Cultures of the day vs. the early church

Were ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish cultures more liberating for women than the early church? Dr. Craig Keener argues that there was a range of perspectives on women in the cultures where the early church found itself, but that Paul was more liberating in his writings about women than any other writer of his time. I have often heard from the male leadership proponents that Paul was afraid of the church becoming like the surrounding culture which was more liberating to women so he put women back in their place in the church. The male leadership proponents see themselves as doing the same thing. When I asked Craig about it afterward, he affirmed that the culture in Ephesus was rooted in Athenian culture which was consistently demeaning of women. This would be the context for both Ephesians and 1 Timothy.

This issue of where Paul stood in relation to his culture is one that I think will continue to be researched and debated among traditionalist and egalitarian scholars because it is enlightening for how we apply the biblical texts today. If Dr. Keener is right (and his expertise is in ancient backgrounds), then Paul was likely being as progressive as can possibly be expected. Like slavery, he was not advocating the abolishment of unequal treatment of women but he was advocating it as strongly as could be accepted within that culture.

– Andy