Is the Bible Sexist?

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Of course this notion is one that clashes with the values of a society which has become preoccupied with the pursuit of equality (a pursuit which I am for), but which has come to regard equality as the erasure of difference. But what if our inability to conceptualise difference in any other category than inequality is, itself, part of the problem? The theological issue is whether there is a suggestion of male leadership or headship in the family from the beginning of creation. The fact that God did not choose to call the human race “woman,” but “man,” probably has some significance for understanding God’s original plan for men and women. Of course, this question of the name we use to refer to the race is not the only factor in this discussion, but it is one factor, and our use of language in this regard does have some significance in the discussion of male-female roles today” (440) If you were to ask some people the question above, the answer would be a resounding yes; others might answer with a resounding no. But it is a debate that has continued to be fueled as our society seeks out anything that could be considered sexist and anti-women. I want to outline three major hermeneutical options employed in the church today, and I’ll keep 1 Timothy 2:11 as my focus to show how various interpretive strategies can lead to entirely different conclusions even with respect to one passage. It’s crucial to keep a few things in mind: First, these interpretive strategies are not always distinct in practice; people are often inconsistent, moving between hermeneutical approaches without even being aware that they’re doing so. Second, remember that there are folks who consider the New Testament to be the timeless and eternal Word of God in all three of these interpretive “camps” – they just understand “timeless and eternal” in different ways. Thus, the operative question should be: What about this particular passage is timeless and eternal? Or: In what way is this timeless and eternal? Among other things, the Danvers Statement affirmed the submissive role of women. It said, “Wives should forsake resistance to their husbands’ authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands’ leadership.”

As a result, women responded warmly to Jesus’s ministry. Have things changed too drastically today for us to see this same Jesus? Not at all. Modern women can find the same rich fulfillment in serving Christ as did the Marys and Marthas of Judea, or the Joannas and Susannas of Galilee. Besides talking to female strangers, He has female disciples. In a culture where the idea of women travelling around with a group of men or having the status of disciple was seriously questionable, Jesus has a number of women who are included in His circle who contributed financially to the needs of the group. The Southern Baptist Convention soon incorporated these beliefs into its confessional statement – a document of generally shared beliefs. In an amendment in 1998 to the “Baptist Faith and Message,” the convention included the complementarian language.It is clear that women played a full and vibrant role in the ministry of Jesus, both as examples within His teaching and as recipients of it. While this may seem absolutely right and proper in our 21st century context, we must remember how radical this was in first century Palestine. Letha Scanzoni and Nancy Hardesty, All We’re Meant to Be: A Biblical Approach to Women’s Liberation (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1974), p. 56. So choose your Bible translations carefully. Gender-accuracy matters and is important for all of us. Mary:Who could say the virgin Mary wasn’t someone to admire for her willingness to carry God’s child, even though it put herself and her future husband Joseph in a difficult position? But instead of being fearful when the angel of the Lord told her of God’s plan for her, she calmly and confidently said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” ( Luke 1:38). It's also important to note that it was a group of women who stood at the foot of the cross, watching Jesus die and hearing His last words. It was a group of women who first witnessed the resurrection. Again, it is striking for us to remember that in this society the word of women was perceived as having less value than that of men. It is therefore enormously important that the most significant events of Jesus' death and resurrection were witnessed firsthand primarily by women.

The amended section on “ The Family” stated, “A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.”But here’s what makes this gender issue so complicated and, why it is important to consider carefully our translations. I am not offended by the notion that my role as a female has a distinct character that it is qualitatively (as opposed to quantitatively) different to that of a male. I believe that this asymmetrical relationship between men and women holds the potential for a beautiful kind of harmony. Even though the worldly cultures throughout time have oppressed and subjected women to abuse, God highly values women as people who are created in His image and for His glory ( Isaiah 43:7). 4. Respond with Grace and Love Last week, an article entitled, " Students 'angry and confused' over Archbishop Glenn Davies' comments on gender equality", was published by the ABC. The students who spoke to the ABC not only misrepresented the Archbishop's stance on the role of women in the church, but largely neglected even to engage with it, preferring instead to make sweeping generalisations about how his ideas were "outdated", that they contradicted messages "told to them by their parents, educators and society in general" and that he spoke of men as having "higher status and more power". (Interestingly, I have no memory of him saying anything of the kind). It was a question that made the participants in the panel and their audience uncomfortable and that would most likely bring cries of dismay from more conservative quarters of the Christian churches.

Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; [but] the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself. She has made even undergarments and proceeded to sell [them], and belts she has given to the tradesmen. If that important American document were being crafted today, a modern Thomas Jefferson would ignite a firestorm of protests if he chose the same outdated wording. Language is dynamic.

6. Problems in Our Post-Christian Society

Just because Scripture includes accounts of sexism does not mean that it condones these actions. Also, some practices recorded in the Bible are products of the surrounding ancient cultures, such as polygamy, which is not supported by the Lord.

There is a widespread belief around about the Bible that it is some kind of powerful patriarchal conspiracy that has been used to oppress women. As a female speaker I find that this question is frequently asked: ‘How can you as woman promote such a sexist book?’ ‘The Church has tried to keep women down!’ As Christians we need to be sensitive to the issues that underlie such an emotive question.At a recent meeting of the largest academic organization in my field, the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), another scholar told me God would bless me if I teach “from behind a lectern” but not if I teach “from behind a pulpit.” “After all,” he declared, “Paul had some things to say about that.” He promptly walked away. What these three women have in common is that God can see the strength and capability in women others would deem ordinary, to do the extraordinary. What Should We Do When We Think We See Sexism or Partiality in the Bible?