Is the Bible Sexist?

Friday August 23, 2024

One of the most common objections raised when I encourage friends to read the Bible is that it’s outdated and sexist. If the Bible gets gender equality so wrong, how can it be trusted to offer us any ethical guidance?

It’s an unfortunate reality that, at times, the Christian church has sheltered some terrible examples of misogyny, and that sexists and bigots can find Christians who agree with them. Influential figures in the early church, like Tertullian and Augustine, made statements that reflect this. Tertullian once wrote to women, ‘You are the devil’s gateway,’ and Augustine described women as being of ‘small intelligence.’

Now, this isn’t about debating the roles of men and women in church.  While that’s an important topic for the local church to figure out, and one where the OCCA team holds a variety of views, I’m concerned that preoccupation with the topic of gender roles can cause us to miss a vital question. Just search online for ‘what does the bible say about women?’ and you’ll see that we’re not focussing enough on the most important truths.

Here are some resources to help us unpack this question further.

1. Equal in God’s Plan

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27

From the first chapter of the Bible, men and women are presented as the two halves of humanity. God chooses to create male and female, equal but distinct. Equally precious, equally loved, and equally vital to God’s plan.  Despite Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and everything that follows, women are unequivocally central to God’s plan.

Two talks I recommend that unpack how God views women throughout scripture are: Is the Bible Good News for women? by Lara Buchanan and Jo Vitale’s response to Can I trust the Bible’s view towards women?

In the Gospels, we see Jesus demonstrably valuing women in his own ministry and in a way that seems to go against the cultural norms at the time. Yet through our 21st century lens, it’s easy to overlook these details. I encourage you to watch Lara’s video on this topic: How does Jesus revolutionise attitudes towards women?

🎥 Watch Is the Bible Good News for Women? – Lara Buchanan

▶️ Check out How Can I Trust the Bible’s View Towards Women? – Dr. Jo Vitale

📺 Watch How Does Jesus Revolutionise Attitudes Towards Women? – Lara Buchanan

2. Women Flourishing in the Church

Men and women are different. I’m not just talking about cultural expression and stereotypes, but in our God-given creation. We are made differently, and as a result we might need different kinds of support and encouragement to flourish.

My friend Nay Dawson has recently published a book called She Needs: Women Flourishing in the Church encouraging her readers to listen to the struggles women have encountered within the church context. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to better understand and support the flourishing of women in all areas of church life.  Nay also leads a wonderful ministry called, Passion for Evangelism, that empowers and equips women to share their faith.

📖 Get the book She Needs by Nay Dawson

👥 Check out Passion for Evangelism

3. The God Who Sees

Shiphrah and Puah were the heroic midwives who prevented the murder of countless Hebrew babies in one of the Bible’s most-told stories, yet they are often missed out when the story of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt is retold.

Why not take a moment to look back at the story of these two women in Exodus 1, and also listen to Jen Wilkin’s talk on ‘Female Bravery and God’s Mission’ to hear other stories of women in the Bible who feared God rather than man?

“If you’ve seen any movie of the Exodus account, they usually pick up after Moses is born and so if we’re not careful or if we aren’t spending a lot of time in the scriptures, we might think that that’s where the story begins…” Jen Wilkin

▶️ Watch Female Bravery and God’s Mission by Jen Wilkin

Although our focus has often been on the roles of patriarchs, kings, and apostles, it’s equally important to notice the many powerful stories of God working through women. These often-overlooked accounts can have a massive impact. Think of Hagar — the first person to give God a name — who reveals profound truths about God’s character.

She declares, ‘You are the God who sees me’ and this is true of each one of us.

Thank you for reading,

Charlie Styles, OCCA CEO