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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

Jesus listened to women; why don’t we?

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This one is going out to all those who’ve told me they would never listen to a woman or follow a woman because it’s unbiblical, unseemly, or because women’s voices are too high-pitched. Take a breath, folks. Look at what Jesus did. Go and do likewise… When Jesus walked the earth, gender inequality was so entrenched in Jewish society that an adulteress could be stoned without trial and men could divorce their wives for virtually any reason. In a nation of God-fearing and moral men, women were considered little more than property. They were servants whose place was in the kitchen or the field. Some of the religious leaders taught that women were ignorant, yet there was no point teaching them because they had weak minds. Since women were untrustworthy chatterboxes, their testimony had little value in a court of law. Then along came Jesus. Jesus encountered all sorts of women, good and bad. Yet unlike the rabbis and the philosophers, he never diminished their humanity. Instead, he treated them with respect and kindness. By including women in all that he did, Jesus provided us with a prophetic picture of the kingdom come. He showed us the world as it [...]

What is the purpose of the Law?

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Watchman Nee tells a wonderful story about a clumsy servant. As long as the servant sits still and does nothing, his clumsiness is not apparent. But the moment you ask him to serve, trouble begins. He knocks over furniture, drops plates, and makes a frightful mess. In Nee’s parable, we are the clumsy servant because we are all sinners by nature. If God asks nothing of us, all seems to go well, but as soon as he demands something of us, the occasion is provided for a grand display of our sinfulness. (The Normal Christian Life, p.157) The problem is that we think we’re free but we’re not. We’re prisoners of sin but we don’t know it until the law comes along and asks us to do something we cannot do. The law reveals our bondage to sin. I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not … I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. (Rom 7:14, MSG) Picture a prisoner living in a small cell. He’s been there so long he’s become institutionalized. His cell is all he knows. He thinks it’s his home and has decorated it with flowers made out of toilet paper. Then [...]

Filed Under: law

URGENT! Last chance to get your name in Paul’s book!

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Next week.

That’s when you could be reading a copy of my new book, The Silent Queen. But that can only happen if you are signed up as a patron by the end of this week.

What others are saying about The Silent Queen:

“I loved this book, and I learned heaps from it. I know you will too! You might even get set free as a result of reading it!” – Lyn Packer, author of Daughters of Eve

“Brilliant! Amen! Yes!” – Jami Amerine, author of Well, Girl

“A delight to read. Insightful, intelligent, and thoroughly thought out.” – Marg Mowczko, Australian theologian and writer

How do I get my name in The Silent Queen?

Sign up as a monthly supporter on Patreon or Donorbox in the next two days (before Oct 31, 2020) and I will thank you in the acknowledgements of the ebook version of The Silent Queen.

How much?

One lousy dollar.

You’ve probably got one in your pocket, all alone and friendless. Put that little guy to work and do some good. For every dollar pledged in the next two days, I will give away a copy of the book. The more you give, the more books we give away.

Become a supporter today and you’ll get instant access to all sorts of bonus materials such as my study notes and classic sermons from great preachers, PLUS these awesome extras:

– Sign up at the $10 level or higher and you will get an advance review copy (ebook) of The Silent Queen next week!

– Sign up at the $25 level and you’ll get the advance review copy AND a paperback book fresh from the printer AND your name will be printed in the acknowledgements of that book!

– Sign up at the $100 level and you’ll get the advance review copy AND a signed paperback copy of The Silent Queen. AND if you want me to add a personal message for that special someone, just let me know. AND as a special one-off bonus, you will receive a signed (and very rare!) copy of The Chocolate Gospel as well!

Patreon and Donorbox are easy to join and you can cancel at any time. But no books will be given away, and your name won’t be in them, unless you do it before the deadline: Saturday 31 October 2020.

Awesome!

Paul

Is the church too feminine?

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I have been blown away by the positive response to my forthcoming book, The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to find their Voice.

Although the book doesn’t come out until Christmas, I thought you’d might like a taste now. The following article has been cut from the Introduction…

Women arriving at the tomb, by He Qi

Since its inception, the church has championed the rights of women. It has done this by opposing polygamy, incest, and underage marriage; promoting women’s education; caring for widows and orphans; and proclaiming the dignity of every person.

While the pagan world was visiting upon women every form of injustice and depravity known to man, the church was providing a refuge and a hope for a better future. This is a track record we can be proud of.

But do women in the church enjoy the same opportunities as men?

Women make up more than half of the church but account for less than ten percent of its senior leaders.

In the church we allow women to minister a hundred different ways—they serve in the crèche, sing in the choir, and cook the potluck dinners—but we don’t allow them to lead.

Which is surprising, because studies reveal that many of us have no problem accepting female priests or pastors in theory. But in practice, it’s a different story. Even churches that aren’t opposed to women in leadership are reluctant to hire them because doing so can lead to division and strife.

There is no question the church has made positive strides in recognizing women in leadership. Up until the 1950s, there were very few women in recognized ministry. But any positive trend has been mostly at the grassroots level. In the Catholic Church, for instance, women lay ministers are common, but women priests are not. In the American Protestant Church, only nine percent of senior protestant pastors are women.

From time to time, some report will come out in the Christian media trumpeting the rapid growth in the percentage of female pastors or preachers. “Number of clergywomen has exponentially increased over last two decades,” claimed a recent headline in The Christian Post. But when your starting point is zero, any increase looks good.

The fact is we are not remotely close to achieving parity. Maybe in another hundred years. Maybe my granddaughters’ granddaughters will see it.

Perhaps God has given you the ability to preach and teach. Maybe you have a story to tell or a desire to lead. But if you are a woman who desires to be faithful to the call of God, you can expect opposition in the form of religious tradition.

You will be told you can share but not preach. You can speak in the small group but not the large one. You can serve coffee but not communion. You need a husband or some sort of male covering. You better not wear trousers and for heaven’s sake don’t show emotion. Break these rules and you will be marginalized, silenced, and branded a Jezebel.

It is sometimes remarked that the modern church is excessively feminine, which is ironic given the way we treat women. We fret about the shortage of men in the pews but give no thought to the absence of women in the pulpit.

We bend over backwards to attract new men but do little to promote the women who are already here.

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Want to see The Silent Queen weeks before the rest of the world? Sign up as a monthly supporter on Patreon or Donorbox today. Some conditions apply, but everyone who signs up before next week will get thanked in the book.

Don’t miss out!

First look at Paul’s new book (and how to get your name in it!)

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Here is the world’s first glimpse of the cover of my new book:

Like it?

The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to Find their Voice, is my first proper book in two years.

And if you act fast, your name could be in it!

What’s the book about?

It’s about how God has given every one of us a story, a song, or a message that the world needs to hear. But if you are denied the opportunity to share your gift, your light will not shine as bright as God intended.

In The Silent Queen, I confront the lies that keep women silent and sidelined. In this book you will learn what Jesus really thought about women in leadership; why the Bible never said women should stay in the shadows; why submission may not mean what you think it means; why you should never compare your wife or yourself to the woman of Proverbs 31; and much more! It’s a book about marriage and church and fulfilling your God-given dreams.

It’s probably the most important book I’ve written.

What are others saying about The Silent Queen?

“I was stunned by the things I discovered in this powerful book.” – Sandra McCollom, author of I Tried Until I Almost Died

“A critical and essential masterpiece.” – Nate Tanner, evangelist at L3 International Ministries

“Reading this book, I had quite a few moments where the blinders came off – blinders I didn’t realize I had on!” – a (male) beta reader

Sounds good. When can I get the book?

The Silent Queen comes out at Christmas 2020. However, patrons and supporters will get advance copies a full month earlier.

How do I get my name in The Silent Queen?

Easy. Sign up as a patron on Patreon (USD) or a monthly supporter on Donorbox (other currencies) before October 31, 2020 and your name will go in the acknowlegements. Patrons and supporters enable me to write full-time, and I intend to thank them in my book.

Why should I put my name in your book?

Because more people will hear the gospel if you do. Patrons and supporters are the reason why everything on this website is free and why people in every country are hearing the good news of grace without charge.

How much?

People pay big money to get their names in a Lee Child thriller, but you can get your name in my book for next to nothing.

For a few dollars a month, you can become a partner in this message. And if you contribute a little more, you’ll get exclusive supporter-only rewards such as draft chapters, Q&A sessions, bonus materials, exclusive articles, insider access, giveaways, sneak peeks, etc. Here’s the deal:

– Sign up at the $10 level or higher and you will get an advance review copy (ebook) of The Silent Queen weeks before the book goes on sale.

– Sign up at the $25 level and you’ll get the advance review copy AND a paperback book fresh from the printer AND your name will be printed in the acknowledgements of that book!

– Sign up at the $100 level and you’ll get the advance review copy AND a signed paperback copy of The Silent Queen. AND if you want me to add a personal message for that special someone, just let me know. AND as a special one-off bonus, you will receive a signed (and very rare!) copy of The Chocolate Gospel as well! Did someone just say Happy Christmas?

What else you got?

The Silent Queen is full of good news for both men and women. I want everyone to be set free by the message in this book, so for every dollar raised in the next few days, I will give away one book.

Sign up at $10/month, and your gift means I’ll give away 10 books. Sign up at the $50 level and that’s 50 people who will hear the good news because of your investment. If you have been blessed by my writing and want others to hear the good news of grace, why not sign up as a patron today?

Being a patron is easy and you can cancel at any time.

Paul

PS: As an added incentive, the first 20 new patrons who sign up from today will get a personal thank you message from me!

Submission doesn’t mean what you think it means

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Image: Pixabay

Bad theology hurts women. Sometimes it even kills them.

In his book Ten Lies the Church Tells Women, Lee Grady tells the story of a woman called Doris who suffered through an abusive marriage. Doris’s husband, the head deacon at their church, would sometimes come home from work in a rage and physically assault his wife.

For a long time, Doris said nothing. But after the violence began to escalate, she turned to their pastor for help.

“He’s your husband,” said the pastor. “You can’t leave him. He has authority over you. You must be making him angry.”

Doris meekly returned home believing that she was somehow responsible for the abuse she was suffering. Nothing changed. Her husband continued to beat her, and eventually, he killed her.

Doris’s story is hardly unique. I have had female readers tell me similar stories. “My husband was abusive, but my church said I had to forgive him and stay with him.” And I’ve had male readers say similar things as well, but not as many.

Grady reports that in the United States, religious homes are ranked second highest in incidents of domestic abuse. Only the homes of alcoholics are worse.

Why do so many religious men abuse their wives? It might have something to do with this verse:

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Eph. 5:22)

This scripture is part of a two-punch combination that misguided men have inflicted upon women. Apparently, Ephesians 5 says wives must submit to abusive husbands, while Matthew 5 says they can never walk away.

Of course, these scriptures say no such thing. But read them through a patriarchal lens and you’ll think they do.

Unhealthy submission

“Let women be subject to their husbands as to a lord.” That’s how Thomas Aquinas read Ephesians 5. Aquinas said the relationship between a husband and a wife is “like that of a master to his servant.”

Although the husband is not really a lord, his wife submits to him as though he were.

Many Church Fathers and theologians taught that wives are meant to serve their husbands. Augustine said, “It is the natural order among people that women serve their husbands and children their parents, because the justice of this lies in that the lesser serves the greater.”

The first duty of a wife, said the Puritan John Dod (1549–1645), is to fear her husband. Her second duty, “is constant obedience and subjection… she must resolve to obey him in all things.”

Although the trend these days is towards equality in marriage, much of the Christian world remains committed to traditional roles of hierarchy. And this is understandable, because Paul told wives to submit to their husbands. It’s right there in black and white.

Submit.

For some, this is the most dangerous word in the Bible. It’s medieval. It opens the door to all kinds of abuse. Surely no other word has been the cause of as much physical and psychological damage.

But is it possible that submit does not mean what we think it means?

Could it be that this word, like the words repent, confess, obedience, and love, has been so mangled by manmade tradition that it no longer bears any resemblance to its original meaning?

Submission, as modeled by Jesus and described by Paul, stems from love, not power. Submission is not forced on us from above; it is something we offer to another. It’s choosing to surrender because we want to, not because we have to.

We yield to the other because we love and respect them. Indeed, submission is the essence of love. It is saying, “Because I love you, I choose to put you first.”

The apostle we read at weddings

This weekend, at weddings all over the world, thousands of people will hear the following words from the Apostle Paul: “Love is patient, love is kind, love is not self-seeking” (1 Cor. 13:4–5).

On the subject of love, there was no greater authority. Paul understood that true love does not seek its own, but is other-focused. Love says, “How can I put the needs of the one I love ahead of my own needs? How can I put the other one first?”

The choice to freely give yourself to another human being—a husband, a wife, a child, a friend—for no other reason than you love them, is a tremendous risk. In fact, it is probably the greatest risk you can take. But when you have someone you truly love, you’ll happily take the risk because you love them.

And if they happen to love you back—well, there’s no greater thrill in the world.

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“Sounds great, Paul, but what if the husband is abusive?” For answers to tough questions like this and practical tips for a heavenly marriage, check out my latest ebook, Should Wives Submit to their Husbands? What if he’s a Jerk? Available now for monthly supporters on Patreon and Donorbox.

Who submits in marriage?

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When Camilla and I were writing our wedding vows, my future wife told me that she had a problem with the word submit. We had dug up some traditional vows based on Ephesians 5:22: “I promise to love, cherish and submit to my husband as to the Lord.”

“I’m not going to say that,” said Camilla.

I didn’t really think she would. Danish women are fiercely independent. They don’t submit to anyone anywhere.

In the end, we opted for a watered-down version of that passage. But if we were to redo our vows today, neither one of us would have a problem saying the word submit. In fact, we would relish it because we have learned the true meaning of submission.

What does it mean to submit?

When we think of submission, we tend to think of the strong dominating the weak. We picture wrestling holds and being beaten into submission. We think of kings ruling over subjects, and husbands lording it over wives. But this is not the sort of submission that Paul is talking about in Ephesians 5.

Want to know what submission is really like? Look to that wonderful union we recognize as the Godhead. See God the Son submitting in all things to God the Father. See God the Father giving the Son a Name above all names. See the Son bragging about the Spirit, and the Spirit testifying of the Son.

Surely submission is one of God’s most beautiful ideas. It is the very essence of other-focused love.

Who submits?

In a marriage, who submits to whom? Do husbands submit or wives?

Many churchgoers familiar with Ephesians 5 would say that wives submit, but the biblical answer is both. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21). Husbands put wives first, wives put husbands first, and that’s the recipe for a happy marriage.

At least that’s the theory.

In reality, what sometimes happens is that only one of the partners submits, and the result is an imbalanced relationship. Whenever you have a meek wife submitting to a domineering husband or a gentle man yielding to a strong-willed woman, you have a marriage that’s out of whack. It will take considerable effort from the long-suffering partner to keep the marriage going.

And this is why Paul speaks to both husbands and wives.

Like a director dispensing lines in a play, he wants both actors to understand their roles. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved his church, and wives are to respect and submit to their husbands, as to the Lord.

As long as the husband concerns himself with his part, and the wife concerns herself with hers, all will be well. But as soon as the husband starts reminding the wife of her lines—“Woman, submit!”—there will be trouble.

And trouble there is, because the church teaches only half of Paul’s message. It tells wives to submit but it rarely says the same thing to husbands. Which is surprising because in Ephesians the emphasis is the other way around. Paul spends more time talking to husbands than to wives. Wives get three verses; husbands get nine.

If we are to teach submission, let us do it the way Paul did it. Let us right the imbalances of history by encouraging men to lead the way.

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Extracted from Paul’s latest ebook, Should Wives Submit to their Husbands? What if he’s a Jerk? available now for monthly supporters on Patreon and Donorbox.

6 awesome things that will happen when Christ returns

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Judging by the number of books written on the subject, we ought to be able to predict Christ’s return down to the minute, but the fact is nobody knows the hour or day. Jesus could return before the end of the year, or he might return after you have died of ripe old age. Only God knows.

From time to time a wave of paranoia sweeps over social media regarding the imminent end of the world and the physical return of King Jesus. Y2K. Mayan calendars. Planets aligning and blood moons. Pandemics and Presidential elections. The market for bad predictions is lucrative, but every misguided prophecy regarding the Lord’s return – and there have been thousands – has proven false. Every. Single. One.

You should not be troubled by these random outbreaks of hysteria, for the Bible declares that the when of Christ’s return is a mystery. You don’t know when, you don’t need to know when, you just need to be ready for when.

But while the Bible is silent about when, it says a lot about what. Here are six awesome things that will happen when Christ returns:

1. Jesus will arrive with a shout

Jesus’ first arrival was a largely unheralded birth in a stable in a one-horse town. In contrast, his return will be a glorious and loud procession that is visible to all.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God (1 Thess. 4:16a)

If history is a play, then the final scene is where the Author and Hero of the story steps onto the stage to vanquish his foes. Jesus’ return is the climax of history. It will be beyond spectacular!

2. The dead will rise

And the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thess. 4:16b)

Paul wrote these words to people who were sad. “Do not grieve,” he said, “For those who sleep in death will rise to new life.”

Was Paul preaching a literal resurrection? Some say that Jesus returned in AD70 and therefore there is no resurrection. It’s metaphorical or symbolic. Paul would disagree. “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:12).

On the day the Lord returns, I expect to see my father and grandfather who both died when I was young. Parents will meet their miscarried children. It will be a day of joyful reunions.

3. We will be transformed

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Cor. 15:50-52)

Not all of us will die – some of us will be alive when the Lord returns – but we shall all be changed. Just as we have worn the earthly image of Adam, we shall bear the heavenly image of Christ. The older I get, the more I look forward to my new resurrection body, a body not subject to death, decay, and dentist’s visits.

4. We will meet the Lord in the air

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17)

In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the virgins go out to meet the groom and then return with him. That’s a picture of the second or final coming when we who are still alive are caught up to meet the Lord.

Recall what the disciples heard as they watched Jesus ascending into heaven:

Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

On that occasion Jesus went up; on his return he’ll come down. When he ascended to heaven resurrected saints ascended with him (Matt. 27:52-53). So picture Jesus ascending with a crowd of people. “It’ll be like that, but in reverse,” said the angels, meaning Jesus will come return with a crowd of people.

And we’re part of the crowd.

5. God will judge the living and the dead

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28-29, NIV)

Those who have done good are those who “hear and believe,” for those who hearken to the good words of Jesus will live (John 5:24-25). In contrast, those who have done evil jam their fingers in their ears and refuse to hear the good things God says.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27, KJV)

The word for judgment means decision or verdict. Every one of us makes a decision about Jesus, and in the end every one of us gets exactly what we want. Those who desire life shall have it and in abundance, for Jesus is the Giver of Life. And those who prefer to have nothing to do with him shall get their wish too.

6. We shall be with the Lord forever

I used to think that the earth was a bus station and that my permanent home was in heaven. I now realize that the earth is God’s gift to humanity (Ps. 115:16) and God’s gifts are good.

Our home is broken and marred by sin, but just as God has not given up on us, he has not given up on our home. He’s not moving us out; he’s moving in. He’s not sending us to heaven; he’s bringing heaven to earth.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them, and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3-4)

First Adam cursed the earth with his disobedience, but Last Adam blessed the earth with his obedience. Now he sits enthroned until his enemies are put under his feet.

A good day

Satan, although defeated and disarmed, still “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Happily, his time is limited and his end is coming. When Jesus returns, Satan goes, and that will be a good day.

Jesus healed the sick, but many still suffer. His enemies of cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s are still with us. But when he returns they will go, and that will be a good day.

Many of us have buried children, parents, or spouses. Families have been torn apart by death. But when Christ returns death itself will be defeated, and that will be a good day!

And so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:17)

Now there’s a promise to shade all others. We shall be with him, not just in spiritual union, but physically with him. It staggers the mind.

The Second or Final Coming of the Great King is not something to fear but something to long for. All our lives up until then will seem like a waking dream compared to the life we will share with him in eternity.

Comfort and encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:18)

The King is coming! Are you comforted? Are you encouraged?

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Looking for a grace-based Scripture Index? Bookmark this page.

Want to translate one of Paul Ellis’s books? Start here.

If a woman can’t be a husband, she can’t be a pastor, right?

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Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church

What sort of person makes a good pastor?

In his letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul lists sixteen desirable qualities (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Tit. 1:5-9). Pastors or overseers or elders should not be new converts, he says. Nor should they be money-grubbing alcoholics prone to fits of temper. Ideally, they should be good parents because leading a church is like leading a family.

And apparently pastors should also be men – at least that’s the impression we get when we read things like this:

A church leader must be a man… (1 Tim. 3:2, NLT)

The only problem is, Paul never said this. Not ever.

Despite how his words may appear in your NLT or KJV, Paul never said, “If any man desires the office of a bishop.” He said, “If any one desires the office of a bishop” (1 Tim. 3:1). Since we are all one in Christ, any one may desire the office of pastor, regardless of gender.

“Any one” means any one

When describing the ideal pastor, Paul’s language is remarkably gender neutral. Which is interesting given the patriarchal world he lived in. Rabbis were men. Jewish priests were men. But Christian pastors could be men or women. This was new.

If there was ever place to insist or suggest that pastors or elders must be men, Paul’s list of qualifications was the place. Yet Paul says nothing. Evidently he did not have a problem with women pastors.

However, Paul did have one male-specific word in his list, and that word is husband. Paul said an elder must be the husband of one wife:

For this cause left I you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed you: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife… (Tit. 1:5-6a)

Can a woman be a pastor? Since pastors must be husbands, women can’t be pastors, or so the argument goes. However, the you-must-be-a-husband test falls short for two reasons.

First, Timothy, who was in charge of the Ephesian church, did not pass this test. Nor did Paul. Or Jesus. None of them were married. If managing one’s household well is a prerequisite for being a shepherd, on what basis could Paul or Timothy oversee any church? They didn’t have households to manage. Either Paul was a hypocrite who didn’t keep his own rules, or the husband-of-one-wife requirement does not mean what we think it means.

Second, the husband-of-one-wife rule also applied to deacons (1 Tim. 3:12), yet there were female deacons in the church (Rom. 16:1). If females can be deacons, they can be elders, and in the Bible, they were.

Husband of one 

Paul was a savvy church planter who knew how to recruit pastors. He understood that a shepherd ought to be gentle, peaceable, and all the other things. But why does he have to be a husband of one wife? Because someone who has two or more wives will be a lousy shepherd.

Do you see? Paul was not ruling out divorced people or unmarried people. He was talking about polygamists.

Probably not suitable

In the world that Paul inhabited, it was not uncommon for a man to have several wives. In one of the oldest commentaries on this passage, John Chrysostom said Paul was not saying an overseer must have a wife; he was prohibiting his having more than one. “For even the Jews were allowed to contract second marriages, and even to have two wives at one time.”

That was Jewish men; Gentile men weren’t much better.

Among the Romans, marriage was widely regarded as an inconvenience that interfered with a man’s natural passions. A wife who cheated could be killed with impunity by her husband, but a man who cheated was untouchable. Consequently, Gentile men were often unfaithful. Even if they were monogamous in marriage, they were polygamous in practice.

A man who had multiple wives, or who acted like he had multiple wives, was a faithless man. Such a man could not possibly trusted to care for the bride of Christ. “Don’t make him an elder,” said Paul to Timothy. “Instead, recruit reliable people. Choose those who are faithful, not philandering; steady, not shifty; loyal, not lascivious.”

Paul never says an elder must be male or married; he says he must be the husband of only one wife. It’s the number that counts. “If he’s married, it had better be to one woman only.”

And Paul never says women cannot pastor or shepherd others, for that would contradict everything he believed about the new creation. Paul understood that the Spirit gives gifts to all of us, not half of us. If he met women who felt called to lead or shepherd he would have encouraged them to fan their gift into flame.

Paul was surrounded by capable women leaders, and he praised them in his letters. If he was opposed to women leading, he had ample opportunity to say so. Yet he never did.

Neither should we.

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Is the King James Bible sexist?

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Recently I asked the question, “Is the Bible sexist?” It is and it isn’t. It is in the sense that it records the sexist stories and laws of patriarchal societies. But it isn’t in the sense that it reveals God’s heart for equality and freedom.

Men and women were made equal in God’s image (Gen. 1:27). Sin opened the door to discrimination, domestic violence, trafficking and all the other evils visited upon women. But Jesus showed us that God’s heart has always been to elevate women to their rightful place as co-heirs with him.

The Bible is not a sexist book, but what about specific Bible translations? What about the most famous translation of all?

The most influential book in the world

The King James Version is an incredible book. A literary masterpiece, it introduced into the English language some of our most beautiful words and most memorable aphorisms. But like any Bible translation, it reflects the culture and theology of those who translated it. Which is why the 400 year old KJV seems to exhibit a subtle bias against women.

Consider these examples:

  • In Acts 18:26, the KJV reverses the order of Priscilla and Aquila’s names listing the husband first
  • Paul said a woman should learn in quietness, but the KJV says a woman should learn in silence (1 Tim. 2:11)
  • When Paul introduced Phoebe to the Romans, he called her a deacon, but the KJV introduces her as a servant (Rom. 16:1)
  • The KJV turns Euodia, a female co-worker named by Paul, into a man: Euodias (Php 4:2)

These are relatively minor examples. It probably doesn’t matter whether Priscilla is listed first or second. But what are we to make of this list of elder qualifications:

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7, KJV)

In this passage I have underlined ten gender-specific words (man, he, his) that show elders must be men. Guess what. None of them is in the Bible. They have all been added by translators.

“Paul, don’t tell me you’re one of those political correctness freaks who wants to ruin the Bible with inclusive language.”

Not at all. But I do believe a good translation should reflect what the Bible actually says. Translators ought not to change the meaning of words as they seem to have done in the passage above.

Read Paul’s original words or a literal translation of 1 Timothy 3 and you will find that his words are remarkably gender-neutral.

Paul did not say: “If any man desire the office of a bishop”
Paul said: “If any one desire the office of a bishop”

Big difference. In fact, it’s the sort of difference that might cause you to start asking questions about the role of women in the church.

“Whoa, slow down Kemosabe! Next you’ll be telling us that women can be elders.”

Who says they can’t?

“The Bible says!”

But which Bible? The one written by Paul the champion of women’s equality? Or the version published in the name of a king who tortured women for fun?

See the problem?

It’s not about the king

Let me hasten to add that the KJV is one of my favorite translations. I love its beautiful phrases. Its contribution to language and theology is monumental.

And I am not suggesting that the KJV is sexist because King James was a mysoginistic witch hunter. I am sure the churchmen who translated the KJV were good men working with pure motives.

But we must acknowledge that the translation of any Bible will reflect the norms of its time, and this is true of the KJV. Look at how 1 Timothy 3:1 appears in other early translations:

Wycliffe Bible (1382): “If ony man desirith a bishopriche…”
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535): “Yf a ma covet ye office of a Bisshoppe…”
The Great Bible (1539): “If a man desyer the offyce of a Bysshoppe…”
Bishops Bible (1568): “Yf a man desire ye office of a bishop…”
Geneva Bible (1599): “If any man desire the office of a Bishop…”

When King James issued his translators with instructions, he told them to follow existing Bibles as closely as possible, and they did. Why does the 17th-century KJV say “any man” in 1 Timothy 3:1? Because every 16th-century English Bible says it.

The real question to ask is why these old Bibles say “any man” when Paul said “any one.” Their translators were either masculinizing scripture in a way that was consistent with cultural norms, or they understood that any man meant any one. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to them anymore than the messianic phrase “Son of Man” is no big deal to us.

Old Bibles, modern mindsets

Maybe you have noticed how older Bibles say things like, “let your light shine before men,” while modern Bibles say “let your light shine before people.” Which is better? Either is fine, provided you understand that in older Bibles men implies people. It means anyone and everyone. It does not mean males.

When the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” they weren’t excluding women from the favor of God. In older Bibles, men means people.

Capiche?

It’s important that you get this because those who do not grasp these distinctions can get into serious error. Read an older translation (such as the KJV) with modern eyes and you may come away thinking that women cannot be bishops and Phoebe was nothing more than a delivery girl. You could get a distorted view of what the Bible actually says about women.

You may think that the Bible commands women to be silent in church, when it doesn’t.

And you may think the Bible says women can’t teach and preach when it doesn’t say that either.

Paul never said elders must be men; not once. And why would he? Paul worked with women all the time and he named and praised women leaders in his letters.

To be fair, Paul did include one male-specific word in his list above, and that word is husband, as in elders need to be husbands of one wife. Which makes it sound like elders must be men. It’s actually talking about something else as I will explain in a later article.

If any woman desires the office of elder, she desires a good thing

The idea that only males can shepherd the church of Christ is a malodorous tradition that reeks of Athenian philosophy. God made Adam and Eve equal and commissioned them to rule or lead together. Tremendous harm is done to all when we tell women that they are inferior, unequal, and unable to walk in the calling God has given them.

Is the KJV sexist? Not if you read it with the 17th-century understanding that man and men mean people. But read it with a 21st-century understanding – men means men – and you might think it is very sexist.

I appreciate this may offend those of you who believe the KJV was delivered from heaven on a silver cushion. If so, then you are too easily offended. We ought to be more concerned with the way women have been treated in the church. They have been marginalized, demonized, and burned at the proverbial stake. They’ve been told to remain silent and to endure domestic abuse because it’s God’s will for them to submit. The Bible says so.

These ancient evils have many causes and I’m hardly laying the blame on the KJV. But understanding how Bible translations can perpetuate a distorted view of scripture is a first step towards remedying this injustice.

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Want more like this? Check out Paul’s ebook Can Women Pastor? available now on Patreon.

Women pastors in the Bible

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Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, God’s shepherds to Iranian prisons

What is a pastor?

A pastor is a shepherd. That’s what the word literally means. A pastor is someone who tends and guides spiritual sheep.

Can women pastor?

Let me answer that question with a better one: If God has gifted and called a woman to pastor, should we oppose him?

Here’s another: Since God empowered women to lead churches in the New Testament, is there any reason to expect that he has stopped doing that today?

Some may say, “No female pastors are named in the Bible.” Neither are any male pastors named in the Bible. Search the scriptures and you will find no one identified as Pastor So-and-so.

We live in the age of the celebrity pastor, but the early church had no such thing. What it did have were nameless groups of elders or overseers, such as the Ephesian elders who met with Paul, or the elders Paul greeted at the start of his letter to the Philippians.

That said, the Bible identifies at least three females who pastored. It’s time for us to meet these little-known ladies.

Pastor Prisca

Prisca was one of Paul’s closest friends. They were such dear friends that the apostle called her by the diminutive version of her name, Priscilla.

Priscilla and her husband Aquila were Jewish business people who met Paul in Corinth and travelled with him to Ephesus (Acts 18). When Paul left Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila stayed behind and continued to preach the gospel (1 Cor 16:19). Soon they were hosting a church that met in their house. Later, they went to Rome and planted another church. We know this because of the way Paul greets them in his letter to the Romans:

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house. (Romans 16:3-5a)

This brief mention speaks volumes. Priscilla and her husband weren’t merely homegroup leaders; they were church planters with a multinational legacy. Such was her influence that Paul said the Gentile churches owed Priscilla a debt of gratitude.

What did Priscilla do? To quote Gene Edwards, Priscilla was “Paul’s right-hand man.” Paul considered her his equal and said she had risked her life for him (like a good shepherd).

Priscilla was not just a preacher or teacher. She was a pastor to the apostles. She trained Apollos in Ephesus and had two apostles, Andronicus and Junia, in her church at Rome. Indeed, Priscilla was not merely a pastor; she was a super-pastor who raised giants in the faith. (I guess she never got the memo about women staying silent in church.)

Nympha’s church

At a time when the church only met in people’s homes, several women were recognized as church leaders. Priscilla was one; Nympha was another.

Paul greeted “Nympha and the church that is in her house” (Col 4:15). We know very little about Nympha. Her house was located either in Laodicea or elsewhere in the Lycus Valley. Was she a pastor? Did she lead the church that met in her house? She must have done so, for Paul greets no one else in her church.

Chloe and her people

Chloe is another one of those intriguing people who gets only a single mention in the Bible: “I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you” (1 Cor. 1:11).

We don’t know anything about Chloe other than she lived in Corinth and she had people.

Who were these people? Were they her companions or a church that met in her house? We can’t be sure. But in the same way that “men from James” came to Antioch, “people from Chloe” came to Paul, and he recognized her as a leader within the church community. In short, she was a pastor.

If Paul objected to women pastors, the visit from Chloe’s people would’ve presented him with the perfect opportunity to say so. To quote Tim Fall, Paul might have expressed his concerns like this:

It has come to my attention you have a woman (Chloe) presiding over a group of brothers and sisters. This must not be! Is there not a man among you who could take over? Don’t wait until I am among you to correct this abomination.

Of course, Paul said no such thing because Paul had no problem with women in leadership. Instead of rebuking Chloe’s people for putting a woman in charge, he credited them for drawing his attention to a problem.

Nice job, Chloe’s people.

Many people say women cannot be pastors and they cannot lead churches, yet women did these very things in the Bible. The New Testament church had female pastors, female apostles, female prophets, female evangelists and female teachers, because God has commissioned all of us, men and women, to proclaim the good news. Some say women can’t teach because Eve was deceived. They forget that Jesus redeemed us from whatever mistakes Eve and Adam made, and he proved it by empowering women and including them among his disciples.

“But Paul, you have forgotten that the qualifications for a pastor that Paul gave in 1 Timothy 3 exclude women.”

No I haven’t, and no it doesn’t. Although many churches exclude women from influential positions of leadership, the reasons for this have more to do with tradition than what the Bible says.

I will unpack the treasures of 1 Timothy 3 in a later article. Stay tuned.

Can’t wait? Check out my ebook Can Women Pastor? available now on Patreon.

 

What’s so special about Christ’s right hand?

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While writing my book Letters from Jesus, I discovered a lot of gems in scripture. Some of these were hidden in the introductions Jesus gives his letters to the seven churches. Consider this introduction from his letter to the church in Ephesus:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. (Rev 2:1)

This is a truly remarkable picture of Jesus. But what does it mean?

Jesus takes a selfie

If the Bible is an art gallery, the Revelation letters are a special wing containing seven portraits of Jesus. These portraits are found at the beginning of each of the seven letters, and each is a treasure.

For starters, each is a self-portrait painted by Jesus himself. We are not hearing about Jesus second hand, and we are not seeing him through the eyes of another. This is Jesus revealing Jesus using word pictures found nowhere else in the Bible.

In the first portrait, we see Jesus holding seven stars. The seven stars in the Lord’s right hand are the angels or leaders of the seven churches (see Rev. 1:20). In scripture, those who teach the gospel of righteousness are called stars (Dan. 12:3), while false teachers are called wandering stars (Jude 1:13).

Why are the stars in his right hand? What is so special about that hand?

The right hand of God signifies his power and strength. “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power,” sang Moses. “Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” (Ex. 15:6).

Held by the right hand of God

In the Psalms, God’s right hand saves us, holds us, and shelters us (Ps. 17:7, 60:5, 63:8). His right hand is also the place of honor (Acts 2:33–34).

So when Jesus tells the seven stars or pastors that he is holding them in his right hand, he is saying, “You have nothing to fear, for I am holding you with my strong and mighty right hand.”

In truth, Jesus holds all of us in his mighty right hand (see John 10:28). He holds you and me.

So the next time you have some anxiety-inducing thought about whether you might stumble at the final hurdle and be lost, incline your ear to Jesus and hear what he says. He says this:

I’ve got you. You have nothing to fear. No one can snatch you from my strong and mighty right hand.

Amen.

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