From Our Shelf | God's High Calling for Women
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for someone to look at today’s culture to see that there is some major confusion about gender. With the feminist movement stronger than ever, it is easy for women to get involved and behind a crusade that “empowers” women. But are they actually empowering women or confusing women on who they’re supposed to be? The truth is, as Christian women, we must always go back to what the Bible says.
John MacArthur, author of God’s High Calling for Women, breaks down the exact design of how God created us women to be. The entirety of MacArthur’s book is focused on the passage 1 Timothy 2:9-15. In this passage, Paul is writing to Timothy about the church of Ephesus, which had fallen “into doctrinal error and ungodly patterns of living” (pg. 9). Included in this ungodly pattern of living, were women. Paul addresses women’s appearance, attitude, testimony, role, design and contribution all in this one passage (pg. 32). Since the Fall, both men and women have been “violating God’s appointed roles for the sexes” (pg. 80). Women feel as though the most significant type of role is one of leadership in church, but that is a lie that Satan gets women to buy into. But women also have a significant role by learning about God and passing that knowledge to our children. We are called to submit to our husbands and church leadership; we were not intended to carry the burden and responsibility of leading a church.
MacArthur does a fantastic job at going through 1 Timothy 2:9-15 verse-by-verse to really hone in on what exactly Paul meant. Not only does he go verse-by-verse through the passage, but he also dives into the Greek meaning of the verses. MacArthur provides other supplemental Scriptures and historical facts to back up his interpretation of this sensitive passage. It is a straight-forward and easy read that would be the perfect book to go through with a group of people. He provides discussion questions and reflection points at the end of each chapter to really provoke intellectual thoughts on such a hot topic.
Navigating through things like gender roles is hard. Because of sin, there is a constant friction between men and women when it comes to leadership and roles. But don’t let the difficulty of trying to understand a complex issue discourage you and your walk with Christ. Search the Bible for answers, pray for clarity, and read supplemental sources like God’s High Calling for Women to better understand how God created us to be women.
The question is…will you allow the opinions of the world to shape your views on hot topics like gender confusion or will you abide and follow what God’s Word plainly says? The truth is “a woman who wants to serve and honor God cannot show disregard for what He says in His Word about the role of women” (Pg. 33).
Lizzy Alignamath was born and raised in the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. She loves to travel, serve in her church’s student ministry, and has a passion for orphan care. She recently graduated with a ThM from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is looking to implement her knowledge anywhere she can!