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“PRISCILLA AND AQUILA” VOLUME 20, NUMBER 4 INSTRUCTED APOLLOS MORE” AUTUMN 2006 PERFECTLY IN THE WAY OF THE LORD” (ACTS 18)” Celebrating 20 Years! 5 The Biblical Basis for Women’s Service in the Church N.T. Wright 11 Chapter 16 in Paul’s Letter to the Romans: Dispensable Tagalong or Valuable Envelope? Mark Reasoner Vol. 1, No. 1 (Winter 1987) 17 Head Over Heels: A Theology of Leadership in Christian Marriage Elaine A. Heath 21 A Meta-Study of the Debate Over the Meaning of “Head” (Kephale) in Paul’s Writings Alan Johnson Vol. 1, No. 2 (Spring 1987) 31 Christian Women and Leadership Roberta Hestenes 37 God’s Reign is the Reign of Right Relationships Charles Knowles 42 The New Evangelical Subordinationism: Vol. 4, No. 4 (Fall 1990) Reading Inequality into the Trinity Phillip Cary 46 Post-1970s Evangelical Responses to the Emancipation of Women Kevin Giles Vol. 14, No. 2 (Spring 2000) 53 Egalitarian Pioneers: Betty Friedan or Catherine Booth? Mimi Haddad 61 Book Review: Gilbert Bilezikian’s Beyond Sex Roles, 3rd ed. Glen Scorgie Vol. 15, No. 4 (Fall 2001) 63 Poem: Living Water Chelsea DeArmond Cover image: Paquius Proculus and his wife, wall painting from Pompeii, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy. Photo: Erich Lessing / Art Resource, N.Y. Vol. 19, No. 3 (Summer 2005) • Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 0, No. 4 ◆ Autumn 006 Editors’ Ink � We are very pleased to publish Priscilla Papers as its reputation and influence have grown around this expanded edition of Pris- the world. Subscriptions to Priscilla Papers and CBE’s magazine, cilla Papers in celebration of the Mutuality, are included with CBE membership. Back issues and journal’s twentieth anniversary. non-member subscriptions are also available for purchase (see During the last twenty years, its p. 6 for membership and subscription forms). biblical scholarship on equality in CBE publications Kevin Giles and Chelsea DeArmond, the church, home, and world has Guest Editors reached hundreds of college and Christians for Biblical Equality is an evangelical nonprofit or- seminary libraries and the homes of thousands of lay people, ganization committed to articulating and promoting the bibli- pastors, and ministry leaders around the world. cal basis for gift-based rather than gender-based ministry in the The history of Priscilla Papers church, home, and world. Along with membership services, an online bookstore (www.equalitydepot.com), chapter meetings, Priscilla Papers is actually older than its publisher, Christians for and international conferences, CBE publications play a key role in Biblical Equality. The journal began as part of the vision of Cath- spreading the message of biblical equality and justice. erine Kroeger, the first president of CBE. In order to address the CBE publications uphold a high view of Scripture and offer critical need for more accurate and faithful interpretations of the both popular and scholarly resources from different cultures and Bible regarding gender, she and her husband, Richard, began a evangelical denominations. In the last three years, Priscilla Papers study center in their home. In the winter of 1987, they published journal and Mutuality magazine have received nine Evangelical the first issue of Priscilla Papers, edited by their daughter, Eliza- Press Association awards in the categories of biblical exposition, beth. Christians for Biblical Equality began in late 1987 and was critical review, first-person narrative, and poetry. Subscriptions to incorporated on January , 1988. CBE’s free electronic journal, E-Quality, have surpassed our print Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, who had been an editor for a large publications and continue to grow. The CBE Scroll (blog.cbeinter- publishing house and a leader in her church in New York, began national.org), CBE’s first web log, was launched in 2005 and has editing Priscilla Papers in 1989. Her father and grandfather were sparked insightful discussions of current events related to evan- known for their biblical scholarship. Under her leadership and gelicals and gender. skill, the journal grew in breadth of content and in circulation. Carol Thiessen became editor in 2000. Carol had been on the editorial staff of Christianity Today for many years. Her term was Priscilla Papers Editors, 1989–present cut short when she became ill with a deadly cancer and passed to the presence of the Lord in 00. CBE staff member Victoria Peterson-Hilleque served as act- ing editor until William Spencer became editor in 2004. His wife, Aída, is the editorial consultant. Both Bill and Aída are authors, pastors, and professors. The gifted editorial and design team they have assembled will launch Priscilla Papers into its third decade. Gretchen Gaebelein Hull Carol Thiessen† William David Spencer Each of these editors has made distinctive contributions to 1989–2000 2000–2003 2004–present Board of Reference: Miriam Adeney, Carl E. Armerding, Myron S. Augsburger, Raymond J. Bakke, Linda L. Belleville, Anthony Campolo, Lois McKinney Douglas, Gordon D. Fee, Richard Foster, W. Ward Gasque, J. Lee Grady, Rebecca Merrill Groothuis, Vernon Grounds, David Joel Hamilton, Roberta Hestenes, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Donald Joy, Robbie Joy, Craig S. Keener, John R. President / Publisher • Mimi Haddad Kohlenberger III, David Mains, Kari Torjesen Malcolm, Brenda Salter McNeil, Editor • William David Spencer Alvera Mickelsen, Roger Nicole, Virgil Olson, LaDonna Osborn, T. L. Osborn, Guest Editors • Kevin Giles and Chelsea DeArmond John E. Phelan, Kay F. Rader, Paul A. Rader, Ronald J. Sider, Ruth A. Tucker, Graphic Designer • Deb Beatty Mel Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen, Timothy Weber, Jeanette S. G. Yep • Jenilee Morrison Editorial Assistant Board of Directors: Gwen Dewey, Mary Duncan, Martine Extermann, Janet President Emerita • Catherine Clark Kroeger George, Sarah Harrison, Tom McCarthy, Virginia Patterson, Nancy Graf Peters, Editors Emerita • Gretchen Gaebelein Hull & Carol Thiessen† Sara Robertson, Arbutus Sider, Rhonda Walton, Dennis Watson Priscilla Papers (issn 0898–753X) is published quarterly by Christians for Biblical Equality, © 2006. 1 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 218 • Minneapolis, MN 55404–451 • phone: 61–87–6898 • fax: 61-87-6891 e-mail: [email protected] • web: www.cbeinternational.org. Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 0, No. 4 ◆ Autumn 006 • The development of these publications over the last two decades made one hundred and fifty years ago. History is repeating itself. has involved much hard work and prayer by CBE’s staff and con- They have their proof texts but they have missed what the Bible puts sultants. Their dedication, plus the support of CBE members and first (cf. Gen. 1:7–8) and what the ministries of Jesus and Paul friends, the work of faithful volunteers, and the contributions of endorse—the complementary coequality of men and women. gifted authors and artists, have all helped spread the important mes- Interpretations of the Bible that support the preeminence of sage of biblical equality and justice through CBE’s publications. the interpreter and permanently subordinate those in some way different than the interpreter should raise our suspicions. Our The context of our twentieth anniversary issue overall grasp of the Christian faith, which is grounded in a God Evangelicals are currently divided over the question of women’s who loves us and is willing to become a servant for our salvation, status in the church and home. Competing interpretations of the should tell us there is something wrong with such self-justifying Bible are at the heart of this issue. Both views believe that their interpretations, no matter how many texts are quoted to support position is firmly grounded on the clear teaching of Scripture. them. The God revealed in Jesus Christ wants us to be servants Some evangelicals believe that the Bible gives “headship” to and not overlords, to seek the advancement of others and not our- men. They claim that in creation God appointed man to lead in selves, to work for justice and not oppression. the church and home, and that all the apostolic exhortations to The contents of our twentieth anniversary issue women to be subordinate and keep silent in church are predicated on this transcultural social order given at creation. Nineteenth-century evangelical abolitionists successfully reached Other evangelicals believe that complementary equality is the out to Christians who wrestled with conflicting interpretations of biblical ideal. God has made us men and women, yet we have the Bible’s teaching on slavery. For the last twenty years, Priscilla equal dignity and the same potential for leadership. The apostolic Papers has been reaching out to Christians who wrestle with con- exhortations to women and slaves to be subordinate simply reflect flicting interpretations of the Bible’s teaching on women’s place in the cultural norms of that day, and were never intended to estab- the church and home. lish permanent hierarchies based on gender, ethnicity, or class. By offering biblical, theological, and historical support for Both views turn to the Bible to prove their cases. Both inter- the equality of men and women, this twentieth anniversary edi- pretations have the support of biblical scholars of the highest cali- tion exemplifies the kind of evangelical scholarship published ber. Both are convinced they are right. How do we judge in such in Priscilla Papers. We pray the scholarship presented here will battles over biblical interpretation? inspire much thought and respectful dialogue. It is unhelpful to accuse fellow evangelicals of denying the au- N. T. Wright, Mark Reasoner, and Alan Johnson offer help- thority of the Bible, or of rejecting biblical inerrancy. Both views ful analyses of New Testament passages that have been used to affirm the authority of Scripture. What divides us is the interpre- support women’s subordination to men. They propose accurate tation of Scripture. We may agree we have inerrant Scriptures (an and faithful interpretations of these texts that do not contradict idea that needs some unpacking), but not that we have inerrant examples of women leaders endorsed by Jesus and Paul.