Emerging Women

Zondervan announced today that it would be releasing a new version of the the NIV translation of the Bible in 2011, eliminating the publication of the TNIV. The TNIV has been around since 2002, and was published as a “gender accurate” translation that eliminated masculine or feminine nouns and pronouns that were unsupported by original manuscripts. Since it came out, it has been showered with criticisms. Conservatives said it undermined the trustworthiness of the Bible with James Dobson saying that it diluted “the masculinity intended by the authors of Scripture” and resulted in “obscuring the fatherhood of God.” And now apparently Zondervan agrees with their critics (or at least desperately wants their business). Maureen Girkins, president of Zondervan, now says that “The T-NIV is very divisive. It’s not a unifying translation… We need to undo the damage.” This means examining the gender-related translations decisions and as hinted at, possibly returning to the 1984 non-gender sensitive version.

I am seriously disappointed in Zondervan for making this decision. Douglas Moo, chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation, says that for the new version they desire to “make sure we are putting God’s unchanging word into English people are actually using.” But honestly, how can they do that if antiquated masculine pronouns are all that are used? Children these days do not learn an English that uses male pronouns as the generic form or speech. The language the majority of Americans actually use is gender inclusive, that is just the way things are. I recall a professor I knew who worked on Bible translations share that what changed his mind about the necessity of gender inclusive language for translations was when his daughter asked him why only boys could be Christians. Her Bible used male pronouns and terms like “son of God,” and as a modern American she had no idea that such language was meant to include girls as well. Forget whether gender-inclusive language is the fair or the just way to translate the Bible, it’s practical in our day and age.

So to have the anti-female voices of Grudem, and Dobson, and Piper and their followers win out disturbs me. It is just one more example how for many Christians one of the central aspects of their faith is the subjugation of women. I know there are other accurate and appropriate Bible translations available, but none with the reach as the NIV. It is the powerhouse, it’s the translation of choice for evangelicalism. I grew up with the NIV, and since it’s publication have used the TNIV. It is those words that I know by heart, and it feels like a betrayal to have Zondervan proclaim that I as a woman matter so little.

So how do you respond? What translation do you use? How does gender-inclusive language affect your reading of scripture?

By Adele Hebert

There are numerous occasions recorded in the Gospels where women are treated as second class citizens, even as sex objects, and it was expected that Jesus would do the same. One such occasion occurred when Jesus was invited to dinner at the house of a skeptical Pharisee (Lk 7:36ff.) and a woman of ill repute (harmatolos, a sinner) entered and washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair and anointed them. The Pharisee saw her solely as an evil sexual creature: “The Pharisee …said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him and what a bad name she has.’” But Jesus deliberately rejected that way of thinking. He rebuked the Pharisee and spoke solely of the woman’s human, spiritual actions; he spoke of her love, her unlove, i.e., her sins, her being forgiven, and her faith. Jesus then addressed her (it was not “proper” to speak to women in public, especially “improper” women) as a human person: “Your sins are forgiven…. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

A similar situation occurred when the scribes and Pharisees used a woman reduced entirely to a sex object to set a legal trap for Jesus (Jn 8:2 11). It is difficult to imagine a more callous use of a human person than what the “adulterous” woman was put through, by the enemies of Jesus. First, she was “taken” in the act, then dragged before the scribes and Pharisees, finally brought before an even larger crowd that Jesus was instructing, “making her stand in full view of everybody.” They told Jesus that she had been caught in the very act of committing adultery and that Moses had commanded that such women be stoned to death (Dt 22:22ff.). “What have you to say?” The trap was partly that if Jesus said Yes to the stoning he would be violating the Roman law, which limited capital punish¬ment, and if he said No, he would contravene Mosaic law. It could have been to expose Jesus’s reputation for kindness toward, and championing the cause of, women in opposition to the law and the condemnation of sin.

Jesus, of course, eluded their snares by refusing to become entangled in legalisms and plots. Rather, he dealt with both the accusers and the accused directly as spiritual, ethical, human persons. He spoke directly to the accusers in the con¬text of their own personal ethical conduct: “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” To the accused woman he spoke with compassion, but without approving her conduct: “‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Regarding the status of women, the woman being caught in the act of adultery, according to the Law of Moses must to be stoned to death. But since the type of execution mentioned was stoning, the woman must have been a “virgin betrothed,” as referred to in Dt 22:23f. It states both the man and the woman must be stoned, although in the Gospel story only the woman is brought forward. However, the reason given for why the man ought to be stoned was not because he had violated the woman, or God’s law, but “because he had violated the wife (property) of his neighbor.” It was the injury to the man (not the wife or betrothed) that was the great evil. Jesus defended her; he did not condemn her; he declared her a person, definitely not the property of a man.

Adapted from Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Women

Adele Hebert is an independent scholar, who lives in northern Alberta, Canada. Adele has been writing articles, bible studies and editing Christian books, all about how Jesus loves women. Adele has helped God’s Word to Women website, Christians for Biblical Equality, and recently worked with Leonard Swidler on his latest book, Jesus Was A Feminist. Currently Adele is writing a series of bible studies on how Jesus gave women a voice.

The world is celebrating International Women’s Day today. It is a day dedicated to the celebration of women’s social, economic and political achievements worldwide. In the United States, this official day of observance is rooted in women’s efforts to campaign for rights to work, vote and hold public office, culminating on March 8, 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to sweatshop conditions and child labor. It is a day to celebrate justice and to listen to women’s voices.

So today many of us are taking time to listen to the voices of women of faith – looking to the women in the Bible, church history, and those who helped shape our faith. Some of us are blogging in a synchroblog and others are preaching about biblical women in churches.

For example –

Christine Sine reflects on why observing International Women’s Day is important – “Some think that singling out women and their achievements like this is outdated and even obsolete. I suspect they are unaware of how many women still struggle to treated as equals. I will never forget the Cambodian refugee who said to me “Your being here gives me hope that one day my daughters will have the same kind of freedom that you have.” The commemoration of a day like this which has fostered massive change, not only for women, but for children, the underprivileged and victims of discrimination still gives hope to those who long for freedom. Its achievements cannot be forgotten or taken for granted.”

Minnowspeaks gives a poignant summary on what it means to her to celebrate women – “I want to celebrate women, and I do! I celebrate those beautiful women who, rather than focus on the injustices that have risen up against them, rejoice in their lack and know it is enough to be loved of God. I celebrate those hands and feet and hearts that do the little and in doing a little teach the rest of us that we too can do a little. I celebrate those women who face circumstances much more heart breaking, challenging, and costly then my own and yet who do not give in or run away. I celebrate them because while they could stand in judgment against me; they do not. I celebrate them because they are beacons of hope in a world that needs to be reminded what hope looks like. I celebrate them because I need to be reminded what they look like.”

Pam Hogeweide considers what the world is missing when women are silenced – “The devil was brilliant when he inspired misogyny. Convince a people group that women are less than in some way or capacity and you have effectively cut that tribe’s power base in half. At least by half. Oh yeah, make sure the gender you are neutering are the primary caregivers in the home and of children so they will ensure that the next generation continues the tradition of gender inequality.”

Teresa upholds the various roles biblical women served in – “It’s interesting to note that Paul does not commend Phoebe and Junia or the other women in Romans 16 for being good wives and mothers, which leads me to think that, in Paul’s mind, these roles do not define Biblical womanhood, important though they may be. So we women should celebrate the many gifts we have been given and live the lives God has in store for us, not cowtowing to just one limited image of who we are supposed to be.”

And in her reflection on the single mom who Elisha helps in 2 Kings 4: 1-7, Sensuous Wife gives us words on encouragement when helping single moms – “When God pours out good and blessing in her life, help her to receive it. Don’t deny yourself the joy of being one of the jars of miracles in the life of a single mother.”

I encourage you to read through the following links and hear how others have listened to the voices of women. If you have a link you would like to add to the list or a description of your church service, please post it in the comments.

Julie Clawson on the God who sees
Steve Hayes on St. Theodora the Iconodule
Sonja Andrews on Aunt Jemima
Sensuous Wife on a single mom in the Bible
Minnowspeaks on celebrating women
Michelle Van Loon on the persistant widow
Lyn Hallewell on the strength of biblical women
Shawna Atteberry on the Daughter of Mary Magdalene
Christine Sine on women who impacted her life
Susan Barnes on Tamar, Ruth, and Mary
Kathy Escobar on standing up for nameless and voiceless women
Ellen Haroutunian on out from under the veil
Liz Dyer on Mary and Martha
Bethany Stedman on Shiphrah and Puah
Dan Brennan on Mary Magdalene
Jessica Schafer on Bathsheba
Eugene Cho on Lydia
Laura sorts through what she knows about women in the Bible
Miz Melly preached on the woman at the well
AJ Schwanz on women’s work
Pam Hogeweide on teenage girls changing the world
Teresa on the women Paul didn’t hate
Helen on Esther
Happy on Abigail
Mark Baker-Wright on telling stories
Robin M. on Eve
Alan Knox is thankful for the women who served God
Lainie Petersen on the unnamed concubine
Mike Clawson on cultural norms in the early church
Krista on serving God
Bob Carlton on Barbie as Icon
Jan Edmiston preached on the unnamed concubine
Deb on her namesake – Deborah
Makeesha on empowering women