There is no question that 1 Cor 11:2-16 appears to teach that women are subordinate to men. But does it really say that? It is my contention that a close reading of the text confirms that Paul was citing his opponents in order to rebut them. In my last post, I provided an overview of the problem in Corinth. As I noted, one of the issues behind 1 Cor 11:1-14:40 was that a group of men in the congregation at… Read more
June 22, 2021
Does the NT teach the subordination of women? An examination of 1 Cor 11:2-16 (part 2): Women-Injustice#11; Justice#22
June 22, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
June 17, 2021
Does the NT teach the subordination of women? An examination of 1 Cor 11:2-16 (part 1): Women-Injustice#10; Justice#21
June 17, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and 14:34-35 are two passages cited by those who affirm male headship in the church and the home (i.e., complementarians).[1] And, on the face of it, these passages sure seem to support the notion that women are subordinate to men. I will argue, however, that the best reading of these passages shows that the complementarian reading (i.e., male headship) not only contradicts what Paul was saying but it puts the interpreter on the same side as Paul’s… Read more
June 15, 2021
Does the NT teach the subordination of women? An examination of 1 Cor 11:2-16 (part 1): Women-Injustice#10; Justice#21
June 15, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and 14:34-35 are two of the more common passages cited by those who affirm male headship (i.e., complementarianism: or female subordination) in the church and the home.[1] I will contend that an examination of these passages affirms precisely the opposite of what the complementarian suggests. In fact, I will argue that the best reading of these passages suggests that the complementarian reading of 1 Cor 11:2-16 and 14:34-35 is actually siding with Paul’s opponents rather than with Paul. … Read more
June 11, 2021
Does the NT teach the subordination of women? An examination of 1 Pet 3:1-6, 7; Women-Injustice#9; Justice#20
June 11, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
Over the last several posts I have argued that the NT elevates the role of women as equals alongside men. This is expressed most clearly in Gal 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Despite the NT’s consistent stress on the elevation of women in roles that clearly equate them with men, many evangelicals continue to assert that the… Read more
June 9, 2021
Male headship in the church today is nothing more than an unbiblical system of Apartheid: Women-Injustice#8; Justice#19
June 9, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
“The world that human beings create is indeed “man-made.” The system that human beings construct to order their lives in the world sets men and the concerns of men at the center. It develops hierarchies of power in which some human beings rule over other human beings. The patriarchal system that configures the human world, in short, is a social manifestation of human brokenness that results from defiant humanity’s insistence on making the world on its own terms. In this… Read more
June 4, 2021
The prominence of Women in the New Testament: Women-Injustice#7; Justice#18
June 4, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
I have been arguing that in the New Creation male and female are equal in authority among the people of God (within the church). Many will respond to this by noting that the NT has statements that express male headship (most notably 1 Cor 11:2-16). Before we can delve into the “problem” passages, it is critical to recognize the prominence of women in the NT. It is against the backdrop of women as equals to men that some of the… Read more
June 2, 2021
Aiming towards a biblical theology of gender: Women-Injustice#6; Justice#17
June 2, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
Genesis 3 in the New Creation I argued in the last post on women and injustice that contrary to popular opinion Genesis 3:16 does not establish male headship over women. Genesis 3 simply details the effects of the curse on male and female relations: namely, though women will desire to rule over their husbands, their husbands will instead rule over them in a domineering way (Gen 3:16). A biblical theology of gender For those who advocate male headship (i.e., that… Read more
May 26, 2021
The bombing has ended: now what? The struggle in Gaza and the West Bank continues
May 26, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
Well, the bombing has ended and the media has turned its focus away from the conflict in Gaza and Israel. It looks like the world has stopped listening again. What else should we expect? War sells. And winners of the most recent conflagration in Israel and Gaza are: (drumroll ensues: may I have the envelope please?), “From Gaza, the militant group: ‘Hamas.’” (Hamas is a clear winner in the recent conflict. They are going to come out of this… Read more
May 18, 2021
Understanding the events on the ground between the Israelis and the Palestinians and what we should do about it.
May 18, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
Our hearts break today because peace remains absent in the Middle East. While the powers that be exert their force, the people who suffer the most are those with the least. This is the way wars operate. In the ancient world one army would send out their Goliath while the other would send out their David. The winner takes all. The loser becomes the conquered—at least theoretically. Even then, we might ask, why does David or Goliath have to die?… Read more
May 12, 2021
Does Genesis teach the subordination of women? (Gen 2:18-25; 3:16) Women-Injustice#5; Justice#16
May 12, 2021 By Rob Dalrymple
There is little question that in the account of the creation of humanity in Gen 1:26-27 all persons—even specifying “male and female”—are made in the image of God and are created to “rule” and “subdue” (Gen 1:26, 28). Male and female are equally fashioned to serve as kings/queens and priests within God’s creation. Yet, it is not uncommon for complementarians to argue that the account of the formation of Eve (Gen 2:18-25) indicates male superiority. Eve the “helper” of Adam: Does Gen 2:18… Read more
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