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How Does Jesus and His Interactions with Women Inform Our Beliefs?
Scholars agree that Jesus valued and elevated women. At the same time, scholars disagree as to whether Jesus’s affirmation and ministry to and with women have a bearing on whether to limit the ministry of women.[1] An essential element for deciding about women’s functioning in the church, in other words developing your theology of women, is a review of the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s ministry to, and interactions with, women.
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Must a Wife Stand, Wear, and Do What Her Husband Tells Her to Do?
Where should we go on date night? What extracurricular activities should our child participate in? Which toilet paper brand is preferable? Who will pay the bills? Week in and week out, husbands and wives must make many decisions. When they disagree, who has the final say? In a recent sermon, megachurch pastor Josh Howerton instructed the women in his church that on a bride’s wedding night, she should “stand where he [husband] tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do.” What does the Bible say about the final say in marriage?
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Unpacking the Spectrum of Views on Women and Church Leadership
Authoritarian, Libertarian, the Left, the Right…political polling data of United States voters reflects a broad spectrum of beliefs about organizational leadership and governing policies. Similarly, but in a different context, Christians hold a spectrum of beliefs on what the Bible teaches about women and their pastoral leadership.
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Is 1 Timothy 2:12 a Clear, or Obscure, Text?
Is 1 Timothy 2:12 a clear, or obscure, text? The scripture says, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet.” Before addressing the “clear or obscure?” question, it’s interesting that the one Bible verse that speaks of preventing a woman from teaching is 1 Timothy 2:12. Consequently, the overarching question for interpreters must be, “What is the divine meaning of 1 Timothy 2:12 in the context of the church?