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In a meeting I had today someone brought up the fact that people who are open to the Bible or Christianity just don’t like the Apostle Paul because of the five things he said that, at first glance, seem to be misogynistic or not supportive of women (the main ones being 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 5:22, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:15). It’s true people feel this way and I used to be one of them. I also hear this frequently enough that I thought I would share the verses where the Apostle Paul so clearly supports women in such a counter-cultural way:
• He taught that in Christ, “there is no male and female,” emphasizing the equal spiritual standing of women and men before God. (Galatians 3:28)
• He called women his “fellow workers” in ministry. (Romans 16:3)
• He praised Phoebe as a deacon of the church and a generous supporter of many believers, including himself. (Romans 16:1-2)
• He honored Priscilla as a trusted ministry coworker and teacher. (Romans 16:3, Acts 18:26)
• He highly commended Junia among the early Christian workers. (Romans 16:7)
• He praised multiple women for “working hard in the Lord.” (Romans 16:6,12)
• He acknowledged women praying and prophesying publicly in worship. (1 Corinthians 11:5)
• He commanded husbands to love their wives sacrificially, as Christ loved the church, giving up their very lives. (Ephesians 5:25)
• He taught mutual responsibility and care within marriage, including mutual authority over one another’s bodies. (1 Corinthians 7:3-4)
• He treated women as equal heirs of salvation and full members of Christ’s body. (Galatians 3:28 and throughout his letters)
• He taught sexual ethics that protected women from exploitation and challenged the double standards common in the Roman world. (1 Corinthians 6-7)
• He recognized and honored women who hosted and supported churches in their homes. (Romans 16:3-5, Colossians 4:15)
• He repeatedly referred to Christian women as “sisters,” affirming their place in the family of God. (Romans 16:1 and elsewhere)
• He viewed older women as capable of teaching and discipling. (Titus 2:3-5)
So much more could be said but I was looking at these verses today all together and thought they might be inspiring to someone else. Enjoy!
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Adorn the Gospel 