kephalē (“head”) in his letters, and I give a brief note on each verse that contains the word.
Here are some first-century Greek texts that use the word kephalē (“head”). They show how the word was used in Paul’s day.
In this post, I discuss Paul’s instructions to husbands in Colossians 3:19. I look at this verse within the broader context of Colossians and I explore what “bitter” means.
Paul’s words to wives in Colossians 3:18 contains a phrase that doesn’t occur elsewhere in the New Testament. What does it mean to submit “as is fitting in the Lord”?
The Greek word adelphoi is used over 100 times in Paul’s letters. Is “brothers and sisters” or “siblings” an acceptable translation?
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.
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?
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”?
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.
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.
In this article, I look at the Greek participles in Ephesians 5:18-21, especially the “submit” participle in verse 21.
Paul honours Lois and Eunice and acknowledges they had been Timothy’s teachers. These women enabled Timothy to face challenges in Ephesus.
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.”
Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia. He acknowledged that these women were leading ministers in their churches.
When we understand “preaching” words in the way New Testament authors used these words, we see that some New Testament women preached.
Were Andronicus and Junia “outstanding/ notable among the apostles” (Rom.16:7 KJV, NIV) or “well known to the apostles” (ESV, NET)?
Here is a list of over a dozen early and medieval scholars who took Junia’s name in Romans 16:7 to be feminine. Junia was a woman and not Junias, a man.
Here are 3 reasons why 1 Timothy 2:12 may be about a particular couple in the Ephesian church and not Paul’s general thoughts on women in ministry.
Do women need to cover their heads in church meetings? What does Paul say about this in 1 Cor. 11:2–16? What were the customs of head coverings in Corinth?
Twenty-nine people are mentioned in Romans 16:1-16, including ten women, seven of whom are described in terms of their ministries.
Paul included women as ministry partners and used the same ministry terms for his male and female co-workers. He didn’t restricts the ministry of godly and gifted women.
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 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 therefore timeless in application. Cynthia Westfall exposes the faults 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.
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© 2022 Marg Mowczko