A Critique of Wayne Grudem’s “Grounds for Divorce”
In a recent paper, Wayne Grudem explains why he changed his mind from thinking that only adultery and desertion were permissible reasons for divorce to now accepting that abuse is also a permissible reason. This may be good news for some but I find Grudem’s approach in his paper problematic.
Andrew Bartlett on “Men and Women in Christ”
In this guest post, Andrew Bartlett tells us about his 2019 book “Men and Women in Christ: Fresh Light from the Biblical Texts,” published by Inter-Varsity Press. This is an excellent, thoroughly-researched book that is accessible to novices and useful to scholars.
Is Junia well known ‘to’ the apostles?
Up until 2001, it was commonly understood that Andronicus and Junia were “notable among the apostles” (Rom. 16:7). In 2001, the ESV translated this phrase as “well known to the apostles.” In the same year, Burer and Wallace published a paper where they concluded that “well known to the apostles” is almost certainly a correct translation. So which is it? Is Junia and her partner among the apostles or known to the apostles?
Junias and Junia in Early Commentaries of Romans 16:7
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.
What I’ve learned from 10 years of blogging on mutuality
I receive questions every day from people who read my blog. Most are about how to understand Bible verses that affect women in some way. But after 10 years of blogging, the most important thing I’ve learned from listening to questions has nothing to do with the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 5:22-24 or of any other Bible passage.
4 obscure OT passages sometimes used to diminish women
In this article, I look at four passages from the Hebrew Bible: Leviticus 27, Numbers 30, Ecclesiastes 7:28 and Isaiah 3:12. These verses are sometimes brought up in comments that diminish women.
Valiant or Virtuous? by Suzanne McCarthy
Here is a short review of Suzanne McCarthy’s newly published book, Valiant or Virtuous?: Gender Bias in Bible Translation. Her book is on a topic close to my heart.
3 reasons why it’s a woman, not all women, in 1 Timothy 2:12
Here are 3 reasons why I believe 1 Timothy 2:12 may be about a particular couple in the Ephesian church and does not contain Paul’s general thoughts on women in ministry.
Manhood and Masculinity in the ESV
The word “manhood” occurs twice in the English Standard Version. Is “manhood” the best word to convey the sense the biblical authors wanted to express? In what other ways does the ESV create a masculine bias.
The Holy Spirit and Eve as Helpers
Both the Holy Spirit and Eve are described as helpers in the Bible. But the role of Holy Spirit as helper, given in John’s Gospel, does not inform our understanding of Eve as helper (Gen. 2), and vice versa. Here’s why.
Olympias of Constantinople: Deaconess and Chrysostom’s Friend
Olympias was a determined woman who renounced her aristocratic lifestyle in order to devote herself to the church. She was an ordained deaconess and she founded and led a monastery. Olympias and her friend Chrysostom supported each other through difficult times.
Women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting
In Exodus 38:8 and in 1 Samuel 2:22, we are told that women served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Who were these women and what did they do? Did their service involve religious rituals?
Head Coverings and 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Do women need to cover their heads when they go to church? In previous centuries, the answer to this question would have been “yes.” Here are a few notes on women and head coverings in light of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.
Tabitha: An Exemplary Disciple (Acts 9:36-42)
In Acts 9, Tabitha (AKA Dorcas) is identified as a disciple and described as a generous supporter of the poor. What can we know about her? What did her ministries involve? What is her association with the widows of Joppa? Why did Luke include her story in Acts?
A List of the 29 People in Romans 16:1-16
Twenty-nine people are mentioned in Romans 16:1-16, including ten women, seven of whom are described in terms of their ministries.
Partnering Together: Paul’s Female Coworkers
Paul included women, as well as men, as ministry partners. And he used the same ministry terms for his male and female co-workers. None of Paul’s statements, when understood in context, restricts the ministry of godly and gifted women.
Partnering Together: Jesus and Women
At a time when women were regarded as odd and inferior by men, and were excluded from many aspects of society, Jesus was interested in the lives of women. He included them, taught them, and accepted their ministry.
Partnering Together: Agents of Jesus
This post is an excerpt from a talk I gave in Melbourne at a camp for high-school girls about understanding and accepting our mission as agents of Jesus.
The Significance of the Created Order, in a Nutshell
The creation order of man first, woman second, as recorded in Genesis 2, is often brought up in discussions about the place of men and women in ministry and in marriage. For some, this order even forms the basis of their views on gender. What significance did Paul place on man being created first, woman second?
The household codes are about power, not gender
The New Testament household codes in Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3-4 are not primarily about gender. They are about power and about mitigating the abuse that often comes with power.
Jealousy and Bitter Water (Numbers 5:11-31)
Numbers 5:11-31 outlines the ordeal of bitter water designed to test the fidelity of a wife who was suspected by her jealous husband of being unfaithful. Just how fair was this trial?