Some will have been surprised to hear of 4 Anglican Bishops wishing to become Roman Catholics in recent weeks. The presenting issue is the prospect of the Church of England getting ready at some stage in the future to have women Bishops. For some, far out on both wings of the Church of England, this is too much. So I ask the question, 'Are women equal or nor?'
Without going on too long (come to Church this evening at 8pm for our last in our Hard Issues series), I want to draw attention to an astonishing verse from St. Paul. Men brought up like Paul, as orthodox Jews, thanked the Lord every day that they were not born women, slaves, or Gentiles, but they were Jewish free men! Everyone else was inferior. So when Paul writes, 'There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.' (Galatians 3.28) he is unravelling centuries of culture, prejudice and practice. If we are one in Christ, then we are equal, whatever else we may say about availability, authority, gifts or cultural appropriateness.
Will we treat each other like that?
Best wishes,
Richard
Thae fact that the question of whether women are equal is in your "hard issues" sessions is a bit of a worry,
ReplyDeleteafter paul writes those verses, thers a few more new testament views on women.
1 Timothy 2:11-15
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing.
1 Peter 3:1
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands.
Tom, Greeting!
ReplyDeleteWhile the culture was clearly male dominated, the general flavour of the New Testament is one in which women were valued as teachers, and as leaders in the growing Christian community. Read through Romans 16 to see how highly Paul commends them. Clearly, things had gone pear-shaped in Ephesus - loads more to say there - and Timothy is being instructed to run the Church's leadership on 'Safe Mode', much as we have to when our computers have crashed repeatedly.
The same book of Romans that has this gem of womens rights??
ReplyDelete1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.