The social and religious status of women.
Ephesians 5:22-24
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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
1st Corinthians 11:1-11
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he (that man) is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
1st Timothy 2:12
And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
1st Corinthians 14:34-35
Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. And if they desire to learn anything let them ask their own husbands at home for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment.
1st Timothy 2:15
But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
Romans 16:1-2
I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreae: that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.
People interpret these verses in different ways. These verses are very much scrutinized in college. Some try to soften them....kind of explaining them away....Some interpret them that a man...a husband should treat his property with loving kindness.
The problem is that if you go back to the Greek text....this is how it is written, you really cannot soften it.
For example;
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,
the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
The use of the words "is" and "as" means a preciseness that more than suggests that the husband is the woman's god. As in the relationship that a man has with Christ "is" the same as a woman has with her husband.
And combined with the verses on silence and the other verses, suggest that the husband is the go between, between the woman and Christ. That she does not have an actual direct relationship with Christ. That women receive salvation a different way then men. ie Saved through bearing of children. There is so much Jew here. In the Jewish culture a woman's inclusion into the Old Covenant with God was not by a circumcision, they were included in the Covenant by having children.
Like I said people interpret these scriptures different ways....and some ignore them. But if you are going to be honest you cannot ignore them any more than what Christ said, Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
These are clear and concise scriptures that should not be ignored. But as usual it is important to consider the context of them.
On one side of the coin, can you really blame someone for taking this as it is written? I try not to blame them. And I try and I try! But if you have a desire to be cruel, these are the type of scriptures that you have your microscope set to look for. Particularly if you believe in mixing Judaism with Christianity. Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” So the Bible says it and religious beliefs have been formed with much less. They are only so guilty for taking it and using to to rule over their wives.
It is not just my opinion that what we are seeing here is Paul struggling with his Jewish nature. His Jewish education, the Jewish culture and traditions.
1st Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression....
It is hard to recover from having the fall of mankind blamed on you.
His strong connection to his Jewish nature shows through here. He references "the law " and says "he (man) is the image and glory of God" then he puts the hammer down.... the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. Jewish...referencing the Mosaic Laws. It is all a reflection of Judaism and the Jewish culture.
It is something that you have to decide for yourself. As far as I am concerned, I am not going to hate everyone to be a Christian and I consider women equal members in marriage, in Christ...in the Church...and in society.
But I cannot say that it was God that taught Christians a better way on this....by the middle ages the Catholic Church was chopping women's bodies up. This one, society had to teach us and that is a shame. You have to make your own decision on this.
