The relationship of gender and religion has long been a controversial subject in Christianity and Judaism (and perhaps in most other faiths, too). The advent of feminism and postmodernism has offered many new and provocative interpretations, goals, and conclusions to this important topic, but the Bible, also, has provided its own suppositions and judgments on the value and role of women in humanity. Yet, perhaps no higher goals are promoted in the scriptures than those of truth, love, affirmation, and submission. Therefore, a careful examination and analysis of women in the Old Testament (and the New) must begin and end with these quintessential pillars of the faith.
Historically and globally, governmental and community powers have traditionally rested in the hands of men. There are exceptions in history, of course—Deborah the Judge, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, Elizabeth I of England, Catherine the Great of Russia, etc. are all famous examples of fine and proficient rulers in their times and regions. Generally speaking, in Patriarchal societies, women have held secondary roles in governance and held gender-specific assigned duties. This is not just a Christian or Jewish reality; most cultures from Asia to Africa to the Americas embraced or promoted a male-dominated society, at least superficially. Tetlow remarks, “Judaism in the first century had emerged from the oriental patriarchal tradition in which women were considered the property of men with no rights, no role in society except childbearing, and no education.”
Yet, in human existence, women have never been without important influence or power within their homes, their cultures, and their nations. Biblically, there is no Genesis story without Eve; there is no Patriarch promise without Sarah; there is no Sisera defeat without Deborah and Jael; there is no eternal throne of David without Bathsheba; and there is no virgin birth without Mary, to name a few. Women have played, and continue to play crucial, invaluable roles in the story of God and his people. Still, there are biological realities to consider when it comes to men and women.
Though very much alike in ability and value, our bodies have different strengths; parts of our minds are wired differently; often, our social bonding is based on different priorities, and so on—all leading to biological consequences and limitations for both men and women. Genesis 3:16 speaks of these truths when God explains to rebellious Eve, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor, you will give birth to children, your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Somewhat telling of the eternal connection between man and woman, God also says to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life; it will produce thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground; since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Gen 3:17–19).
Although egalitarian in human hardship and obligations, many from both sides of the subject point to both gender-restrictions and gender-failures. Some masculinists rigidly appeal to biblical traditions and specific scriptural verses to justify the limitation of women’s roles in greater society and the church. Women are weaker (they say)—physically, mentally, and spiritually, which is why God created men to dominate them. Grenz explains, “Proponents of this view believe that certain Scripture references clearly show that the female cannot bear the divine image to the same degree as the male (e.g. 1 Cor 11:7).”
Piper adds, “To the degree that a woman’s influence over a man, guidance of a man, leadership of a man, is personal and a directive, it will generally offend a man’s good, God-given sense of responsibility and leadership, and thus controvert God’s created order.” Evangelist and teacher Paul Washer writes, “One of the problems we have is the church is so busy doing the work of the mother and of the wife. If women were to dedicate themselves to the ministry of their husbands and dedicate themselves to raising up a godly heritage unto the Lord, it would free the church to do more work in evangelizing the lost and spreading revival.”
Countering this, some feminists condemn the bible as a solely flawed and biased product of masculine political domination. Scholz states, “The Bible as the sacred text of Christianity and Judaism provides central clues about the cultural, political, economic, social, and religious dynamics of past and present gender oppression.”[5] The Bible, written and translated by men, is unfair and inaccurate in its interpretations, judgments, and applications of/for women.
Radical philosopher Mary Daly (post-Christian) writes, “If God is male, then male is god,” and Bible scholar Phyllis Trible states, “The Bible was born and bred in a land of patriarchy; it abounds in male imagery and language. For centuries, interpreters have exploited this androcentrism to articulate theology, to define the church . . . and to instruct human beings, female and male, in who they are, what roles they should play and how they should behave.”
Despite any motivation for doctrinal reverence or social justice, the extreme nature of such inflexible masculinism and feminism, the lack of conclusive scriptural evidence, and advocates’ unwillingness to consider the holistic context of the Bible and its stories reveal the dangers of both positions. Genesis begins with Adam and Eve being partners in human existence. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
This simple verse and later Genesis 2:18, where God reflects, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him,” contain much significance, relationally. They speak of the first couple’s unity in each other, of their closeness and their oneness, of their complementary natures and abilities, and of their equality of human frailty and failings. Adam and Eve, like all men and women in loving relationships, are made for each other in that they are both imperfect beings who need each other, perfectly.
Women have had pivotal roles in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures. They are instigators for both positive and negative events and actions; the demonstrate Godly/admirable personal qualities and are even at times the villain; they have definite and critical roles in the great plans of God; they have the capacity to follow and to lead or instigate; regardless, the biblical stories often and regularly revolve around the lives and needs of women of whom God cares about, eternally.
This reality can be seen in the dramatic Old Testament stories of Deborah—a prophetess, judge, and military leader, Ruth—a brave, compassionate widow in a foreign land, Sarah and Hagar—the matriarchs of two faiths, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah—the original mothers of the twelve tribes of Israel, Dinah and Tamar—victims of rape and abuse, Rahab—the virtuous and merciful prostitute, Jezebel—the scheming, murderous priestess of Baal, and Esther—who saves Israel with her courage, her wits, and her beauty. The same drama and noteworthiness holds true for women in the New Testament like the blessed virgin Mary, the Samaritan Woman, the Syrophoenician woman, Mary Magdalene, Joann, Susanna, Lazarus’ sisters—Mary and Martha, Lydia, Prisca, Junia, and Phoebe.
These women are outstanding and provide spiritual edification for the biblical readers. They are not incidental to the Bible; they are essential. The influence of the role of women such as these is perhaps best seen in Paul’s concluding chapter in Romans. He states,
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house . . .Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was . . . Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord . . . Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned (Romans 16:1–17).
This same Godly spirit of service and devotion can be found in the lives of early Christians like martyrs Perpetua, Felicitas, Blandina; in the lives of Desert Mothers like St. Marcella, Egeria, Melanie the Elder and Melanie the Younger, and in Macrina, a “Teacher” and guide of Orthodoxy to the Cappadocian Fathers. As Grenz notes,
The ebb and flow of women’s participation in leadership does not merely fluctuate according to changes in biblical exegesis or the reigning interpretation of particular passages of Scripture. Rather, the pattern can also be traced to institutionalization of the church (the development of organizational structures), influences from the surrounding culture and the theology of leadership at work in the church.
Based on a straightforward interpretation of scripture found in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, women can be disciples, can be apostles, can be church leaders, can be prophets, can be judges, can be deacons, can be military strategists, are to be honored, are to be respected, are not second-class citizens, and are just as valued to God as are men. As Tsohantardis states, “in God’s divine plan, all people are valued equally, and that God can use all people to do His will.”
MacHaffie remarks, “The Bible contains a great deal of material that treats women as subordinate and inferior to men. At the same time, there is a built-in judgment or critique of the degradation of women running through the Old and New Testaments which challenges the commands of silence and subordination.” In fact, all people are children of God; his love is not limited or shaped by our genders but by his perfect and holy nature.
What then should be the goal for God’s children? Simply, Christians are to reflect God’s kind and truthful standards in the treatment of every individual in the community. Rather than striving for a system that pushes down one gender in order to step up to a higher position, the Scriptures suggest a humble partnership of men and women, willing to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), understanding that peace and love are central to the fulfillment of God’s design for human relationships. Real power, real nobility, real righteousness comes from self-restraint, not from visceral domination or exploitation.
As Jesus says in Luke 22, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (vs. 25–26). Thus, based on biblical precedent, gender empowerment should not be the ultimate goal; servanthood should be the main objective for all men and women who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ.