In this article I answer the question, Where in the New Testament does it say women were pastors? There is a biblical case for female pastors.
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.
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.
Twenty-nine people are mentioned in Romans 16:1-16, including ten women, seven of whom are described in terms of their ministries.
The creation order of man first, woman second, as given in Genesis 2, is often brought up in discussions about the place of men and women in ministry and in marriage. What significance did Paul place on man being created first?
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?
Timothy well knew Paul’s views on ministry. So it doesn’t make sense that 1 Timothy 2:12ff represents the apostle’s general teaching on women in ministry, a teaching that Timothy needed to be told or reminded of. What’s going on in this verse?
Does 1 Corinthians 11:7 express 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’s a different interpretation.
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?
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?
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.
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 and misleading translation.
The Greek word for “head” rarely, if ever, meant “leader” in works originally written in Greek before or during the first century AD. Here are four facts which support this claim.
In this article, I take a detailed look at the word authentein (translated as ‘to usurp authority’ in 1 Timothy 2:12 in the KJV). A brief history of how authent- words and how their meanings developed is included.
Was Paul concerned about women’s hair or veils in ancient Corinth? Would he be concerned about it in 21st-century Sydney? I wrote this piece in response to teaching at the Equip 17 women’s conference.
Complementarians believe that men have authority over women. They believe this principle is rooted in creation and is therefore timeless in application. Cynthia Westfall exposes the faults in this thinking.
Priscilla, Phoebe and Junia were Christian ministers who sometimes travelled. The NT shows that, at the very least, their paths crossed one or twice. Did these women become friends? I hope so.
Is 1 Timothy 2:13 (“For Adam was formed first and then Eve”) a reason for the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12? Does the created order disqualify women from teaching and leading men?
Taking 1 Timothy 2:12 at face value, with no understanding of the verse’s context and challenges, can lead to a flawed interpretation. This post looks at six factors that must be considered when interpreting 1 Timothy 2:12.
Does the created order of man first, woman second, signify a timeless principle that only men can teach and have authority. Is the created order the reason for the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12?
Do husbands have a particular responsibility for the spiritual growth of their wives? Will husbands one day present their wives to Jesus in much the same way as Jesus will present the church to himself? (Cf. Eph. 5:25-27)
Are Christian and gnostic-like teachings that emphasise celibacy behind Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:15? What does “she will be saved through childbearing” mean?
If Paul had meant for only men to be leaders and teachers, why doesn’t he mention this in his lists of ministries in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Ephesians 4:11?
What does the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila to Apollos reveal? (Acts 18:18-28). How did others feel about the couple and their ministry? (Romans 16:3-5)
Are men accountable for their wives’ actions? This article looks at the accountability of Adam and Eve (pre-patriarchy) and of Ananias and Sapphira (post-Pentecost)
We need to put Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 into practice by honouring all equally (which means giving extra honour to those lacking it) and creating a community where all can contribute their gifts. Equality leads to unity.
Chloe is a woman mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11? Was she a pagan or a Christian? A concerned house church leader or the quarrelsome leader of a faction?
What was the ‘place of prayer’ in Philippi where some women, including Lydia of Thyatira, had assembled (Acts 16:13-15)? Was it a Jewish ‘prayer-house’?
In part 7 I sum up the previous 6 parts and comment on the fact that, unlike other early Christian ministers and writers, Paul was not reticent about using the same ecclesial titles for both men and women ministers.
Here is a brief overview of eighteen women mentioned by the apostle Paul in his New Testament letters, as well as Lydia who is mentioned in Acts.
As I was making a list of Bible women who ministered to men, I saw something I had not noticed before. Almost all of these women had a prophetic gift.
Was Paul referring to wives of apostles or colleagues of apostles in 1 Corinthians 9:5? Was their role companionship or teaching Christian doctrine?
In this post, I show how the word kephalē (head) is used in 1 Clement, in the context of mutual submission, and I show how the authors regarded women. I briefly compare these points with Paul’s use of kephalē and how Paul regarded women.
“The scriptures … offer an impressive number of examples of women exercising social or political authority without raising any questions as to the propriety of that authority.” ~ Gordon Hugenberger
In this post, I list approximately forty Bible women who were queens, leaders, teachers, and prophets, as well as ministry associates of the Apostle Paul.
This 5-part series takes a close look at 1 Timothy 2:12, at what it does and doesn’t say, as well as providing some cultural context. Part 1 looks at the pitfalls of using 1 Timothy 2:12 as a proof text.
Many Christians are concerned with who has authority in the church. In particular they are concerned about whether a woman can have authority over a man. Who has authority in the church?
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?
This article looks at the women Paul greeted in his letters, including ten women mentioned in Romans 16. His greetings show that Paul did not have a problem with women in ministry.
In 1 Thess. 2, Paul describes his apostolic ministry in both maternal and paternal terms. It seems God does not want his people led in a purely paternal or masculine manner.
It’s important for Christians not to dress in a sexually provocative way, but this was not Paul’s meaning in his instructions for modest dress in 1 Timothy 2:9.
Paul wanted equality for all Christians and he wrote about this in his letters. In some verses equality was implied. In other verses the concept of equality was clearly stated. Equality was Paul’s goal (2 Corinthians 8:14, NIV 2011).
Does Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:23, “the husband is the head of the wife,” mean that the husband has leadership or authority over his wife? And what about 1 Corinthians 11:3?
Watch Ben Witherington talk to Simon Smart from the Centre of Public Christianity about the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ and Paul’s treatment of women. [Video]
This article is about Junia—a minister mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:7—using and critiquing the ESV as a reference. Was Junia really a female apostle?
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© 2021 Marg Mowczko