Reading the Bible as a Woman (RBW)
A New Reformation to Re-establish an Authentic Christian Faith.
Why?
Who am I?
My journey, my story
The focus of my research
My studies and experience may appeal to four types of readers
My argument
My challenge
I started reading and writing immediately I came into the knowledge of Jesus’ saving grace and love for me. I had just read a book by Pat Boone, ‘A New Song’. I responded in prayer to God ‘if you are there, show me’. My sister had been talking to me about Jesus. I became stirred in my emotions, I ‘felt’ the love of God. I ‘heard’ the words ‘I love you’ in my head: I understood at that moment that Jesus died for me. Simple stuff I know. I began to share the good news with others. I also began to give quality time to reading and thinking deep thoughts about life, salvation and my future.
The first book I read was by Henrietta Mears, ‘What the Bible is all about’. I compared what she said with the scriptures. Over time, as I read I began to learn how the gospel worked. I began to share Jesus with others. I started writing about what I learned by doing the teachings. These are my evangelism papers.
I began studying on the subject of gender inequality around 1983. By this time I was in full time Christian service. Through a series of events, I became aware of the gender inequality in the church. I began to read the scriptures afresh, by comparing the translation of certain words with Strong’s concordance. I found that popular commentaries were skewed in their interpretation about women. It became apparent that some were blatantly misleading to the ordinary reader like myself at that time.
I finally wrote the body of my work on biased interpretation particularly on the women in the bible which is now to me so obviously patriarchal. My main aim in telling it like it has been for me, as a woman in leadership in the church is, first and foremost to comfort women who are going through similar things I went through and which are affecting their relationship with God.
That is not to say I did not find encouragement along the way. The final results are in and my study and life’s experiences have led me to where I am today. I have been an activist for womens emancipation in the church and home since 1985. I have since arrived at the conclusion that the history of Israel springs from a matriarchal society, but has been translated to read in a patriarchal way. Anything other than believers gaining their full freedom in Christ so as to obey their Redeemer results in their disempowerment which needs to be avoided at all cost.
I would also say the reason why I write as I do in bringing to light the ways in which the scriptures concerning women have been misinterpreted is I want to, ‘rescue’ the scriptures from this mistreatment and help restore the image of God. God is love. One can only equate God with Justice, righteousness, truth, and peace. I hope therefore in some small way to thus help restore hope to the disenfranchised. Such a derelict state of deprivation is derived from the patriarchal interpretation of the Bible. I found a new way of living as a woman in the full freedom Christ brings and I want to pass that on.
When I entered the church in 1972, I was completely unaware of the dishonest teachings regarding gender. Little has changed in some quarters. I wrote the main body of my work presented here from 1992 to 1996. I printed and self-published my work for various courses I conducted for women around that time. I am now republishing these on the web.
My courses and teachings will especially appeal to those seeking a new direction in the ministry and in their own lives and walk with Jesus. I recommend you check out my Bible School for Women. That’s found under the main menu heading: RWVM Mobile School of Ministries.
Due to my own experiences of disempowerment as a woman in ministry in the early days of my experience in the local church I started researching and writing on it. It resulted in a crisis of faith for me. It seemed to me then that God was either sexist, unjust, and unfair or the scriptures were misinterpreted. Of course, it is the latter.
The goalposts change for women in ministry. I turned to the scriptures and also came in contact with women more knowledgeable in the scriptures than me. Someone gave me Kathrine Bushnell’s book, ‘God’s Word to Women’. This book in particular changed my life. Her study gave me the answers I sought regarding gender equality in the body of Christ. I am happy to say the answers are in the Scriptures but we need help to find them out. So began my journey of discovery as a woman reading the bible which continues up to today.
In 1985 I began to travel as an itinerant minister, teaching, preaching and training in churches in Australia and other countries. To increase the depth of my knowledge and understanding I attended various academic courses. [1] As a result, I began to gain insight into the progress being made through new scholarship. I wrote and first published these papers presented here on the women in the bible and subjects on doctrine pertaining to them in 1990.
My papers, I believe, will appeal to four types of readers.
First, I have written for students of the Bible: that is, for any believer who loves the Word of God. I want to alert them to the gender inequality embedded in the translation and interpretation of scripture. I want to show the reader the freedom the women of Israel enjoyed, as brought to the fore in my OT Women’s Genealogies.
Second, Lessons on the Journey of Faith will especially appeal to new believers. The NT ‘Women in Ministry’ series discusses all the women in ministry in the early church and the variegation of gifts they exercised.
Third, for those who have gone through the process of enculturation by reading biased patriarchal teachings. Many have either left the church disappointed, or are still hanging on, yet pondering the validity of women’s place in the church and home. May I recommend the following: NT: Paul and the language of equality which shows the original language Paul uses embodies gender equality. I also encourage you to read the teaching paper: Paul and the ‘difficult’ passages on women.
My Freedom Papers address doctrines invented from that early mistranslation of words and concepts. Alarmingly, they are still perpetuated today. This is despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Old habits die hard. To put it bluntly, teachings invented to maintain their control over women in the church, home and. society is one of patriarchy’s main doctrinal foundation stones.
I, therefore, call upon those men and their wives in church leader-ship along with very many others engaged in this battle of words to change their minds. Turn around from defending their position that God has decreed the male superior to women, But, these leaders show no interest in changing. Rather, they prefer to hold fast to fictitious doctrines fabricated out of dishonest translation and interpretation of the original words.
The patriarch’s attitude toward women in this regard shows that they prefer to hold fast to their party line, their elitist attitudes, and a certain sense of superiority rather than change. They realise it’s very costly for them and their position as ‘head’ and ‘boss’, to change their mind. But plain reasoning tells us it is time to stir up and free up more than 50% of the church’s gifts lying dormant. I recommend my above papers, therefore, to those who believe their life’s calling is to enter the full-time ministry of the Gospel.
If you are interested to learn about how to recognise the ruling giants of patriarchal persuasion in leading positions in the local church, I recommend you read my satire, ‘Giants in the Land’. This will be published shortly. You will learn to recognise and beware of those leaders who may not declare it publicly but do not believe in you or in Biblical Equality. I advise you to stop supporting them financially and in every other way shun them. They do not have your’s or Jesus’ best interests at heart.
Fourthly, church leaders who are open to continued enlightenment from the Holy Spirit and believe in equality will enjoy my commentary on the early chapters of Genesis with the fresh insight it brings. The Holy Spirit is to all Believers our only source of Wisdom, not of this world and of Truth: our Helper and Teacher. [2]
The present interpretation of the women in the OT brings a skewed view of Israelite society as wholly patriarchal in essence. For a refreshed vision of this I recommend to you my OT: Genesis Revisited: Commentary on early chapters in Genesis and OT: Women’s Genealogies.
In all my writings I bring a challenge to all women, believers in particular, to live the best life that we can live. That is, to serve one another in the Lord, to encourage one another and see us each reach our full potential in the Lord both individually and collectively. To band together and stop servicing the agenda of those who do not support women’s advancement. This is the only life you and I have to live. Finally our time here on earth will end, and after that, the judgment. Jesus our beloved, our betrothed, is returning for us, He is Coming Again!
I am a life-long student of the Word. I am still learning. I am travelling again. I don’t know for how long. I am happy as you to be following the leading of the Lord. Like you, I too, am happy to be doing whatever it is the Lord’s calling me to do, knowing I cannot do it without the Lord’s help,
“Hey, sister, brother, lookout! Stay alert. Do not act and think like a child. There are people out there who are in positions of influence, who appear spiritual, but inside are like ravenous beasts. They lead whole churches astray. They want to control your life for their own ends. Listen up! Be discerning. Pray that you may ‘be delivered from unreasonable and wicked people: for not all who say they are in the faith have faith’”. (2 Thessalonians 3: 2 Paraphrase RBW).
Let us pray the Lord will lead us into all truth.
Love in Jesus
Patricia
PS. If interested in more on the above subjects I have touched on go to the main menu and click on the individual subjects mentioned above.
Feel free to contact me if you have a question. I will endeavour to answer by either pointing you to a particular subject addressed in my materials, or direct you to where I think you might get the answer you are seeking. I welcome inquiries from LGBT people who feel oppressed by the political agenda and that are interested in what the scriptures teach about freedom in Christ for all people.
All the best on your journey to meeting with the One True God whose name is Ruler, Jesus, Saviour, Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Coming One, Creator, and any other name you want to express from your heart in gratitude and worship to the One who came to save us from ourselves.
Big hugs
Patricia
[1] My first exposure to academia was when I was living and ministering in the UK. I travelled to Israel to attend a live-in one-month course ‘The Land and the Book’. This was at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies, now the Jerusalem University in Israel. Later, when living in Limerick, Ireland, I enrolled in a course about Women and Religion at Galway University. On returning to Australia, at age 56, I completed a Batchelor of Humanities and was awarded a BA from the University of New England, (UNE). I studied in the ‘Five Major World Religions’: ‘early beginnings’. This introduced me to study Women’s History in Greco-Roman, Jewish and Near East, particularly in Culture, Religion, and Law. I also attended University of Queensland (UQ) and completed an Advanced Certificate in the Ancient Hebrew Text. I searched for other related courses. I found a one semester course, ”Women in 1st century CE and the Jewish Greco Roman women in the Gospels’, as part of a doctorate program, with Catholic University in Brisbane, (ACU McCauly Banyo), conducted by Prof. Elaine Wainwright. I later attended a two-week live-in conference at the home of Catherine Clark Kroeger at Cape Cod, USA. (CBE Intnl). This was attended by women and men knowledgeable in Biblical Equality.
[2] God’s Word to Women: Katharine C. Bushnell (1856-1946) is 100 Bible Lessons, that were the result of Katherine Bushnell’s study of scripture to confirm her call as a preaching missionary to China. It was first published in 1923. She presents an in-depth argument from the Bible and history showing the right of women to teach, preach and lead in the church of Jesus Christ. https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Word-Women-Annotated-Unabridged-ebook/dp/B00BD8ZB3O (I recommend you read the reviews.). It is also available in book format.
[3] Early in my travelling I was introduced to some supportive and knowledgeable women. My first encounter with Biblical Equality came around 1980, from reading Melanie and Keith Green’s publication. Melanie wrote about how calling women ‘deaconesses’ is a milksop for hard-working women in the church to keep them quiet. My next encounter was in 1985, when Sandra Payne came and gave me her book. Next, my friend, Hilda Fairley, an advocate for Biblical Equality introduced me to Catherine Clark Kroeger. Catherine and I became friends. I studied all of Catherine’s teachings. Around that time, Catherine started, with friends, the organisation named Christians for Biblical Equality International (CBE). Catherine invited me to speak at one of the first CBE Conferences in Norway. She also introduced me to Australian Scholar, Dr Ann Nyland referenced below. At that time, having studied Katharine Bushnell, ‘God’s Word for Women’. I had the privilege of being in contact with Ray Munsen. Ray kept Bushnell’s book in the public eye for many years. I purchased Bushnell’s book from Ray to carry and distribute wherever I travelled. There is now a website dedicated to Bushnell and her book. By this time, I had started writing. I base my Genesis Commentary: 1-6, on my original findings in Bushnell and built upon them. I am so grateful to all of these, and other supportive women and men I have met along the Way.
[4] But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye, know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let them be your minister, And whosoever will be chief among you, let them be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mt 20: 25-28 KJV.
[5] ‘Grace is a place where God provides protection and provision for life’. Grace is a camp, a Graceful Precious place of Healing, Strength, Salvation, Rescue’: See www.minimannamoments.com Simply go to the search engine and type in any word or name or subject. I highly recommend this teaching blog.
[6] No one puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Neither do people put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Mt 9: 16-17 KJV (with correction of masculinist language: ‘man’ and ‘men’.