Jocelyn Andersen: Gender Autonomy

Showing posts with label Gender Autonomy. Show all posts

Jesus Challenges "Male Scribes Only" Policy

Jesus Friend of Women: Challenges "Male Scribes Only" Policy

Matthew 13:52 ...all scribes instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven are similar to those oikodespotēs [home rulers] who bring forth out of their treasures new and old

[1] In comparing scribes to householders [oikodespotēs], using a word translated from a Greek noun that literally means “home ruler” (oiko=home & despotēs=ruler), Jesus challenged the idea that only men could be trained as scribes.

The term, oikodespotēs, is not limited to males only. In 1 Timothy 5:14, The word oikodespoteō (the same word as oikodespotēs, only in verb form) is used of women, where they are commanded to be “home rulers.” Though the word oikodespotēs is classified as a masculine noun, usage shows it to be a neuter noun.

Woman this is WAR! Gender Slavery and the Evangelical Castes System, examines male-centered Bible translation, commentary, and discriminatory mis-definition of biblical words, all of which adversely affect understanding of the scriptures, relations between women and men, happiness of men and women, and hinders the work of the gospel.

Complementarian Extremism: Either radically submissive or Radical Feminist

Nancy Wilson made the following statement: "The modern woman has been deceived...and led away by her own lusts. Loaded down with sin, discontent, and envy, she is promised freedom and happiness if she will just forsake her domain--the home--and neglect her responsibilities, husband, and children."

Nancy Wilson is wrong. She, along with Mary Kassian, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Carolyn Rainey, and a host of others deceive and polarize Christian women, by convincing them they only have two choices, thereby dividing them into two camps, either radically submissive or radical feminists.

But there is another choice, a choice supported by scripture that says there are no gender "roles" but rather the sexes were created to support one another equally and manage the earth's resources together, in a functionally equal capacity.

Thankfully, women who embrace their God-given autonomy and unapologetically walk in it, do not need to make the tragic and unnecessary, radical, choice of forsaking home and family in exchange for adult autonomy. In fact, women who walk in the light of God's Word, fiercely love their families and are strong examples living godly and positively impactful lives.

The ancient paleo Hebrew is clear about the relationship between father and mother in the home:

AB: Hebrew for Father, means the physical strength of the house (physical protector) symbolized by an ox and tent.

EM: Hebrew for Mother means the emotional strength of the Family, symbolized by an ox and water (strong water=GLUE) Read my article about this.

Without turning natural, God-given, tendencies and desires into stereotypical and prescribed "roles," it is easy to see that fathers are natural physical protectors of their families. This makes total sense, because men tend to be overwhelmingly physically stronger than women. It is equally as easy to see that mothers are natural nurturers and emotional protectors of their families, as women tend to be much more in tune with the emotions of others. That also makes sense, as women have been shown to be more empathetic with those around them and better communicators in personal relationships.

There are always exceptions, of course. So we cannot paint all women and all men with the same broad brush. So, which is more important and more qualified to lead in families, father or mother?

The answer, is Neither!

Both women and men bring strengths and weaknesses to the table, and neither has the market on having all the info on any given situation or hearing from God concerning every circumstance.

An equal but prayerful balance of leadership is what scripture prescribes: "So God created 'âdâm in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them And God blessed them and God said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth...This is the book of the generations of 'âdâm In the day that God created 'âdâm. In the likeness of God made he him Male and female created he them and blessed them and called their name 'âdâm in the day when they were created."

Traditional role religion and the complementarian controversy is rife with extremes, and doesn't the Bible warn against extremes when temperance (self control) and moderation are commanded? This goes for every aspect of life--including how we approach relationships--not just eating, drinking, partying, etc....

Complementarians claim there is a sliding scale from moderate to extreme when it comes to practicing their doctrine. But that is simply not true. We cannot espouse the concept of moderation within complementarianism, because the paradigm itself is extreme. All complementarians teach that from birth to death and through-out eternity, men are born into the the leadership caste and women are born into the assistant and follower caste. That is extreme by any standard.

Even complementarians who consider themselves moderates must accept the above definition, as there is no other. So that makes every complementarian an extremist, even if they are loath to admit it.

Christians must reject the wrong and radical, either/or, labels and choices provided by complementarians regarding their extreme twist on traditional-role-religion. Choose, instead, the scriptural choice of a moderate and prayerful, give and take, balance of power within marriage and most personal relationships between autonomous adults.

Humans are commanded in scripture to dominate all nature, but never other humans.

Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects including Bible prophecy and equality of the sexes. She is best known for her advocacy in domestic violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a staple in the library of resources on that subject.

If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.

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To Contact Jocelyn: Use the contact form in the sidebar of her blog at www.jocelynandersen.com to leave comments on her books, to reach her with questions, or to request for her to come and speak at your group.

Did you know the first feminists were godly men and women? Read about them in, The Evangelical Caste System. Read also about the role of Christian leadership in suppressing women's rights and even censoring the historical record of Christian initiatives in the women’s rights movements. Many of the same arguments used to support institutionalized slavery are still used today in suppressing the rights and autonomy of Christian women through traditional-role-religion and the patriarchal complementarian movement. This book is an excellent resource for all who desire an in-depth biblical and historical study of the subject.

What readers are saying:

"This book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."

"Andersen is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great deal about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is nothing new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach and covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."

"The author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied and informed."

" I was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are difficult to translate and bias can come into play."

"Andersen tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an impressive exegesis"

Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery & the Evangelical Caste System: Andersen, Jocelyn: 9780979429323: Amazon.com: Books

Biblical Submission in Marriage

Yielding to [being supportive of] one another in the fear of God Wives yield to [be supportive of] your own husbands [1]

Ephesians 5:21-22

[1] Dr. Sue Hyatt writes that the word “submit” should have been translated as “support,” “In the context of biblical relationships between men and women, the best meaning of hypotasso is “to identify with or support.”

This writer agrees. Within biblical Christianity no military hierarchies can be found. Secular, military-like, applications of the Greek word, hypotasso, have no place in the living dynamics of the love relationship between our Creator and his people nor should it between co-workers in Christ or between husbands and wives.

It is a grave error to assign a biblical definition of “compliance” to the word hypotasso in New Testament non-military relationships. All believers are commanded to hypotasso one another. We see this in Ephesians 5:21 and 1 Peter 5:5 (the latter is found in all Koine Greek texts, over 5000 of which still exist today). In biblical usage, the word hypotasso is not hierarchical. It has nothing to do with being subordinate to, secondary to, or subject to. It must be applied in the sense of preferring one another over ourselves.

Translator supplements add to the impression that the word is hierarchical when it is not. In Ephesians chapter five, see verses :21-22, where the word, “yourselves” (as in submit yourselves) is an English translator supplement that casts a hierarchical shadow over the passage, when there is no underlying Greek to support it.

As previously stated translating hypotasso as the word “submit” or the phrase “be subject to” gives rise to gender-biased-English-translation-theology, bluntly put…false doctrine. The word “yourselves” is not found in verses :21-22. There is no corresponding Greek to support it.

Semantics matter. Language influences opinion. The translator supplements of “yourselves” [in verses :21-22] add a non-existent emphatic and hierarchical flavor to the passage. It is an incorrect translation. As there is no corresponding Greek to justify the translator supplements of the emphatic “yourselves” in either verse, the words should be eliminated.

“Yielding one to another (being supportive one of the other) in the fear of God” is sufficient for understanding. The word, hypotasso, means the same for both husbands and wives. Hypotasso is used in 1 Peter 5:5 (Koine Greek/Received Text), where all believers are commanded to yield to and be supportive of one another. Given that all believers are commanded to prefer others before themselves, the Greek word, hypotasso, when applied to non-military relationships (marriage is certainly a non-military relationship), should not be translated using hierarchical terms such as “submit” or “be subject to.”

This is an excerpt from The Hungry Hearts Bible Commentary edited by this author.

What readers are saying

Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery, and the Evangelical Caste System

What readers are saying:

"This book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."

"The author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied and informed."

"Andersen tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an impressive exegesis"

Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery, and the Evangelical Caste System

If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.

To receive an announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe to Her Amazon author's page.

Jocelyn Andersen

Jocelyn's work lives at the intersection of faith, justice, history, and human dignity. She's a bridge builder between worlds, challenging institutional failures and people to stop, think, ... and act

The Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 12:4 is not a Wife

A woman of valor crowns her ba`al (lord)

Proverbs 12:4

The woman in Proverbs 12:4, is not a wife. And the man who owns her (her ba`al --lord)) is not her husband. The text also does not say the woman is virtuous, it says she is chayil, a woman of strength/valor.

The writer of Proverbs had many women. He was lord over them all, but many of them--most of them--were not his wives. They were concubines, which is a biblical word for sex-slaves.

Proverbs 12:4 women were acquired and owned by men. They were either given or sold to their lords/masters.

The text of Proverbs 12:4, has nothing to do with marriage; but who would know that by reading most English translations? The verse has consistently been mistranslated in a disingenuous and gender-biased manner that supports hierarchical gender-role-religion. This is antithetical to both the over-arching message and redemptive theme of scripture as a whole and to the text in particular.

The practice of gender-bias in Bible translation is a fulfillment of one of the most ancient prophecies [Genesis 3:16] that foretells one of the most undisputed facts of history, which is the reality that men would dominate women.

Even good men fall prey to fulfilling this prophecy. But men who name the name of Christ and love the Word of God should not. The prophecy in Genesis 3:16 was pronounced as a cursed consequence and not a command. Women and men of Christ have been redeemed from the curse, yet complementarian theologians treat Genesis 3:16 as an eternal punishment for all women and eternal reward for all men.

The woman in Proverbs 12:4 can certainly be called virtuous, because indeed she is. But it is not her virtue the text is speaking to, it is her chayil, which does not mean virtue and is only translated as such [and falsely so] when the person of chayil happens to be a woman.

The Hebrew word chayil has no connotation of virtue, it means strength, valor, might. It is the woman of strength who is an asset to--crowns--the one who possesses her, her ba`al.

Proverbs 12:4 is still applicable today, as there are countries where women are owned by men. These men are not their husbands, but they are their masters.

14-year-old Leah Sharibu, was taken in 2018. She remains in captivity today due to her refusal to deny Christ and convert to Islam. She is being held hostage and deemed a “slave for life” by her captors.

Another example is the tragic scenario of 2014, when 200 Christian girls were kidnapped and no doubt sold as sex-slaves. Would these girls/women need chayil? Much chayil, much strength, much valor, would be required to live as a sex-slave, whether their ba`al is kind and gentle or whether he is cruel.

Most of us cannot relate to such horrific circumstances, but for American, Kayla Mueller, who was kidnapped, tortured, and died as a sex-slave to the leader of ISIS, this was a devastating reality of our time. Those 200 Christian girls, if still alive, have never been rescued and are still in whatever situation they were placed or sold into in 2014. Never-mind the lack of international outcry against this tragedy, where was the outcry from international Christian community against it?

Those 200 girls were stolen and sold by radical Islamists, who hold to a systematic theology of male headship. So how is it that Christian theology holds to virtually the the same thing? Not as radical perhaps, but gender-supremacy nevertheless.

Gender-supremacy is gender supremacy, wherever it happens to fall on the spectrum.

It is shameful, especially in the United States, land of the free and home of the brave, that those who call themselves Christians, would contribute to abuse of women through unscriptural gender-biased-English-translation-theology, that positions women to be abused through the unscriptural notion of male supremacy [called male headship among complementarians], but that is exactly the case.

In the case of Proverbs 12:4, traditional-gender-role-religion and gender-biased-English-translation-theology have created a non-existent marriage by transforming sex-slaves into wives and ba`al's into husbands.

If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.

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https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Gender-Slavery-Evangelical-System/dp/0979429323

Complementarianism [also called complementarity], teaches that all men are born into a leadership caste and all women are born into a follower caste. This caste system follows them from the moment they exit the womb throughout all eternity.

The doctrine suppresses the autonomy of adult Christian women and has been embraced, with few exceptions, by virtually every Christian denomination...despite unmistakable parallels between complementarian dogma [and the adverse effects of the paradigm on men, women, and children] and that of institutionalized slavery in previous centuries [caveat: lots of Black History up through the Civil Rights Movement].

Woman this is War! quotes well-known evangelical pastors who compare Christian marriage to a war of dominance between wives and husbands, a war they claim that husbands must win.

Gender-biased-English-translation-theology, along with male-centered Bible commentary and translation practices, are used in forbidding women to preach, pastor, or serve as elders and deacons in most churches. This hinders the work of the gospel. In most churches where women are not forbidden to preach, they are told to submit to their husbands at home. Gender-biased-English-translation-theology has interfered with understanding the scriptures, pitted men and women against each other, and eroded the happiness of women and men.

All of this is wrong.

The book contains rare insights into Christian initiatives in the movements for women’s rights that have either deliberately or inadvertently been keep out of Christian literature. These observations bring a new perspective, along with freedom and hope.

The doctrine of female submission to male leadership in the church and home, is refuted using scripture to support equality between women and men. Woman this is WAR! is a treasure-trove of information on gender equality from biblical, historical, and Christian perspectives.

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