Step 3.

Were negative scriptural statements about women inspired by God?

The answer is: yes. Everything in Scripture is inspired, even questions, doubts, unhistorical traditions, human emotions. But the opinions expressed in them are not inspired teaching, unless such teaching was the intention of the author.

To do justice to Scripture, we have to distinguish substantial statements by the author from rationalizations and popular reasonings in which he expresses his own human opinions. Click here!

With regard to women, the following texts are easily misunderstood:

• the two creation stories in Genesis;
• the diatribe against women in Sirach;
• Paul’s remarks in 1 Corinthians 11,2-16 on the wearing of the veil.

To assess the damage such misunderstood texts had on the Fathers of the Church, read these excerpts from Tertullian, ca. 155 - 245 AD in Carthage, North Africa.

Rome admits that some of these negative texts no longer have a normative value, but overlooks the negative influence faulty exegesis has had on Fathers and scholastic theologians.
Read the official texts here.

The answer is therefore: the negative statements about women in Scripture reflect the cultural prejudices of biblical times. They are not part of inspired scriptural teaching.

If you have questions at any stage, please, let me know. Click on the envelope and send me an email!