[Thankful Jane]

Originally Posted by YP0534

One, I heard the repetitions of the express words of Paul, which present issues of their own. A brother I know and I have discussed this recently and he's of the opinion that some of this kind of talk may actually be later superimposition on the text by clerics. I haven't investigated that but it does seem plausible. In any event, to make too much of what Paul presumably taught doesn't even make sense in the context of the rest of the New Testament. If there is anything to it beyond Paul's own culture, it surely isn't much.

I have been studying a book by a sister who was born in the mid 1800’s who studied in depth what you have touched on here in your post. I have found studying this to be fascinating. If you're interested in this topic, you might be interested in this book. There is an online version of it available: God's Word to Women by Katharine Bushnell. Here is her impressive bio and a little about how the book came into being:

Katharine C. Bushnell (1856-1946) was a courageous and gifted servant of God who modeled her life’s motto “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13). She was a physician, missionary, crusader, reformer, author and speaker as well as a brilliant and original scholar who spoke seven languages and was grounded in Greek and Hebrew. Bushnell left medicine to do what she considered the more important work of reforming conditions of human degradation through leadership in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of the 19th century women’s movement. The scriptural status of women was of intense concern to Bushnell who came to believe that mistranslations were responsible for the social and spiritual subjugation of women. She left the WCTU in 1896 to spend her remaining years writing and sharing the biblical truth of God’s original and unchanging intent of full equality for women.

God's Word to Women by Katharine Bushnell is a groundbreaking study that carefully examines every scripture relating to women. Jessie Penn Lewis said that the material opened up the Scriptures in a way that can only be described as containing a revelation direct from God. For many today, it is the book that set them free to be what God has called them to be and to do the work that the Holy Spirit has placed in their hearts.

While in China as a medical missionary, Bushnell discovered that the Chinese Bible was mistranslated to support cultural prejudice against the ministry of women. She wondered whether the same male bias might prejudice English translations as well and renewed her study of Hebrew and Greek. Later, while traveling throughout the world for the WCTU, she made good use of hours spent on trains, boats and in rooms where she was staying to carefully compare biblical translations with the Word as found in the original languages.

Through experience and study, the Lord was preparing Bushnell to write God's Word to Women. Begun in 1908 as a correspondence course, it was first published privately by Bushnell. Despite positive early reaction, the book soon disappeared; and Bushnell died believing that her life had made little impact. God knew better! The book was rediscovered and continues to be republished by those who see its priceless value. Today it is finally receiving well-deserved recognition as a foundational reference for those working on the cutting edge of biblical equality for women.

I think WL might have considered her to be a clever sister.

Thankful Jane