Someone asked me why women were considered unclean after giving birth? Why were they considered unclean longer after giving birth to a girl? Is that a dim reflection on females?
I'm not sure if the uncleanness of a mother for a female baby was extended. Maybe the uncleanness of a mother for having a male child was "cut short" for the sake of circumcision - no pun intended! Mom would need the all clear by the eighth day in order to participate in presenting the child to the priest. The fact that the offering requirements presented to the temple were the same for male or female infants indicates that there was no greater value placed on one gender over the other.
Another possible reason for giving the newborn females more time away from the populous could be health related.
"...mortality differentials arise from social or behavioral factors reflecting deliberate discrimination by adults in favor of boys over girls, resulting in atypical male to female infant mortality ratios."
- Kana Fuse and Edward M. Crenshaw; Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, July 2005
This quote, which applies to underdeveloped cultures, is saying that such cultures have a tendency to place less value on female babies, contributing to higher female infant mortality. The extra week would give a longer buffer for more intense care of such infants. Those extra few days of isolation, just mother and baby, could have also played a factor in the overall health of the baby, by allowing preemptive quarantine (childbirth fever, also known as Puerperal fever was highly contagious and prevalent as recently as the 1800's) as well as more bonding time for mother and child.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Women as Leaders in the Church
O.K. This I borrowed from a magazine article. Click the link to read the entire article!
Female apostle. Junia (Rom. 16:7)
Female prophets. Anna (Luke 2:36), Philip’s four prophesying daughters (Acts 21:9), the women who prophesied at Pentecost—the birth of the church (Acts 2:4-21)—and the women in Corinth (1 Cor. 11:4-5; 14:31)
Female teachers. Priscilla (Acts 18:26)
Female evangelists and house-church leaders. Lydia (Acts 16:13-14,40); Apphia (Philem. 1-2); Nympha (Col. 4:15); Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11); Priscilla (Acts 18:26; Rom. 16:3); Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis (Rom. 16:12); Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:3)
Female deacons. Phoebe (Rom. 16:2)
Female apostle. Junia (Rom. 16:7)
Female prophets. Anna (Luke 2:36), Philip’s four prophesying daughters (Acts 21:9), the women who prophesied at Pentecost—the birth of the church (Acts 2:4-21)—and the women in Corinth (1 Cor. 11:4-5; 14:31)
Female teachers. Priscilla (Acts 18:26)
Female evangelists and house-church leaders. Lydia (Acts 16:13-14,40); Apphia (Philem. 1-2); Nympha (Col. 4:15); Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11); Priscilla (Acts 18:26; Rom. 16:3); Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis (Rom. 16:12); Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:3)
Female deacons. Phoebe (Rom. 16:2)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Jesus and Women
I wrote the following as a reply to an annonymous poster who claimed that the Bible was oppressive to women. I've edited it a bit. I believe that the Word of God sets all people free, including women...
The example of the New Testament liberates oppressed women everywhere that it spreads!
Paul's practice of allowing, even approving of male and female worshipers meeting together would have shocked his Jewish and pagan contemporaries. Jewish culture forbid women from even entering the temple courts. Pagan ritual often involved women as sexual objects for the satisfaction of the priests, rather than worshiping together. But we'll get back to Paul in a moment.
* Jesus Christ set the example for his church. The following points listed, were usually unacceptable, or at least not the norm in ancient culture. Jesus shattered traditions of men:
* Jesus taught both men and women
* Jesus received praise from both men and women
* Jesus had male and female followers
* Jesus' female followers were often mentioned by name
* Jesus reacted with kindness toward a woman who washed his feet and anointed them ("She has done a beautiful thing to me. Everywhere the Good News is preached, what she has done will be told as well.")
* Jesus scolded Martha for doing what was considered traditional "woman's work" in the kitchen, while praising Mary for listening to and learning from him.
* Jesus talked to the Samaritan women. This shocked even her. Jesus broke three barriers to speak to her:
1. Race barrier - she was a Samaritan
2. Gender barrier - she was a woman
3. Moral barrier - she was a "sinner"
Look at what Jesus did in light of his cultural surroundings. The cultural atmosphere was so male-oriented, I can imagine those Gospel writers almost gulping as they wrote so much about women. That is, they wrote so much about women compared to the culture in which they lived. I can't think of any ancient culture that afforded women the assumed rights they have in modern Western cultures. Jesus' inclusion of women was radical.
I think ones particular interpretation of the Bible is closely related to ones position on divine authorship. If you're starting under the assumption that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of human writings with no hint of divine inspiration whatsoever, you're likely to come to all sorts of conclusions.
Another way to interpret the verses your conclusions seem to be based upon, assumes that the Bible is, as most Christians including myself refer to it, the Word of God. This is what I believe. Ultimately, if the Word of God (especially the New Testament) teaches a particular belief or practice, I am obligated as a Christian to uphold it even if it seems at odds with my personal feelings. To me this means that although I disagree with many of your conclusions, or interpretations of the text, I am trying to be careful not to allow my own cultural bias color my interpretations.
If God is the author of the biblical writings, and God is infinite, perfect, just and loving, then these writings will ultimately have our best interests at heart. I'm not saying that we're always going to jump for joy at the prospect of obeying his commands, any more than my children jump for joy when I take away the sweets and send them to brush their teeth. What's best for us, isn't always the most pleasant.
Think about it this way: I believe in order to be in a relationship with anyone sometimes I am required to be exposed to views and opinions I disagree with, and even occasionally to submit my will and desires to the other person's - that is unless I choose only friends who are identical to me, which already sounds boring. If God is personal, in order to relate to him personally, I'm going to at least sometimes encounter aspects of that relationship that I'm not comfortable with. However, if God is also perfect, then putting my personal feelings aside and following him will always be best for me.
1Corinthians 14:33-35 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
In light of 1Corinthians 11:2-16 which assumes women are praying and prophesying (which usually requires speaking) in the church, this passage seems to be dealing with some specific incident or type of speaking in the church: Inquiry. I think Paul had particular women in mind. (I understand this is conjecture) I can only guess to what issue Paul was addressing, but according to the text it was related to learning something during the church service.
Perhaps these women (as women at all these new churches), who were not accustomed to knowing what was going on, because they were not accustomed to such a hands-on worship experience that the "in Christ, no male or female" policy had suddenly afforded them, were interrupting the service (i.e. quenching / grieving the Spirit) with inquisitive outbursts about trivial matters. Add this to the singing, scripture reading, prayer, speaking in tongues and prophesying that people were doing as part of the service, and you have a recipe for disorder that needs some kind of clear instruction. The point is, women in the church at Corinth 2,000 years ago were freely participating in Christian worship with their voices!
Paul mentions women who were leaders in the church in more than a few places in his letters. We know there were female deacons. And one particular woman may have been designated "apostle." Women were also found among the prophets of the New Testament.
About Submission and Authority
Looking through our modern Western cultural glasses submission sounds painful and just doggone... submissive! Even the word is pejorative to us! Another word that rubs us wrong, especially when we're not the ones in it, is authority. Even my "pastoral" self has recently felt like thumping a state trooper I believed was throwing his badge around our small town - which by the way manages just fine with our own local Sheriff's Department, thank you very much!
Contrary to popular opinion submission is not the greatest evil. Jesus made some interesting comments about his own state of being while on earth. He was in submission to his Father in Heaven. "By myself I can do nothing..." (John 5:30). "...for the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28 - which seems to speak of Jesus' human state. See Philippians 2:6). "The head of Christ is God" (1Corinthians 11:3). Does this degrade Jesus? Does this make him less than equal with God? No. That State Trooper having authority over me on the highway, doesn't make me less of a person than he!
There are also other ways to interpret this passage. Some Bible scholars interpret the passages about the husband being the "head" of the wife, as an anatomical head / body metaphor, rather than an authority metaphor. What's the difference? Well, the head / body idea puts emphasis on the oneness of a husband and wife, rather than authority roles. Imagine either a head or a body trying to operate without the other. That is just how close a married couple is, theologically speaking.
If God (the Father) is the head of Jesus (who is the Word of God made flesh, the "Son" member of the trinity) and Jesus is the body, the hands and feet of God on this earth, or "God with us," as one passage states, does that make Jesus (God the Son) any less God than God The Father?
The example of the New Testament liberates oppressed women everywhere that it spreads!
Paul's practice of allowing, even approving of male and female worshipers meeting together would have shocked his Jewish and pagan contemporaries. Jewish culture forbid women from even entering the temple courts. Pagan ritual often involved women as sexual objects for the satisfaction of the priests, rather than worshiping together. But we'll get back to Paul in a moment.
* Jesus Christ set the example for his church. The following points listed, were usually unacceptable, or at least not the norm in ancient culture. Jesus shattered traditions of men:
* Jesus taught both men and women
* Jesus received praise from both men and women
* Jesus had male and female followers
* Jesus' female followers were often mentioned by name
* Jesus reacted with kindness toward a woman who washed his feet and anointed them ("She has done a beautiful thing to me. Everywhere the Good News is preached, what she has done will be told as well.")
* Jesus scolded Martha for doing what was considered traditional "woman's work" in the kitchen, while praising Mary for listening to and learning from him.
* Jesus talked to the Samaritan women. This shocked even her. Jesus broke three barriers to speak to her:
1. Race barrier - she was a Samaritan
2. Gender barrier - she was a woman
3. Moral barrier - she was a "sinner"
Look at what Jesus did in light of his cultural surroundings. The cultural atmosphere was so male-oriented, I can imagine those Gospel writers almost gulping as they wrote so much about women. That is, they wrote so much about women compared to the culture in which they lived. I can't think of any ancient culture that afforded women the assumed rights they have in modern Western cultures. Jesus' inclusion of women was radical.
I think ones particular interpretation of the Bible is closely related to ones position on divine authorship. If you're starting under the assumption that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of human writings with no hint of divine inspiration whatsoever, you're likely to come to all sorts of conclusions.
Another way to interpret the verses your conclusions seem to be based upon, assumes that the Bible is, as most Christians including myself refer to it, the Word of God. This is what I believe. Ultimately, if the Word of God (especially the New Testament) teaches a particular belief or practice, I am obligated as a Christian to uphold it even if it seems at odds with my personal feelings. To me this means that although I disagree with many of your conclusions, or interpretations of the text, I am trying to be careful not to allow my own cultural bias color my interpretations.
If God is the author of the biblical writings, and God is infinite, perfect, just and loving, then these writings will ultimately have our best interests at heart. I'm not saying that we're always going to jump for joy at the prospect of obeying his commands, any more than my children jump for joy when I take away the sweets and send them to brush their teeth. What's best for us, isn't always the most pleasant.
Think about it this way: I believe in order to be in a relationship with anyone sometimes I am required to be exposed to views and opinions I disagree with, and even occasionally to submit my will and desires to the other person's - that is unless I choose only friends who are identical to me, which already sounds boring. If God is personal, in order to relate to him personally, I'm going to at least sometimes encounter aspects of that relationship that I'm not comfortable with. However, if God is also perfect, then putting my personal feelings aside and following him will always be best for me.
1Corinthians 14:33-35 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
In light of 1Corinthians 11:2-16 which assumes women are praying and prophesying (which usually requires speaking) in the church, this passage seems to be dealing with some specific incident or type of speaking in the church: Inquiry. I think Paul had particular women in mind. (I understand this is conjecture) I can only guess to what issue Paul was addressing, but according to the text it was related to learning something during the church service.
Perhaps these women (as women at all these new churches), who were not accustomed to knowing what was going on, because they were not accustomed to such a hands-on worship experience that the "in Christ, no male or female" policy had suddenly afforded them, were interrupting the service (i.e. quenching / grieving the Spirit) with inquisitive outbursts about trivial matters. Add this to the singing, scripture reading, prayer, speaking in tongues and prophesying that people were doing as part of the service, and you have a recipe for disorder that needs some kind of clear instruction. The point is, women in the church at Corinth 2,000 years ago were freely participating in Christian worship with their voices!
Paul mentions women who were leaders in the church in more than a few places in his letters. We know there were female deacons. And one particular woman may have been designated "apostle." Women were also found among the prophets of the New Testament.
About Submission and Authority
Looking through our modern Western cultural glasses submission sounds painful and just doggone... submissive! Even the word is pejorative to us! Another word that rubs us wrong, especially when we're not the ones in it, is authority. Even my "pastoral" self has recently felt like thumping a state trooper I believed was throwing his badge around our small town - which by the way manages just fine with our own local Sheriff's Department, thank you very much!
Contrary to popular opinion submission is not the greatest evil. Jesus made some interesting comments about his own state of being while on earth. He was in submission to his Father in Heaven. "By myself I can do nothing..." (John 5:30). "...for the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28 - which seems to speak of Jesus' human state. See Philippians 2:6). "The head of Christ is God" (1Corinthians 11:3). Does this degrade Jesus? Does this make him less than equal with God? No. That State Trooper having authority over me on the highway, doesn't make me less of a person than he!
There are also other ways to interpret this passage. Some Bible scholars interpret the passages about the husband being the "head" of the wife, as an anatomical head / body metaphor, rather than an authority metaphor. What's the difference? Well, the head / body idea puts emphasis on the oneness of a husband and wife, rather than authority roles. Imagine either a head or a body trying to operate without the other. That is just how close a married couple is, theologically speaking.
If God (the Father) is the head of Jesus (who is the Word of God made flesh, the "Son" member of the trinity) and Jesus is the body, the hands and feet of God on this earth, or "God with us," as one passage states, does that make Jesus (God the Son) any less God than God The Father?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Jesus Made The Difference!
Women
Jesus was born into a world that viewed women as less than men. A woman in ancient times was often considered property. Some cultures thought so little of women that when a man died, his wife (or wives) would be buried alive (or burned on the pyre) along with him. In addition to gender, Jesus broke through ethnic and moral barriers when he reached out to the woman at the well in John 4. This gesture signaled a new day for the "softer" gender. Compare any Christian-influenced society with any non-Christian counterpart and see where Women's rights are greatest.
Jesus Made The Difference!
Children
Children in the ancient Roman world were not the objects of love and affection that they are in the modern West. The late Dr. James Kennedy said, "The Roman father's power over his child was absolute. He could expose it to death; he could scourge it, mutilate it, marry it, divorce it, sell it as a slave, or kill it to satisfy his own blood lust." Jesus took a child in his arms and the coldness toward all children began to melt away!
Jesus Made The Difference!
Slaves
Today people look in shock at the practice of slavery. We wonder how such a godless trade could have ever existed. However, looking through the eyes of history, we see that virtually every culture has viewed slavery as normal. Slavery is still common in many nations - The strong rule the weak. The real wonder is that slavery ever ended anywhere. Listen to Jesus putting forth our worth as God (the strongest of the strong) so loved the world (the weakest of the weak), that he gave his One and Only Son... Jesus came to set us free from sin and death. Societies that have come under the Christian influence have always been on the cutting edge of emancipation.
Jesus Made The Difference!
Humanity
Where basic Christianity thrives, standards of living go up. Hospitals are built. Food and clothing is provided. Weird, painful superstitions (i.e. Pagan human sacrifices, Chinese foot-binding, African female circumcision, Indian Sati) come to an end. Every church I know of sent aid to Haiti in light of its recent tragedy. Many churches offer professional counseling to members and non-members at no charge.
Jesus Made The Difference!
That's the Christianity I see, where charity and community is motivated from a God who furiously loves us and draws us to himself! When I see the good deeds of just our local church people I think: Even if I had doubts about Jesus, I sure would wish he were real! Why? Because...
Jesus Made The Difference!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Guest or Host?
Jesus said, "I am gentle and humble in heart." Jesus also said, "blessed are the meek..." But when he walked into the temple during Passover he revealed gentle, humble and meek does not mean soft and week. When Jesus saw animals and money changers intermingled with would-be worshipers, he put a decisive end to it! He cleansed the temple with a word and whip.John offers Psalm 69:9 as explanation for Jesus' outburst: "Zeal for your house consumes me." Jesus was passionate to see the house of God remain what it was intended to be: Consecrated for God's sacred use. Just as a person can be consecrated, set apart for God's purpose (the word for this is saint), so can a building (sanctuary is the word for this). The only place in the world that was set apart to be a habitation for the presence of God was that Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
If zeal for God's house, for the temple of God's presence, consumed Jesus when he walked the earth, let's follow that logic through. After Jesus went to the cross and ripped open the curtain that separated us from God, he gave us clear access to the presence of God. Those of us who put our faith in Jesus now become the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in us. So if zeal to clean the temple consumes Jesus, and we are now the temple, what does that mean for us? It means Jesus has a zeal, a burning desire to cleanse us and make us holy!
One reason I believe Jesus so freely cleaned the temple was ownership. Anywhere else Jesus went, he was a guest in people's homes. But that day he walked into the temple, he was the host. He was home and he had authority to cleanse his own house.
The question each of us has to ask ourselves is what role Jesus plays in our lives? Is he a guest in your home? Do you call him over for a visit during times of need, only to shuffle him out the door when you're done with his services?
"Thanks for turning that water into wine, Jesus!"
"Great party, Jesus!"
"O.K. see ya' later, Jesus!"
Or have you come to the realization that he is the owner of the temple? His burning desire is to purify it, to make it holy, separated for God's pleasure and your own benefit. As you surrender each and every corner to the Lord of the temple, you will see him make a wonderful change of your life! But you must decide once and for all: Is Jesus a guest in your life, or is he the owner?
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