Just BE - Matters of Justice and Biblical Equality

Krista chats with pastor and author Rick McKinniss about how he led his church to embrace the full and equal partnership of men and women as taught in the Bible. In this episode, Rick offers insight on broader cultural issues facing America and the need to re-examine the Bible against traditional ideas of manhood and womanhood. 

Equally Yoked: What the Bible Really Teaches About God’s Ideal for the Genders by Rick McKinniss

“God’s purpose in redemption is to ‘restore everything’ (Acts 3:21) affected by the fall of humanity and the entrance of sin in the world, including the restoration of his creation ideal of full and equal partnership of male and female. He is constructing a cathedral of living stones—male and female restored to their original purposeful partnership.” ~ Rick McKinniss

Krista sits down with teen bi-racial/singer-songwriter/aspiring-preacher Ava Range as they discuss racism, song writing, and what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God during this season of social unrest. Ava explains the inspiration for her new song and performs it live in studio. 

In this episode Krista deconstructs the traditional understandings of 1 Timothy 2:12 that prohibit women from exercising authority or leadership positions in a co-ed church setting, and offers a more likely and compelling understanding of what this passage is saying.  This episode is for anyone who cares strongly about striving toward accurate understandings of the Bible. Listen and share!

Sources:

Bruxy Cavey, "Her Story 04: Learning From The Prohibitive Passages." February 25, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ya-kjp73Qs&t=10s

N.T. Wright Interview, "N .T. Wright Explains 1 Timothy 2, 11 - 15." August 3, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEruMrLiizs&t=131s

"Paul and Gender with Dr. Cynthia Westfall & Bruxy Cavey | The Meeting House After Party." February 23, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-zGnR-tlEQ&t=3571s

Westfall, Cynthia. Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle's Vision for Men and Women in Christ. 2016.  https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Gender-Reclaiming-Apostles-Vision/dp/0801097940

Peppiat, Lucy. Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives On Disputed Texts. InterVarsity Press. 2019. https://www.amazon.com/Rediscovering-Scriptures-Vision-Women-Perspectives/dp/0830852719/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Lucy+Peppiatt&qid=1591366953&s=books&sr=1-1

Bristow, John Temple. What Paul Really Said About Women: The Apostle's Liberating Views On Equality in Marriage, Leadership, and Love. https://www.amazon.com/What-Paul-Really-About-Women/dp/0060610638/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Bristow+what+paul+really+said&qid=1591367030&s=books&sr=1-1

Kroeger, Richard and Catherine Clark Kroeger. I Suffer Not A Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light Of Ancient Evidence.  1998.  https://www.amazon.com/Suffer-Not-Woman-Rethinking-Evidence/dp/0801052505/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kroeger+I+suffer+not&qid=1591367200&s=books&sr=1-1

Belleville, Linda, L. "Teaching and Usurping Authority." Discovering Biblical Equality: Complimentarity Without Hierarchy, Ed. Gordon Fee. 2005. https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Biblical-Equality-Complementarity-Hierarchy/dp/0830828346/ref=sr_1_1?crid=267OC8RLVRRA8&dchild=1&keywords=discovering+biblical+equality+complementarity+without+hierarchy&qid=1591367351&s=books&sprefix=discovering+biblic%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-1

When we speak out about injustice, sometimes we create tension, and that is what calls the attention of others to help fix the problem.  The untimely death of George Floyd did not create the tension that we’re seeing in the world. What we’re seeing is that tension rising to the surface. We can and should speak out about injustices, because we know that our God cares about them. He wants to see his kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.

Music:

Heather Swanson, Beside Quiet Waters. https://www.amazon.com/Beside-Quiet-Waters-Heather-Swanson/dp/B082LWW9FN

Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus Christ was in the business of breaking down barriers of social, ethnic, and gender inequalities. He continues to welcome, uplift and empower all people to follow him.

Season 1 of This podcast explores afresh how the Bible maintains the full equality and partnership of men and women. We’ll also draw our attention to prominent women throughout Christian history and the continued need for the empowerment of others in our world today.

If you think that scripture teaches that being a woman disqualifies you from being a leader in your home, church or world at large, you need to listen to this podcast! If you are looking to build your foundation in being able to share the truth of biblical equality with those around you, then you are in the right place. I know you’ll be blessed.

I’m Krista Lucich and this is Just Be: Matters of Justice and Biblical Equality. Please Listen and subscribe today!

Throughout the ages, the story of Eve's tragic decision has been used to support notions of women as being prone to deception and viewed as temptresses.  In her fallen world Eve's husband would have the upper hand, and she would experience pain in childbirth. Rather than viewing these outcomes as tragic results of living in a world tainted with sin,  this story only confirmed the biases against women, and hailed the outcome of male-rule as a blessed solution to sin. But what if there was a better way to read and understand this story? Krista provides a clear and cohesive argument to support that the idea that the original state of equality and partnership between men and women as the ideal we must continue to strive toward. 

Krista explores key details in the creation accounts: male and female as co-image bearers of God, male and female as co-workers in the garden, and Adam's need of Eve. Considering the report on the welfare of women by the Millennium Project, statistics bear out the truth that equal empowerment of men and women has a lasting positive impact. 

Sources: 

Peppiat, Lucy. Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives On Disputed Texts. InterVarsity Press. 2019. 

Silk, Suzy. "The Controversial Jesus--Jesus, Women, and Leadership," Church of the City New York. May 21, 2018. 

McKinniss, Rick. Equally Yoked: What the Bible Really Teaches About God's Ideal for the Genders. Xulon Press. 2009. 

Challenge 11. How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition? http://www.millennium-project.org/challenge-11/

Krista breaks down two competing schools of thought prominent in today's churches: Egalitarianism is the idea that men and women may serve God in the way in which he calls them without broadly restricting women from positions of leading and teaching. "Complimentarianism" is the idea that God instated specific domains for men and women and that they are both mutually edified when men occupy the central domains of teaching and leadership while women occupy a domain that stands in submission to the male leadership. This idea originates from centuries-old traditional patriarchal beliefs that have been the interpretive lens used to interpret and understand the Bible.  There is a great need to explore and understand the Christian idea that "There is neither...male and female, for you are all one in Christ," (Galatians 3:28).

Sources:

Grenz, Stanley and Denise Kjesbo, Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women In Ministry. InterVarsity Press. 1995.

Peppiatt, Lucy. Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts. InterVarsity Press. 2019. 

Wright, N.T. Women's Service in the Church: The Biblical Basis. St John’s College, Durham, September 4 2004. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSZPyZFWQI0&t=11s

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