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? 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 given in Genesis 2 is often brought up in discussions about ministry and 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.
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.
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.
The Greek word for “head” rarely, if ever, meant “leader” in works originally written in Greek in Paul’s time. Here are four facts that support this claim.
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.
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?
Do husbands have a particular responsibility for the spiritual growth of their wives? Will husbands one day present their wives to Jesus?
Are ascetic teachings that emphasise celibacy behind Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:15? What does “saved through childbearing” mean?
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)
When we put Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 into practice, we honour all people equally. This means giving extra honour to those lacking it.
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’?
This is a summary of the previous 6 parts. Paul was not reticent about using the same ministry terms (or titles), including deacon, 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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Christians shouldn’t dress in a sexually provocative way, but this wasn’t 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, he even uses the word “equality.”
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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© 2022 Marg Mowczko