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God's Design
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25.01.2022 If youre following this group, Im fairly sure youre interested in knowing more about the equality of men and women in Gods eyes. If you are in Perth (or anywhere else in Western Australia), you may be interested in CBE Perth. Wed love to hear from you! Follow the link below, like our page and flick us an email!
25.01.2022 This post by my friend, Dr Lyn Kidson, is well worth reading. I found the focus on the responsibility of the community in regard to sexual behaviour particularly useful.
24.01.2022 This question was asked in an online group I am a member of, by a person who describes herself as a healthy sceptic about religion. This is a somewhat expanded and edited version of my answer to her question in that forum. Q: Bronwen, after reading the Bible (King James version) please explain how it is possible to be both an ardent Feminist [ 2,931 more words ] http://godsdesignperth.org//qa-is-a-feminist-reading-of-t/
23.01.2022 We take the Bible so very much for granted. You may know that in the now-distant past, it was against Church law to translate the Bible into the languages of common people - only the Latin Vulgate was permitted, and only for certain people (i.e. priests). For some, one of the reasons to be concerned about translating the Bible into English was that - gasp! - even WOMEN (!!!) might then be able to read it, heaven forbid! John Wycliffe rocked the boat by translating the Bible ...into English, published between 1382 and 1395. Henry Knyghton, the Canon of Leicester, complained about the dangers of Wycliffe's translation. "This Master John Wiclif, says he, translated out of Latin into English the Gospel, which Christ had entrusted with the clergy and doctors of the church, that they might minister it to the laity and weaker sort according to the exigency of times and their several occasions. So that by this means (i.e. by translating the Bible into English) the Gospel was made vulgar (i.e. common) and made more open to the laity, and even to women who could read, than it used to be to the most learned of the clergy and those of the best understanding: and so the gospel jewel or evangelical pearl was thrown about and trodden under foot of swine." (Bracketed comments mine.) Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Word. Thank you that the living Word was born of, guided and nurtured by a faithful woman. Thank you for the example of women who learned at Jesus' feet during his life and followed him faithfully as his disciples. Thank you for the women who first proclaimed the Gospel message that Christ is risen. Thank you for the faithful men and women who have, from the time of Wycliffe onward, toiled at the work of translation so that we might read and understand the Bible. Help us to value your Word and to live in such a way that we might be - as Paul says - "living epistles" - that others may "read" our lives and come to know You. Amen.
23.01.2022 Romans 16 is a treasure trove of information about the roles of women in the church during Pauls time, but lets face it - all those names tend to just wash over most folks! So, voilà, thats when you need my handy chart breaking down the men and women of this chapter and their roles.
23.01.2022 For some unknown reason, this has been sitting in my drafts folder, ready to post, since...well...forever. About time it was posted then!
22.01.2022 Just one of the useful insights in this article was regarding gender differences in confidence. A study by Ontario Bible College compared the views regarding their personal competence held by male and female students at secular institutions and Bible colleges. Women in secular institutions were 7% less confident than the men. But in Bible colleges, men were 15% more self-confident than their secular counterparts, but women were a huge 40% less confident - clear indicator that the way that we approach gender in Christian communities is causing limiting, perhaps even damaging, psychological effects on women. https://academic.logos.com/tendencies-to-remember-when-teac
22.01.2022 I was reading a Christian article a few weeks ago, when its quotation of Eph 4:31 from the ESV - particularly the phrase mature to manhood - grabbed my attention. Given the ESVs reputation as an intentionally complementarian translation and the loaded meaning of the term manhood in a complementarian context, my bad translation alarm bells went off. Margaret Mowczko and I had some discussions about it, and the result is this excellent article. The ESV translators like to promote this translation as the most accurate English version, and yet its commitment to the complementarian doctrinal position over translation accuracy continues to prove this claim false.
19.01.2022 What does it look like to live a life transformed by the Gospel? Join me as I explore the transformative experience of the Samaritan woman at the well in this sermon: The Transformative Gospel - A Sermon on John 4. https://godsdesignperth.org//the-transformative-gospel-se/
18.01.2022 I never learned about the daughters of Zelophehad in Sunday School. Ive never heard a sermon preached on them. But these 5 brave, young women show us something really important about Gods love for women and about how he values justice and honours those who seek it. Heres a new blog post highlighting this little-known story from Numbers.
18.01.2022 Was the Samaritan woman in John 4 a terrible sinner, or the victim of circumstances? And given that the Bible doesn't tell us anything about what happened after Jesus' visit, is there anything we can know about the "sequel" to her story? My article on this inspiring woman appeared in CBE's Mutuality magazine last December, and was commended by the Evangelical Press Association in its awards this year.
17.01.2022 DONT IGNORE - PLEASE SHARE WIDELY! Multiple sources with knowledge of Crowns operations have also confirmed that sex workers have been flown into Australia o...n private jets organised by Crown junket operators. In the past couple of days, theres been a flurry of news about Crown Casinos involvement with Asian crime, and today, thats included this story in The Age about their direct involvement in sex trafficking of Asian women. Crown has reacted by putting out a flurry of Facebook advertising to try to remind you to go there. Lets try to overcome this with social media posts that call them to account. You can spend 10 seconds reading this, think thats disgraceful and then scroll on, or you can do something about it. There are serveral simple things we can do to respond to this: - Share this post, please! (It doesnt get easier than that.) - Hit Crown where it hurts the most - their corporate hip pocket. If you have a booking with them in the near future, call and tell them youre cancelling the booking because of their involvement with the sex trafficking industry. Dont use their hotel, restaurants, etc. until they commit to change. Divest yourselves of any shares, if applicable. - Educate yourself about modern slavery and sex trafficking in particular - this info from the Australian Federal Police is a starting point - https://www.afp.gov.au/what-w/crime-types/human-trafficking - Give Crown a call on Monday (when their senior management will be in) and ask them what action they are taking to create change that protects vulnerable people. Encourage them to get on board with the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (www.ecpat.org, www.thecode.org), to develop their own policies to prevent their businesses being used to traffic in human slavery, to educate staff about trafficking and of course to commit to relinquishing all ties with and direct or indirect participation in sex trafficking. - Every time a Crown ad appears in your social media feed, post a link to this article in the comments with a suggestion that people boycott Crown until they change. - Give much-needed financial support to organisations that are doing great work in prevention of trafficking and rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked workers, such as Dark Bali and International Justice Mission. - Stay tuned for more. You have heard the saying that evil flourishes when good people do nothing. Please take the step of doing something to call Crown to account for their immoral and unethical business practices. We can make a difference! #CrownCasino #SexTrafficking #HumanSlavery #YouCanMakeADifference #StandUpAndBeCounted
16.01.2022 There are some excellent new books out by Australian authors. The newest is from Kevin Giles - well-known for his excellent defence of Trinitarian orthodoxy against the proponents of the Eternal Subordination of the Son (an ancient heresy recently resurrected to defend complementarian theology). In Giless latest book, he examines the connection between headship theology and abuse. Scot McKnights review below highlights how two strongly complementarian denominations/dioceses (Southern Baptists in the US and Sydney Anglicans) have objected to any changes of policy allowing women in abusive marriages to divorce their husbands - a clear denial of the claims that true complementarianism protects and honours women. https://www.christianitytoday.com//complementarians-and-ab
15.01.2022 *This is not by any means an exegetical piece. It is more in the nature of a fictitious retelling of the events of the first Good Friday and Easter Sunday from the imagined perspective of the women at the tomb and cross. Some details come directly from Scripture, some are creative licence ... Sunday morning creeps in. Dawn is only just now touching the horizon pink, but already they are on their way the women who loved Jesus. [ 1,048 more word ] http://godsdesignperth.org//easter-women-a-resurrection-s/
13.01.2022 Ooh...what great questions! Don't miss out! Don't forget to share it on your page or with some friends! And do like CBE Perth's page if you haven't already!
13.01.2022 The message of equality is life-giving and sets us free. Hallelujah!
11.01.2022 Scot McKnight writes about some of the points made by Graham Joseph Hill in his excellent new book, Holding Up Half the Sky, about opening the way for women in your church. McKnight also mentions another forthcoming book by William Witt which promises to be a valuable contribution.
11.01.2022 October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We know that DV is rife in Australia, and sadly, that it takes place in Christian homes also. Yet how many of us have ever heard even one sermon on this vital topic? How many churches have a policy about DV? Many of us think that the Bible doesn't have much at all to say about DV. This excellent article from The Junia Project helps to demonstrate both how the Bible speaks against violence, and how women are lifted up by Jesus. Th...is is a useful article to share with your pastor (and with everyone, really!). If you or someone you know is affected by DV, please call: Women's Domestic Violence Helpline 9223 1188 or free call 1800 007 339 Men's Domestic Violence Helpline 9223 1199 or free call 1800 000 599
11.01.2022 NEW POST: Do egalitarians bend to the culture? My top 5 reasons why this claim against egalitarians is untrue.
10.01.2022 Perth's not really the backwater some think it is (even if we are far from everywhere!) This weekend, Perth achieved a world first - the first Anglican diocese to elect a female Archbishop. Congratulations, Archbishop Kay.
10.01.2022 Blessed this morning to have the opportunity to preach at Bellevue Baptist Church. I explored the theme of the transformative Gospel in the life of the Samaritan Woman in John 4, which was well received. Thank you Carmel Wright and Steve Wickham for inviting me.
10.01.2022 Its not often that the usually stuffy resolutions of an international convention of faith leaders makes you do a happy dance, but thank you, Baptist World Alliance! A new resolution adopted by the Baptist World Alliance calls on Baptists to repent from the teachings and practices that have prevented women from flourishing as human beings created in the image of God and full members of the Body of Christ, and to be open to the Holy Spirits power to provoke transformatio...n so that Baptists might affirm the God-given calling of women for service in the church. BWA members should also learn and then use language that is affirming to both women and men in worship, communications and publications, including Bible translations, the resolution stated, and work intentionally to create equal space for women in all leadership roles in the church, Baptist conventions and unions, and in the Baptist World Alliance. What an encouraging read!
09.01.2022 New post: Why does Paul ask women to be silent in church and ask their husbands at home in 1 Corinthians 14? Is this a universal prohibition for all women everywhere in all time? Is it truly a "clear and simple" statement or is there more to know? I originally presented this article as a brief talk at the Christians for Biblical Equality Perth chapter gathering on 2 Sept 2017. (If you're in Perth, we'd love to see you at our next CBE Perth gathering, so like our Facebook page to keep up to date with our events - https://www.facebook.com/CBEPerth/)
08.01.2022 Did you see the Jesus Female Disciples program in the ABC last year? Prof. Joan Taylor from Kings College, London - one of the presenters of that program - is presenting a series of 3 free public lectures on this subject at Murdoch Uni, starting Wednesday evening, 11 September. Worth checking out! If you are finding the details, such as time and location, hard to find - hint: scroll down to the very bottom and youll see them listed as 3 separate events, which you need to click on for the details.
08.01.2022 Q: Bronwen, when I tell my Christian friends that I believe in the equality of men and women, they say that egalitarians are just bending to culture, rather than being shaped by Scripture. Is this true? A: In my previous Q&A post, I looked at whether egalitarians twist Scripture to ignore or change the passages they don't like, and if complementarians just use the "plain and simple" reading of the text. [ 1,831 more word ] http://godsdesignperth.org//qa-do-egalitarians-bend-to-cu/
08.01.2022 New blog post (originally posted at Fixing Her Eyes) - Resurrection Sunday seen through the eyes of the women at the tomb. Please like and share!
08.01.2022 Do egalitarians use convoluted arguments about the Bible...or sound biblical interpretation? http://godsdesignperth.org//qa-do-egalitarians-use-convol/
07.01.2022 Some say Gods intention is for women to merely be gentle. Im not knocking gentleness...we should all exhibit that particular aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit, whether male or female. But God also made women to be strong! Right back in Genesis 2, God told the man that he would give him a strong rescuer who would be his equal - the Hebrew ezer kenegdo means something so very much deeper and more powerful than helper suitable for him. Scripture also commends Ruth and th...e Proverbs 31 woman as women of valour (Hebrew eshet chayil) - elsewhere, chayil usually has a military connotation. Scriptures women challenge patriarchal systems for their rights (Num 27), take action to bring about victory over enemies (Jud 4, Jud 9), interpret Scripture (2 Ki 22), teach theology (Acts 18) and provide leadership in churches (Rom 16). And of course, they remain faithful at the cross and beyond, when even Peter was afraid to admit to knowing Jesus. Thanks Mike Frost for highlighting womens strength in this post. See more
07.01.2022 How do we live out God's justice in an unjust world? Sometimes, it all seems too hard and we don't know where to start, especially with an issue as big as sex trafficking. Well, it all starts with a bit of awareness and with steps as simple as knowing how to choose a hotel that doesn't support child prostitution when you next travel to Bali. That's something we can all reasonably do. With CBE Perth and East Fremantle Baptist Church, I'm hosting the Ticket to Freedom event TH...IS FRIDAY. The speaker is my friend Dalaina May, an international expert in anti-sex trafficking ministry and CEO of Dark Bali (a coalition of mostly faith-based agencies that is making a real difference). You can't afford to miss this! I'd like to ask two things of you: - Click the link below and follow it through to the TryBooking site and book some tickets for you and your friends. - Share it on Facebook and encourage others to come along. Tickets are just $10 and include a delicious home-made dessert. If you have any difficulties booking online, please get in touch with me (we want to make sure you don't miss out on dessert!). Looking forward to seeing you there. https://www.facebook.com/events/1721990117850162/
07.01.2022 Excited to be heading to Bellevue Baptist next Sunday to preach on one of my favourite passages of Scripture - the Samaritan Woman in John 4.
07.01.2022 NEW POST - Galatians 3:28 ("There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus") neatly summed up how being a Christian brought change to the spiritual and practical status of those who followed Jesus in the New Testament church. How did these changes affect their lives? What sort of obstacles might these groups have encountered as they strove to embrace this change? And I wonder...how does this inspire you to work for change in your church community?
06.01.2022 HT Dalaina May In Australia, the issue of sexual abuse of children by Christian groups has been front and centre in the past few years, with the (now concluded) Royal Commission on Child Sexual Abuse in Institutions. As the extent of the abuse has been revealed, and as the premise of many that its just a Catholic problem (because their priests dont marry) has been proven false, I know many of us have been grappling with a troubling question - why has a practice that is so... strongly against absolutely every Christian sexual ethic been so prevalent among people who were in Christian ministry? I believe what Wade Burleson says in this article speaks as much to that situation as to the more generalised sexual abuse issue he is referring to here. The marriage of Christianity with modernist authority structures has been incredibly toxic. Its time we let those go. Time to return to a focus on the development of Christian character and to remember that being a follower of Christ is the opposite to worldly authority structures. Time to repent and ask forgiveness. Time to be made new. Only then can we let the work of the Spirit truly flourish in our churches. See more
03.01.2022 In a year when we have been reminded of just how difficult a place this world can be for women (think #MeToo and the domestic violence controversy, among others), it's good to be reminded that even when the world and even the church can be hostile or uncomfortable places, Jesus' coming brought, continues to bring and will bring in the future the greatest hope, security, healing and help for women. If you've not read it before, I hope you'll enjoy this post from my blog, using the song "Mary, Did You Know?" as a catalyst to reflect on the good news of Jesus for women. Wishing you every blessing this Christmas and in the coming year.
01.01.2022 Do some Christian men's and women's conferences reflect gender stereotypes at the expense of something far richer which they could be offering?
01.01.2022 NEW POST on my blog - Q: Bronwen, when I try to explain my egalitarian views to my Christian friends, some of them say we are turning clear and simple texts into something unnecessarily convoluted. Is there any truth to this, and how do I respond to this objection to my views on the equality of men and women in the Bible? This post unpacks some key responses to this question. Of course, another way to demonstrate this truth is to run the Men & Women: God's Design Bible Study with your friends! You can follow the progress of the study toward publication sometime later this year at www.facebook.com/MWGDBibleStudy/.
