BREAKTHROUGH NEWS FOR WOMEN
~Reprint of a newsletter article by DAVID FEES~
A book God's Word to Women by Katharine Bushnell has recently been privately republished. Born in 1856,the author was a medical missionary and a scholar of Hebrew and Greek. Her work provides a doctrinal foundation to the church concerning the role of women in God's plan and in the church. She scripturally breaks down some of the doctrinal and cultural biases that have hindered women in ministry. What makes her different from the feminist movement of recent years is that she believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God--verbatim. What she has done, through much study of the Hebrew and Greek, a thorough knowledge of the Word', and an understanding of cultural settings, is explain some of the difficult passages that have historically brought women to a lower status than God intended.
To give you an idea of her teachings, I have summarized a few of her insights concerning some of the Scriptures that may have been mistranslated or misinterpreted.
* Gen. 3:16: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.To give you an idea of her teachings, I have summarized a few of her insights concerning some of the Scriptures that may have been mistranslated or misinterpreted.
Context: This statement was a judgment given by God to Eve for her part in the fall.
Traditional Interpretation: The last part shows that men are to rule over women and that a woman's natural desire would be to come under that rule.
Bushnell: The correct interpretation of the last part should be rendered, Thou art turning away [from God] to thy husband, and he will rule over thee. In other words, when Eve turned away from God in the fall, she set a course for women in all history. God did not make men to rule over women, but when sin entered in and rebellion and ignorance followed, women lost their freedom. We see this mishap particularly in cultures which have not had a Christian heritage. The greater that Jesus is allowed to flourish, the more true liberty will result for women. The model is Jesus and the church. Jesus laid down His life for the church. He is head of the church but not in a dictatorial authority. He brings a model of leadership, which is true humility and the giving of one's self for others.
* I Cor. 14:34-35: Let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. And if they would learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Traditional Interpretation: The men and women were divided in where they sat in church. Paul was addressing a problem in which women would yell out to their husbands across the church. Paul was saying to address the issue at home.
Bushnell: First, there is no law in the Old Testament that states this. There are references in the Jewish Talmud that women should remain silent, but she doubts Paul would quote from it because he was always at odds with their legalism. She makes a strong case that this statement is coming from the Judaizers (Jewish Christians who wanted to retain much of Jewish legalism), and Paul is quoting their argument and then answering it in the next two verses: What? Came the word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
She maintains that Paul allowed the ministry of Priscilla and Pheobe to flourish and considered them to be a part of his co-laborers. His practice of allowing them to teach would not be consistent with what many have traditionally interpreted that he taught. She also points out that the traditional interpretation of separation of the sexes would not address single women who had no husband. How would they learn?
* I Tim. 2:12: But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Traditional Interpretation: Perhaps the most quoted Scripture used as justification that women should not be in public ministry.
Bushnell: There should be no comma after the word "teach", which changes the meaning of the sentence to mean that women were not to teach men, but could teach women. But more importantly, she provides a historical context of this epistle stating that women were in great danger at the time of its writing. The growth of Christianity had made believers great enemies of Rome and the Jews, both which treated women with disdain. To freely allow women open ministry would place women at great risk, and Paul refused to jeopardize their status.
She maintains that this admonition is a personal one similar to his suggestion to Timothy to drink some wine for his stomach's sake. While she believes the Word of God is inviolable and absolute. there are personal words given in the context of' Scriptures that are not intended for all believers at all times in history. For instance, Paul told 'I'imothy to bring the cloak and books with him that he had left at Troas with Carpus (II Tim. 4:13). Anyone would know that this piece of instruction was meant for a situation at that time. No one expects us to be looking for a cloak at Troas as part of our spiritual obedience.
She contends that Paul did not practice this teaching of refusing a woman to teach, neither did he teach it in other settings. She states that while men are quick to jump on this Scripture and others like it to justify their view of male dominance, they do not adhere to other teachings that are in a similar cast such as when Paul wished that all men were single and celibate like himself. Very few men have taken Paul up on that one.
Ephesians 5:22: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Bushnell: The word submit is not the best rendering of this word. A better translation, to be in subjection, does not mean to blindly obey. She uses a base Scripture for this point: No man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). The Word tells us to obey those who have the rule over us in Romans 12 (speaking of' civil government), but Scripture also gives us the right for civil disobedience when man's law tries to supercede God's law. An employee cannot follow his employer into sin. Neither can a wife follow a husband into immorality or deception. Like the apostles, we must say that we must obey God rather than man.
She maintains that while Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord (I Pet. 3:6), God told Abraham in the manner of Hagar and Ishmael to obey his wife. So there is a balance that must be maintained through humility and mutual subjection to each other.
In ministry, she points out that Paul enjoins the Corinthians to submit (or subject themselves) unto every one that helpeth with us, and laboreth (I Cor. 16:16). In Romans 16:3, he calls Priscilla his helper. We know that Phoebe and other women assisted him, thus there is an admonition that men should be in subjection to those women ministries who are in a place of leadership. No man would interpret these Scriptures to mean blind obedience, but rather to defer to them in mutual respect, honor, humility, meekness, forbearance, and the yielding of one's preferences."
