Marcella of Rome: Academic, Ascetic and Almsgiver
Marcella of Rome (325–410), a friend of Jerome, dedicated herself and her considerable talents and resources to serving the church and helping the poor. Here’s some information about this remarkable woman.
My Top Posts in 2018
For the few who may be interested, here’s a short post with some of my website stats for 2018. It includes a brief list of my top posts in 2018.
Periods of Purification after Childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8)
Why does Leviticus 12 say a new mother is unclean for 7 days after the birth of a son but she is unclean for 14 days after the birth of a daughter? Why the difference?
Book Review: For Such a Time
How did God respond when women took the lead? In his book For Such a Time, Ed Dickerson answers this question by looking at the stories of enterprising women in the Bible. Here is a short review of his book.
1 Corinthians 16:16: A submission verse that applies to women
In 1 Corinthians 16:16, Paul tells the Corinthians to submit themselves to coworkers and labourers. Paul refers to several women by these ministry terms.
A critique of the ESV Study Bible notes on 1 Timothy 2:12
In this post I critique the notes on 1 Timothy 2:12 in the ESV Study Bible. What is the context of this verse? What does it prohibit?
Nympha: A House Church Leader in the Lycus Valley (Colossians 4:15)
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?
What Timothy knew about Paul’s theology of ministry, and 1 Timothy 2:12
Timothy saw firsthand how Paul handled ministry and he must have heard the apostle speak and teach on ministry countless times. So, it doesn’t make sense that 1 Timothy 2:12ff represents Paul’s general teaching on women in ministry that Timothy needed to be told. It makes more sense that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 is Paul’s advice about a specific, local situation and even a specific couple.
Paul’s words on divorce, and leaving an abusive marriage
Someone recently asked me about Paul’s teaching on divorce in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 and whether it allows for an abused spouse to leave their abuser. Here’s my response with some context to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7.
Man and woman as the image and glory of God (1 Corinthians 11:7)
In centuries past, commentators understood 1 Corinthians 11:7 as expressing the 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 is a different interpretation that takes culture into account.
What scholars say about 1 Corinthians 11:7
1 Corinthians 11:7 (“man . . . is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man”) is a baffling Bible verse and there are different ways of understanding it. In this post, I quote interpretations from 5 past scholars and 10 recent scholars.
What were Euodia and Syntyche thinking?!
Inspired by a recent reading in Acts, I’ve taken a close look at a common Greek expression that Paul uses when addressing Euodia and Syntyche. What was Paul saying to these women in the Philippian Church?
“Must manage his own household well” (1 Timothy 3:4-5)
I was recently asked if 1 Timothy 3:4a (“managing his own household well”) is a command that shows men, and not women, are to rule or lead their households. Here’s my response.
Junia: The Jewish Woman who was Imprisoned with Paul
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?
Paul on Gender Roles in Ministry and Marriage
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.
Jesus on Gender Roles and Gendered Activities
Does Jesus give instructions about gender roles as complementarians understand them? What does Jesus teach and say to women in the Gospels? This is part 2 in a series of gender roles in the Bible.
Gender Roles & Gendered Activities in the Old Testament
Does the Old Testament teach that husbands are to be the leaders of their wives, or that men have authority over women? Are some roles forbidden to women? This is part 1 of a series on gender roles in the Bible.
The authority of police officers, ship’s captains, and men
In this short post, I respond to a reader’s question about how the authority of police officers is used as an analogy by some complementarians to support male-only authority in the church.
3 Legendary Ladies: Judith, Thecla, and Catherine of Alexandria
Judith, Thecla, and Catherine of Alexandria are three heroines whose stories of conviction and courage are part of our history and heritage.
Authentein (in 1 Timothy 2:12), in a Nutshell
This short post looks at the verb authenteō (authentein) in 1 Timothy 2:12. My claim is that “to have/exercise/usurp authority” is an inadequate translation.
The Witch of Endor, the Dead Prophet and the Doomed King
It is remarkable that the witch of Endor, who dealt in the occult, is portrayed in a sympathetic light in 1 Samuel 28. What is going on here? Did she really conjure up the prophet Samuel? And is it simply a coincidence that the story of Abigail and the story of the witch of Endor are both prefaced with similar statements about Samuel’s death?