Women in the New Testament Summary

Women are critical to the life of the church. Throughout much of church history women have been treated as second-class citizens. This ought not be. When we look in the New Testament we see example after example of women being faithful, obedient servants. This should inform how we treat our sisters in Christ today. Read any of the posts in this series below:

The Church and Its Amazing Women
Women and Gatherings
Mary
Anna
Mary Magdelene
Mary and Martha
Phoebe
Lydia
Priscilla
Euodia and Syntyche
Many Other Faithful Ones

Many Other Faithful Ones

There is not enough time to write about all the faithful women we meet in the New Testament. However, a few more come to mind that I'd like to point out:


Tabitha

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity." (Acts 9:36)


Mary, John Mark's mother

"When Peter came to himself, he said, 'Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.' When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying." (Acts 12:11-12)


Philip's Daughters

"On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied." (Acts 21:8-9)


Chloe

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers." (I Corinthians 1:10-11)


Nympha

"Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house." (Colossians 4:15)


The consistent theme in the New Testament is one of women who were faithful, obedient servants of Christ. This does not occur in some sort of vacuum. Rather, the women of the New Testament follow in the footsteps of the faithful ladies who preceded them in the Old Testament. Although it is not the purpose of this blog series, let's never forget women like Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Zipporah, Rahab, Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Esther, and many more.

Euodia and Syntyche

Uh-oh.

Lest we think everything was perfect with all the women in the early church, we must remember Euodia and Syntyche. These two ladies appear to have been at the center of the disunity that was harming the Philippian church.

Paul first visited Philippi on his second journey. It's where he met Lydia and the jailer; it's also where Paul planted a church. This church is specifically mentioned as gathering in Lydia's home to greet Paul and Silas before they departed.

Several years after this, when Paul is under house arrest in Rome, he wrote an epistle to his friends back in Philippi. The primary themes of this letter are joy and unity. Paul took great joy in his brothers and sisters in Philippi. He was also greatly concerned about the disunity he'd heard about within their church family.

In chapter 2:1-4, Paul provides a formula for unity. That formula is humility. It is putting others before self. Immediately following, in 2:5-11, Paul points to the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ. In this Christ Hymn, we see Christ display humility through his incarnation, servanthood, and crucifixion. Paul's hope is that the Philippian Christians will begin to show more unity through humility.

In chapter four we finally meet Euodia and Syntyche. Paul writes:

"I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." (Philippians 4:2-3)

Three things are clear from these two verses. First, Euodia and Syntyche are followers of Christ; they don't need evangelizing. Second, they are in disagreement over something. Third, they need assistance from the broader church family to help them agree. Additionally, this must have been a significant disagreement in order for Paul to have written a letter to address it.

Quite simply, these two ladies were arguing and it was hurting the church. Paul wants them to knock it off. They'll accomplish this by thinking of others before themselves. Their brothers and sisters need to get involved. This is a body issue.

This is real world church life. We all know that disunity is a terrible thing in the life of any church family. We've probably all been a part of it. It's a nightmare.

I mention Euodia and Syntyche to bring some balance to this series on women in the New Testament. Like men, women are not perfect. Many ladies we encounter in scripture are described in a very positive fashion. However, there were also those who aren't. Euodia and Syntyche show us that Christians can harm the church. We're reminded by Paul that we all have responsibility to get involved when disunity strikes.

Priscilla

Priscilla and Aquila are a Christian couple who are, appropriately, always mentioned together. They are friends of Paul who we meet in Acts chapter 18:

"After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade." (Acts 18:1-3)

"After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, 'I will return to you if God wills,' and he set sail from Ephesus." (Acts 18:18-21)

The most interesting passage involving Aquila and Priscilla occurs later in Acts 18. In verses 24-28 we see them come into contact with Apollos. We can learn much from how this couple helped Apollos mature in Christ:

"Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus." (Acts 18:24-28)

Apollos was a gifted speaker who knew the scriptures well. However, his knowledge of Christ was limited. It's difficult to determine from these verses whether or not Apollos even knew of Jesus. Since we're told that "he knew only the baptism of John," it is likely that he did not. I love how Aquila and Priscilla handle the situation. Showing wisdom, they pull Apollos to the side and mentor him together, out of the public eye. Specifically, Luke tells us that they "explained to him the way of God more accurately." We immediately read the outcome of this encounter. Apollos, now with an accurate understanding and knowledge of Christ, traveled onward both edifying the church and proclaiming the gospel.

Apollos could never have done these things apart from Priscilla and Aquila's help. They were living out Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." They were both acting much like elders in the church.

Aquila and Priscilla remained Paul's friends and helpers for many years. Paul mentions them in three different letters that were penned several years after these events in Acts had taken place:

"The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord." (I Corinthians 16:19)

"Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia." (Romans 16:3-5)

"Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus." (II Timothy 4:19)

When we think of Priscilla, we should think of an obedient, faithful servant of Christ. Additionally, she and Aquila are an example of a great team: a couple that works together for the kingdom. And yes, Priscilla was involved in teaching Apollos. If you can't handle this example of a woman teaching a man, then you'd better white out that section of your bible.

Lydia

I love the books of Acts and Philippians. Therefore, Acts chapter 16 is one of my favorites in the entire bible. Near the beginning of the chapter we read about Paul's vision of the Macedonian man calling to him. Toward the conclusion of the chapter we see the fascinating account of the Philippian jailer's conversion.

Sandwiched in between the above two passages we meet Lydia. Although we don't have much information, we see that she was an impressive lady:

"So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us." (Acts 16:11-15)

Paul usually visited a synagogue on the Sabbath. It appears that Philippi lacked one. Therefore, Paul and his traveling team went down to the river (Luke was present at this time; thus the "we" statements). The men began talking with the women they found there. Lydia, one of these women, is described as "a worshiper of God." This indicates that although she was likely a Gentile, she knew and followed the God revealed in the Old Testament. She was, therefore, ready to hear and understand the gospel proclaimed by Paul. In one of my favorite statements in all of scripture, Luke tells us that "The Lord opened her heart." It appears that Lydia immediately accepted what Paul said as true. She showed obedience by being baptized, along with others, and then invited the group to stay at her home.

Shortly after the above account, Paul and Silas were tossed in prison. God caused an earthquake, the jail doors flew open, and the Philippian jailer almost committed harikari. However, Paul shouted out in time, and shortly afterward the jailer came to Christ. Later in the passage Paul and Silas revisited Lydia. The final verse in the chapter tells us:

"So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed." (Acts 16:40)

Something interesting is happening here. It appears that the very new church in Philippi is meeting, at least on this occasion, in Lydia's house. Notice that the "brothers" are mentioned. This is a typical way of referring to the church. It's also significant that the purpose of the meeting was encouragement.

As we look at Lydia in this passage, we see a woman of faith, of obedience, and of service. This should not surprise us. Most of the ladies highlighted in the pages of the New Testament can be described in this way. Like our Christian sisters today, they are of deep importance to the church.

Phoebe

Phoebe is yet another faithful, female servant of Christ who we meet in the New Testament. I could spend a few paragraphs writing about her, but there's no point. My good friend Alan Knox has already beaten me to it. I encourage you to click over to Alan's excellent post about the Phabulous Phoebe.

Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha of Bethany are best known for this passage:

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.' " (Luke 10:38-42)

Despite the above contrast between these sisters of Bethany, other passages show that they had something in common: they were faithful followers and servants of Jesus Christ. It appears that their home was a place Jesus stayed fairly often (Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem). Based on the language from the Lazarus dying-and-rising passage, we see that they knew Jesus well, trusted in him, and loved him:

"Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.' " (John 11:21-27)

"Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!' But some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?' " (John 11:32-37)

"Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.' Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.' The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.' " (John 11:38-44)

Later in the book of John we again see the sisters' devotion to Christ:

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?' He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, 'Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.' " (John 12:1-8)

Mary and Martha were certainly two separate people. However, we make a mistake if our focus is what makes them different. Better is to remember what they have in common. Like Mary, Anna, and Mary Magdelene, these two sisters showed themselves to be faithful servants of Christ.

Mary Magdelene

Much has been written about Mary Magdelene through the centuries. Much of it is rubbish. When we let scripture and not tradition drive what we believe, we see a faithful servant of Christ. In some ways, Mary Magdelene is portrayed as the ideal follower of Jesus. She is with him throughout his ministry, is present at the cross, is present at the tomb, is the first to witness the risen Christ, and proclaims the resurrection to, ironically, the male disciples.

We are first introduced to Mary in Luke chapter 8. We see that Jesus rescued her from demonic control. Mary was one of the disciples who traveled around with him, supporting his ministry financially:

"Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means." (Luke 8:1-3)

Mary was one of the women at the crucifixion:

"There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee." (Matthew 27:55-56)

Mary was present at Jesus' burial:

"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb." (Matthew 27:57-61)

Mary was there for Christ's resurrection, was the first to see him, and was the first to proclaim it:

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.' So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.' " (Matthew 28:1-10)

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." ' Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord' — and that he had said these things to her." (John 20:11-18)

Quite simply, Mary Magdelene wanted to be with Jesus wherever he was. She never fled, but sought him out. She loved Jesus, worshiped him, and told others about him. Although we do not know a great deal about her, we can learn much from her. She was yet another faithful female servant of Christ that we see in the New Testament.

Anna

(I apologize for the distracting nature of the above graphic, but I decided to use it simply because it spins.)

Anna is a fascinating woman who we don't know much about; she's only mentioned in one short bible passage. The context is Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus at the temple. Simeon has just seen Jesus and praised God for allowing him to look upon the promised Christ. Then, in Luke 2:36-38, we read the following:

"And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."

In just a few verses we see Anna's faithfulness to God and service to his people. We read specifically that:

-Anna was a prophetess.
-Anna worshiped with fasting and prayers.
-Anna worshiped ceaselessly.
-Anna proclaimed God's faithfulness to his people.

It's difficult to determine exactly what it means that Anna was a prophetess. However, we can assume that she at least faithfully spoke words of truth to the people based on what had been revealed in the Old Testament. Since she was elderly, it is likely that the people of Israel sought her out for her wisdom. She carried on this ministry without pause. It's an amazing statement that "she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day." As part of her prophetic gifting, God showed her (similar to Simeon) that this baby was the Messiah. Anna understood this, thanked God for it, and told others about it. We know this because Luke specifically mentions "the redemption of Jerusalem," which is another way of referring to God's rescue of his people through the Messiah.

Anna was a faithful follower of God who obediently carried out service to his people. This is the continuing theme we see among many of the women who are highlighted in the pages of the New Testament.

Mary

Let's begin with the mother of our Lord. She was truly an amazing woman.

Mary's obedience and service stand out from the first time we meet her. She was, of course, not perfect. However, she consistently showed herself to be a faithful follower of God's very unique plan for her life.

We meet Mary in Luke chapter 1 when Gabriel tells her that she will be mother to the son of God. I love Mary's response to the difficult-to-believe situation. She says, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

Mary's view of God may be best summed up in the Magnificat. At the beginning of the poem/song Mary says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name."

Prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, Mary did not understand his full significance (see here and here). However, she knew that he had power and position beyond that of any normal person. Her words to Jesus at the wedding in Cana show this.

She also undoubtedly suffered various forms of scorn and persecution during her life due to the circumstances surrounding Christ's conception and birth. This is one example.

Mary was faithful for the entire life of Jesus. She was present at the cross, even when most of the disciples scattered. Mary was also part of the early church in Acts. The final mention we have of her occurs in Acts 1:12-14, "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."

Within the church today we tend to downplay Mary's significance. This may be a reaction against Roman Catholic faulty views of Mary. Regardless, the way we think about Mary ought to be driven by what we see in scripture.

From beginning to end, Mary's life can be described as one of obedient, faithful service. If we could talk with her today, Mary would in no way want us to elevate her. Based on her humility we see in the bible, we can surmise that she would accurately point our attention to her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mary is one of several ladies who stand out as wonderful examples to us in the New Testament. She reminds us that the church is full of amazing women.

Women and Gatherings

Before I begin looking at specific women in the New Testament, I'd like to say a quick word about church gatherings. To put it bluntly, simple gatherings provide women the opportunity to be involved as the Holy Spirit leads. While simple gatherings may take different forms, they generally allow freedom to speak as led by the Spirit and in line with scriptural parameters. No one present, men or women, is confined by the planned liturgy and ceremony of worship services.

When church meetings become ceremonial in nature, then only those considered experts get to speak much at all. These are usually the salaried clergy. When they dominate the gathering, most of the people present are silent (except when singing). Since most of the clergy are males, it is quite possible that no woman will speak at all during a worship service.

Simple gatherings offer much opportunity for mutual edification. Both men and women can and should be involved in this. The ladies are not artificially limited by man's traditions. Instead, the Holy Spirit can lead as He sees fit.

The church desperately needs its women. Gatherings must give the women every opportunity to use their spiritual gifts to glorify God through body edification. This is another example of simple being best.

The Church and Its Amazing Women

From my earliest memories I can recall "going to church." As a kid, it was always the ladies who took care of me. They taught me Sunday School, gave me snacks, played games with me, etc. As I grew older, I continued to see much of the actual service in the church performed by the ladies. When someone was sick, the ladies brought the food. When someone was dying, it was usually the women who came by to visit. When a task needed done, the females in the body stepped up.

From what I could see, the ladies carried more than their fair share of the burden of serving others. However, when I attended worship services, it was the men who took the lead role. Men preached. Men led the singing. Men took up the offering. Men prayed. While the women served in the background, the men took center stage. It should not be so.

Paul tells us clearly in I Corinthians 12 that every member of the body is critical to the health of the church. No one member is more important than any other. And yet, women have been relegated to the background for much of the life of the church. It's not right. We should recognize and appreciate the ladies in the body for the work they do. As a man, I need to be certain that I don't make the women feel like second-class citizens in the church. I realize that men and women have different, complementary roles to play. However, this doesn't suggest for a second that either role is more important than the other. Simply put, women matter in the life of the church.

I do not write this post for reasons of political correctness (I couldn't care less about that). I don't write it out of some sort of latent guilt feelings. Rather, I write it because the women in the church are absolutely critical to the life and health of the body. We should recognize them as such. Regardless of where we fall on the institutional-organic spectrum of church life, let's make sure the ladies know how important and cherished they are.

In light of this, I'm going to write a series of short posts highlighting some of the women in the New Testament church. Again and again, we read of their exemplary service to the New Covenant community. As the women served back then, they continue to serve today. The church would not function without them. We men must ensure that our sisters in Christ know how important they are to the church family as a whole.

ATTENTION ALL BLOGGERS: If You Want a Lot of Comments, Just Write about This!

If you are a blogger, well done.

If you are not a blogger, please start. It's not difficult. Just write about what you know and interests you.

Most bloggers, including myself, enjoy the discussion/comments aspect of blogging just as much as writing the posts. I've found a way to help with this. If you desire a boatload of comments, there is a topic that you can write about. This is almost guaranteed to bring in a tidal wave of discussion.

What is the topic? (Drum roll in background.) The topic is whether or not women should speak during church gatherings.

As far as I can recall, I've written about this twice. Both instances have yielded many more comments than normal.

The posts are entitled:

House Church - What About Women?

One Good Reason for Women to Speak

The fascinating aspect of all this for me is that I receive comments disagreeing with me from both sides. I take what could be described as a "middle-of-the-road" position on this issue. My hope is that this is a biblical position. While I do believe that women are permitted to speak during gatherings, I do not believe that they ought to take on any sort of teaching role.

Some commenters believe I'm incorrect in thinking that women should speak at all. Others believe I'm wrong to place any restrictions on women speaking in any way. It all makes for thought-provoking discussion.

To sum up: if you desire comments, simply ask if women should be allowed to speak when the church gets together. Give your position and then wait for the comments to flow in. You won't be disappointed.

On Galatians 3:28

In light of a few posts I wrote last week (this and this), I'd like to briefly discuss Galatians 3:28.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

Galatians 3:28 is a verse that is frequently yanked out of context for a variety of purposes. Like most other verses, when the context is ignored, this verse can be forced to mean a wide variety of different things. In order to understand what Paul is truly saying, we must remember the broader context in which 3:28 falls.

Paul is writing to Christians in modern-day Turkey. His audience is likely those in the churches Paul founded on his first missionary journey. Paul is aghast that these relatively new believers have, to one degree or another, turned from the gospel of grace to a message of works. Paul writes these strong words at the outset of the epistle in 1:6-9, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Most of the letter carries the theme of salvation by God’s grace through faith. It is designed to contradict the false teachings of Judaizers who were proclaiming a works-based gospel of law following. The context of the vast majority of this letter is one of salvation. Specifically, 1:1-5:12 focuses on salvation. It is not until 5:13 that Paul transitions to a focus on sanctification, saying, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

We see, then, that 3:28 falls in the middle of a fairly long treatise by Paul on the topic of faith-based salvation. In chapter three, Paul writes about Abraham as the man of faith. Abraham was justified by faith, not law. After Christ came, both Jews and Gentiles of faith are counted as sons of Abraham. Paul concludes chapter three by writing this in verses 25-29, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Everyone in Christ, regardless of race, societal status, or gender, is an heir to the promise of salvation. In this great salvation, we are all the same in Christ. We all have the same value and receive the same gift.

The entire focus of 3:28 is salvation in Christ.

Please notice that 3:28 says absolutely nothing about the role that any Christ-follower is to play in the family, in broader society, and/or in the church. This is because the context of 3:28 is salvation as opposed to sanctification. There are plenty of other verses in the NT that speak to the roles God expects us to play.

Galatians 3:28 is frequently used by some to say that men and women have the exact same roles to play in the family and in the church. The problem with this is that it requires the text to be torn out of its context in order to make it say this. Simply put, it’s not what Paul meant.

The bible differentiates between worth/value and role. Some verses deal with one while others deal with the other. Galatians 3:28 is a wonderful verse that we should all cherish, but we must also be faithful to scripture’s intent. While Paul intended for 3:28 to be read for understanding of salvation, he had no plans for this to impact the way we think about the roles we play.

Let’s all remember that each verse belongs in a broader context. It is from this context that meaning comes. In order to know what God means in the bible, we must stay in context.

One Good Reason for Women to Remain Silent

In my previous post I offered one good reason for women to speak during church gatherings. In this post I’m offering one good reason for the ladies to keep silent.

The reason: If a woman speaks incorrectly or inappropriately, there is no good method for correcting her.

Let me explain by backing up a bit.

During a gathering of the body, a brother may offer an incorrect teaching, inappropriate rebuke, faulty application, etc. When he does this the other brothers there have the responsibility to lovingly correct him. This should be done in whatever manner is best for the health of the body. It may be publically or privately. Whatever the case, the brothers have the responsibility to take action.

Let’s now turn to the ladies. What happens if a Christian sister offers an incorrect teaching, an inappropriate rebuke, or a faulty application? She must be corrected, but who is going to do it? The other ladies present may very well feel that it is beyond their role to correct their sister in a mixed-gender assembly. The men may not feel comfortable correcting someone else’s wife (if she's married). Ideally, the husband would correct his wife, but what if he does not have the nerve to do it or simply thinks she is correct?

At that point it falls to one of the other brothers to correct his sister. The problem is that this immediately brings up complications. When the brother begins the correction, the husband may very well sense an attack on his wife and rush to her defense. Since one role of the husband is to defend his wife, he may react sharply against his brother even if the brother is attempting to speak lovingly and gently. It is a sort of no-win situation.

If women do not speak in the gathering, then this is never a problem. The men can confront the other men when needed, but the wife-defender issue never comes up. Maybe this is one of the reasons Paul wrote I Corinthians 14:33-35, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

The application of the above passage is the tricky part. Does this apply to any gathering, an entire body gathering, a time of bible study, or only specifically to the judging of prophets? The debate, as we know, rages on.

To sum up, one good reason for women’s silence in gatherings is that it cuts out the possibility of an ugly scene with brother defending his wife against another brother.

What say you? Again, ladies please join in.

One Good Reason for Women to Speak

One lively and important discussion that flows around in Christian circles is whether or not women should speak during church gatherings. Passages such as I Cor. 12, I Cor. 14:33-35, and I Tim. 2:11-15 among others are critical to this conversation.

It is not my intent here to delve into an exegetical analysis of these key passages.

Rather, in this post I’m simply going to offer one good reason for women to speak during gatherings (in the following post I’ll offer one good reason for women to keep silent). I’m not claiming that this is the only good reason for women to speak, but it is a good one.

The reason: women offer a different perspective than men do.

If we are honest we will all admit that men and women are very different. This is how God made us. These differences were apparent before the fall, thus ensuring that these differences are a good thing. God has designed men and women to complement one another, not to be carbon copies of each other. Frankly, life would be a lot duller if we were all the same.

A great reason for women to speak during church assembles is that they often provide differing perspectives than men do on all sorts of things. This might mean a somewhat different interpretation of a scripture passage. More often than that, it is the application of the passage that is different. Women are usually more nurturing than men, and therefore have important things to say about passages containing the "one anothers."

When I hear a brother in Christ speak I frequently know where he is going with what he’s saying. When a sister speaks, I often have no clue. This does not mean that the ladies are incorrect in what they are saying. Rather, it just means that they see things differently.

This reminds me of I Corinthians 12:14-20. Paul writes, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

The above passage pertains to all of body life, not just gatherings. However, it still seems to have application to gatherings. The sense is that all parts of the body are needed. If women are silent, then only about half the body can speak. I know that if all the women in our small fellowship kept silent it would subtract from the depth of the conversation.

To sum up, women add a different perspective to the gathering than men do. This is because God made us different. These differences add much to the discussion.

What do you think? Ladies, please feel welcomed to add to the discussion.