Paul Said What About Women?

What Paul Really Said About Women by John Temple Bristow

There are two major camps when it comes to the Apostle Paul. Either he was a misogynist who is responsible for years of Christian oppression of women or he was a sainted apostle who spoke truth and was right to put women in their "God-given" places.

Those of us who believe in the full humanity of women--and in their right to fully participate in the worship and service of Him who created them--seemed forced into either rejecting Paul or rejecting what their hearts and minds tell them about their equality. There really seems to be very little middle ground for those who believe in a literal interpretation of scripture.

But what if Paul didn't really mean all of the things we constantly read into his words? What if we're viewing his words through a Hellenistic filter that forced the then-current cultural views of women onto what was otherwise a revolutionary and liberating approach to women in worship and life. What if translators through the ages have done a disservice to both Paul and women? That is the thesis of John Temple Bristow's book, What Paul Really Said About Women: An Apostle's Liberating Views on Equality in Marriage, Leadership, and Love.

Bristow makes a strong case for that thesis. A few of his arguments are weak, but mostly they offer an incredibly refreshing take on the words of one of the most prominent and prolific of apostles. What is also refreshing is that Bristow has done his homework. While his book is written for the lay reader, it is obvious he has done his homework and is devoted to Biblical scholarship as well as to pastoral care for the women in his churches.

Why Should We Think Paul Was Liberating?

Bristow starts us out with the verse in Galatians 3:28 where Paul declares that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, slave nor free, but that "you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Bristow refers to this a keystone verse of Paul's ministry and says we must look at other verses in light of this overall theme of Paul's ministry. He then proceeds to tackle some of the most difficult words that Paul wrote--those that have earned him the reputation of being a misogynist.

Women's Inferiority

Chapter one explores the historical context of the idea that women are inferior to men. Bristow explores the Hellenization of Scripture and how we read Paul's words through Aristotle's eyes; that we read it through Greek rather than Jewish philosophers and pagan rather than Christian interpretations.

In great detail, Bristow lays out how some of the major Greek philosophers viewed women and their role in society. He takes us from Socrates, who supported the educational training of women, to Aristotle whom he blames for formalizing sex discrimination through his philosophy.

Bristow also discusses the Jewish tradition that most of Paul's contemporaries were either a part of or familiar with. It is here where I become uncomfortable with some of his arguments as he very definitely shows an outsider's shallow understanding of the Jewish culture and has bought into some common misconceptions. He takes certain rabbinical quotes out of context to discuss what he calls the Jewish devaluation of women. To be fair, he does say that what Christians call the Old Testament offers a varied and colorful collection of womankind and that some rabbis did preach the equality of women.

One early discussion that especially appealed to me (and I will resist discussing every interesting point in this review) was his examination of the Adam and Eve story. He pointed out that Eve is a help meet or ezer. Ezer does not connote inferiority. It appears 17 other times in the Old Testament and in each other instance it is used to refer to God. Bristow also points out that if man being created before women implied superiority, then cows should be superior to man and fish superior to cows.

He goes on to explore three other ideas about the Creation story and the serpent's temptation of Eve. He says we can look at it in three ways:

1. The fact that the Serpent waited until Eve was alone suggests that "husbands and wives are meant to provide each other with moral fortitude, and when this fails, sin can enter into the relationship and change it."
2. Eve was the stronger of the two. It took all the wiles of the Tempter to lead her to sin. For Adam, Eve just handed him the fruit.
3. We can look at God's curse (that man's labor shall be frustrated and he shall rule his wife who will bear children in much pain and suffering and yet desire her husband) as the results of sin. It is not the ideal marital relationship that is divinely ordered; it is the product and result of sin and a curse. It is something to be avoided, not commended. It is characteristic of a marriage that is outside of God's grace.

However, this is not a book about creation and 130 pages are not long enough to respond to every feminist complaint about the Scripture. And so, Bristow turns to a more focused examination of Paul's writings in chapter 2.

New Roles for Husbands and Wives

Bristow continues with an in-depth exploration of Ephesians 5-that chapter that tells wives to be subject to their husbands. He carefully explains each Greek word and shows how actually Paul was creating a new model for Christian marriage, not enforcing an authoritarian rule of the husband over the wife. He shows how Paul is using a device common in the Psalms-using synonyms in a parallel fashion.

I will say that of all the chapters in this book, his argument here is the weakest. He makes some excellent points, and I agree with his conclusion, but there are some spots in the argument that would be easy for someone to poke holes in.

Women as Church Leaders

To today's literalist church, this chapter has to be one of the most controversial. Yet, Bristow is so persuasive and rational that I think it would be difficult for anyone to walk away from a sincere read and still argue that Paul wanted all women to be always silent in church. Bristow convincingly argues that there is nothing in Paul's or Christ's teaching that says women should teach only other women or not participate fully in worship.

Bristow points out the number of times that Paul addresses women and men as equals and co-workers and that he uses the term "apostle" to refer to a woman in the book of Romans (many modern day literalists say that the person is a man, despite the fact that the name appears as the accusative form of the feminine name).

Bristow explores the context of the passage in which Paul commands women to be silent. He talks about how that church was suffering from akatastasia or disorder. Paul said he did not want this in public worship, therefore he gives three commands including the one telling women to be silent. Now, a few chapters earlier, he had commended women for praying and prophesying. If we are to accept Scripture, Bristow argues, we must work to understand the seeming contradiction in light of the overall message of the Gospel. He proceeds to explain the different Greek words used for silence and the shades of meaning each has. He points out that Paul specifically did not use any of the Greek words that would have the connotation that modern literalists ascribe to it. Instead, he chose the word sigao meaning a voluntary silence. It is "the kind of silence asked for in the midst of disorder and clamor." (p. 63).

Likewise, when Paul said it was a shame for women to speak in church, he was using a very specific Greek work that meant it was shameful for women to talk disruptively during the worship service. Why did he address this command only to women, Bristow next asks. Because women were exploring a new social role. They were being allowed to attend worship services in a way they had previously been denied. They were in need of instruction in how to behave during a worship service-something the men in question already had several centuries of practice in.

Education, Dress and Celibacy

In the next three chapters, Bristow discusses Paul's views on educating women, how to approach the commands involving dress and hairstyles, and whether celibacy is holy.

Within these chapters is a fascinating discussion of the culture at the time and of the economics inherent in sexual purity rules. He points out that Paul had a goal of unifying Jews and Gentiles in the church and that required addressing conflicting cultures and giving rulings that would prevent schisms from forming. He points out that the dictums that were handed down apply to us as part of the overall message. We must understand why Paul gave certain commands concerning such things as hair coverings so that we can apply them to today's world.

The Slandered Apostle

Finally, Bristow takes us through the process that the revolutionary and liberating message of Paul (that all believers are equal before Christ) became the repressive interpretations that we live with today. He shows how Paul's instructions concerning women and marriage were in conflict with Greek philosophers and Jewish rabbis.

Bristow then says that the mortal blow to sexual equality within the Church was dealt when Christianity became fashionable in the middle of the fourth century. The Church began to be transformed by the world and took on more characteristics of the Hellenized Roman society.

Bristow then tackles the teachings of such church fathers as Augustine and Aquinas. He is especially harsh on Aquinas, saying that he adopted Greek philosophy as "natural truths" and quickly affirmed "the class system of medieval society, the paternalistic pattern of family life, and the authority of ecclesiastical leaders and nobility. Aquinas could not conceive of woman being equal to man, either before or after the fall of the first couple in Eden. He agreed with Aristotle that woman 'is defective and misbegotten.'" (p. 115)

While Bristow acknowledges the fine scholarship of Aquinas and the debt to his thinking that we are in, he also points out that Aquinas is responsible for fully absorbing the Greek deprecation of women into Christian theology.

It's A Can't Miss Book

Bristow's book is fascinating, and I found myself wanting to buy several copies. He has written it in a clear language designed to be used for Sunday School classes. Indeed, each chapter is followed up with discussion questions.

He suggests several revolutionary concepts and then proceeds to make strong, rational, logical arguments in support of them. Certainly, I found the book to be liberating. I've always found Paul's teachings to be transformational and filled with good sense and spirituality. So I have been frequently disturbed by those verses that this book addresses. They never seemed to fit with the rest of the message. Bristow's book is the first time I have seen all of those verses addressed in a way that does not try to discount Paul or say that he is outdated. Rather, Bristow shows a passion for the Scriptures and the true message taught by them.

This book is written for all those who think that the Church has no place for women or who have themselves felt marginalized by these controversial verses. Even if one ends up disagreeing with Bristow's interpretations and scholarship, the book will be a read that is challenging and enjoyable.