Pursuing Partnership: New Light on Timeless Texts – Week 5

The Historical Research of Dr Sandra Glahn

By Wendy Wilson, Missio Nexus, Mission Advisor for Development of Women

This article is part of the series Pursuing Partnership: Men and Women in Ministry.

The Bible: Women Are More Present Than You Might Think

A note from Wendy Wilson, MissioNexus, Mission Advisor for Development of Women:

As women authors have increasingly brought their eyes to the stories and presence of women in the Bible, we have gained a more full picture of what God intended to teach us about Himself and about His people. We need the eyes of both men and women on all the teaching of Scripture to more fully bring the beauty of God’s Image in male and female to bear on what we see. As grateful as I am for the people and experiences that God has used in my overall faith formation, I grew up spiritually somehow overlooking the full impact of the references to women in Scripture. But the more I began to push past my tendency to diminish them as side notes, the more awed I became at the God who revealed incredible realities through them about who He is and who we are as His People.

The link to the blog article is below . . .but here is an excerpt from “The Bible: Women Are More Present Than You Might Think”

 “Bible translations sometimes hide the presence of women. But we’re there. Women are more represented in the scriptures than many translations indicate. Far more.

Theologian Marg Mowczko observes, “Most English Bibles, including the ESV [which is the source of my examples above], are reliable and trustworthy in how they translate verses and passages that pertain to the doctrine of salvation. The same cannot be said about how they translate verses that pertain to women in ministry. Some Bible readers aren’t even aware that many women are mentioned in the New Testament as being ministers and church leaders. This is because English translations have typically obscured or downplayed the passages that mention these women. The English Standard Version (ESV) and the New Living Translation (NLT), in particular, are notorious for downplaying the ministries and roles of New Testament women in their translations.”  Read this article to see more new research from the Greek New Testament and its implications for us today – “The Bible: Women Are More Present Than We Might Think”

Dr. Sandra Glahn is Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is an author, co-author, or general editor of more than twenty books including Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible. Learn more about her at her website: aspire2.com.

This article is submitted by Wendy Wilson of Missio Nexus and of Women’s Development Track.  Women’s Development Track is a Missio Nexus member.  Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.