It is no secret that Christian feminists are no fan of the Apostle Paul. But often they try and make more subtle attacks on his authority to write God’s Word. Some like Skip Moen won’t outright deny Paul’s authority in general, but they will simply try to explain away anything he writes that condemns their false doctrine of Christian feminism.
But every once in a while a Christian feminist will come right out and make a full frontal assault on the Apostle Paul. It is refreshing to hear such honesty. A Christian feminist defender named Rosie posted this on my BiblicalGenderRoles Facebook page:
“Paul had NO authority to give commands, and he said it himself. He was a self appointed apostle NOT a prophet”
This statement alone shows the utter lengths those who wish to rebel against God’s Word will go to feed their selfish ambitions. Wow what a bold statement to make.
Paul was not a “self appointed apostle” – Jesus Christ himself appointed him on the road to Damascus:
“14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;” – Acts 26:14-16 (KJV)
In Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica he wrote:
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, THE WORD OF GOD, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” – I Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV)
Paul was clear that what he wrote was the very Word of God, and only in a few instances did he give his opinion apart from the Word of God(for instance he thought celibacy was good, but he knew it was not meant most people). But in NO way did he ever say he did not have authority from God – he made it clear everywhere he went that he was an Apostle of God with the authority to speak and write the very Word of God.
In fact Peter affirms the authority of the Pauline Epistles when he writes:
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved BROTHER PAUL also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, unto their own destruction.” – II Peter 3:15-16 (KJV)
Notice he compares Paul’s epistles to “the other Scriptures” placing them on equal footing with all Scripture.
So in order for Rose and many other Christian feminists to have their heretical view of Christianity, to basically make up their own Bible – they have to tear out Paul’s 13 Epistles of the New Testament as well as Peters two epistles because he affirmed Paul’s writings as the Word of God. They have to tear out 15 of 27 books, more than half the New Testament in order to follow the selfish ambition and heresy of Christian feminism.
This is why I have said it time and time again. Can you be a Christian and believe in Christian feminism? Sure. If you believe that Jesus Christ was the perfect sinless Son of God, God in the flesh who died for the sins of mankind and specifically for your sin then you can be saved regardless of what other false doctrines you believe.
However you cannot be a Bible believing Christian, a believer in the inerrancy and perfection of Scripture, and be a Christian feminist. The two positions are mutually exclusive.
So as we can see based on her own statement Rose and other Christian feminists have made their choice to reject the Bible consisting of all 66 books as the Word of God. Instead they want their shortened version, the one where they get to take scissors and cut out whatever parts they want.
In their version of Christianity – this beautiful passage of Scripture is not in fact the Word of God, because it was written by a “self appointed Apostle” and a man that had “no authority to give commands”.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” – Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)
So which version of Christianity do you believe in? The modern Christian feminist version which is based on a shortened version of the Bible or the historic Christian faith which is based on ALL 66 books of the Bible?
Biblical Gender Roles 
BGR, I really resent you saying that I translate scripture to feed my selfish ambition. I really do! I work because my husband insists I work. I am a pediatric speech therapist. I’ve been working for 15 years in my carreer. I am 52 years old and my husband is 55. My two daughters are adult college bound students, ages 25 and 21. I was always there for my daughters when they were children. Yes, I’ve been married for 26 years, but it wasn’t an easy marriage. I will not discuss my problems. Nevertheless, I will tell you two things: 1. I have always worked because my husband insists I work! I had been providing sub-contract work for a school district until 4:00 p.m. then go work in a children’s rehab center till 7:00 p.m., 5 days per week and clean my house on the weekends! Did I enjoy this? No, but that’s what my husband wanted me to do. I was earning a lot of money, so My husband, who’s a teacher, started saving his own money and insisting, I pay all of the bills, buy food, and cover all of my daughter’s expenses with my money; he was saving his money. After, 14 years, there were a lot of cut in reimbursement, and a lot of the therapy centers closed done, and the school board with the school district hired their own people. I was unemplyed for a year and a half. During the time I was unemplyed, my husband would call me a bitch, whore, slut, and loser. He became very cold towards me. I ended up getting sick mentally, emotionall, and physically because of the stress I was going through because as soon as my husband walked through the door, he wanted proof that I was looking for work. I forget to mention, I was taking care of my father, who had cancer. I also take my 76 year old mother. I take her to buy groceries, hair salon, and doctor appointments. After I lost my father, I was offered a part-time sub-contract job with the same school district. I was happy because I was working again and able to tend to my mother. I wasn’t needed with the school district this year because, again, they hired their own people; Nevertheless I found anothef part-time job at a children’s rehab center working from 4-7, and I am studying for my teacher’s certification, so I can apply to Texas Tech to take online courses to become a visual impairment teacher. My husband does not settle for my working part-time; he wants me to work full-time. When I start working full-time again, I’m going to to get on the MERP program, so my mother can have a provided. So please do not accuse me of being a selfish, ambitious person!
2. I have an do take authority over my husband. He was drinking very heavily and would become argumentive, vulgar and agressive to the point of verbal and sometimes physical abuse. We’ve separated 3 times because of this. I told him, “he was either cut down or quit drinking. It wasn’t easy at first. I told him that he was only allowed to drink one six pack, if he wanted to be with me becaue I am a very calm person, who hates arguements, especially anyvarguments that have nothing to do with anything. He screams a lot when he’s drunk. Because I pur my foot down, my hisband cut his drinking down from an 18-20 pack per day, to a six pack per day, to finally just a six pack on the weekends, or when there’s a football game. Nevertheless, he will want to drink up a storm at family get togethers. I will always tell my husband, “it’s time to go,” as soon ad Zi see he is becoming loud. Why! Because I am the one who takes it! I don’t care what you or the scripture says, When I say, “No More!” I mean “no more!” I’m no ones verbal or physical punching bag, and our daighter’s deserve a peaceful home!
The picture of your life you present in your comment here is very different than the one you said about yourself and your marriage on facebook:
You say you have an Egalitarian marriage – but your husband “insists you work”? In an Egalitarian marriage neither person could tell the other what to do. You must agree right? In some Egalitarian marriages I have seen – if the husband and wife can’t agree then they both do their own thing.
Maybe in the beginning you had a more patriarchal marriage(with your husband insisting on what you would do in your own words) and then your marriage later changed to an Egalitarian marriage?
Most Christian feminists that I have met in person or online are in fact selfishly ambitious people. They believe they have the right to have a career at the expense of their children, their husbands and their homes. They brag about having maids or their husbands doing the cooking and cleaning and daycare workers caring for their infant children while they work.
But now that I have the larger story if this is true that your husband made you work then I will agree that you have not lived your life as many Christian feminist women do.
If you have read my articles on women working – I have stated in all of them that I do not believe it is wrong for a woman to work outside the home in and of itself. The Proverbs 31 wife did some work outside the home. But her focus was always upon her home. Proverbs 31 does not present a woman worked outside her home to the neglect of her(leaving her home others to care for) but rather she went out and did what she had to do but still came home made sure everything was done.
Also I have stated on several occasions that it is a very different thing when a woman works outside the home AFTER he children are in school full time. But a mother needs to be there to raise her small children and not leave her mothering duties to others if she does not have to for economic reasons.
It appears based on your comments that you took care of your daughters at home when they were infants and toddlers and did not work till long after they were in school full time. If that is the case that is to be commended.
I believe based your comments that your husband placed far too much financial responsibility on you. It is the husband’s job to bare the majority of the financial burden.
It is also commendable for how you take care of your mother and father, something I believe God designed women do so well. My own mother cared for her aging mother and my father’s mother together in their home before they both passed away.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with you seeking the education you have or being a teacher the way you are. Under the circumstances with your daughters not being small children anymore(and in fact being adults) there is nothing wrong in what you are doing as long as your husband approves which it appears he does.
So with all that being said there are people that live their lives in very sacrificial way, in much the way you have for your husband and daughters, and your elderly parents but you can still be selfishly ambitious for things that God did not intend for you to have.
If you are willing to sacrifice half the New Testament in order to make yourself an equal partner with your husband, as opposed to his help meet then you are still selfishly ambitious in that area of your life, despite all the sacrifices you have made in other areas.
Sorry for all of the misspellings; I was typing very quickly from my iPhone.
Rosie,
I am aware of conservative complementarian and patriarchal Christians who do believe that a woman must stay and continue to submit to her husband even in abusive situations. I am not one of them. I believe a woman has a Biblical human right NOT to be physical abused. I believe a woman can divorce her husband for physical abuse. I even believe it is allowable for a woman to separate from her husband even if he is not physically abusive if he has a drug or alcohol addiction the endangers her or her children.
But there is a big difference between divorcing your husband for physical abuse, separating from him because of an addiction that endangers you or your children and “taking authority” over your husband. You can be freed from his authority under the right circumstances, but you never become his authority.
We live in a sin curse world. One where husbands don’t love, lead and protect their wives as they should. One where women don’t want to care for their children and be the help meets to their husbands that God intends. But just because you husband has big problems(which it appears he does) does not give you the right to take authority over him. You can ask men in the church to help you confront him. If he is doing illegal things you can turn him into the civil authorities. You could separate from him, and possibly divorce him if the circumstances were right. But one option you don’t have under God’s design is to become his authority.
I love the Apostle Paul and have been called a Pauline may times. It’s simply that I’ve found some great wisdom in his words. Something that strikes me as kind of sad about eqalitarianism or taking charge of one’s husband, is the burden that is put on women there. My husband is responsible for is own self and to some degree the rest of us. If instead I felt like it was my job to regulate and monitor how much he drank, how he spent money, his moral and spiritual life, it would soon grow very co-dependent and I would always be struggling to have control over a grown man. To submit to Christ is to relinquish that need for control, to hand it all over to Him. To submit to a husband is similar, it is to relinquish a need for control over someone else you cannot possibly control anyway.
The flip side of Fems wanting to reject the Apostle Paul are some Christian men that wish to get rid of the woman at the well, the adulterer about to be stoned, the woman with the perfume. People often want to edit the bible because they don’t like what it’s saying to them personally, but that is the beauty of scripture. The parts that make us uncomfortable are often the parts we really need to hear.
Insanity,
The Bible has areas the prick at each of our hearts. We must always see the Bible as a whole, not just one part of the 66 books. This is the primary mistake of cults and feminism – they take one or two passages they like they dismiss the rest of the Scriptures.
No, it’s not way. I said that my husband “insists” I work. As far as the New Testament is concerned, I’m really not into the Bible. I’m a former Roman Catholic, who turned into a non-denominational Christian. My focus is on the Holy Trinity. Instead of following scripture, I crusify my flesh to the cross everyday and ask the Holy Spirit to minister to me, council me, guide me and protect me; to show me, what I need to see, and to reveal to me, what I need to know. I’m dependent on the Holy Spirit. I cast all of my problems over to the Lord, including my husband, children, and myself as living sacraficres to him. I rebuke, bind and loose. I put on the Armor of God and plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my husband, children, property, home, vehicles, and finances and myself. I plead life and blessings over my husband, children and myself. “I am the head and not the tail, I am above and not below, I am blessed in the city, blessed in the country, blessed in the city, blessed in the country, I am blessed sitting down and blessed getting up. I will lend and will not borrow, not becsuse of who I am, but becsuse of whose I am. I am a daughter of the Father most high!” When my husband gets in a bad mood, I cast him over to Jesus Christ and ask Him to minister to him. Then I recite Psalms 91, 23, 91, 103, and 118. Before I go into prayer, I always confess my sins. I ask Jesus to cleanse me of all unrighteousness from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, to my soul white as pure as snow. Then, I go into prayer. I listen to Christian music and at night, I listen to my pastor’s ministries, say my evening prayers before I go to sleep. I have received a lot of mental and physical healing, my marriage made a 180 degree turnaround, and my whole life turnaround for the better. The Lord grants me everything I request. Therefore, like I said, I depend on the Holy Spirit.
Rosie,
You said:
It is great that you want to follow the Holy Spirit. But do you realize we cannot know if what we are receiving is from the Spirit of God or not unless we test it by God’s written Word.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” – I John 4:1
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
How can you discern truth from error without God’s truth detector – his written Word. Men will fail, husbands will fail, Pastors will fail, churches will fail, but the Word of God never fails. It is our one unchanging constant.
Without the Bible, the whole Bible, you cannot put on the full armor of God. For the Bible says this:
“13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” – Ephesians 6:13-17 (KJV)
Your armor is incomplete without the Word of God, which is the sword of the Holy Spirit to whom you wish to follow(and rightly so).
I say all this to encourage you to accept God’s Word, his whole Word. It will change your life if you do.
I was reading your posts and realized, you’re 4 hours ahead of my time. I don’t think you’re from the United States. I don’t know who you are or where you’re from. Thank you, and have a good night!
Yes I am – its word presses servers. Like right now I am it is almost midnight my time, but it says 3 AM on the 19th. It is where the servers are based from, not where I am.
Anybody who is led by the Holy Spirit is very much into the Bible, since the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible!