Are all persons created equal? We have established in previous posts that biblically the answer to this question is an unequivocal “yes.” I doubt that among Christian readers today this claim even needs much defense.[1] The question, however, is whether or not “all persons are created equal” has been true in American history? For many readers, I suspect that the answer here is also an unequivocal “yes.” American history, however, suggests that things might not be quite so simple…. Read more
In Acts 6, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, tells us that, In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1). Although Luke does not provide much by the way of details, it is reasonable to suppose that this division within the early Christian movement was racially charged—race, of course, here in… Read more
“Racism does not exist because I am not a racist.” We have all heard it. Some of us may have even said it. There are, of course, serious problems with this sort of thinking. Let me begin by noting that racism is a sin problem and until we see it as such we will not make much headway into resolving the injustices that racism causes.[1] I find it surprising, and yet not surprising, that many object to the assertion… Read more
“Church is not the place for me.” This is what many non-churched persons think after listening to Christians! For the last 3 months I have been posting about gender and justice (see my first post here). There are several things I hope to have accomplished in these posts. #1 You can be a conservative-evangelical with a high view of Scripture and believe that God has ordained equality between the genders. That’s right. I am not a liberal. BTW can we… Read more
Christians and the Bible are misogynistic: so the claim goes. And the proof is found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” As with 1 Cor 11:2-16 (see my previous three posts… Read more
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? Upon examining 1 Cor 11:2-16, it makes the most sense of the passage, as well as the larger context of 1 Cor 11-14, to suggest that the majority of the argumentation in 1 Cor 11:3-10 are the words of the Corinthians, with a few interjections of Paul, and that 1 Cor 11:11-16 constitute Paul’s response.[1] This… Read more
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
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
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
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
