One of the most misunderstood aspects of Christianity and Scripture is that of the role and identity of women.
I cannot even begin to cover this hobgoblin here.
But every now and then, something will pop so clearly out of the Bible that I feel I can perhaps attempt to speak to this topic and perhaps put ever so slight a dent in the oft mistaken worldview attached to women and Christianity.
This is the verse that jumped out at me:
“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” NASB translation of John 1:9-13
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” NIV translation of John 1:9-13
As I delve deeper and deeper into the actual history of Christianity, which exposes what the very first churches actually were like, and as I continue to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and study context, interpretation, original word-meanings and usage, I am a bit perplexed, but not really surprised, that man—even as Christians—has and continues to drum up legalisms and denominational doctrine that cannot be unequivocally supported by Scripture.
So, for instance, the early church looked nothing like the church today. But if one chooses to "do" church in any way other than the currently accepted corporate model, one will receive all kinds of push-back and even have their very faith called into question by the “traditionalists.”
Along those lines, a shoot-from-the-hip mentality has also attached itself to the topic of women and Christianity.
The liberal church has elevated women above men, literally or metaphorically holding that God is female, and the only good pastor is a female pastor. So much for equality and inclusion for all, including men!
The conservative church, on the other hand, has elevated the male over the female, holding that, not only is the only good pastor a male, but the only pastor is a male. Women are included, but relegated and delegated. Women will never stand at the pulpit as bearers of God’s Word.
I’ve lived on both sides of the fence: a die-hard women’s liberationist, having been groomed in its tenets by a strong-willed and male-jaded mentor and taught in a public school system securely strapped onto the women’s lib bandwagon.
Then, at the age of thirty-eight, I experienced the other side as a member of several conservative Bible-believing churches which promoted an entirely different animal: the woman as sacrificial helper.
The result is that my upbringing indoctrinated me into believing that being a wife and mother is bad, while having a career outside the home is good.
And my early Christian formation indoctrinated the tenet, “once married always married” and that the pastor of the church is the sole authority of the congregation while the husband is the sole authority of the home.
Now, it was also often taught that the pastor and husband were “given” this authority by Christ. The problem with this is that, once that authority is "given," the pastor and husband can come to see and live within their authority, but Christ? not so much.
Thus, having been "given authority” seems to come, in their minds, with a license—sometimes camouflaged as a “duty”—to do exactly what Scripture condemns: “lord it over.”
Another risk in this handed down interpretation of authority is that an anointing of leadership often goes to one’s spiritual head, and all of a sudden the leader is hearing all sorts of “calls from God.” To persuade them otherwise is futile. Once a leader “hears from God,” Godly counsel from others often goes right out the window.
Hence, all of the "church" splits and turmoil that we see around us.
And the liberal church protested by giving all, or the only "legitimate" authority, to women.
However, as we learn from John 1, our faith originates from and in Jesus Christ Himself, not any man or woman.
And that is the beginning point of this sincere exploration into the role and identity of women as Christians.
Having laid this groundwork for where I want to carefully go, I will come back and delve further into the topic.
Copyright Barb Harwood
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
“So then, no more boasting about human leaders. All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23
“Submit yourselves, then, to God.” James 4:7
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