How were women treated in biblical times?

Answer 1

Absolutely. In a dramatic departure from the customs of the time, Jesus spoke to a woman at a well--and she was a foreigner and a disreputable woman at that. See John 4. His disciples were astonished John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? Jesus praised Mary, the woman who sat at His feet listening instead of rushing around preparing hospitality as did her sister Martha. Luke 10:38-42 And in Galatians 3:28 Paul the Apostle declares "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." However, there is no doubt that both the Old and New Testaments see somewhat different roles for men and women. For example, pastors and elders are a position that should only be men "the husband of just one wife." (I Timothy 3). In another in another book penned by the Apostle Paul, there is an order of authority-- Ephesians 5: 22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. But in the same passage, the scripture also states that men and women should be in mutual submission to one another, mutually loving and sacrificially serving each other. Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (See also Romans 12:10b; Phillippians 2.3; Galatians 5.13) This, too, was a dramatic change from the culture of the time.

Answer 2

Women were treated differently in different regions and poles (city states), though always considered inferior to men. In Athens they were very limited, and women of nobility were basically just emprisonned in their houses. Ordinary women were allowed to go outside to fetch water from public springs. In Sparta women were honored because they gave birth to new soldiers for the polis, and had several rights Athenian women did not have, they could own private property for example, and were usually managing everything cause their men folk were always off to war. SO it depends on the region and the polis.

Answer 3

The culture of the day treated women as inferior. The Bible itself did not treat them this way and there were women singled out by God for important purposes - Mary, Deborah and Miriam for example. Jesus sought to redress some of the inequalities they were subjected to and treated them with respect and compassion against the 'politically correct' culture of the day.

Answer 4

They had inferior power to males, but they weren't treated as poorly as some women were in the classical era. Men were given authority in society, government and in marriages. Women and men weren't considered equal as they were in early Judaism. They were thought of as assets or possesions to the head of the family. They weren't allowed usually to attain any type of position in the church other than the deaconesses. They weren't allowed to preach or to baptize.

A Different Perspective

Although women were the main supporters of Jesus and wealthy women were a major source of support during the early formation of Christianity providing both money and places for early Christians to meet. As the Church grew and developed, it became more political and extremely misogynistic.

Women were not treated well in the time of Jesus. They had no legal rights and no separate existence. They existed in a severe patriarchal society and were considered to exist only to serve men. Although he was not a feminist, Jesus treated women much better than was the custom at that time and he derived much of the support for his ministry from women. He treated them as equals, invited their conversations, listened to them and included them in his activities, much to the displeasure, and anger, of his male apostles. We now have historical evidence that he had an intimate relationship with Mary Magdelene, a relationship that was suppressed throughout Church history.

As the Church evolved, women were aggressively relegated to a subservient role in the Church. They were to keep their heads covered, stay silent, and finally to go home and pray. Volumes were written telling women what not to do and how to behave in every aspect of life: keep silent and obey, no jewelry, no fine shoes, no fine fabrics, no cosmetics, no exposing any parts of their bodies to cause lust in men, etc. By the second century they were completely encased in a second-class position where they remain today. They were told they could worship throughtheir husbands who would be the intermediaries between them and "God". Early Church leaders such as Tertullian fine-tuned the religious-based misogyny that is still a part of a woman's experience today.

Answer 5

Genesis chaper 2 verse 18 says "Jehovah God went on to say: 'It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a compliment of him'"..

The man is not described here by God as being a better or superior person, rather the woman was described as someone who would possess qualities that would compliment those of the man.

Jesus had many women followers, and treated them kindly. He spoke to the Samaritan 'woman at the well' even though it was against local custom.

In true christianity, women are treated with kindness and love.

Answer 6

No