Women were involved in every popular philosophy in the first century, and the participation of women reaches back to the Greek origins of these schools. Philosophers often taught their daughters, wives, and other friends the basic tenets of their thinking. The Isthmian games and a tolerance for independent thinking made Corinth an attractive place for philosophers to engage in dialogue and debate, further facilitating the philosophical education of women. The activity of philosophically educated women directly informs our understanding of 1 Corinthians when Paul uses concepts that also appear in popular moral philosophy. This book explores how philosophically educated women would interact with three such concepts: marriage and family, patronage, and self-sufficiency.

Relationships are messy. We're all different and imperfect, and we can struggle to get along--especially with those who disagree with us. Often we find ourselves divided--even as Christians. How can we work out our differences and disagreements with humility and grace, always showing the love of Christ, while still remaining true to what we believe? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth about this very thing. The cultural backdrop of Corinth was even more overtly sinful than our culture today, yet Paul boldly encouraged the Corinthian Christians not to ridicule one another or outsiders but to work together to show the love of Christ. In this six-week study we will explore Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to learn how we as Christians are to deal with differences and divisions--whether in the workplace, neighborhood, school, home, social media community, or church. We'll discover that the answer is living and sharing the radical love of Jesus Christ, and we'll unpack what this means and how we can live it out day by day. The Participant Book includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-30 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).

Relationships are messy. We're all different and imperfect, and we can struggle to get along--especially with those who disagree with us. Often we find ourselves divided--even as Christians. How can we work out our differences and disagreements with humility and grace, always showing the love of Christ, while still remaining true to what we believe? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth about this very thing. The cultural backdrop of Corinth was even more overtly sinful than our culture today, yet Paul boldly encouraged the Corinthian Christians not to ridicule one another or outsiders but to work together to show the love of Christ. In this six-week study we will explore Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to learn how we as Christians are to deal with differences and divisions--whether in the workplace, neighborhood, school, home, social media community, or church. We'll discover that the answer is living and sharing the radical love of Jesus Christ, and we'll unpack what this means and how we can live it out day by day. The Leader Guide, to be used along with the study's workbook and DVD, contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 25-30 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).

Whether people realize it or not, the ideas in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 have had a huge impact on the role of Christian women in the church through the centuries. These fifteen verses have shaped worship practices, church structures, church leadership, marriages, and even relationships between men and women in general. They have contributed to practices that have consistently placed women in a subordinate role to men, and have been used to justify the idea that a woman should not occupy a leadership or teaching position without being under the authority or "covering" of a man. It is strange, therefore, that academics and pastors alike continue to note how confusing and difficult it continues to be to make sense of these very verses. In this little book, Lucy Peppiatt not only highlights the problems associated with using this text to justify the subordination of women, but offers a clear and plausible re-reading of the text that paints the apostle Paul as a radical, visionary, church planter who championed women in all forms of leadership.

Does Paul teach a hierarchy of authority of man over woman, or does he teach the full equality of man and woman in the church and home? In Man and Woman, One in Christ, Philip Barton Payne answers this question and more, injecting crucial insights into the discussion of Paul’s view of women. Condensing over three decades of research on this topic, Payne’s rigorous exegetical analysis demonstrates the consistency of Paul’s message on this topic and its coherence with the rest of his theology. Payne’s exegetical examination of the Pauline corpus is thorough, exploring the influences on Paul, his practice as a church leader, and his teachings to various Christian communities. Paul’s theology, instruction, and practice consistently affirm the equal standing of men and women, with profound implications for the church today. Man and Woman, One in Christ is required reading for all who desire to understand the meaning of Paul’s statements regarding women and their relevance for Christian relationships and ministry today. This work has the potential of uniting the church on this contentious issue.

With a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, Tom Wright walks you through 1 Corinthians in this guide designed especially with everyday readers in mind. Perfect for group use or daily personal reflection, this study uses the popular inductive method combined with Wright's thoughtful insights to bring contemporary application of Scripture to life.

In this groundbreaking study of Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, Kenneth Bailey examines the canonical letter through Paul's Jewish socio-cultural and rhetorical background and through the Mediterranean context of its Corinthian recipients.

Paul Stevens and Dan Williams explore Christian community not as it was meant to be, but as it often really is. And they mine practical advice for overcoming the challenges of life together. This thirteen-session LifeGuide® Bible Study features questions for starting group discussions and for personal reflection.

A Coherent Pauline Theology of Gender Respected New Testament scholar Cynthia Long Westfall offers a coherent Pauline theology of gender, which includes fresh perspectives on the most controverted texts. Westfall interprets passages on women and men together and places those passages in the context of the Pauline corpus as a whole. She offers viable alternatives for some notorious interpretive problems in certain Pauline passages, reframing gender issues in a way that stimulates thinking, promotes discussion, and moves the conversation forward. As Westfall explores the significance of Paul's teaching on both genders, she seeks to support and equip males and females to serve in their area of gifting.

Does God call women to serve as equal partners in marriage and as leaders in the church? With careful exegetical work, Lucy Peppiatt considers relevant passages in Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, and 1 Corinthians. There she finds a story of God releasing women alongside men into all forms of ministry, leadership, work, and service on the basis of character and gifting, rather than biological sex.