Crossing a Boundary - Gender Issues - part I

 Crossing a boundary - Gender Issues - 1

https://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_women.htm

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First - for a little background, check out Paula Stone Williams - see her TEDX presentation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrYx7HaUlMY 

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Gender and the Church

Much of my reading lately has been on the inequities of gender.  Women make less in the job market than men doing the same jobs.  

In religion (Christianity will be my focus), the Biblical concepts of men are to be the leaders in the church.  As 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 says, “Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.  If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.”

Let’s follow that with 1 Corinthians 11: 3-14

“The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.

“A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And women reflect man’s glory. For the first man didn’t come from a woman, but the first woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.

“But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

“Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head?  Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair? And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering.”

Older Catholics will recognize why women covered their heads at Mass.  

Or 1 Timothy 2:11-15

“Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. For God made Adam first, and afterward, he made Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.”

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So, we come to a conflict between the first century A.D. and the founding of the Christian Church (and in this case the apostle Paul, who wrote many epistles).  

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Let’s quote from “What Does the Bible Say About Women in the Church / Women in Ministry https://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_women.htm

One viewpoint takes the “inerrancy” of the Bible and says: (on ministry for women)

“Many people interpret the fact that Jesus appointed only male apostles, and the New Testament passages cited above as an absolute prohibition of a ministerial role for women. It is the natural order, decreed by God, that women should forever be subservient to men. Based on the inerrancy of the Bible, these passages must be taken at face value, and women must forever be barred from roles in ministry.”

But, the first century was very different from our day.  Women are in the workplace today, women are well educated, women are leaders (such as Germany, Norway, and other countries).  

In the past, there have been women Prime Ministers in Great Britain, India, Israel, and other places.  Compare that to the first century where women were rarely educated, considered inferior to ALL men.  

So, today - part I - we have seen the traditional view - tomorrow, the modern view of women in ministry.

LOVE WINS!!!

Hugs!!

Karen