Here is the evidence that the Bible writers believed that God thought women were inferior and wanted them to be kept in a position of subservience:
Woman Belongs to the Man, Who Is the Glory of God
"I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.....For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." (1 Corinthians 11:2-9) "For a man...is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man."
(1 Corinthians 11:2-9)
JosephAlward,
I thought that women would carry this thread since this matter was discussed on this board before several times but I guess not. Most of this is covered in the Document Beyond Watchtower Doctrine or and my wifes Synopsis of the Bible found on my web page. To keep things short and to the point I will deal with this one statement.
There is a difference between Paul teaching something and his quoting a teaching sent to him and believed at the time among the Corinthians and Jewish Christians in other places for that matter. Would Paul agree with them or would he refute them?
But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God. Every man that prays or prophesies having something on this head shames his head; but every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered shames her head, for it is one and the same as if she were a [woman] with a shaved head. For if a woman does not cover herself, let her also be shorn; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man ought not to have his head covered, as he is Gods image and glory; but the woman is mans glory. For man is not out of woman, but woman out of man; and, what is more, man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man. That is why the woman ought to have a sign of authority upon her head because of the angels. [1 Corinthians 11:3-10, NWT]
Notice that 1 Corinthians 11:3. Yes, verses 3, and this is an often misused verse, through 10 are a Corinthian doctrine (ignore paragraph at verse 7). Paul will refute this doctrine in verses 11 thru 16. This was not his view and he would not agree with them. Verse 1 and 2 are also part of this Corinthian doctrine for we know that Paul did not want anyone belonging to or following him (1 Cor 1:12) as this divides the faith. Paul in these verses is still refuting material the Corinthians sent him, as mentioned at 1 Corinthians 7:1. He quotes from it or refers to it as he does here. His response to their argument is.
:11 Judge for YOUR own selves: Is it fitting for a woman to pray uncovered to God? (Before the congregation, of course, as this is the context). Does not nature itself teach YOU that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him; but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? Because her hair is given her instead (notice this) of a headdress.
So, she does not need a head covering as the Corinthians demanded. Furthermore, men and women were equal in the Faith. For just as the woman is out of the man, so also the man is through the woman; but all things are out of God (vs 12). This argument by Paul also refutes the Corinthians statement made in verse 3 as to who is head over who.
The problem for many is the way that Paul writes. It is his use of sharp contrasts and the seeming lack of transitional phrases that we need today to keep thoughts separated for us.
Translators put in I where They would be more appropriate as Paul quotes from or explains the work of others. In this way simple words are used to force doctrine that Paul tried to stop. Instead of jumping to conclusions we should attempt to understand Pauls method of writing and we should learn more about him, his responsibility in the Faith, his acceptance of women prophets (Acts 18:26; 21:9 Romans 16:3), and his constant war against apostasy (Acts 15:1-35 21:13-28) such as this.
This is what he did as an apostle and it took only a few verses from verse 11 to support women in the faith. Far less than it took to explain it here.
Joseph
Edited by - JosephMalik on 16 October 2002 18:11:7
