Why women should be church leaders and preachers // Ask NT Wright anything

I am surprised and discouraged at some of the comments. I understand that many people naturally disagree with Professor Wright here, but surely it is our charge as Christians, if we must differ with someone who is honest and earnest, to do so with humility and grace. Especially when the man has probably spent more time in more serious study of the issues at hand than virtually everyone in the comments. This doesn't mean he is necessarily always right of course, but he deserves to be heard and respected, clearly. Speak kindly if you disagree, and pray that through this as well the Spirit may bring us all closer to God's Truth.

I love my mother and father and my siblings. But only my father accepts Christ as his savior. I love my mother and I’d die for her, but it bothers me that as time goes ticking, she’s going on 70 that she isn’t going to accept Christ. And it makes me cry. My mother doesn’t like me, out of all my siblings she didn’t love me that much. She never says I love you but I always say I love you. Because one day she is gonna leave and never come back. it’s one of the things that has hurt me the most. I hope she will love Jesus. She has developed cancer, and in her old age some of my siblings abuse her and guide her down the dark path. Or the wide road. One of my sisters openly hates Christ, and the other is Muslim. She calls me a bigot everytime I mention Christ. I teach their children about Christ though. I hope that I will see them again. I hope they don’t suffer. I would miss my family but I would never go against my lord. I follow Jesus.

Off topic but the older man’s voice has full permission to narrative my life.

Phoebe was a Deacon. And there were women prophetesses and judges and there were women ministers for sure and the church was told to help them.

It is a difficult position women are in. We neither want to tell our Lord, "No, we can not speak the message burning in our hearts" but neither can we say with confidence because of this verse that it is allowed to us to speak it. I dont want to be disobedient to God in either instance. The other question I have is: if women are forbidden to teach or speak in church because they are more susceptible to being deceived then why should they be trusted at all to teach other women and children. Are they only susceptible to being deceived when it comes to teaching grown men?

I don't think NT Wright, reading straight from the Greek text with a wealth of contextual knowledge and years of study in biblical hermeneutics and textual criticism, is quite on the ball with this one. So I've come down here to the comment section, to hear from the monolingual experts with degrees in "Just reading what the KJV says" and [edited] "textbook logical fallacies." Thank goodness you all showed up.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a PECULIAR PEOPLE; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

I greatly respect that NT Wright was reading directly from the Greek. He hits points that most miss when they only read the English translations. Addressing "authentein" is something that is missed and this is too critical of an issue not to apply a careful hermeneutic.

Eye opening thank you

Men are to lead for women were created to help. But leading doesnt mean puffing yourselves up the contrary leading means to serve, it means sacrificial love as Christ did. As Christ loved and served the Church and gave himself up for her, Christ did not come to be served but to serve so how much more mortal men should do. For Scripture is clear that the ones that oversee over the Church should not control or dominate but serve the people God gave them to oversee, this is clear in matthew 20:25 25But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Women are to help men in their leading and in everything for thats the reason eve was created. Different duties, same worth. Roman 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. Some other translations say servant we are aware of that and this has been addressed in the thread. So please read the comments rather than accusing people of lying. Still the Bible says "that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the Saints, and help her in whatever she may needs from you, for she has been a Patron of many and of myself as well". Also, Romans 16:3 "  my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. We are to be of one mind, one body, one accord. No man or woman is above or greater than another but Christ our Lord. Does that mean that women can be superior or over men? Of course not but neither are men superior for in Christ its all about humility so no one should boast. For its not superiority but its all about serving God and each other in humility and truth. Glory to God. Praise to you our Christ

God is not the author of confusion.

The most logical interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 I have found is thus: Artemis was a huntress goddess. Her statues show her covered with testicles, which she took from the bulls she killed. But there's a twist to the story: she magically turned her male opponents into bulls, and then killed them... and stripped them of their maleness. So, the worship of Artemis actually wove into the female mind the idea of conquering males by any devious means possible. Artemis was also looked to as the protector of women in childbirth. To come under her protection, an expectant mother was required to take part in Artemis temple rituals. Ephesus was devoted so thoroughly to the worship of Artemis that any other religion entering the city had to incorporate the Artemis myth into their teachings. Every religion became an Artemis cult. So, what would a Jewish-Artemis cult teach? They certainly would not teach that Adam was formed first, because that would seem to promote the idea the man was superior! Nor would they teach that Eve was deceived. Because Artemis beliefs said women were spiritually superior. Do you see now how those last 3 verses were simply Paul's rebuttal of Artemis cult teachings? 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. Evidently, a woman had come into the church from the Jewish cult of Artemis, and was -- as she was trained -- trying to usurp male authority! Notice how Paul speaks of "women" in the plural, in verses 9 & 10. And then he switches to speaking of "THE woman" and "A woman" in verses 11 - 15. Greek scholars say this is significant. Paul was no longer talking about all the women in the church. He was talking about ONE woman in particular, who was causing trouble for Timothy. And Paul was simply telling Timothy how to handle her, and how to push back against her false doctrine.

I think that so many Christians miss the fact that women were not even considered able or worthy to learn so the idea that women should learn at all was huge. It blew their views of women and the role of women out of the water. I think one of the greatest dangers with interpreting scripture is that we take it out of its original context. We take 2 or 3 verses and build a teaching that is inconsistent with the cannon of scripture

Be Encouraged!😁

Oh yeah right! Could you imagine wright standing face to face saying to Paul “ I know what you say, but I disagrees with what you mean!”

So beautiful that even though Eve listened to the snake and ate bringing death, that Jesus speaks to women first to spread the word that life has been restored!! Alleluia!

Those of you amazing Greek scholars: Could that verse about "she will be saved from the curse through childbirth" have to do with the fact that Jesus was actually birthed through a woman? Was there a shift for women that could have happened there? Just curious what your thought are on this.

The Key folks is what does GOD say...NOT what do I want in this situation.

On your point about Adam, something grabbed me the other day in my reading. Jesus starts the list of prophets in Matt 23:4; Luke 11:51 with Abel. Jesus bypasses Cain as I would have expected but He also bypasses Adam. Then the same starting point is seen in Hebrews 11 which begins with Abel. Your thoughts?

Notice how he didn’t even speak from the Bible he just gives his own ideas