Workshop: Women in Scripture

Sentosa Holiday Chalets, Singapore

27 July 2003

By Jean

Many of us have the experience of our pastors telling us God loves all and all is equal in his eyes as is the example of Jesus' attitude towards women. As women we eagerly accept the inclusiveness of that message but things were never that simple as sermons quickly degenerates into callings for submissiveness, not allowing women leaders and discriminations veiled as patriarchical love in various forms.

This is not to challenge the many pastors or that the various christian theologies as wrong (although there are many conflicting theories) but a chance to examine the gradual buildup of women-denying claims historically and biblically throughout the centuries. However, things are not that simple and will never be. In the true spirit of Christ, we study his words with a heart yearning to seek to know our Mother or Father God more.

In the workshop we attempt to foster a little more understanding of the meaning of redemption for women and the shifting of this paradigm in relation to the claim of the scripture in Galatians 3:27-28 of a universal and inclusive redemption in Christ. The story begin with the ministry of Jesus because 'something happened' in his community that suggested to some early christians that gender relations had been changed by redemption through Christ.

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:27-28)

We started the workshop examining Jesus' radical treatment of women and the role women played in his early movement. Some of the examples mentioned are:

He ignored ritual impurity laws: Mark 5:25-34 describes Jesus' cure of a woman who suffered from menstrual bleeding for 12 years. In Judean society of the day, it was a major transgression for a man to talk to a woman other than his wife or children.

He talked to foreign women: John 4:7 to 5:30 describes Jesus' conversation with a woman of Samaria. She was doubly ritually unclean since she was both a foreigner and a woman. Jesus also helped a Canaanite woman, another foreigner, in Matthew 15:21.

He taught women students: Jewish tradition at the time was to not allow women to be taught. Rabbi Eliezer wrote in the 1st century CE: "Rather should the words of the Torah be burned than entrusted to a woman .... Whoever teaches his daughter the Torah is like one who teaches her obscenity." Jesus overthrew centuries of tradition. In Luke 10:38-42, he taught Mary.

He used terminology which treated women as equal to men: How did Jesus Luke 13:16 describes how he cured a woman from an indwelling Satanic spirit. He called her a daughter of Abraham, thus implying that she had equal status with sons of Abraham. "The expression 'son of Abraham' was commonly used to respectfully refer to a Jew, but 'daughter of Abraham', was an unknown parallel phrase .... It occurs nowhere else in the Bible." It seems to be a designation created by Jesus. Luke 7:35 to 8:50 describes how Jesus' forgave a woman's sins. He refers to women and men (i.e. "all" people) as children of wisdom.

He accepted women in his inner circle: Luke 8:1-3 describes the inner circle of Jesus' followers: 12 male disciples and an unspecified number female supporters (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and "many others".) It would appear that about half of his closest followers were women.

He appeared first to a woman after his resurrection: Matthew 28:9-10 describes how Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" were the first followers of Jesus to meet him after his resurrection.

Women were present at Jesus' death: Matthew 27:55-56 and Mark 15:40-41 describe many women who followed Jesus from Galilee and were present at his crucifixion. The men had fled from the scene.

He told parallel stories: The author of the Gospel of Luke and of Acts shows many parallel episodes: one relating to a woman, the other to a man.

The book "Women in the Earliest Churches" lists 9 additional parallels. Author Ben Withernington III quotes H. Flender: "Luke expresses by this arrangement that man and woman stand together and side by side before God. They are equal in honor and grace; they are endowed with the same gifts and have the same responsibilities."

He expressed concern for widows: Jesus repeated the importance of supporting widows throughout his ministry. The Gospel of Luke alone contains 6 references to widows: (Luke 2:36, 4:26, 7:11, 18:1, 20:47 and 21:1)

Divorce: In Jesus' time, a man could divorce his wife, but the wife had no right to divorce her husband. This practice is supported by seven references in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) in which a husband gives his wife a bill of divorce. There were no references to a woman giving her husband such a bill. In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus overthrows this tradition and states that neither spouse can divorce the other; he treats the wife and husband equally.

His disciples: There are three conflicting lists of the names of the 12 disciples that Jesus selected. In all cases, the disciples were male. He later selected a total of 70 disciples; the gender makeup of the latter group was not recorded. In other readings like "The Gospel of Mary", Mary Magdalene was later claimed as an apostle anointed.

We went on to discuss how women played a part in Jesus' ministry financially, spiritually and as helpers in every aspect of his mission. And further after his crucifixion, women extended their roles into apostles, prophets, evangelist, teachers, etc. Peter explains this phenomenon by referring to Joel's prophecy that the Spirit would be poured out regardless of any distinction (Acts 2:16-17). Women are important enough in the church to be targets of persecution along with men (Acts 8:3, 9:12). There were many examples and scriptures outline in the materials given during the workshop. Both the women and men in the workshop agreed that we tend to overlook the women in the bible since nothing much is said about them although it's obvious they have been extremely active and prominent in the Christian movement. Some of the guys pointed out despite the cultural context, the gospel writers make great efforts to include stories and names about women although it is totally unheard of during their time.

Than came the question of, "if women are redeemed or view equally by Christ, why has the Christian church continually reinforced sexism in society and in the church?" "If men and women were to serve as equals in the new church, how was the status of the women reduced gradually?"

Some of the women quoted the Pauline doctrines as the most used scriptures to put women down by Christians. They also noted that though Paul's voice was the loudest post-Jesus doesn't mean his is the right one and only one. This draws some protest from Eric about the bible being the word of God and we shouldn't brush it aside so easily. Peggy added that Paul's views were to address the immediate situation and problems in his time, thus we shouldn't take it out of context and claims that this is what Paul means and apply it 2000 years later.

To appease the opposing sides, we took a look at the Church of Corinth and Paul's letter to them to get a probable picture of what Paul thinks. The Corinthians practiced the dissolution of gender and other status hierarchies within their community, and open boundaries between themselves and the world around them. These practices were not arbitrary but reflected a theological belief that the evil powers that lay behind a world divided by gender, social status and clean and unclean spheres had already been overcome in the new life in Christ.

However, Paul disagrees with this theology and advises the Corinthians to remain in one's present condition. 1 Cor. 7:17-24, 1 Cor. 15:24 In other words, do not anticipate a transformation of sociobiological conditions that will happen in the redemptive future but is not yet here. He is saying that these changes will happen only in a still-future reign when Jesus returns. Thus, all gender, social hierarchy is to remain for social order and redemption happens only when we pass on from this fallen world.

Having suggested the likely reason for Paul's views about gender hierarchy, most still disagree with each other. We decided to agree to disagree and went on to explore the liberal eastern Gregory of Nyssa (who is the brother of Basil the Great and Holy Sister Macrina) and the western conservative Augustine. The workshop also noted that Augustine was a major influence and pivoting point in history with regards to the second-class treatment women gets from the church. After highlighting the contradicting biblical theologies about women between the eastern and western churches we learn that throughout history there are continual conflicts on this topic.

Also, after discussing about the few shifting of the paradigm from Jesus' movement, due to a lack of time we talk a little about the women mystics in medieval times which include the female gender into the symbolism of God and Christ.

We ended the session with a reading from Julian of Norwich.

Thus in our making God almighty is our kindly Father and God all-wisdom is our kindly Mother, with the love and goodness of the Holy Spirit, which is all one God, one Lord… Furthermore I saw that the second Person who is our Mother substantially, the same dear person is now become our Mother sensually. For of God's making we are double; that is to say, substantial and sensual. Our substance is that higher part which we have of our Father, God almighty. And the second Person of the Trinity is our Mother in kind, in our substantial making-in whom we are grounded and rooted; and he is our Mother of mercy in taking our sensuality. And thus our Mother means for us different manners of his working, in whom our parts are kept unseparated. For in our Mother Christ we have profit and increase; and in mercy he reforms and restores us; and by the power of our passion, his death and his uprising, oned us to our substance. Thus our Mother in mercy works to all his beloved children who are docile and obedient to him… Thus Jesus Christ who does good against evil is our very Mother. We have our being of him, where every ground of Motherhood begins, with all the sweet keeping of love that endlessly follows. As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother.

- Julian of Norwich