[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Women and the Church
Genesis 1, 2 and 3 say absolutely nothing in direct reference to the role of women in the church. The importance of these chapters becomes obvious, however, when the New Testament passages, 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 and 1, Timothy 2:11-14 that do mention the role of women in the church in specific terms refer back to the accounts of Creation and the fall. Very religious sounding arguments can be made defending our past practices on the basis of faithfulness and condemning our past in terms of love and justice and fairness.
The Bible can be made to say anything. Especially in this current volatile climate of changing attitudes toward women’s roles in the home, church and society no one can pretend to be uninfluenced either by the church’s past practices or by society’s newly accepted standards.Jesus never made any rulings preventing the full participation of women in the church or in church services. He taught women such as Mary along with the men, refusing Martha’s request to send her back to the kitchen. Jesus expected them all to teach others afterward. He did not restrict the women to “private” instruction as some teach. There were no such restrictions put on women by Jesus, Paul, or the other apostles.
God loves both his male children and his female children. Would He tell females they are not good enough to serve Him? How one serves the church must depend on what spiritual gifts have been given that person by Jesus Christ, it is not up to men to decree that women may not play as active a role as men in serving their congregations. God is in charge of His church! The present ideas against women were introduced by the Catholic Church just as were the present holidays and deception against the Sabbath......
