Was the Apostle Paul a Misogynist?
At Pastor Alex’s retirement party, I was alarmed when an
acquaintance said out loud that she considered Paul to be a misogynist and an
invalid source of scriptural authority. What? I asked myself. To clarify, a
misogynist is a person who dislikes, despises or is strongly prejudiced against
women.
So, why would a person refute such a large body of
recognized scripture, God’s Holy and eternal word, accepted as inspired by the
Holy Spirit? Further, didn’t they realize that such a rebuke might be hurtful
to the person we had gathered to celebrate? So, I decided to do a study, completely
neutral in my preconceptions until such time as my research was complete.
Going to google, I searched first for the selected
scriptures that were considered controversial. I will cite these one at a time.
I think it is relevant to understand as well the churches and people Paul was
writing to. To a lesser extent, I think it is also important to understand
better the different and distinct cultures and societal expectations that were
prevalent and applicable at the time.
Additionally, I owe a great deal of thanks to Melinda
Nelson, for completing work I did not have to do, with her thesis paper “The
Reputation of the Apostle Paul: Was he a Misogynist?” which was written for a
secular college in 2014.
Finally, I wanted to thank my old college professor (now
deceased) Dr. Ed Hindson, for his sermon The Book of Revelations in 45 minutes.
In understanding what different churches and regions were going through, it is
also important to listen to and understand the words of Jesus with regards to
what He said about these churches, which are truth. He is the final authority
and His words remain forever.
With that being said, let us begin with Paul’s background. I
will cite Melinda Nelson as simply “Nelson” from this point. At the beginning
of her paper, Nelson states “My thesis is that if one
understands Paul and his writings on the subject of
women within the original/ proper context
these controversial verses and ideas many not be, in
actuality, as controversial, offensive, or
relevant to modern society or modern women as has
been previously thought.” [Nelson, p.1]
Saul was born in Tarsus, a trading
city, and had education both as a Jew and in Koine, common and Classical Greek
language, as well as Greek writings and philosophy. [p.2] He was no educational
slouch. Saul began formal training as a Rabbi in his teens. As the son of a
Roman citizen, he was also accorded Roman citizenship. Saul was a person of
very high social standing in more than one culture.
After his appointment as a member
of the Pharisees with further training, Saul was known as a zealot, and
participated in the approval of and murder of Christians, specifically, Stephen
in Jerusalem. On his way to Damascus to continue persecution there, he was met
by Jesus on the road and his life was changed.
He began to go by his Roman name
Paul, and to preach of his experience to the Gentiles. He had a disagreement
with the apostle Peter over whether new converts should convert to Judaism, and
as a result it was decided that Paul should minister to Gentile converts, while
Peter would devote his ministry to Jewish converts. Paul was eventually
executed in Rome during Nero’s reign.
I want to interject by saying
this. Men will not die willingly for a lie. It is against the nature of
self-preservation. They will not go headlong into death for a false cause.
These men, Paul and the apostles, knew that Jesus was raised from the dead.
They knew Jesus was Lord. And they are to be admired and recognized for their
supreme sacrifice and faith. Onward.
Controversy One of Five: 1 Timothy 2
The letter was written to Timothy in Ephesus from the city
of Laodicea. I find this interesting in that the churches of both of these
cities were addressed by Jesus in the book of Revelations. So, there is a kind
of cross reference going on here. What does Jesus say to the churches in
Laodicea and Ephesus? Laodicea was a rich retirement community. They had hot
springs and cold springs where rich people would go to the “spa.” Kind of like
Florida. The church in Laodicea was in trouble. They were the putrid church.
Their attitude was “we are rich and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing.” Jesus warns them that they are in fact, poor wretched and blind. They
are lukewarm, and unless they repent, they will be spewed out of His mouth. We
all need to repent, for sins both known and unknown with all humility.
The church of Ephesus, similarly in Revelations, is a church
in trouble. They were a preoccupied church in a city of over 250,000 people.
Jesus says that the church in Ephesus had lost their first love. Because like
many of us and like me, they became too concerned with the cares of this world.
They were metropolitan. They were concerned with the Kardasians, the
celebrities, the clothes and styles, the veritable worship of ashes, of
iniquity, of that which does not truly matter in eternity. Paul tells them in
his letter to Ephesians not to be drunk with wine, and also tells both men and
women to submit to one another. Both of these admonitions are more important
than initially considered in light of our concern of understanding Paul. So,
with this understanding of what was happening, let us see what Paul said in his
first letter to Timothy.
2 Therefore
I [a]exhort
first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b]authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and
one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who
gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for
which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth [d]in
Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
This, by itself is not too controversial. Even though it was
by the orders of kings and authorities (Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, the
Jewish High Priests) that Jesus was crucified, it was the will of God.
Ultimately, it was our sin that caused Jesus’ death, and He was willing and
obedient to God the Father. We do not mistake that Paul was approving of these
rulers in their condemnation of Jesus to death, who was innocent. Therefore, we
must understand that not all scripture is to be interpreted to obtain the
outcome that we desire and that supports our preconceptions. In this, scripture
must be considered in light of other works inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let God
be true and every man a liar. The word men in the above section can be
interpreted as mankind.
A point of attention is that Paul says here he is speaking
the truth. Why does he say this? See below.
8 I desire therefore that the men pray
everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in
like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
propriety and [e]moderation,
not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but,
which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 11 Let
a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not
permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For
Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless
she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness,
with self-control.
The reason Paul specifically pointed out he was speaking
truth is that there were false teachings being spread within the church and the
newly formed Christian community. He addresses both men and women about what
proper worship practices are to be during public worship services.
I was interested to learn that in Ephesus, according to both
Jewish and Greco Roman standards, women should avoid excessive adornment, for
it was symbolic of prostitutes and of sexual promiscuity/marital infidelity,
and everyone knew it. Nelson states “Verse 10
continues by explaining how women should adorn
themselves modestly: “but with good works as is proper for women who profess reverence to God”. In this verse Paul is reminding
the women of Ephesus of what is important to
Paul, to God, and what should be more important to them: reverence to God, not
the love of material adornment that false
doctrine appears to be spreading through the church at Ephesus.” [p.8]
Is it possible that just as Paul
had learned that there were instances of drunkenness in Ephesus, that the same
source had told him of some women who were interrupting services or spreading
heresy? It would explain the need to address this behavior without ascribing to
him chauvinistic preconceptions.
NOTE: We ALL need to submit
ourselves one to another, not deeming ourselves as greater than anyone. For the
servant of all is the greatest of all, and we need to have less of ourselves,
and more of God in our lives. And whoever keeps his life shall lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake, the same shall find it. Further, we need to
be totally and completely submissive before God, who is holy and righteous and
true. We need to be quick to hear and slow to speak. That goes for everyone.
But what about the bit with Adam
and Eve? Paul points to Genesis 2 and 3. It seems Paul’s intention is not to
blame women for the fall of man, but rather (in light of the false doctrines
being spread) to point to Christ as some women of Ephesus had been deceived
just as Eve had. As for child bearing, Nelson points out that the Greek word
teknogonias can be translated as “child bearing,” but it can also be translated
as “the birth of a child.” [p.10] This changes the meaning of the sentence,
referring to the specific birth of Jesus. Thus, the birth of Christ redeemed
Eve who was deceived, just as some women of Ephesus were deceived by false
doctrine.
It seems to me that Paul’s
admonitions for women were specific to, and directly for the women in the
church at Ephesus. Further down we learn that Paul specifically teaches that
women are to speak publicly when praying or prophesying. He would not have said
that if he was a misogynist.
Controversy Two of Five: Ephesians
5
15 See
then that you walk [e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming
the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And
do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of [f]God.
22 Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband
is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior
of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to
Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands,
love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might [g]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that
He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So
husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his
wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but
nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For
we are members of His body, [h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This
is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless
let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the
wife see that she respects her husband.
Paul tells the church at Ephesus to walk (behave/act) with
self-awareness, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time, because the days are
evil. It appears as though some there were using their time poorly, going after
shiny, sparking things, which attract attention, but in the end truly do not
matter. Some, it appears, were prone to time wasting behaviors, the fidget
spinners of the age.
Additionally, as previously mentioned, Paul has to warn them
of the dangers of alcohol. I had always thought the word dissipation meant to
spread out, as to dissolve in a liquid. However, the word also means a wasting
by misuse, or a mental distraction, amusement, or diversion. The definition
also refers to a dissolute way of living, especially excessive drinking of
liquor.
So, the church in Ephesus, in what is modern day Turkey, is
in trouble. Nelson makes a few important cultural observations in this passage.
The first is that immediately preceding the direction for wives to be subject
to their husbands, Paul tells them to submit to one another. Paul does not
state that there is no reciprocation between men and woman. Greco-Roman society
was extremely patriarchal, and there were tensions between the Gentile and
Christian communities. Ancestral laws stratified class and promoted slavery. Nelson
states “Christianity broke these laws, and
patriarchal ideas, by making all people equal
in Christ. For this reason, Greco-Roman society was “sensitive” to the social-political implications that Christianity held.”
[p.11] Paul could not command husbands to submit to their wives or masters to
submit to their slaves, lest violence occur, or possibly worse.
However, Paul does give a caveat.
He commands husbands to love their wives to the point of sacrificing
themselves, even to death, just as Christ loved the church. This demonstrates
the deep, abiding, dedicated, strong love that a husband is to have for his
wife. There is no command for wives to
lay down their lives for their husbands, and further, there is no objection -none
whatsoever- by those who contend that Paul was a misogynist over this great
divide in sacrifice of love. Verse 30 reminds both husbands and wives of their equal
status in Christ. Therefore, I find this entire objection without merit. It
picks and chooses at certain verses while ignoring others and the wider body of
scripture.
Controversy Three of Five: 1
Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11
2 Now
I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the
traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want
you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is
man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying
or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But
every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors
her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For
if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a
woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man
indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of
God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from
woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman,
but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to
have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless,
neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in
the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man
also comes through woman; but all things are from God.
13 Judge
among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head
uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a
man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman
has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given [a]to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to
be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
After establishing the church at Corinth, in what is now
Greece, Paul began to receive letters from members containing questions about
immorality in the church, asking for his opinion and guidance. So, Paul began a
correspondence. He answers these questions in 1 Corinthians, making the work an
“occasional” epistle and not a set of universal laws or Christian codes. The
commands given in 11:4-12 are specific to Corinth and the problems faced by
that church.
Paul was concerned and committed to three aspects of
worship: 1. Honoring God by applying scripture to worship 2. Believers showing
respect to each other 3. The testimony or view of the church to unbelievers.
All three of these themes occur throughout the letter.
Nelson notes that in pagan worship rituals, men would cover
their heads with togas or clothing. [p.17] She states that if Christians were
to continue this practice, it would be dishonorable to Christ for mixing church
services with pagan worship. There are other times when it was appropriate for
men to wear head coverings in scripture, but Paul’s direction is a specific response
to pagan influence in Corinth.
By the same token, Paul states that women in Corinth are to
keep their heads covered during prayer and prophecy. He does not say that women
are not to pray or that women are not to prophecy, an important distinction.
The practice of women covering their heads was a cultural practice and a sign
of respect to their husbands, and as such, is a situational direction. The
admonition for women to cover their heads does not extend to single women or
widows; it applies only to married women. The heads dishonored are not their
own, but that of their husbands.
Paul was addressing themes two and three above. However, a
question arises. Why would Paul tell the women of Ephesus to remain quiet while
allowing the women of Corinth to pray and prophesy publicly? It is possible
that there was a problem with the women of Ephesus interrupting services with
heretical statements, thus requiring the issue to be addressed.
A woman’s head was shaved as a societal punishment in
Corinth for adultery. Paul compares the shame a woman would have for
disrespecting her husband in public with disrespecting him through infidelity. This
is a strong viewpoint, so it was obviously something he felt deeply about. I
find it interesting that the very same punishment (shaving the head) was
applied to women in Holland who compromised and slept with German soldiers
occupying their country during World War II.
Paul gives direction to both men and women of Corinth for
appropriate attire during worship. The words “a symbol of authority on her
head” in verse 10 means that women should have the freedom of choice regarding
covering their heads, but the responsibility is still theirs.
Verses 7-10 about images, reflections and angels are more
difficult to understand, but Nelson does a much better job at explaining it
than I could. “Man was made in the image of God and
should not imitate pagan rituals because he was made
for Gods glory (Pratt, p. 349). Similarly,
woman was made for man and is the glory of man;
therefore, she should honor her husband by
veiling her head. While this may be misinterpreted as
men being more important to God than
women, the verse says that “woman is made in the
reflection of man”, not in the “image of man”.
By stating the difference Paul is showing that women
are not completely “derivative of man”,
but were created by God as a reflection, making woman
both the glory of man and of God.”
Paul concludes in verse 12 the
equality of men and women, that both are dependent upon one another, and should
respect each other equally, and further, that all come from God. This, also, is
not a statement a misogynist would make.
Controversy Four of Five:
Galatians 3
Rather than support the accusation of misogyny, this segment
refutes it.
26 For
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For
as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if
you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise.
This paragraph makes clear the equality of believers in Christ.
While Paul takes a risk against the followers of Peter by stating boldly that
in Christ there is neither “Jew nor Greek,” he goes even further by stating
there is no male or female. This also goes against the Hebrew prayer which many
Jewish men spoke daily: “Blessed is God who has not made me a Gentile, who has
not made me a boor (slave,) or a woman.”
If Paul, A trained rabbi and Pharisee, were truly prejudiced against
women, wouldn’t he support this traditional prayer?
Further, this prayer emphasizes that Gentiles were of a higher
social standing than slaves, and that slaves were of a higher social standing
than women. Paul cuts through them all and “demolishes the idea as one that
should not be held by Christians.” [p.20]
Controversy Five of Five: Romans 16
I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church
in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner
worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you;
for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
Here Paul is completing his letter to the church in Rome, where he
will shortly afterwards be martyred. Paul greets 29 separate people and groups
assembled in Rome, thanking them all for their prayers, for their labors on his
behalf, and for risking their very lives for him. Who is the very first person
he extends his respect and thanks to?
Sister Pheobe is not just a servant in the church of
Cenchrea, but a recognized deacon of that church by Paul. Phoebe was given the
important task of delivering Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. Paul shows he
is not against the idea of women teaching, learning or having authority in the
church. Phoebe had to “read, explain and circulate the message among the
Christian community in Rome.” [p.21]
I wish I could copy/paste Nelson’s entire conclusion for it is a
resounding refutation of any idea of Paul being a chauvinist, misogynist or
bigoted hater of women. Paul’s main concern was to spread the gospel and to
represent Christ in a positive and socially acceptable way. Paul explained and
addressed issues regarding men and women and their roles in society and church.
Paul’s concerns and ordinances for women addressed concerns on a
case by case basis within the specific confines of the churches they were
written to. He focused on the interdependence between husband and wife in
Ephesians, not a non-reciprocal relationship based on submission. The entries
in Galatians and Romans are true indicators of Paul’s attitude towards woman as
equals in Christ. [p.22]
