Gender Roles and Speaking Ministries in the Church
Does the New Testament teach that men and women have different roles in the church Are some ministries too important for women?
A Critique of Kathy Keller’s “Jesus, Justice and Gender Roles”
Kathy Keller argues that women are prohibited from just one kind of speaking ministry and from holding one kind of position in the church.
A Thrill of Hope: Jesus’ First and Second Advents
What does oppression and the horrors of slavery in the song “O Holy Night” have to do with an innocent newborn baby in a manger?
Salome: Was the “dancing” daughter of Herodias a child?
Salome was the daughter of Herodias who “danced” for Herod Antipas. How old was she? Did she actually dance? Did she deliberately seduce her step-father? What became of her?
Authority in the Church
Many Christians are concerned with who has authority in the church and about whether a woman can have authority over a man. Who has authority in the church?
Googling “Bible Women”
When I google “Bible Women” into Google Australia a drop down field gives me three suggestions to narrow the search. I’m disturbed by Google’s suggestions. It shows that the Church is failing to get the message across that women and men are equal. [300 words]
The Chiasm in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is a difficult passage to understand, but it makes more sense when read as a chiasm. What are Paul’s concerns and instructions here?
Plutarch and Paul on Husbands and Wives
While reading Plutarch’s “Advice to the Bride and Groom,” it struck me that some Christians sound like Plutarch (a 1st-century pagan author), rather than like Paul, in what they say about men and women and marriage.
Some Pitfalls of Using Greek-English Dictionaries
Some wise words from C.S. Lewis, Wayne A. Meeks, and John H. Walton about learning the biblical languages, especially New Testament Greek.
Questions about how to interpret and implement 1 Timothy 2:12
Some Christians think the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12 is straightforward in meaning. The various ways this verse is understood and implemented indicates otherwise.
Complementarians & Bible Commentaries Written by Women
Some complementarians believe women cannot be pastors and Bible teachers, yet they read Bible commentaries and theological books written by women. How does that work?
The Complementarian Concept of the Created Order
Mary Kassian places a great deal of importance on the created order of man first, woman second, given in Genesis 2. Is she correct?
Malala and the death of female education in the Swat Valley
This excellent 32-minute documentary captures the situation that Malala Yousafzai faced in the Swat Valley, Pakistan, when Taliban forces closed her school.
The Righteous for the Unrighteous – 1 Peter 3:17-22
This passage is all about Jesus: Jesus, the triumphant victor. He has won the victory over sin and death through his death, the Righteous for the unrighteous, once and for all.
Holiness: Sacred Separation?
A visit to a beautiful chapel near Rotarua (in New Zealand) highlighted to me that followers of Jesus are not separated, excluded, or prohibited from God’s holy presence. Rather, we are welcome and invited to draw near.
The Portrayal of Women in the Bible and Biblical Inspiration
One of the reasons I trust the unique inspiration of the Bible is because of what it says about women, or, more to the point, what it doesn’t say about women.
Giving the Church a Bad Name
Some Sydney Anglicans have caused a kerfuffle by bringing their pet doctrine of “wifely submission” into the public arena this week.
The Holy Spirit and Equality in the Book of Acts
The book of Acts bears testimony to the Holy Spirit’s roles as the great energiser and equaliser in the first decades of the church. The Spirit continues to foster equality and my aim is to work with the Spirit.
Book Review: God’s Good Design by Claire Smith
“God’s Good Design” is an Australian publication that promotes complementarian gender roles. This review by Dr Lyn Kidson contains information from primary sources on the Roman virtue of “quietness.”
Women, Eve, and Deception
Are women more easily deceived than men? What does the Bible, including 1 Timothy 2:14, say about Eve and women and deception?
Submission in Marriage
What does submission mean? What does the Bible say about submission in marriage? Is wifely submission relevant in our modern western societies?