One major criticism towards Christianity is that it is viewed as hateful and oppressive towards women. Even Christians may read Old Testament stories, or instructions for worship in Paul’s letter, and squirm at the way women seem to be viewed. In the Old Testament, we see men of God in polygamous relationships, or offering their virgin daughters to lustful mobs (1 Kings 11:3, Gen. 19:4-8). We see abusive husbands justifying their actions by deferring to God’s punishment of his adulterous wife Israel (Hosea 2). In the New Testament, we wrestle with verses like “it is shameful for a woman to speak in church” and “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:35, Eph. 5:22). How does a Christian reconcile these passages with a supposedly loving God? Can Christians honestly say their God loves men and women equally?
To answer these questions, let’s start with the narratives where we see women mistreated in the Old Testament. We’ll focus specifically on Solomon’s 700 wives and Lot offering his daughters up to men who would hurt them.
The Bible is the Word of God, but it is also a historical document. This means the authors of the Bible are often just recording what really happened. Although King Solomon, the wisest man, had 700 wives, this does not mean God was happy about it (1 Kings 4:29-31)! In fact, Solomon’s wives were what drew him away from God (1 Kings 11:4). God speaks against polygamy often in the Bible (Ex. 20:14, Eph. 5:31, Titus 1:6, Heb. 13:4). These verses apply to Lot as well. It was a sinful for Lot to offer his virgin daughters to the mob. It would force them to sleep with men they weren’t married to, and Lot would not be the protecting father he should be. The main point is, just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s condoned.
But what about God punishing his cheating wife, Israel? If all God does is good, wouldn’t it be good for men to punish their wives as well? In Hosea, God calls Israel an adulteress and because of it he “will strip her naked… slay her with thirst”, and many other brutal things (Hos. 2:3). But when we look at the entire book of Hosea, we see God’s heart clearly. God uses this metaphor to describe how he will abandon Israel as she did to him, for the purpose of her returning to him willfully, and for her ultimate salvation in his eternal love. Just look at the metaphor played out in the relationship between Hosea and Gomer (Hosea 3).
We need to address these New Testament commands as well. We should never use a single verse to determine our beliefs about something in the Bible. We should always read in context, and through the lens of Jesus. A verse largely forgotten with these critics is the verse just following the submission command. It says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). So yes, wives are commanded to submit, but submission to a husband who is commanded to love at all costs—even unto death? A husband like that wouldn’t force his desires and abuse his authority. A submissive wife facing abuse that is an awful thing, but that oppression is not God’s fault. The unloving husband who freely chose to reject God’s command is at fault, and that rejection will not go unpunished (Rom. 12:19). In the same way the husband is the authority of the household, men held spiritual authority in the church in 1 Cor. 14. Whether that is a universal truth, or necessary for the times when women were uneducated in theology, the shame from women speaking in church came from them being disrespectful towards the church leaders. They were assuming authority they didn’t have and speaking out of line (we can see Paul trying to remedy the chaotic church services throughout 1 Cor. 11-14). Women are not prohibited from all engagement in church gatherings.
Finally, we must look to God himself to fully understand how he views women. We see numerous stories of God answering prayers and redeeming women, Jesus giving his time to women, Jesus loving women society rejected, and close relationships Jesus had with women. Read Genesis 16, Judges 4, Luke 7, John 8, John 19:25-29 to see for yourself! Women are created by God, in his image, with infinite and equal worth!
Written by Abbey