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 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
Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia. He acknowledged that these women were leading ministers in their churches.
Kenneth Bailey on New Testament Women (Videos)
Here are six 30-minute videos where Kenneth Bailey discusses the topic of women in the New Testament. 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
Eph. 5:21 is one New Testament verse that encourages mutual submission. 1 Peter 5:5 is another. This post looks at the Greek grammar and vocabulary of 1 Peter 5:5.
Hyperbole and Divorce in the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus used hyperbole in his Sermon on the Mount, especially in Matt 5:17-48 and perhaps also in the phrase “makes her an adulterer.”
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”) may be 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 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 gives a reason in Genesis 3.
A Critique of Wayne Grudem’s “Grounds for Divorce”
Wayne Grudem now accepts that abuse is a valid reason for divorce. 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.
Was Junia well known ‘to’ the apostles?
Were Andronicus and Junia “outstanding/ notable among the apostles” (Rom.16:7 KJV, NIV) or “well known to the apostles” (ESV, NET)?
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
After 10 years of blogging, the most important thing I’ve learned from listening to readers’ questions has little to do with the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:12 or Ephesians 5:22ff.
4 obscure passages sometimes used to diminish women
In this article, I look at 4 passages from the Hebrew Bible (Leviticus 27, Numbers 30, Ecclesiastes 7:28, Isaiah 3:12) which are sometimes used to diminish women.
Valiant or Virtuous? by Suzanne McCarthy
Here is a short review of Suzanne McCarthy’s 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 1 Timothy 2:12 may be about a particular couple in the Ephesian church and not Paul’s general thoughts on women in ministry.
Manhood and Masculinity in the ESV
The word “manhood” occurs twice in the English Standard Version. Does this word convey what Paul wanted to say in Eph. 4:13? In what other ways does the ESV create a masculine bias.