Romans 14 and the Divisive Issue of Women Pastors
I read Romans chapter 14 today and saw that Paul’s message here has relevance to the issue of women ministers, an issue that continues to cause debate and division in some sectors of the church.
In this post, I provide an English translation of Romans 14:1-4 but I’ve deleted the words that refer to eating food and replaced them with words that refer to believing, or not believing, women can be pastors. Take a look.
“Holding Up Half the Sky” by Graham Joseph Hill
In early July, Dr Graham Joseph Hill launched his new book, Holding Up Half the Sky. I was honoured to be part of the online launch (with Dr Lynn Cohick!) and honoured to write a forward to the book where Graham presents a compelling biblical case for women leading and teaching in the church. I’ve included the foreword in this post. There’s lots of good stuff in Graham’s book!
The Greek Word ‘Praus’ and Meek Warhorses
Is meekness a masculine virtue? How do ancient writers use the Greek word praus (“meek”)? What do ancient writers say about meek warhorses?
Atto of Vercelli on Female Priests/Elders in the Early Church
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 on 5 Women Church Leaders in the NT
John Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia, and acknowledged that these five women were leading ministers in their churches.
Kenneth Bailey on Women in the New Testament (Videos)
In this post, I share a series of six 30-minute videos where Dr Kenneth Bailey discusses the topic of women in the New Testament. The late Dr Bailey was a scholar of the New Testament in its Middle Eastern context.
Mutual Submission in Ephesians 5:21 and in 1 Peter 5:5
Ephesians 5:21 isn’t the only New Testament verse that encourages mutual submission among Jesus’ followers. 1 Peter 5:5 is another. In this article, I look at the Greek grammar and vocabulary of 1 Peter 5:5.
Hyperbole and Divorce in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:31-32)
Jesus used hyperbole in his Sermon on the Mount, especially in Matt 5:17-48. We need to be aware of this rhetoric when interpreting his teaching on divorce.
Who is “she” who is in Babylon? (1 Peter 5:13)
In this article, I explain why “the co-elect” woman in 1 Peter 5:13 (AKA “she who is in Babylon”) is most likely a woman and not a church.
Esther’s Story (3): Esther in Action
With the Jews in danger, Queen Esther risks her life and exerts her influence and authority. She cannot be mistaken for a sweet passive young woman.
Esther’s Story (2): For Such a Time as This
Young Esther is taken to the harem in the palace and later taken to the king’s bed. What does the Bible reveal about her thoughts and actions?
Esther’s Story (1): Setting the Scene
In this 3-part series, I provide commentary on the book of Esther, focussing on the heroine at the centre. What kind of story is Esther’s story?
“Preaching” words in the NT and the women who preached
When we understand “preaching” words in the way New Testament authors and understood and used these words we see that some New Testament women preached.
What was Adam’s excuse?
Eve’s reason for eating the forbidden fruit was that she was deceived. What was Adam’s excuse? Suzanne McCarthy suggests Adam did give a reason in Genesis 3.
A Critique of Wayne Grudem’s “Grounds for Divorce”
Wayne Grudem has 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 is good news for some but Grudem’s approach is problematic.
Andrew Bartlett on “Men and Women in Christ”
Andrew Bartlett tells us about his 2019 book “Men and Women in Christ.” This is an excellent, thoroughly-researched book that is accessible to novices and useful to scholars.
Is Junia well known ‘to’ the apostles?
Were Andronicus and Junia “outstanding/notable among the apostles” (Rom.16:7 KJV, NASB, NIV) or “well known to the apostles” (ESV, NET). Is Junia among 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.