Submission?!

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” - Ephesian 5:22-31 (NIV)

I know what you are thinking, "Surely you are talking about some ancient concept that no one really practices anymore." However, no one seems to make the same objection when they hear the words "Servant Leadership" which can also find biblical support from the same passage. This is largely because many people stop at the first few verses and never continue on to read past verse 24. They stop at reading the instructions for wives, and fail to acknowledge that the rest of the passage is for husbands. The second half is also much more challenging in that it provides a form of leadership that is not intended for self-glory, but for the benefit of another person.

So my question to not only you but to myself as well is are you all about yourself and maximizing your own comfort, opportunity, and pleasure, or do you actively seek to serve God's purpose for the benefit of others?

Can you be a radical woman in the church - Part 5

But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. - 1 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

This particular verse presents its own issues with being able to understand its relevance to not only the entire passage, but also in its application to life today. First of all, it is difficult to really know what Paul meant when he said "women will be saved through childbearing". Was Paul talking about a specific childbirth (i.e. the birth of Christ)? Also, why is it that Paul seems to have switched from a singular subject to now a plural subject? Was he talking to Eve specifically or to all of womankind?

In light of our current culture, this verse seems even more confusing. Childbearing, by both men and women today, is often thought of as being burdensome. Some circles have even gone as far as to see the bearing and raising of children as a for of bondage for women. However, when this text was written, childbearing was a central element int he definition of womanhood and in the fulfillment of God's calling to mankind.

As a result, I would like to propose the following interpretation of this passage to be that Paul is saying that women in general will be kept safe from seizing men's roles by participating in marital life (symbolized by childbearing), which should also be accompanied by faith, love, holiness, and propriety. Doing so will produce the adornment of good deeds which are appropriate for Christian women (1 Timothy 2:10).

Can you be a radical woman in the church - Part 4

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. - 1 Timothy 2:13-14 (NIV).

So the previous verse forbid women from teaching and exercising authority over men. But Paul did not stop there. He also gave an explanation in verses 13-14. His arguments were that Adam was formed first and then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; Eve was deceived. In order to fully understand verse 13, it is important to not only make observations about these arguments, but also to consider them in light of Paul's understanding of the first three chapters of Genesis.

Several other places throughout Scripture, Paul references Genesis 1-3 which shed light on his understanding of the passage. Paul's understanding of Genesis was that Adam was formed first (1 Timothy 2:13; Genesis 2:20-22). It is this appeal to Adam's prior formation that is an assertion that Adam's status as the "oldest" carried with it the leadership appropriate to a "first-born" son. This is also seen in Paul's writings in Colossians 1:15-18. Furthermore, Paul's understanding of Genesis is that Eve was taken out of Adam (1 Corinthians 11:8; Genesis 2:21-22), and she was made for Adam's sake (1 Corinthians 11:9; Genesis 2:20).

When looking at verse 14, one cannot help but ask a number of questions:

1. Did Paul mean that Adam new better so he did not sin?
2. Is Paul saying that women are therefore responsible for the fallen state of mankind?
3. So is it because of Eve's sin women now aren't allowed to teach?
4. Is Paul saying that women are gullible and teaching would only further propagate their ignorance?

Romans 5:12-21 makes it clear that Paul did not believe that the cause of the fallen state of mankind lay at the feet of Eve, rather, he specifically placed the responsibility on the shoulders of Adam. Therefore, the argument that Paul is here saying that the fall is Eve's fault is not valid. Instead, verse 14 is trying to say that eve was not at fault because she was deceived; however, Adam was not deceived and deliberately chose to sin making him at fault. Nor is it a valid argument that since Eve was deceived that women cannot teach.

Possibly the best way that I have heard this passage paraphrased to read is by James Hurley, who states that,

The man, upon whom lay responsibility for leadership in the home and in religious matters, was prepared by God to discern the serpents lies. The woman was not appointed religious leader and was not prepared to discern them. She was taken in. Christian worship involves re-establishing the creational pattern with men faithfully teaching God's truth and women receptively listening.

Leaving a biblical legacy for your kids - part 4

So this brings me to my final post on leaving a legacy for your kids (for now at least). As a radical woman for Christ, it is essential that we understand that it is our calling to pass this legacy of biblical womanhood on to the next generation. This includes both our children, as well as the other members of the church body as well. To some extent, it is all of our responsibilities to show and tell the next generation about God, His kingdom, and what it means to be radical women for Christ. This can be done through teaching Sunday school, through spending time with your children and their friends, through church socials, etc. It is through these interactions that they will learn what it means to be a Christian woman. This is also not a new concept for the church body. Each generation is to tell the next generation about Him (Psalms 78:4; Deuteronomy 6:7; Titus 2:3-5). This is our calling as redeemed women.


With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (NIV)