-
Papers Relating to Women I Heard at ETS
I spent the past week with a bunch of my theological colleagues at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. Everybody who belongs to the ETS annually signs a statement affirming their belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. And at the national conference, presenters read papers, which they often publish afterward. And I heard some interesting content. Here’s a sampling of some stuff to know: Was it really all about the alcohol? My student Dani (she has guest-posted here in the past) presented for the first time. Her topic was the woman (named Abigail) whom Jonathan Edwards publicly excommunicated. This woman's name has been known for only the past…
-
Resources for Revisiting the Question of Women in Public Ministry
For more than a decade, I’ve taught a course on gender in the church. And especially since #MeToo and #ChurchToo combined with Christian leaders saying women have to endure abuse to be biblical and also that women shouldn't teach in seminaries, I’m seeing a shift in attitudes. Some of the more moderate folks are saying, "Stop already. That misrepresents us." I'm hearing pastors get up and say, "I was wrong" in slut-shaming Bathsheba. I've been told by radio hosts, "If I had talked with you a year ago about this, I would not have heard you, but now. . . ." Something has changed. I've been inundated by requests from…
-
1 Corinthians 14: Are Women Really Supposed to Be Silent in Church?
What does the apostle Paul mean when he says women are to keep silent in the churches? Many see this as a prohibition against females saying anything in the gathered assembly. But is that what Paul intended? We find his instruction about such silence in 1 Corinthians 14. Let’s begin by taking a look at the context: 1. Notice the topic is spiritual gifts. Paul’s readers, the church in Corinth, are to be eager for the gifts, especially that they might prophesy. Note there are no gender limits given on any gifts. And read his words in light of three chapters earlier, where Paul assumed women would pray and prophesy in…
-
Prophesy: Women through the Eras of Redemption History
Recently, a reader wrote to ask about the history of women prophesying throughout Scripture. . . While the text records the stories of fewer women prophets than men, in every era in which men prophesied, at least one woman (often multiple women) has prophesied. Prophesy, it should be noted, was/is not just predicting what will happen, but to build up, encourage, and console (1 Cor. 14:30). The transmission of God’s truth through inspired proclamation has always had both human and divine elements (like a pair of scissors—both blades work together). So when we read 1 Timothy, for example, we understand that Paul is writing God-breathed scripture, but he…
