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EDITOR'S NOTE Megan Greulich In the last few years, the New Testament has come alive to me—teaching me of God’s passionate love, grace, and His power to overcome our failings to live together in a way that brings Him glory. I now see the beautiful vision of His church; people from so many cultures and stages of life working and living together in radical, selfless love. More recently, I am seeing the incredible way He is affirming me in my identity, my gifts, and in my gender. The New Testament shows us that God uses unexpected people for His work. Fishermen like Peter become apostles, young people like Timothy become influential, and a persecutor named Saul is transformed into a great theologian. And, women like Priscilla become leaders in ministry, partners in the privilege of spreading this radical love of Jesus to the world. There truly is a place for everyone at God’s table. And it is truly beautiful. I think that when we start to realize this, incredible world-changers emerge. This is why we celebrate people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. They saw a world that desperately needed to live out reconciliation, oneness, and equality. And this is why we celebrate Black History and Women’s History Months every February and March. So it is with these thoughts during Black History Month and the upcoming Women’s History Month that I am honored to present this issue of E-Quality, featuring three articles on the theme of New Testament and Gender. First, Gordon Fee, in an award-winning article, addresses the context of Ephesians 5 and what Paul really meant when he wrote about wives, children, and slaves. Next, Ruth Hoppin offers support for considering Priscilla as a possible author of Hebrews, challenging us to look at this mystery with fresh eyes and without the lens of patriarchy that the church has held for most of its history. And finally, Leslie Johnson explores what the Scriptures have to say about current stereotypes the church holds about women. Make sure to not miss the links on the right side of the page. There you will find our featured video excerpt from CBE’s 2005 conference: Mimi Haddad’s, “Paul and the Leadership of Women: Inexplicable or Inextricable?” You will also find our featured book review, our E-Quality readers’ survey, and a “New Testament and Gender” book sale. You will find related commentaries, recordings, gifts, and other educational resources there for 25% off! My hope is that you will be encouraged through this issue to see the beauty of the Gospel and your own place in His vision of oneness for His people. I would like to thank all who contributed to this issue, including the authors and the artist. Many thanks go to the CBE staff for their tremendous support and insight during the preparation for this issue, and especially I would like to thank Leah Welch for her encouragement and assistance with the editing process. Perhaps you would like to share your story with the readers of E-Quality. If you have an article you would like to submit for consideration, send it to cbe@cbeinternational.org. We also welcome any other feedback, comments, or suggestions you may have. May you daily experience the radical love of Christ in your life!
Megan Greulich
Struggle is a never
ending process. Freedom is never really won -- you earn it and win
it in every generation.
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| Megan Greulich is a senior psychology major at Bethel University. At Bethel, she is also studying art history and reconciliation studies and is involved in residence life, choir, and the feminist forum. She is currently serving as CBE’s first social sciences intern. | ||
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