Women in the Church – A Redemptive Historical Approach

“What does the Bible actually say on the role of women in God’s kingdom? No matter what side of the current debates one finds himself on, one thing is clear – both sides will use the Bible to support their views. Each side will have their own particular interpretation of certain verses throughout the Bible that speak on this issue. I would suggest that too often Christians are not using the flow of redemptive history as a grid by which to interpret such passages, and because of this they approach the Bible erroneously. Also, what is often overlooked is what the Bible does not say about women’s roles. Silence in the Bible on a matter can tell us much about how to interpret passages that do speak to the matter. I pray this paper can shed some light on the question of women in the church by respecting the principles of interpretation mentioned above.”