Any Christian feminists out there that think the Bible describes totally mutual authority between the sexes?

Question

Just to let you know that you're not alone in thinking that women should be ordained and that our messages and teachings are authoritative enough without the benifit of male 'covering' and that marraiges should be built upon mutual submission with husbands sharing their socially allowed authority with their wives like Christ shared his authority with the church... I think that power-hungry some people have totally misinterpreted (perhaps maliciously) the language of authority in the Bible to keep women spiritually subjugated and intellectually controlled. Check out '10 Lies the Church Tells Women' by J. Lee Grady. It's not bad. If you disagree with our interpretations of the Bible, go somewhere else and flame. Thanks.

I'm intimately familiar with those verses in Ephesians; however, you take them out of context. Here's the preceding verse:

"Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit;
speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ. "
- With this I gather that the passages refer to completely mutual submission. The diction of this passage does not AT all suggest the setting up of some divine and innate hierarchy. Ephesians was relating the relationship of the church to Christ to that of a wife and her husband. The wife was socially powerless - her husband absolutely powerful. He's instructed to 'love his wife as his own body.'

And to share his socially ordained power with her. She's instructed to 'be agreeable with him', 'submit to him', in some translations 'be in subjugation' to him - just as other members of the church are told to 'submit' or, for some, to 'be in subjugation to one another' (the same verb is used). She's instructed not to take advantage of the power he gives, but to have the same submissive attitude with him that members of the church should have with one another. I don't understand how people get the impression of a marital 'power structure' out of this when the whole relationship - equating a husbands relationship with his wife to that of Christ with the church- is one of liberation and shared power. There's no such divinely ordained order in a marraige that renders husbands the 'final authority'. It's a wife's gratitude that would enstate him as that. So this isn't basis for men to claim ultimate authority over their wives, this is a structure of utterly egalitarian cooperation.

Also, there are a number of noted theologians out there that accept the notion of female deaconesses in the bible and support the notation of a female, Junia, ("prominent among the apostles")as an apostle - and there were no doubt female prophetesses that commanded great authority - Deborah, for example. And what about Priscilla - the tent maker and church leader?

Answer 1

You don't have to be a " Christian feminist" to disagree with traditional interpretations of Scripture. It's convenient for some male Christians to embrace the Old Testament cultural views of women's "place",or"role"in contemporary society. But look at the way Christ treated women. If you"re preaching and teaching the same Bible, why shouldn't you be ordained? Men are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for Her. The old hierarchical structure has to be redefined for the 21st century.And this is coming from a Christian male.

Answer 2

I agree with you to a large degree. Passages have been used out of context to underline not only male authority, but also a lot of male selfishness.
I agree with you that the man husband and wife team share authority, with a mutual submissiveness. That is Biblical.
That does not necessarily address the leadership issue. My wife is the leader in financial matters in our home. I have the overall leadership, which does not give me more "authority" than she has.
I believe that just about all ministries in the church are open to women.
For some reason, that does seem to preclude women from being elders or pastors in the new Testament. I don't fully understand the reasons why, but unless I could be shown that I am misinterpreting the Scriptures pertaining to this, I would follow this principle out of obedience.
Equality and similarity are not necessarily the same. Women have been the natural caregivers for small children, not because men cannot or should not ever do it, but women do give birth and nurse their babies. So a lot of other things seem to naturally go along with it.
But that does not mean the man shouldn't be very involved in cleaning, diaper changing, etc. And he should be taking care of his wife at that time, as what the KJV translates (in 1 Peter 3) as the "weaker vessel" (really in the sense of a precious, fragile vase - nothing to do with weakness, but of worth: those precious vases, you take good care of them!).
So - I would be considered by some to be "liberal" in this. Others would consider me to be a "hard line male chauvinist" because I don't see the way clear Biblically for women being pastor. What I consider myself to be is a Biblicist, with utmost respect for the Word of God, and trying to follow it as best I can, aware that I can be mistakenly misinterpreting it at times.

Answer 3

I am a Christian woman, a lot of what you find in the bible about women in the church not having a say was written for the church in Corinth, I find it completely fine because women relate to women better, Although a woman should submit to her husband, if he is being a Godly man, Women also have a place in the church. I wouldn't say Christian feminist, I just think you should obey God and do what he calls you to do.

Answer 4

Equal respect different gifts!

Do what Jesus Did in forming His Apostles. The 12 specifically.

Why did God the Father send His Messiah for humanity down to earth in a created male body?

If it is good enough for God the Father, it is good enough for me.

I do not want women to become men, I like the current diversity of the community.

Feminine women have so much more to offer the community than redux females acting like men. Yuk.

Answer 5

Everything is to be in order and under submission to God. If God calls you to do something, then do it..but don't attempt to do so out of pride..because pride and a proud spirit only results in a fall, and God has no use for a proud (pride filled) person. And God tells us in the Bible how we are to respect our husbands..read it for yourself..Ephesians 5:22-24.

Answer 6

Dear, there is no such thing as a Christian feminist.

Answer 7

amen, sister. you take back that night.