Let a Woman Learn. . .

"Christian wives tend to leave the "fat books" and theology to their husbands. While this may look "submissive" to some, it is actually disobedience. It is not enough that we know Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3, and 1 Corinthians 11 & 14. We have to know more than how to be a good wife.

"Afterall, our first calling is to be a good Christian, and if we are good Christians, we will be good wives and mothers. We musn't be afraid to study topics other than those which are related to being a wife and mother. We see in Scripture that women became disciples along with the men. What is a disciple? It is not a mindless follower. A disciple is a student -- someone enrolled in the class.

"This can even be seen in passages of Scripture which some have sinfully misunderstood and written off as "anti-women." When Paul prohibits women from teaching men, he (in the same breath) requires Christian women to be students of the Word. Let a woman learn . . . (1 Tim. 2:11).

From "Being a Woman of the Word"
by Nancy Wilson

Posted by TulipGirl | 10:51 AM| TrackBack (0) | Words

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Comments

Amen, amen, amen!
Posted by: Kim in On at September 12, 2005 07:41 AM

Amen!
Posted by: Monika at September 12, 2005 07:59 AM

In the tradition of Martin Luther, we are all to be good students of the word. It is through the word and the working of the Holy Spirit that we are transformed...
Posted by: Wayne M at September 12, 2005 11:07 AM

Just curious: would you consider it a violation of 1 Timothy 2:12 if a man were to read (and hence be taught by) Nancy Wilson's book?
Posted by: Jonathan Moorhead at September 12, 2005 10:28 PM

Yes, it can be bad when women assume that they don't need to study the Word deeply; another situation that bothers me deeply is having the women being the only people in the household devoted to such study. Far, far too many men just do not crack the covers of the massive study Bibles they carry to church, leaving the women to become the family Bible scholars. This, too, is a great evil.
Posted by: Dan Paden at September 13, 2005 06:18 AM

Have you ever heard of Carolyn Custis James, author of When Life and Beliefs Collide? Her main point is that women must know theology. It is what gets us through the low and difficult times. Great book, if you're looking for more reading material! :)
Posted by: chewymom at September 13, 2005 07:18 AM

Thank you for posting this; looks like a fabulous book!
Posted by: Ashley at September 13, 2005 12:45 PM

I would very much like for my wife to read and study theology. However, beyond her Bible and Readers' Digest I haven't been able to peak her interest in reading. Any suggestions?

Jonathan,
That is a topic we never got to discuss in the guard shack. What do you think?

Brad
Posted by: Brad at September 14, 2005 06:08 PM

How about RC Sproul's _Essential Truths of the Christian Faith_? These are short chapters i.e. 2-3 pages each on basics, divided into sections such as Revelation, The Nature and Attributes of God, The Works and Decrees of God etc. Each chapter has a summary and suggests Bible passages for reflection/further study.
Or try _Putting Amazing Back Into Grace_ by Michael Horton. Very basic; and it helps one to understand "why I believe what I believe."
Posted by: FLGrandma at September 15, 2005 12:08 PM

Brad,

How about you try reading to her? My husband has been reading the Bible, devotionals, and commentaries to me for years. We've been through the entire Bible more than twice. The information I glean from what he reads to me pops up everywhere even if I don't comment on it when he's reading it to me.
Posted by: Samantha at September 16, 2005 06:56 PM

Samantha,
thanks for the suggestion. I've tried reading to her. She just doesn't seem very interested. If we try to read at night before going to bed, she will usually fall asleep and at other times it appears that her mind is elsewhere. I've stopped trying to push the issue. Hopefully the Lord will impress it upon her to "tolle lege": Take up and read.
Posted by: Brad at September 17, 2005 07:06 PM

Brad. . . be gentle with her. I'm sure you are. To be honest, there were about three years in which I could hardly read anything. I barely had the energy to flip through a magazine and look at the photos. I don't know whether you wife is in the midst of pregnancy/breastfeeding/toddlerhood--but those things were a huge drain on my attention span.

Have good books available (as I'm sure you do.) Talk about the things you are learning in a non-lecturing manner. Have popularizer books as well as academic books available. In time, the interest and ability to read and study and discuss will grow.
Posted by: TulipGirl at September 18, 2005 11:25 AM

Wonderful quote! I just read the very same paragraph in "The Fruit of Her Hands," also by Nancy Wilson of course.

She must spread her wisdom evenly throughout all her works :)

Posted by: KimC at September 18, 2005 11:31 PM

I absolutely love this quote and will have to delve deeper into more work by Nancy Wilson. Thanks for sharing this...
Posted by: Leann at September 21, 2005 03:22 PM

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