DOES THE BIBLE DISCRIMINATE AGAINST WOMEN?

The distinctions between men and women clearly stated in the Scriptures have come under attack in our world today.  Many have argued that the church and some of the teachings in Scripture have contributed to abuses against and to the discrimination of women.  Many have labeled the Apostle Paul and others as male chauvinists and have argued that the Christian faith is misogynistic. 

Though I agree with some of the rights women have fought for over the years, I believe that the assaults made against the church and against the Christian faith are often misdirected and unjustified.  It doesn’t take much digging to see that women play a vital role in God’s Story.  

We learn of the importance of women early in the Scriptures.  For example, though she played a key role in man’s initial rebellion, Eve plays a vital role in God’s story.  She is the mother of all living.  We are told in Genesis 3:15 that through her comes Christ. 

You also have popular names like Ruth and Esther.  Ruth was the great grandmother of King David (also in the line of Christ) and Esther was a Jewish queen who used her influence given to her by God to speak up for God’s people so they could be spared from annihilation. 

Women also play a key role in the New Testament.  You have Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdeline who were with Christ throughout his earthly ministry.  They were both at his crucifixion and witnesses to His resurrection. 

Women were also key in the establishment of many churches in the first century.  An early convert was Mary, the mother of John Mark, who gave her house as a meeting place for the Christians in Jerusalem.  There was also Lydia, another lady who lived in Philippi, who also opened up her home in a similar way. 

In Romans 16, we learn of other women who were actively involved in ministry.  Paul writes about Phebe and says of her that she is a “servant of the church” and a “patron” or servant of Paul himself and others.  We also read about Priscilla, the godly wife of Aquila, whom Paul referred to as “a fellow worker in Christ Jesus.” 

Notice, by the way, that many of these women are mentioned by Paul himself in his letters.  As one studies Paul’s writings they quickly learn that Paul had a lot of positive things to say about women.  For example, he says in 1 Corinthians 11:7, “the woman is man’s glory” and in Galatians 3:28 he says “There is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, Paul is making the point in these verses that there is interdependence and equality among men and women.  He sure doesn’t sound like a male chauvinist and the Scriptures sound any but misogynistic. 

Truth is, Christianity has said more and has done more to affirm the equality of women spiritually and personally and in ability than any other system of belief.  Scripture is clear that men and women are equal in person—they are equal in terms of essence, in terms of personality, and in terms of thinking.  It is simply their responsibilities—their roles that are different.

For more on the different roles of men and women click HERE and listen to “ROLES ARE IMPORTANT.”

"Quote" of the Week

"We live in a culture that despises authority at every level.  Whether the authority of police, or of government, or of parents, or a husband's authority in marriage, or pastoral authority in our churches--our culture has programmed us to despise authority.  We find it hard to think positively about authority for one very simple reason:  we are sinners who want to be in charge of our own lives.  We want to be captains of our own destiny.  We want to govern our own futures.  And here, one of the lessons of the Trinity is that God loves what we despise; namely, God loves, exercises, and embraces rightful authority--submission relationships.  God loves this authority-submission structure because God embodies this very structure in his trinitarian relations of Persons.  If we have difficulty embracing authority and submission, we can be helped by two things:  1) recall that it is our own sinful urge for independence that leads us to despise authority and want our own way; and 2) reflect on the fact that in the very eternal relations that are true of the Persons of the Trinity, authority and submission are lived out with love and joy.  We must learn to embrace what is eternally true in God, and this means, among other things, embracing rightful authority and rightful submission."   -Bruce Ware

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

John Macarthur when speaking on this verse said, “This verse is the bottom line on the Christian life.”  In this verse, Paul tells us the main reason we were put on this earth.  He says, “The reason we are here is to glorify God in all that we do.”  He also shows us in this passage that one of the most significant areas to apply this principle is in the area of Christian Liberty.  

He essentially says, “You want to know when it’s ok to exercise the freedoms you have and when to waive those rights?  Let this verse be the measuring rod for your life."  He says, “In all you do, you need to be constantly revisiting this verse in 1 Corinthians 10.  You need to continually be asking yourself, 'Is what I am considering doing (whatever it is) going to bring glory to God or is it going to defame Him and His name?'"

"Quote" of the Week

“Thou hast made us for Thyself O God, and the heart of man is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.”  St. Augustine

²² Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? 1 Corinthians 10:22

In this verse, Paul reminds us of a key truth about our God that is repeated many times in the Scriptures.   He tells us that our God—He is a jealous God.  God is a jealous God.  He does not share loyalties.  He wants all of us, or nothing at all. 

And it is not  petty jealousy that God has for us.  God is all about that which is most holy, that which is most upright that which is the most worthy to be esteemed and worshipped—namely Himself.  And if you are thinking to yourself, “That sounds self-centered,”  Your right; God is!  Our God is a self-centered God. 

There is no other being in all of creation that compares to Him, therefore, to be centered upon anyone or anything else is to fall infinitely short of the mark.  There is no other being in all of existence that is worthy of worship other than Him.  Therefore, he refuses to let His people to settle for anything less. 

"Quote" of the Week

"Since he is the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, he cannot endure that any creature of his own hands, or fiction of a creature's imagination should be thrust into his throne, and be made to wear his crown."  C.H. Spurgeon

The Norwegian Lutheran Ole Hallesby articulated the importance of helplessness in his classic book Prayer.  He described how Mary’s request to Jesus at the wedding of Cana—“They have no wine” (John 2:3)—is a perfect description of prayer.  Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus.  Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, summarized it beautifully:  “Prayer is an expression of who we are…We are living incompleteness.  We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment.”

Throughout the book of John we see people coming to Jesus because of their helplessness.  The Samaritan woman has no water (see John 4).  Later in the same chapter, the official’s son has no health.  The crippled man by the pool of Bethesda has no help to get into the water (see John 5).  The crowd has no bread (see John 6).  The blind man has no sight (see John 9).  And finally, Lazarus has no life (see John 11). 

We received Jesus because we were weak, and that’s how we follow him.  Paul told the Colossians, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him” (2:6).  We forget that helplessness is how the Christian life works.

Paul was reminded of this when he prayed three times for God to remove his thorn in the flesh.  It didn’t happen.  Instead, God reminded Paul of how the gospel works.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The gospel, God’s free gift of grace in Jesus, only works when we realize we don’t have it all together.  The same is true for prayer.  The very thing we are allergic to—our helplessness—is what makes prayer work.  It works because we are helpless.  We can’t do life on our own.

Miller, Paul E.  A Praying Life:  Connecting with God in a Distracting World.  Colorado Springs:  NavPress.  2009.  54-55

"Quote" of the Week

"Prayer mirrors the gospel.  In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation.  In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of help.  We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us.  God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers."  Paul E. Miller.