What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15, “But women will be saved through childbearing– if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (NIV)”? Let’s be honest…most of us either skim straight past this verse, with a shrug of the shoulders and some bemused muttering, or find it highly problematic – “What about… Continue reading Saved Through Childbearing (1 Timothy 2:15)
Category: marriage
Q&A: Do Genesis 3 and Ephesians 5 make men spiritual leaders? (Part 1)
Q: Bronwen, I notice that twice in Genesis 3, God addresses Adam about the broken commandment, but doesn’t mention it to Eve. This seems to imply that God doesn’t hold her accountable as the leader, but instead holds Adam responsible as the spiritual leader. Looking forward, just as Eve was not trusted with the responsibility… Continue reading Q&A: Do Genesis 3 and Ephesians 5 make men spiritual leaders? (Part 1)
A Letter to My Friend – A Domestic Abuse Survivor
This post was first published on Christians for Biblical Equality’s Arise blog, in the wake of the discussions which arose about domestic and family violence (DFV) in Christian homes since journalists Julia Baird and Hayley Gleeson published this controversial report: “‘Submit to your husbands’: Women told to endure domestic violence in the name of God.” Responses from… Continue reading A Letter to My Friend – A Domestic Abuse Survivor
Q&A: Is a Feminist Reading of the Bible Possible?
This question was asked in an online group I am a member of, by a person who describes herself as a “healthy sceptic” about religion. This is a somewhat expanded and edited version of my answer to her question in that forum. Q: Bronwen, after reading the Bible (King James version) please explain how it… Continue reading Q&A: Is a Feminist Reading of the Bible Possible?
Q&A: Do egalitarians use convoluted arguments to interpret the Bible?
Q: Bronwen, when I try to explain my egalitarian views to my Christian friends, some of them say we are just turning clear and simple biblical texts into something unnecessarily convoluted. Is there any truth to this, and how do I respond to this objection to my views on the equality of men and women… Continue reading Q&A: Do egalitarians use convoluted arguments to interpret the Bible?
Light, Darkness & Domestic Violence
Abusing someone is a sin. Covering up abuse is a sin. Failing to protect, listen to or help the abused person is a sin.
Q&A: Are Husbands to Lead Their Wives?
Q: Bronwen, my friend says that husbands are created by God to be leaders of their wives and families. When I asked for her biblical evidence of this belief, she said 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. These passages do seem to say quite clearly that men are to manage their families (which is the same as… Continue reading Q&A: Are Husbands to Lead Their Wives?
Q&A: Gender Roles in Marriage, Part 2
In the previous post of this Q&A on gender roles in marriage, we began looking at whether specific gender roles are God’s design for Christian marriages – roles in which, specifically, the husband is to take responsibility for leadership and the wife is to help and to submit. Firstly, we started in Genesis, and found… Continue reading Q&A: Gender Roles in Marriage, Part 2
Q&A: Gender Roles in Marriage, Part 1
Q: Bronwen, I’ve always been taught that there are specific gender roles in a Christian marriage, and that means the husband is intended to have the leadership role and the wife’s role is to help and to submit. But that feels so unnatural to my husband and I. His personality is quiet and gentle and… Continue reading Q&A: Gender Roles in Marriage, Part 1
My Story – Why Biblical Equality Matters to Me
Did God not love me, just because I was female? I couldn’t study. I couldn’t think straight. I was distressed, overset with a spiritual crisis that rocked me to the core. I had been, by nature, a well-behaved and compliant child who didn’t really experience the rebellion thing as a teenager. Heck, my “rebellion” was… Continue reading My Story – Why Biblical Equality Matters to Me
God's Design - Perth 