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Date Posted: 17:33:07 03/08/05 Tue
Author: Anonymous
Subject: Paul and women
In reply to: Mike K. 's message, "Re: Gender roles and the Bible" on 10:03:16 03/06/05 Sun

>The Bible says clearly "To a woman, I do not permit to
>teach" and that is - like it or not - part of the book
>which I build my faith, worldview and lifestyle on.
>People can argue all they want about "times are
>changing", principles aren't.

Mike, you don't want me to think you're a fundamentalist and then you say something like this!

Now, to bring you up to speed out of the dark ages, I'll give a brief explanation. 1. As you point out yourself in another post, it is Paul who says he doesn't permit women to teach, not God. 2. In early Christian times, a rigidly patriarchal society was in place. Could not Paul's admonitions about women keeping silent and being "submissive" come from this, rather than from a divine principle. 3. If you want to take 1 Timothy 2:12 literally and apply it to today, you should know first that Paul himself didn't take it literally (I'll explain soon.) 4. You were right when you said, "times are changing," principles aren't. But it works against your argument. The principle has always been "men and women are both created in the image of God, and are equal in the full sphere of their spirituality and humanity." Some people are now just coming out of the dark ages and discovering this.

Now, back to what I was saying about Paul not taking himself literally. Theologians are confused as to what Paul meant when he wrote these verses because he obviously allowed women to teach and be in authority. At this point, I'll quote someone else who's done the work already, "It is generally assumed that Paul is the author of a Christianity of female subordination. But more recent studies have shown that the historical Paul in fact continued most of the assumptions and practices of early charismatic, inclusive Christianity. Indeed, most of the New Testament evidence that women functioned as local leaders, as well as traveling evangelists, is to be found in the Pauline letters. Paul addresses almost an equal number of women along with men (sixteen women and eighteen men) in his greetings to Church leaders in Romans 16. He mentions two women, Euodia and Syntche, as having preached the gospel "with Barnabas and me" in Philippians 4:2-3. He addresses a woman name Junia by the title of "apostle," and constantly refers to the husband and wife team, Priscilla and Aquila, as "Church leaders," usually naming Priscilla first. He also speaks of the prominent woman Phoebe by the title of both "deacon" and "prostasis" or leader, of her community." This is taken from Women in World Religions, Arvind Sharma (ed.), SUNY:1987, p212-213.

Regards,
Anonymous ex-UBFer

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