THE BIBLICAL ROLE OF WOMAN WITH AN EXEGESIS OF FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:2-16 James A. F en Submitted for the May 1980 ABBREVIATIONS KJV The King James or zed Version LXX The Septuag (a an era -trans- lation the 0 Testament) NASB The New can S B NIV The B Ie: New Internat 1 Vers RSV Revised S Vers iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Need r This Study . , 1 The Scope of This S 4 The Problems to be Solved This S 5 The Method of Procedure 'This Study 6 (~~) II. THE OLD TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE ON WOMAN 8 The Creation , . 8 The Fall 23 'l'he Mos Law 37 The Practices of 0 Testament Women 42 Conclus .... 47 III. THE G~yEL PERSPECTIVE CONCERNING WOMAN . 51 The Teachings Jesus 52 The Practices J"esus ... 54 The Training His Apostles . 65 Conclusion 67 I~' IV. THE CULTUPiliL PERSPECTIVE REGARDING WOMAN 69 Greek and Roman Culture of the F t C 70 Jewish Culture the F st 78 Post-Apostol Chris an Cu 87 .. Conclus ........... 92 V. THE EXEGETICAL PERSPECTIVE--l CORINTHIANS 11:2-16 BACKGROUND STUDIES ... ..... 94 The Primacy of · · · 94 The Context of · · · 99 The Prob of . · · · 102 The P lem . · · · III \/ VI. THE EXEGETICAL PERSPEC'rIVE--l CORINTHIANS 11: 2-16 THOUGHT DEVELOPMENT AND SIGNIFICANCE 125 The Proposition: Headsh , Verses 2-3 . 125 The Result: Di Roles, Verses 4-6 . 133 b The Reasons: G es Authorities, Verses 7-10 . · 138 The Caution: Beware Independence, Verses 11~12 · . 153 The Logical s, Verses 13-16 . 155 The Signi e 4 VII. THE NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE ON WOMAN . 1 The ReI ans 11 174 The Relation to 1 Corinthians 11 . .. ....... 181 The Relation 1 Timothy 2 Titus 2 to 1 Cor 11 .. .... 201 The Relation of 1 ans 11 to the Household T les: Co ss 3:18-19 Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Peter 3:1-7 .. 209 The Relation of Other New Testament Pass to 1 Cor 11. .. 221 VIII. THE CURRENT THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE INVOLVING WOM..i\N . • . · 230 The Motivational Element · 230 The Hermeneutical · 234 The Resulting Theo · 241 IX. A SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 247 A Summary . · . 247 Conclusions . · . 256 BIBLIOGRAPHY . · 264 p CHAprrER I The s"tatus r e of woman is a ate issue which should not be treated extensive cal re- search. Many i however, have God's Word as if it were levant. Some evangelical c cles, c to to God's ¥ are reinterpreting Scripture to deve opposed to that which is regarded as cal The past generat has s more approaches to this jec"t than ever abounds. The tradi 1 and s have been set as who are 11 to follow the Bible are becoming ed as "to s p much less how it applies. Sure more B an- swers are demanded soc s women. Con- servatives cannot ignorance merely cl a moderate approach concerning the role woman. cal bondage upon Chris women be unb lical liberation must be re Several appro s are in order to reinterpret the Bib cal data on woman. One \ n 2 approach is to regard the Sc as errant fal e. The feminist theologian Robin Scroggs considers Ephesians, 1 Colossians, and the Pastorals as non-Paul Likewise she considers First Corinthians 14:3 36 as a s to that epistle. 2 Thus, she blots out most of the New Test- ament data which offend her. Now the New Test- ament passages can be cons " isolat.ed" so can be mlnlmlze. d . 3 Thus, Paul seen as a t (lover of women); he becomes "the one c ar vo Nelr')" 'restament 4 asserting the freedom equa ty vloman. " Another approach Paul as a t. The apostle is viewed as a woman hater, or a-t least as one who accepts their inferiori Paul alleged must be stood and interpreted -the of s rabb oriental background. P Jewett believes that the cultural differences justify a cal woman!s ent e 5 from her New Testament role. Jewett also cons s these lRobin Scroggs, "Paul the Eschato cal Woman." -;-J-=o:....u:.;:;r=n~a::.;J::-:.:::-o~f---=t:..:h:;..e~:::;.Am~e:;;r=-=i..::c..::a=n.::.....A:..:..::c..::a:..d:..e:..m~y __ o:....:::;.f_R_e:....l.::.....i.d.g XL: 3 (Septem- ber, 1972), 284. 2 Ibid. 3William o. Walker "I Cor ans 11:2-16 Paul's Views regarding Women" a- ture, 94 (March, 1975), pp~ 94- atti tude to carry him to -the point 11:2-16 as non-P ine even Walker also considers Paul a 4 Scroggs, "Paul the Eschato ical 1i'Joman," p. 302. 5 Paul K. Jewett, Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans ) f p. 148. m 3 passages on womanRs role as errant. He that the Apostle Paul has an "uneasy conscience" about. these writings which cause him to speak out of both s of s mouth or to 1 "hint" the opposite of what he says. ster S re- gards culture as so an element: to the role of woman that it is nalve to play VlF s Bible Land.,,2 One approach evidenced ia MollenkottRs 3 writings might be described as a The neo-orthodox pr ce ac f B al doctrines while rej 1:he c s -to these doctrines is employed. Thus sm seeks a upon the doctrines of the cre and regeneration, rather than upon the exp c Paul and Peter. The theological implications of the ous ap- proachs will be evaluated in eight. The d sity of interpretations and procedures reso the B cal data is evident. Thorough B lical ana exeges are necessary. This research be re pr l toward those who claim to be evange cal but who appear to reject the Biblical data. 1 Paul K. Jewett, , p. 113. 2 . Krlster Stendahl trans. by Emilie T. Sander s, 1966) , p. 40. Compare pp. 3. ., VJ_rglnla Bible (Nashvi e, Tennessee: 8. m II The scope of this dissertation is limited to the Biblical data, that all d be ana- lyzed. The study will not seek to ract th all s ar 1 and non-Biblical approaches to f Ra-ther f ts who claim to be evangel wi The presupposi or 1 this research and the of the B cal are elementary yet L Firs-t I" th writer bel the Bible to be the inerrant and author of God. Second, he believes that the human authors were tended by the Ho when wrote p rather than by their own wills (2 Peter 1:20-21) se were not the hUman author's own or the Ho unseen author of the message One must discern the theme IS role for woman, then he shou s from the Old Testament cant the New. As one seeks to correct the Biblical role of woman, two must be It easy to approach the subject 1 Some women have certainly been B al have been ignored or mi Ye-t, an n IThe word "f apart from its soc The concern is a subordinate role. 5 approach could be equal as 1 ala The -trap is the rationalistic idea of thinking that the present genera­ tion understands Godus timeless plans better than the tIes did. It is to think that the apostles ented through a culturally tainted filter as is standings are not affected by today's ture. The primary problem concerns the na­ ture and duration of womanus s on to man. C the Biblical data set e for woman. But is on to cont throughout all history? Could not modify or remove the reason for this submission? Is the Bibl witness authoritative and relevant or has changed the role of woman? What is the foundational the subor- dinate role which the le to woman? Is creation? Is it the Fall? Or is one's ? is the Biblic nature woman's understood? Have the s limi which have been placed upon women always been in harmony with the Biblical intent of this subordination? Similarly four terms demand ise to resolve these problems. They are: headship, subordination, prophecy and authorit leadership. These terms will be analyzed and defined as they become pe within the m 6 development of this study. Once the primary problem regarding the nature and duration of woman's subordination resolved, many other secondary questions can be answered. Woman's relation to God and man will be discernable Her within her homeD her church and her society will~be more understandable and meaningful. IV. The Method Procedure Since all Scripture is a unit, one cannot study the Biblical role of woman by on the tea Paul or the example Jesus ist. The revelation of God must be scrutinized. Such a proc a more comprehensive unders removes the topic from an alleged cultural s emate. J Yet/this study must and 11 be d God! s final revela-tion concerning vv-oman i s role-tha-t re- corded by the Apostle P F st- ans 11:2-16 has been chosen as the most s f ant sage for determining the present role woman due to several s tanti rea- sons. First, the foundational teaching for any relevant doctrine must consider the last word progress reve- lation and, thus, must turn to the of the New Testament epistles on the subject. s passage precedes the other P passages the role of woman and so prepares the reader tation, Third, it is sequent to thus acknowledges, m 7 paul's great teach on the equa male e- Galatians 3:28.