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Revisiting the Biblical Ideal for Men and Women in Ministry

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Revisiting the Biblical Ideal for Men and Women in Ministry Correcting Caricatures Revisiting the Biblical Ideal for Men and Women in Ministry Featuring Correcting Caricatures: The Biblical Teaching on Women by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Hermeneutics in Pink and Blue by Christiane Carlson-Thies Women in the New Testament: A Middle Eastern Cultural View A special edition journal of by Kenneth E. Bailey Christians for Biblical Equality Reconciling Two Worlds by Carole Eldridge cbeinternational.org ...and more Correcting Caricatures is a special edition journal published by Christians for Biblical Equality and distributed at the expense of Christians for Biblical Equality. 122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 218, Minneapolis, MN 55404- 2451, phone: 612-872-6898; fax: 612-872-6891; or email: cbe@ Contents cbeinternational.org. CBE is on the web at www.cbeinternational. org. We welcome comments, article submissions, and advertisements. 3 Editor’s Reflections Tim Krueger Editors Tim Krueger, William D. Spencer, and Megan Gruelich Associate Editor Deb Beatty Mel Editorial Consultant Aída Besançon Spencer 4 A Long Walk on the Beach President / Publisher Mimi Haddad Anthony Parrrott 6 Correcting Caricatures: The Biblical Board of Reference: Miriam Adeney, Carl E. Armerding, Myron S. Augsburger, Raymond J. Bakke, Anthony Campolo, Lois McKinney Teaching on Women Douglas, Gordon D. Fee, Richard Foster, John R. Franke, W. Ward Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Gasque, J. Lee Grady, Vernon Grounds†, David Joel Hamilton, Roberta Hestenes, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Donald Joy, Robbie 14 Hermeneutics in Pink and Blue Joy, Craig S. Keener, John R. Kohlenberger III, David Mains, Kari Christiane Carlson-Thies Torjesen Malcolm, Brenda Salter McNeil, Alvera Mickelsen, Roger Nicole†, Virgil Olson†, LaDonna Osborn, T. L. Osborn, John E. Phelan, Kay F. Rader, Paul A. Rader, Ronald J. Sider, Aída Besançon 19 First Timothy 2:12, the Ordination of Women, Spencer, William David Spencer, Ruth A. Tucker, Mary Stewart Van and Paul’s Use of Creation Narratives Leeuwen, Timothy Weber, Jeanette S. G. Yep John Jefferson Davis To order additional copies of this journal, visit cbebookstore.org. 26 Women in the New Testament: A Middle Eastern Cultural View On the Cover Detail of “Five Caricature Heads,” by Leonardo Kenneth E. Bailey da Vinci, c. 1490. 36 Reconciling Two Worlds Carole Eldridge DISCLAIMER: Final selection of all material published by CBE in Correcting Caricatures is entirely up to the discretion of the editors, consulting theologians and CBE’s executive. Please know that each author is solely legally responsible for the content and the accuracy of facts, citations, references, and quotations rendered and properly attributed in the article appearing under his or her name. Neither Christians for Biblical Equality, nor the editor, nor the editorial team is responsible or legally liable for any content or any statements made by any author, but the legal responsibility is solely that author’s once an article appears in print in Correcting Caricatures. 2 Correcting Caricatures www.cbeinternational.org Editor’s Reflections � Jesus made a habit of correcting caricatures, as I vividly remember the day I was first when he went to visit Mary and Martha (Luke confronted with the question of where, how, and Greetings from CBE International, 10:38-42). Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, a position of to whom Christian women ought to serve. My learning reserved exclusively for men. When innate sense of what seemed biblical collided Christians for Biblical Equality her actions were questioned by Martha, Jesus with my respect for the missionaries around (CBE) is a nonprofit organization responded that Mary had chosen a better way. me. I found myself sitting uncomfortably in my of Christian men and women Martha, like so many other people Jesus taught, pew as my best friend’s mom walked up to lead who believe that the Bible, was simply doing her best to uphold the system church. We had a system, which I had never properly interpreted, teaches the she believed most honored God. But her picture questioned: the men took turns leading the fundamental equality of men of God was a caricature. Some features were service and preaching, while the women played and women of all ethnic groups, emphasized at the cost of others, such that the piano and made announcements about while the result may have resembled the God events involving food. My young sensibilities all economic classes, and all age of Scripture to a degree, it was significantly were a bit shaken, but I knew this woman too groups, based on the teachings of distorted. Like Martha, we sometimes need a well to discount her commitment to Scripture. Scriptures such as Galatians 3:28: nudge to open our eyes to a better way—one Nor could I ignore the many other women I that better reflects God’s redeeming work. knew who had taught the Bible to hundreds if “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, Most of my childhood was spent on not thousands of men and women. Unable to neither slave nor free, nor is there the mission field, in a community of Bible resolve the tension, I did what seemed prudent male and female, for you are all translators. We came from dozens of countries, at the time—I decided not to think about it. one in Christ Jesus” (NIV 2011). every continent, and more denominations than But as I grew older, I encountered many I ever cared to count. My family was Evangelical arguments challenging the notion that CBE affirms and promotes the Free, but our friends were Methodist, gender ought to determine how and where biblical truth that all believers— Mennonite, Episcopalian, Baptist, and many Christians serve. I dismissed them as being others. The whole community was united rooted in secular culture or experience, rather without regard to gender, ethnicity behind the common goal of Bible translation, than Scripture. But this became increasingly or class—must exercise their God- and this meant that everyone knew their Bibles difficult as I got to know the people behind the given gifts with equal authority well and had the highest regard for God’s Word. arguments. Most were just like my friend’s mom, and equal responsibility in church, When we had questions about the theology possessing a deep knowledge and high view of home and world. of our missionary neighbors, we could not Scripture. Their treatment of God’s Word met simply write them off as having a low view of the high standards I’d learned as a child, while CBE envisions a future where all Scripture, as we in the evangelical world seem my own interpretations fell short. I’d been living believers are freed to exercise their fond of doing. We had to take seriously the fact like Martha, unwittingly upholding that which gifts for God’s glory and purposes, that those with different views knew and valued hindered the kingdom. with the full support of their God’s Word as much as we did. God put people and resources in my life that Christian communities. In my world of linguists and exegetes, served to correct the caricatures I had drawn of there was no escaping the frequent dinner Scripture. I hope the articles that follow afford you conversations about the many contextual, the same opportunity. They offer personal stories We offer this journal as an linguistic, and cultural factors at work in Bible from committed believers, coupled with rigorous invitation to revisit the questions translation and interpretation. I learned at an academic research from renowned scholars. I surrounding gender and ministry. early age that one cannot simply “translate the am confident that as you browse these articles, Not only is this important for the Bible,” whether between languages, cultures, or you will prayerfully dialogue with God and with health of the church, but has broad time periods. Nor can we simply “read and apply Scripture. It is my prayer that the result will be, implications for the evangelical the Bible,” with no regard to context. Language, for you as it was for me, a deeper understanding witness to a world that desperately culture, and context are not applied by choice; of Scripture and a greater appreciation of the needs the gospel. unless they’re brought to our attention, they are redeeming work of Jesus Christ. virtually invisible to us. Nevertheless, they shape how we act, what we think, and even how we think. While I’m confident such conversations trained me to be possibly the world’s least TIM KRUEGER is on staff ta CBE. He graduated from interesting dinner guest (to most people anyway), Bethel University (MN), where he studied history they also taught me an important lesson—a high and theology. His upbringing on the mission field view of Scripture must take contextual, linguistic, instilled in him a lifelong fascination with history, and cultural analysis seriously. language, and culture. He and his wife, Naomi, live in Saint Paul, MN. Christians for Biblical Equality Correcting Caricatures 3 A Long Walk on the Beach by Anthony Parrot I don’t know many college students who, Admittedly, my parents were fairly balanced. during their spring break trip to Florida, take My dad never angrily ruled over my mom or along and read Discovering Biblical Equality. belittled her intellect, abilities, or talents. But, Understanding But there I was, just a few years ago, sitting in times of differing opinion, it was always on a beach and devouring the 528-page book. stated, “Dad is the head of the household and headship in Road trips, beaches, and scholarly essays—I his is the judgment that matters above all.” I marriage, felt like a living example of the Sesame Street never questioned this position. In Genesis 2, the children’s song, “One of these things is not like male was created first.
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