Paul and the Leadership of Women

CBE Workshop: Paul and the Leadership of Women, Irreconcilable or inextricable? The Historical context of Ephesians and Corinthians

Presenter: Mimi Haddad, president of CBE

The context, including the historical setting, must always be considered when reading and interpreting any literature. The Bible is not an exception.

Paul had the following female co-workers:
· Lydia (Acts 16:13-14, 40)
· Euodia & Syntyche (Phil 4:3)
· Phoebe (Romans 16:1), 1Thes 5:12)
· Eunice & Lois (2Tim 1:5, 2 Tim 3:14-15)
· Junia (Romans 16:7)

The mainstream of Paul’s teaching is based on giftedness rather than gender. There is neither Jew not Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galations 3:28). Paul’s letters were written to specific people at specific locations at a specific point in history. Each place had its own set of problems and issues. Both the Ephesians and the Corinthians were dealing with the issue of Goddess worship. The central city of each people group had a temple to a goddess, with priestesses and prostitution. Many of the controversial statements address the problems that came along with the false teachings of goddess worship.

See Richard and Catherine Kroeger’s book, I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence, for more information.

– Carolyn