Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

What does the New Testament say about women?  Is Christianity oppressive towards women?  Ben Witherington III, Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky, talks to Simon Smart from the Centre for Public Christianity about the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ (and Paul’s) treatment of women.

Watch it on vimeo.

Here’s a short interview with Philip Payne, author of Man and Woman, One in Christ:

In my final post on Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters by Philip Payne, I noted a short review by Tom Schreiner in the April edition of Themelios of this very significant book.

In the Spring 2010 edition of The Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, Tom Schreiner presents a more detailed review of Man and Woman.

Philip Payne has provided a lengthy response to Schreiner’s review here.  Philip comments:

“I encourage you to read Man and Woman, then read [Tom Schreiner's] review and decide for yourself if his review – or my critique of it – is fair.”

Philip Payne’s Man and Woman, One in Christ is, I believe, the most comprehensive treatment of Pauline texts in relation to men and women in the life of the church.  The reader will benefit from a steady and close reading of each of the twenty five chapters with their Bible open.  The interaction with the Greek text may be off putting for some readers, but there is ample explanation for those not acquainted with Greek grammar and differences in manuscripts.

Clearly the matter of women’s roles in the Church has become a most contentious issue, particularly in the last few decades.  In my own journey, it was my wrestling with Scripture that gradually moved me from a complementarian position (that I grew up with) to an equality of men and women, in all respects, including public ministry in the Church.

As I read and studied, pondered and prayed about ‘women’s ministry’, I:

• noted numerous instances of sloppy exegesis by proponents on both sides of the debate;
• became increasingly concerned that this matter has become, in some quarters, to be a prominent test of orthodoxy;
• reflected back on my own experience of growing up in complementarian churches, where a whole set of man-made rules, about what women could and could not do in public ministry (that bore simply zero connection with Scripture), were the accepted doctrinal infrastructure.  Interestingly, in churches that spoke loud and often about the authority of Scripture;
• recognised that in our frailty, the struggle to live out sola Scriptura and semper reformanda is very real.

Philip Payne has made an enormous contribution to this tragically contentious issue in the Church. How significant will it be in bringing greater unity on this issue?  I’m not overly confident, if the concluding words in Tom Schreiner’s review of the book in the April edition of Themelios are anything to go by:

“Most of what [Philip Payne] says is not new, and his egalitarian readings are unpersuasive. Surely he will convince some, for many in our culture today ardently desire egalitarianism to be true. But it will not hit the scholarly world like an avalanche. It is closer to being another drizzly day in Portland, Oregon.”

Wow!!  I do trust that Philip Payne finds his encouragement in Christ and not in book reviews!

The Holy Spirit speaks only truth and God does not contradict Himself.  The complementarian and egalitarian readings of Scripture cannot both be correct.  The challenge for all followers of Jesus is to roll-up our ‘Bible reading shirt sleeves’ and seek to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying, notwithstanding the baggage that we all bring to biblical interpretation.

The full list of my posts on Man and Woman, One in Christ are:

Introduction

Chapter One: Backgrounds to Paul’s Teaching Regarding Man and Woman

Chapter Two: Women Paul Names as Ministry Leaders

Chapter Three: Paul’s Theological Axioms Imply the Equality of Man and Woman

Chapter Four: Galations 3:28: Man and Woman: One in Christ

Chapter Five: 1 Corinthians 7: The Equal Rights of Man and Woman in Marriage

Chapters Six and Seven: 1 Cor 11:2-3

Chapters Eight and Nine: 1 Cor 11:4-6

Chapters Ten to Thirteen: 1 Cor 11:7-16

Chapter Fourteen: 1 Cor 14:34-35

Chapter Fifteen: Eph 5:21-33

Chapter Sixteen: 1 Tim 2:8-15 Introduction

Chapters Seventeen to Nineteen: 1 Tim 2:8-12

Chapter Twenty: 1 Tim 2:12 on ‘assume authority’

Chapter Twenty One: 1 Tim 2:13-14

Chapter Twenty Two: 1 Tim 2:15

Chapter Twenty Three: 1 Tim 2:8-15 Conclusion

Chapter Twenty Four: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9: May Women be Overseers and Deacons?

Chapter Twenty Five: Conclusion: Paul Consistently Champions the Equality of Man and Woman in Christ

Chapter Twenty Five: Conclusion: Paul Consistently Champions the Equality of Man and Woman in Christ

We now come to the wrap-up chapter in Philip Payne’s magnum opus Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters.  Our author, who we have journeyed with now for many months, concludes:

• Paul champions the freedom and equality for women both in principle (eg. 1 Cor 11:10-12) and in practice (eg. women are affirmed in ministry roles)
• 1 Cor 14:34-35 is an interpolation, not originally in the text of the Letter and in contradiction to “Paul’s repeated affirmations in this chapter that the entire church should encourage or teach one another in worship”
• 1 Tim 2:12 does not prohibit women from exercising authority over men.  It only prohibits women from assuming for themselves authority over men that the church had not granted them
• Paul’s concern in 1 Tim 2 is to specifically restrict women (the only group identified as influenced by false teachings) from taking authority into their own hands to teach in public gatherings of the church where men are present – it is particular situation in Ephesus.

At the end of 463 pages, Philip Payne finishes with this prayer:

“It is my prayer that one day soon the church with substantial unanimity will affirm that woman and man are not separate in status or privilege from one another in the Lord, but are, indeed, one in Christ.”

Chapter Twenty Four: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9: May Women be Overseers and Deacons?

A ‘surface’ reading of 1 Tim 3:1-13 would seem to suggest that all church leaders must be male.  Philip Payne argues that such a conclusion would not be in line with Scripture.  His argument in summary is:

• “anyone” in 1 Tim 3:1,5 and Tit 1:6 implies the eligibility of women to be overseers
• “one woman man,” in 1 Tim 3:2, excludes polygamists and probably adulterers from church office, but it must not be a requirement for all church officers since that would exclude unmarried men like Paul
• nowhere in the qualifications for overseers, elders, or deacons does Paul mention “man,” “men,” any masculine pronoun, or any expression that excludes women from office (contra. NIV that inserts 14 masculine pronouns into 1 Tim 3:1-12)
• women are eligible to be deacons, with the same title (deacon, not deaconess) and same requirements as men
• women are able to meet all the qualifications of overseers as seen by the similar expressions specifically regarding women that parallel each overseer qualification in 1 Timothy.

Chapter Twenty Three: 1 Timothy 2:8-15: Conclusion

Philip Payne has devoted seven chapters to the exegesis of 1 Tim 2:8-15.  It is a very detailed and extremely comprehensive treatment.  It is certainly not the only biblical passage dealing with ‘women in the church’ but it is often used by complementarians to uphold a position of restricting the role of women in public ministry.

I believe that Payne conclusively demonstrates that Paul’s restrictions in 1 Tim 2 relate to a particular situation in Ephesus. They do not have universal application (which of course, if they did, would put them at odds with other Scriptural data, in its references to Phoebe, Priscilla, Junia, Euodia, Syntyche).

In this brief concluding chapter on vv8-15, Payne notes that:

• the central purpose of 1 Timothy is to counter false teaching in the church in Ephesus
• some women had been greatly influenced by the false teachers  - hence the injunction on v11
• the women were prohibited from doing what the false teachers were doing – assuming authority
• throughout passage, women are affirmed – encouraged to engage in good works (v9); to learn (v11); formed by God (v13); through woman, the Saviour brought into the world (v15)

“This exegesis argues that 1 Tim 2:12 does not support a prohibition of women teaching or having authority over men.  Nothing in this passage states that women are inherently unsuited to teach or exercise authority over men in spiritual or any other matters.  Nor does Paul universalise this particular prohibition for all churches and all times.” (444)

If you’re in Melbourne this coming weekend (11th-13th June) you might like to check out the Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) International Conference 2010: Better Together.  The keynote speaker on Friday night is Dr Graham Cole, past Principal of Ridley Melbourne: Mission & Ministry College.  The Conference has assembled a wonderful group of international and local speakers and workshop facilitators – more information here.

Chapter Twenty Two: 1 Timothy 2:15: Salvation through “the Childbirth”

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

How should this verse be understood, coming at the end of 1 Tim 2:11-15?  It has generated some amazing interpretations, and not just by so-called ‘liberal scholars.’  The author of Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters, Philip Payne, tackles this challenging verse in the same way he has done throughout the rest of the book – with very detailed exegesis (with focus on immediate context, broader context of book and author, and canonical context), careful and close scrutiny of alternative views and an eye to historical interpretations.

Key points include:

• Verse 15 stands in direct contrast with the negative statements about woman’s deception and transgression in verse 14
• “be saved” refers to spiritual salvation with God as the agent of salvation.  Its future tense points forward beyond Eve to the Promised Saviour
• Eve is treated as representative on women in general
• Salvation from the fall (appealed to in v15) is that same salvation through the seed of the woman identified in Gen 3:15b
• “The terrible consequences of Eve’s deception highlight the seriousness of the deception of women in Ephesus.  Yet the story of Eve also offers women hope and dignity.  Although women experience pain in childbirth as a result of the fall, a woman gave birth to the promised Seed who will destroy Satan and overcome the fall.  Not only was woman the vehicle for the entry into the world of sin, dearth, and the power of Satan, she was also the vehicle for the entry into the world of the Savior who delivers people from sin and death.” (422)
• “though childbearing” (NIV) is literally “through the childbirth”: ‘through’ indicates the means, instrument, agency through which salvation came; ‘the childbirth’ refers to a specific childbirth – that of Christ.  Payne comments, “Paul evidently chose the particular expression “the childbirth” (as opposed to simply “Christ”) in order to highlight the positive role of woman in salvation and to counterbalance his immediately preceding citation of her negative role in the fall.” (437)
• v15 is not simply a call to a role; it is a call to the Saviour.
• v15b shifts to the plural – Eve’s descendants, to experience the salvation that Christ provides, must abide in faith, continue in love (defining mark of a Christian) and holiness (inevitable result of the work of the Holy Spirit).
• Paul is not advocating legalism to the women of Ephesus: bear children, be good.  Instead he is pointing them to ennobling life in Christ, who alone saves.” (441)

Chapter Twenty One: 1 Timothy 2:13-14: The Need for Respect, the Danger of Deception

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

Payne makes the following points:

• v13 is best understood by 1 Cor 11:8, 12.  Man is the source of woman, and all the things that Paul has just commanded are predicated on respect for man.  Note that in Scripture the obligation to respect the other sex is mutual
• Eve’s deception in v14 “fits perfectly as a reason for an explanation of Paul’s restriction on women teaching in verse 12.”  The problems caused by women in the Ephesian church are reminiscent of Eve in Eden.  Eves in Ephesus were causing havoc, even brining spiritual death to themselves and others.
• What about Adam?  Elsewhere Adam is regarded as culpable for the fall (Rom 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:21f).  v14 “faithfully reflects Gen 3:1-5, where Satan did not target Adam for this deception but rather the woman.  Like Eve, women in Ephesus  were the target of false teachers…”
• The view put forward by some that women are more susceptible to deception than men is not sup[ported by Scripture.  ”Neither the Genesis narrative nor Paul draws any anthropological generalization from Eve’s deception.”

Our author concludes:

“This logical relationship between verses 11-12 and 13-14 supports the view that Paul restricted teaching by women because false teachers had deceived women in Ephesus….Eve’s deception vividly illustrates the danger when a woman is deceived.  Consequently, there is no need to attempt to find here a cryptic appeal to gender-based hierarchy established at creation.”

Chapter Twenty: 1 Tim 2:12: Part III  [on the subject of 'assume authority']

Go and make yourself a good cup of coffee and come back for this overview of a most important chpt. in Man and Woman – I’ll attempt to pick the key points out of a very detailed analysis.

The issue is the appropriate meaning of a rare Greek word translated  ”to have authority” (eg. NIV).  The three major interpretations are: “exercise authority,” “dominate,” and “assume authority.”  Payne’s very detailed analysis (your coffee will get cold!) comes down on the side of “assume authority.”  He rounds out the chapter with:

“Since false teaching is the occasion of this letter (1 Tim 1:3-11), and since false teaching influenced the women in Ephesus particularly, Paul first commands that women learn in quietness and full submission in order to to turn deceived women away from the false teaching and to encourage them to embrace the true gospel.  Combined with this, he institutes a present prohibition against any woman seizing authority for herself to teach a man.  Paul’s goal is to exclude unauthorised women from teaching men in the church.  This prohibition does not, however, restrict teaching by authorised women, such as Priscilla (2 Tim 4:9), since just such teaching might be critical in influencing deceived women to reject error and embrace the truth.”