Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters by Philip B. Payne.
This in-depth book encompasses something of a lifetime’s work of earnestly reading and researching Scripture, seeking to investigate all of Paul’s teachings on women in ministry, and wrestling with the text in order to understand the meaning of Paul’s statements about women, and their relevance for the church today.
Meticulously taking each of the passages that are commonly used to argue against women in ministry and leadership in the church, the author leads the reader through Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 7, 11, 12 and 14, as well as Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, 1 Timothy 2-3 and Titus 1. Investigating both the wider use of individual words that Paul uses, and the original contexts to which the letters were written, Payne affirms that Paul consistently champions the equality of man and woman in Christ in his writings – and calls for the church to affirm Paul’s teaching and reject the view of ‘separate but equal’ leadership roles for men and women.
The book seeks to find a balance between being an accessible read, and faithfully representing 36 years of biblical scholarship on the issue – something which it achieves, as long as the reader is willing to persevere past the regular referral to Greek words! Payne, who has taught at Cambridge University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell, Bethel and Fuller Theological Seminaries, and comes from an Evangelical Free Church background, does a great job of focusing on the centrality of the text and its meaning throughout.
Highly recommended for those who really want to dig in and seek to understand Paul’s teachings on men and women.
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Book review by Alice Hague.
Entitlement comes in many forms. It is often so ingrained that we can be so oblivious to its offensive odor. Jesus went through various forms of discrimination, so why are we so surprised in the church when issues of race and gender come up? The reality is that when people are excluded from the table of decision by omission it is a form of discrimination. Ignorance does not exonerate us. I have encountered people who are deliriously mesmerized with self importance. They hold on for dear life to positions and advocate for the exclusion of others out of fear.
To say many women are in a place of transition is an understatement. I heard this week of several gifted women who cannot find placement in churches as lead pastors due to this unspoken code of women in authority. It angered me to be reminded that this still goes on.
I affirm the full participation of women in the ministries of the church. Women, just like men, are called and gifted to serve in the church. This affirmation emerges from the testimony of Scripture and has been lived out by the church in many ways throughout its history. Paul puts it this way in Galatians chapter three: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Since 1976 the Evangelical Covenant Church has been ordaining women, recognizing that gender is not a barrier to a person serving in any capacity in the church. The Covenant states that “the biblical basis for service in the body of Christ is giftedness, a call from God, and godly character—not gender.”
How Did I Get Here?…with Reflections on The Bible Made Impossible
Filed under: Book & Commentary
I do know this…as a result of serving on this commission; I have become much more sensitized and educated about what the issues are for women in ministry. I am struck and often dumbfounded as to how different camps can view specific passages in scripture in fundamentally different ways. I am even more dumbfounded when some maintain specific positions with virtually no biblical or scriptural basis for their own chosen viewpoint. Recently though, I have opted to not be so surprised by all of this. After all, if the Bible was so perfectly written, then why do we have so many different denominations and varieties of faith that are based upon specific interpretations of various passages in the Bible? Continue Reading »
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