Revisiting Christianity and Women

I think the world today needs to realize just how women really are valued by Jesus Christ, as I explained in the original post. Since then I've run into a couple of interesting things in books.

I responded to two passages that seem to put women in a demeaning light, which would then contradict the other examples from the Bible. Interestingly, I found an argument from Bart Ehrman that says one shouldn't be considered at all. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 seems to contradict the earlier chapter 11 verse 5, where women can clearly pray and prophecy(1).

 Now, you might recall what I have written before, that even skeptical scholars will grant there most likely is a reasonable harmonization  in the same book. I am very impressed with Ehrman's argument (which I shouldn't be if I was an expert too, but I can tell he is using great critical criteria). Moreover, if these verses are removed, the passage flows even better! If you read it for yourself, the part about women there seems inappropriate.

I don't have any Christian's response, and never remember learning that it could be debated before reading Ehrman's argument. .At any rate, this just supports how we can use evidence to know what was in the actual, original manuscripts of the Biblical books. I will write a post about textual criticism (seeing what belonged in the original copies) sooner or later. 

Also interestingly, I ran into "Artemis of the Ephesians," from Acts 17, in commentary on Sir William Ramsay's St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen. Artemis was a very prominent god in Ephesus. However, I was surprised to learn that she was definitely not some sexually promisors idol that influenced such activity described in the original post, but rather was a powerful huntress, a virgin, who protected young woman. If I remember correctly, I think both Ephesus and Corinth had Aphrodite in their ranks, and my Awana leader said that could be why the verses are there in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians.

Citations:
1. Bart Ehrman, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend (Oxford University Press: Oxford, NY. 2006), 94.
2. William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen (Hodder & Stoughton: London. 1925), reprinted 2001 Kregel Publications by Mark Wilson, 212.

Comments

Post a Comment

I regret to say that comments have to be turned off. I encourage everyone to use this blogs resources in constructive, thoughtful discussion and research.

Popular posts from this blog

Why Would Anyone Not Believe in God?

If you read my blog project responding to philosophical challenges against Christianity, both morally and intellectually, the topic of why God doesn't give everyone undeniable proof will probably sound familiar to you. In part 2 I cited A. J. Ayer, a prominent atheist who had a near-death experience and saw a representation of God. Yet, afterward he still denied an afterlife and God's existence. Also in the conclusion I cited Romans 1:18-20, which had God allowing people who longed to be immoral to go their own way. Here is more of a presentation of why that makes sense. I have two examples that are straight from unbelievers themselves, and others that are reported by Christians. A major appeal in this post will be to the fact that what believers can say about unbelievers makes so much sense. Here I wish to argue that just because a lot of scientists don't believe in God, doesn't mean they are probably right. "...we cannot allow a Divine foot in the door," I...
Read more

The Resurrection of Jesus: Alternative Theories, part 3: The Major Challenge continued

  Paul Often times when I read about someone trying to explain away what happened to Paul, they include a guilt complex. Paul was a severe persecutor of the church, and eventually he felt bad for being so nasty to people.  But this idea can annoy me because there is "absolutely no hint  in the epistles" that Paul felt guilty(1). While he does talk about persecuting the church (see fact #7), he never says anything of the sort, like maybe God started to vindicate him of his sin before Jesus truly turned Paul's life around. However, Gerd Ludemann apparently once argued that such is not true, because Romans 7:7-25 could be on the pre-conversion Paul. Two responses, one by Robert H. Gundry and the other by William Lane Craig, were quite thorough and scorching. (Although I suggest you read it for yourself, and see just how clear it is that Paul was speaking of his thoughts before converting.) "Paul's [re-Christian versus Christian experience is overwhelmingly rejected ...
Read more

The Resurrection of Jesus: Reflecting on the Evidence (Conclusion)

Here is a very long quote from How Jesus Became God . I want to share it with you to show something of a summary of how skeptical scholars, specifically here Bart Ehrman, can view Christian arguments pointed at the resurrection.  "...more than anyone else, thinkers among [dedicated Christian] groups are committed to 'objective truth'... But the reality is that modern Christian apologists stress the importance of objectivity and champion it more than anyone--much more than most other educated people in our world. University intellectuals almost never speak of 'objectivity' any more, unless they happen to live on the margins of intellectual life. "...This is a standard weapon in the apologetic arsenal: you can look at all the evidence for the resurrection, objectively, and conclude, on the basis of overwhelming proof, that God really did raise Jesus from the dead. No other explanation can account for the objectively established historical data--for example, that...
Read more