Paul's views on women.

A place to snark and vent about CoC doctrine and/or our experiences in the CoC. This is a place for SUPPORT and AGREEMENT only, not a place to tell someone their experience and feelings are wrong, or why we disagree with them.
longdistancerunner
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:56 pm

Paul's views on women.

Post by longdistancerunner »

I listened to a fascinating video which clears up some questions I have had for a long time. Bart Ehrman talks here about Paul's views on women in church. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6gXzBrrreM

His claim is the admonitions about women not talking in church and being subservient were interpolations (inserted by scribes in the earlier texts that we do not have). In fact he gives many examples of women playing a leading role in church activities Including praying etc and were even deacons in the church (Phoebe is one example). However he also explains the ancient view of women existing at the time which was universally accepted that women were inferior in development to men (that is why they were women they never fully developed, of course we now know that males and females although having different characterisrs, are fully formed humans.

Has anyone ever heard any discussion of this in CoC? And Ehrman points out really there are very few people who really believe the scriptures which say women can't talk in church.
B.H.
Posts: 4654
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:26 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by B.H. »

Ssssh. Dont tell the wimnin this they will want to praych. The menfolk cant be free from the jabberin of wimnin for an hour and a half in church? :lol:

Seriously, i have read of this argument before and am not convinced on it. There is a lot of "yes, but no" in the new testament especially Paul. I do believe the new testament was an upgrade in status for women but not that much. Modern times have superceded it.
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.----Karl Marx
longdistancerunner
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:56 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by longdistancerunner »

B.H. wrote: Tue Apr 15, 2025 3:18 pm Ssssh. Dont tell the wimnin this they will want to praych. The menfolk cant be free from the jabberin of wimnin for an hour and a half in church? :lol:

Seriously, i have read of this argument before and am not convinced on it. There is a lot of "yes, but no" in the new testament especially Paul. I do believe the new testament was an upgrade in status for women but not that much. Modern times have superceded it.
What about Phoebe who was a deacon?
User avatar
Ivy
Posts: 6539
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 11:05 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by Ivy »

TBH, I have never been a big fan of Paul. Why is he on such a pedestal?
~Stone Cold Ivyrose Austin~
longdistancerunner
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:56 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by longdistancerunner »

Ivy wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:49 pm TBH, I have never been a big fan of Paul. Why is he on such a pedestal?
He was solely responsible for extending the Jesus movement to gentiles, before him it was limited to Jews
zeek
Posts: 1160
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:46 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by zeek »

longdistancerunner wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:49 pm
Ivy wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:49 pm TBH, I have never been a big fan of Paul. Why is he on such a pedestal?
He was solely responsible for extending the Jesus movement to gentiles, before him it was limited to Jews
What about Peter and the household of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10? Were they not the first recorded gentile converts to Christianity?
"All things are difficult before they are easy."(found in a fortune cookie)
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the oppressed. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Forgetting isn't healing." Elie Wiesel
longdistancerunner
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:56 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by longdistancerunner »

zeek wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:08 pm
longdistancerunner wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:49 pm
Ivy wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:49 pm TBH, I have never been a big fan of Paul. Why is he on such a pedestal?
He was solely responsible for extending the Jesus movement to gentiles, before him it was limited to Jews
What about Peter and the household of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10? Were they not the first recorded gentile converts to Christianity?
I think Paul is the one responsible for the movement. But who knows?
B.H.
Posts: 4654
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:26 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by B.H. »

zeek wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:08 pm
longdistancerunner wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:49 pm
Ivy wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:49 pm TBH, I have never been a big fan of Paul. Why is he on such a pedestal?
He was solely responsible for extending the Jesus movement to gentiles, before him it was limited to Jews
What about Peter and the household of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10? Were they not the first recorded gentile converts to Christianity?
The Christian group led by Peter, and really James, was a different branch than the one led by Paul. The book of Acts was written to back the merging of the two groups together, orc at least benefit the Pauline group. The Ebionites, followers who stayed faithful to James claimed Paul wanted to marry the daughter of the high priest and was rejected, so took his knowledge and created his version of Christianity.

By having "Peter" convert "Cornelius" it made it appear yhe doctrines of Peter and James were always the same as Paul when the first two in reality limited their teachings to Jews
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.----Karl Marx
B.H.
Posts: 4654
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:26 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by B.H. »

There could have been deaconesses in the early church, and they taught people outside the general worship assembly. It doesnt contradict Pauls instructions for a woman not to preach or teach in a worship service or what we later called one.
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.----Karl Marx
longdistancerunner
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 11:56 pm

Re: Paul's views on women.

Post by longdistancerunner »

B.H. wrote: Fri Apr 18, 2025 1:55 pm There could have been deaconesses in the early church, and they taught people outside the general worship assembly. It doesnt contradict Pauls instructions for a woman not to preach or teach in a worship service or what we later called one.
Bart Ehrman firmly feels the passages telling women not to speak in church and be subservient were not written by Paul but added to writing by scribes. They are totally out of context.
Post Reply