Wade Burleson slays I Corinthians!

[Howl 63,436]

Wade Burleson, I love you so hard....in a totally appropriate, agape way, of course. 

Many (most?) fundie churches take Paul's admonishment for women to be totally silent in church at face value. Wade Burleson unpacks the original Greek for us to show that Paul was actually dissing the Old Covenant Hebrew practices:

Quote

I want to prove that I Corinthians 14:34-37, in its entirety, derisively dismisses the Old Covenant Hebrew practice–a practice still in vogue in Paul's day among that Jews in Corinth–of forbidding women from even speaking in the presence of other men during an assembly. This I Corinthians 14 passage can only be understood in light of what happened to Paul when he visited Corinth (AD 50-51), the textual context of the passage itself, and the overall teachings of Christ and His apostle in the New Covenant. You may believe you know what these Corinthian verses say, but I'm asking you to discover what they mean.

By reading this article, you'll learn more about the Greek symbol eta used to indicate "Pffffft!" and what Paul actually meant.  This is one of those linchpin passages in patriarchy, used to keep women in submission to headship, saying in essence,  "Looky here, God says you can't even speak out loud in church!" and Burleson turns this understanding on its head.  

thewartburgwatch.com/2016/01/11/giftedness-vs-gender-guest-post-by-wade-burleson/

So the next time someone tells you, The Bible says women can't speak in church, lock and load some Wade Burleson and fire away. 

After reading this, I googled "Was the Apostle Paul a misogynist?" and there were several articles that argue the he wasn't and in fact, promoted the opposite, in ways that were incredibly revolutionary and shocking at the time. 

(I was raised a Christian but am no longer a practicing one, and have at this point only a cursory understanding of the bible. However, I find it interesting when a passage read literally can be re-interpreted using context to come to an understanding that is the opposite of what is generally understood.) 

Sadly, many of the commenters noted that there is a snowball's chance in hell that fundie preachers would be swayed to a new understanding of this passage by Wade Burleson's writing. 

 

[Arete 1,879]

It's not a reinterpretation, that was the original interpretation of the early Church and is still taught that way in many churches.  It's the fundamentalist Protestants that insisted on ignoring a millennium and a half of church scholarship for the sake of shutting up women.

[MamaJunebug 39,572]

27 minutes ago, AreteJo said:

It's not a reinterpretation, that was the original interpretation of the early Church and is still taught that way in many churches.  It's the fundamentalist Protestants that insisted on ignoring a millennium and a half of church scholarship for the sake of shutting up women.

Oh, the Roman Catholics and the scholarly, thoughtful conservative Lutherans have done a pretty good job of it, too (snarl, snap).  Not just wild-eyed, raving fundamentalists. Sadly.  

I should add the adverb, "historically."  I know that nuns have been a stealth force in the RCC since forever and that some parishes have female lectors. And of course there are Lutherans who gravitate toward those who share the name but have come to believe the opposite where it comes to egalitarianism.  

Edited January 13, 2016 by MamaJunebug

[Arete 1,879]

The RC and conservative Lutherans have never forbidden women from speaking in church.  That is strictly in the realm of fundamentalist Protestants of the Calvinist offshoot variety.

[choralcrusader8613 6,318]

22 minutes ago, AreteJo said:

The RC and conservative Lutherans have never forbidden women from speaking in church.  That is strictly in the realm of fundamentalist Protestants of the Calvinist offshoot variety.

This may vary by church, but I've got relatives who are Lutheran pastors, and when my sister attended a church one of them preached at and attended Bible study, the preaching relative had to apologize that my sister, a woman, spoke in Bible study. I've also seen several Lutheran churches where girls could only be acolytes, never read the lesson or *gasp* assist with communion.

[Arete 1,879]

Then I take it back, the conservative Lutherans are crypto Calvinists.  

[Howl 63,436]

Thanks, @AreteJo, I'm way behind on my biblical scholarship, but glad that Wade was able to clarify it for me.  Biblical literalists, Oh My, Oy Vey! 

One of the commenters at The Wartberg Watch had been exposed only to the fundie interpretation that did not allow women to speak in church and was very grateful to see  Burleson's interpretation of Paul.  Perhaps it needs to be put out there often for people recently emerging from fundiedom.  

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Howl

[MamaJunebug 39,572]

3 hours ago, AreteJo said:

The RC and conservative Lutherans have never forbidden women from speaking in church.  That is strictly in the realm of fundamentalist Protestants of the Calvinist offshoot variety.

Ah, I missed that point entirely. Thank you, @AreteJo

Edited January 13, 2016 by MamaJunebug

[FundieFarmer 14,888]

This is really fascinating. Thanks for sharing this! I grew up PCUSA where women could be ordained, but the verse was never addressed- just ignored. Definitely something interesting to read more about.

[Meridae 682]

I'm sorry if this in the wrong spot or if it's wrong or whatever, but I'm looking for a thread that has a link about Paul's "the women should be silent in the churches" spiel and how it's actually mistranslated. I've already looked and can't find it so any help would be great! Mods, please feel free to move this if necessary!

[Meridae 682]

Oh I found it! Mods, feel free to delete or close this!

[SpoonfulOSugar 9,499]

If you would be so kind as to link to that thread, I'll merge this so it will be all neat and tidy.

[Meridae 682]

1 hour ago, SpoonfulOSugar said:

If you would be so kind as to link to that thread, I'll merge this so it will be all neat and tidy.

Here you go!

[SpoonfulOSugar 9,499]

24 minutes ago, Meridae said:

Here you go!

PERFECT!!!!

Just love it when things come together.