Women in Scripture

• Genesis 1:27-28, God created a male
• Genesis 2:20-23, God created a female
• Genesis 3:1, the serpent talks to the woman in the garden
• Genesis 3:12-13, God talks to Eve after she ate from the fruit of the tree "
• Genesis 3:16, pangs of childbearing increased
• Exodus 1:15-17, midwives commanded by the king of Egypt to kill the baby boys of Israel
• Exodus 15:20, the women danced with tambourines
• Leviticus 12:2-5, a women's purification
• Numbers 6:2, "When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord . . ."
• Numbers 27:5-7, the daughters of Zelophehad can inherit
• Numbers 30:6-8, about a married woman
• Judges 4:4-5, Deborah the prophet
• 2 Kings 22:14, prophetess Huldah consulted
• Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (Prov. 31:30).
• Mark 15:40-41, women looked on and followed Jesus from a distance
• Luke 1:41-42, Elizabeth says to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
• Luke 24:9-11, "Returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them."
• Romans 16:7, "Greet Andronicus and Junia. . . "
• 1 Corinthians 11:10-12, "For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. . . "
• 1 Corinthians 14:33-36, women in church
• Galatians 3:27-28, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
• Ephesians 5:22-24, wives and husbands
• Philippians 4:2-3, "I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.:
• 1 Timothy 2:9-14, women's wardrobe

Reflections about Women

In the Genesis 1 creation account it should be noted that both male and female are named together as human beings made in the image of God. The Hebrew says, "Let us make man (adam, the word for human) in our image," but then it says he made them male and female. So originally there is no difference in the status of male and female before God.

In the second creation account in Genesis 2, Adam (the human) is alone in the garden and God seeks to provide proper companionship for him. The woman (Hebrew: issah) is created out of Adam's rib and presented to him as a "suitable helper" (Hebrew: ezer). Some have argued that because woman was made from Adam's rib and given as a "helper," she is presented as in some way subservient. However, it should be noted that the word for helper is also attributed to God. Therefore, others maintain that the woman should be seen as a suitable partner and counterpart for the man in the human calling.

That Eve is the one in conversation with the serpent in Genesis 3 suggests to some that she has stepped out of her proper place under the leadership of Adam, thus bringing ruin. Others see her conversation with the serpent as a sign of her equality and even her unique intelligence. In the curse following the fall, God declares that her husband will rule over Eve. Some take this to be a creational mandate, while others argue that this is a result of the fall, and therefore should be taken as a sign of the fallen world rather than the way God intended.

Prominent women in the Old Testament

It should be noted that while women were generally not regarded as the equals of men generally in the ancient Near East, there are a number of prominent women in the Old Testament, including judges (Deborah), prophets (Miriam and Huldah), and key actors (Shiprah, Puah, and Esther).

Jesus and women

On the one hand, Jesus chose twelve men as his disciples and commissioned them as apostles. Yet he had extensive dealings with women, and women play key roles in his life and ministry. His closest friends were the sisters Martha and Mary. Mark names a number of women who support Jesus financially and in other practical ways. That Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman alone was a big surprise and even scandalous to his disciples (John 4). Most important, the faithful women who came to the tomb were the first to declare the good news of Jesus's resurrection — which the disciples then doubted because it came from women. Just the fact that he had independent and close relationships with women in that culture is surprising, and indicates Jesus's acceptance of women as equals in their relationship to him.

Women figured prominently in Paul's ministry

In Paul'sletters there appears to be a clear understanding that women, while equal by their baptism (Galatians 3:27-28) have reduced roles in the church. They are to wear certain clothes either for modesty or to reduce worldly show (1 Timothy 2:9-10), and they are restricted from speaking and teaching in the church gathering (1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15). At the same time, it is clear that some women figured prominently in Paul's ministry. He speaks of them as "coworkers" (Philippians 4:2) at his side, as "deacons," and, should Junia (Romans 16:7) be a female, as an apostle. Some believe, then, that the restrictions placed on women in some churches may be due to special circumstances.

Women in the modern church

Clearly the modern feminist movement has had a large effect on the place of women in the church. While some churches maintain a literal and universally prescriptive understanding of Paul's texts about the place of women, others do not. Those who maintain a more egalitarian approach either see unique local circumstances as the reason for Paul's restrictions or see the restrictions as mirroring societal norms in that day, or they maintain that the Holy Spirit's ultimate purpose is grasped in the egalitarian movement.

A Complementarian View

"In God's wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. God ordains that they assume distinctive roles which reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church, the husband exercising headship in a way that displays the caring, sacrificial love of Christ, and the wife submitting to her husband in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. In the ministry of the church, both men and women are encouraged to serve Christ and to be developed to their full potential in the manifold ministries of the people of God. The distinctive leadership role within the church given to qualified men is grounded in creation, fall, and redemption and must not be sidelined by appeals to cultural developments." (Foundational Documents for the Gospel Coalition)

An Egalitarian View

"Biblical feminists believe that Scripture affirms the worth and value of men and women equally - and that all who have accepted Christ's offer of new life should have equal opportunity to serve God. They take seriously Paul's statement that `there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3:28). Biblical feminists advocate partnership, not competition; mutual submission, not dominion by one sex over the other; the priesthood of all believers, not a male hierarchy. (Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, "Biblical Feminism")