Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
The inability of modern men to comprehend the position of women in the
primitive Church, is strikingly shown in Chalmers' commentary on the
fact that Paul used exactly the same title in addressing Priscilla that
he uses in greeting Urbane, Although conceding that Priscilla had
shared the work of an Apostle in teaching Apollos "the way of God more
perfectly," and, although he knows nothing whatever of Urbane's work,
yet Chalmers unhesitatingly concludes that Urbane's help to Paul must
have been in things spiritual, but that Priscilla's must have been in
regard to things temporal only: and, as Aquila and Priscilla were an
inseparable couple, poor Aquila, too, is relegated to Priscilla's
assumedly inferior position! There is not, however, the slightest
reason for such a conclusion by Chalmers. It is manifestly due to the
modern prejudice which renders the Paul-worshipping male Protestants
incapable of comprehending that "Our Great Apostle," Paul, was as not a
great Apostle at all, in those days, but a simple, self-sent tent-maker
with a vigorous spirit, who gladly shared the "Apostolic dignity" with
all the good women he could rally to his assistance. Chalmers
conjectures that if Priscilla really did help Paul, it must have been
as "a teacher of women and children," even while the fact stares him in
the face that she was a recognized teacher of the man whom Paul
specially and emphatically pronounces his own equal. (Compare Acts,
chap. 18, V. 26, with 1st Cor., chap. 3.)
To one who uses unbiassed common sense in regard to the New Testament
records, there can be no question of women's activity and prominence in
the early ministry. Paul not only virtually pronounces Priscilla a
fellow-Apostle and fellow-bishop (Romans, chap. 16, verses 3-5), but
specially commends Phebe, a Greek woman, as a minister (diakonos),
which, as we have seen, may be legitimately interpreted either
presbyter, bishop, or Apostle. That it was well understood, throughout
the whole Church, that women had shared the labors of the Apostles, is
evidenced by Chrysostom's specific eulogy thereupon. Phebe was the
bishop of the Church in Cenchrea, and that she was both a powerful and
useful overseer in the episcopate, Paul testifies in affirming that she
had not only been a helper to him, but to many others also. (Romans,
chap. 16, verses 1-2.) Addressing that first Church of Rome (which was
in the house of Priscilla and Aquila before Paul, or Peter, or the
barely-mentioned Linus, are heard of in Rome), Paul indicates the
equality of male and female Apostles by mentioning in one and the same
category Priscilla and Aquila, Andronicus and Junia, Mary, "who
bestowed much labor among you," Amphis, Urbane, Tryphena and Tryphosa,
Persis, Julia, Rufus and Hermas.
E. B. D.
EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS.
1 Corinthians vii.
2 Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own
husband.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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