Book Of Galations Essay Example For Students

Book Of Galations Essay The role of women in the Christian faith has always been matter of debate. Whether women are equal to men in the eyes of the church still presents itself as a major question as we move into the 21st century. Women are still not allowed to serve as priests or hold major positions in the churchs hierarchy. This inferiority is something that is seen as tradition and rarely do people question it. However, in Pauls letters he alluded to a different role that women should take on. He presents the idea that everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord as long as they have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Although he was not the first to ever express these beliefs, the idea that Paul presented was quite radical for his time and may not have been taken with the same authority as some of his other teachings. However, the basic formula that Paul used in some of his letters was also presented by subsequent writers years after he was finished with his ministry. The most straightforward presentation of Pauls view on the role of women is in Galatians 3:28, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. This statement brought up the idea of baptism and the key role it plays in the life of a Christian. Paul states that when you are baptized in the name of Jesus all worldly distinctions are no longer important. A person is not to be viewed based on past religion, life before baptism, or gender, he or she will now be viewed simply as a follower of Christ. By following Christ a person is baptized into a single body, no divisions are to be made due to past traditions. This formula for equality that Paul presents in Galatians 3:27-28 is echoed in many of his other letters. However, it is not presented as directly, there seem to be some omissions and changes. While writing to Corinth, Paul again expresses the idea of equality and togetherness through baptism in the name of Jesus. In 1 Cor 7:17-24 Paul gives much attention to the Jew and Gentile relationship, as well as the slave and free man. However, in dealing with gender Paul simply writes, In whatever condition you were called, brother and sisters, there remain with God. Paul is not being as explicit as he was in Galatians. Why he backs off the strong argument he made in Galatians is debatable. However, later in the first letter to Corinth Paul seems to retreat even more. In 1 Cor 12:13, Paul again presents the idea of everyone being baptized as one in Jesus. Nevertheless, he makes no effort to mention the gender issues directly. He does allude to it by writing, For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:13) but never addresses the male and female issue officially. Paul simply deals with the Jew or Gentile and the slave or free in this verse, these are the same two distinctions as he did in 1 Cor 7:17-24. The effort Paul makes to have his teachings stay somewhat consistent from one letter to the next lends support to the idea that the formula Paul uses was an outline that predates his writings. It can be considered that this passage could have been a pre-Pauline baptismal formula that Paul cites. It could be that Paul simply adapted the formula by adding the male/female phrase as an effort to fully portray his own views. It is possible Christians at the time would know that formula this was used in baptisms. Thus, by manipulating the formula, Paul may have been attempting to show people that the church could change and adapt to meet the needs of the people. Paul was going beyond what predated him by incorporating male and females into the formula. It can even be seen that Paul was going against teachings that were presented in the Book of Genesis. Genesis 1:27 says that God made humanity as male and female and Genesis 1:31 states this creation was very good. By presenting a different idea than that of Genesis, Paul goes against some of most time-honored teachings. He is not concerned with the Law li ke most other Christians at the time. He wants the church to grow as one solid unit in the name of Jesus. Tax Incentives For Mergers And Acquisitions Of Companies Accounting EssayThe role of women that Paul expressed in Galatians can also be found in subsequent early Christian writings. One of these is know as the The Nag Hammadi. These texts contain a large number of primary Gnostic scriptures transcripts that most believed were entirely destroyed during the early Christian struggle to define orthodoxy scriptures such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth. The Tripartite Tractate, which is part of this collection, also presented radical ideas and was often seen as heretical in the early church. It was for this reason that most copies of it were destroyed. However, it too voices the same opinion as Paul did in Galatians, For the end will receive a unitary existence just as the beginning is unitary, where there is no male nor female. It is possible that writers these tests knew Pauls writings. The writers attempted to convey a message that was quite si milar to that of Pauls. However, they did not tone down the writings like Paul did. The fact that most of The Nag Hammadi was destroyed shows that some people in the early church were not ready for the ideas that were presented. There were also famous writers that used Pauls teachings to convey their beliefs to the people of their time. These writers were able to reinforced Pauls beliefs while presenting their own message. Clement of Alexandria uses Pauls opinions to try and eliminate distinctions drawn between men and women in the church. Clement encouraged the teaching of both men and women in his school at Alexandria. This was a theme that was slowly growing in the early church but still had quite a way to go. The letters of Paul served as a comprehensive guide for most of the early Christians. He was able to confront and tackle many significant issues that concerned the churches he established. One of these sensitive issues was the role of women in the early church. Based on the idea of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, Paul contested that all people were equal and should serve God through their faith and actions. He used both a baptismal formula and the teachings of Jesus to convey his message to the people of his time. This view was one that had not been openly presented prior and probably resulted in controversy. Therefore, aware to the needs of the early church Paul adapted his teachings while still holding his basic beliefs in tact. Pauls teachings still have contemporary consequences when dealing with the role women in present-day Christianity. This text can be seen as something that the world is now ready to fully implement in the 21st century. While Pauls view that women were e qual in the church was radical at the time, it is now an accepted view by most educated people. Therefore, Pauls teachings that God made us all equal through baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may carry on into new roles of women in years to come. Religion Essays