The Role Of Women In The Church

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Term Paper Title	The Role Of Women In The Church
# of Words	1820
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	7.28

The Role of Women in the Church

The Role of Women in the Church

With the advent of the feminist movement, the role of women in all parts of
society has come under increasing scrutiny. One area of recent controversy is
the role of women in the Christian Church. Some churches whose traditions and
practices are less rigidly tied to Biblical doctrines have begun placing women
in leadership positions such as pastor or teacher. Other churches which
interpret the Bible more literally have been slow to adopt such changes. Much of
the confusion is based on attempts to interpret scriptures pertaining to women.
In this essay, we will use the Bible to understand the role of women in the
church of the first century and apply that understanding to the church of the
twentieth century.

Many people would dispute the Bible's relevance to contemporary thought in
general, and in particular to the role of women in worship. If the Bible were
not written under divine inspiration, a person or practice is not bound by its
teachings. He or she can therefor pick and choose whatever corresponds to
his/her point of view. However, if the Bible is of divine inspiration, then a
cautious consideration of passages relevant to a particular issue must be
undertaken. Traditions and customs that have arisen after the Bible was written
may thus be carefully scrutinized. Such practices may or may not prove sound
after comparison with scripture.

Before we discuss specific issues concerning women in worship, we should
consider principles derived from the relationship of Adam and Eve as described
in Genesis chapter one. The Apostle Paul frequently uses this passage as a
guideline when discussing women and women's issues. Genesis 1 verse 27 states:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them." Most Commentators agree that man and woman are both
equally a reflection of God's image; the word "man" here is used as a synonym
for humanity. Adam and Eve were also given joint dominion over creation. But the
fact that Adam was created before Eve has significance to Paul and other Old
Testament scholars; it signifies role distinction between the two sexes. The
role of the man is leadership, while the role of woman is as a source of
strength and support. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul states: "For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. . ." (Eph.
5:23) This is an important analogy. If a person wants to u...

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