A new day has dawned – Now What? | bWe Baptist Women for Equality's Blog

He is Risen!  I saw him, Mary said. Now what?

There were things to be done.  But nobody knew exactly what that was.  Their leader had miraculously reappeared.  But it was not the same.  He came and went at unexpected times.  He looked different.  He acted different.  This definitely was not a continuation of life as it had been before the crucifixion.

Now what? 

There were two on the road to Emmaus who encountered the risen Jesus.  He talked with them and even ate with them. When they realized who he was, they immediately returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together.  The women were there.  They had just finished their dinner and had leftover fish to give to Jesus.

Luke tells us that in Acts 1:13-14: "they went upstairs to the room where they were staying… They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." They were so excited and still repeating the story over and over when Jesus himself joined them.

Jesus told all of them, including the women: "You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:45-49 NIV)   Now what?

They were all together in one place and the whole house was filled with the sound like a blowing of a violent wind.  All of them were willed with the Holy Spirit. Peter went outside and spoke to the crowd: "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:17-18 NIV)

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your young men will see visions, Your old men will dream dreams Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, And they will prophesy.   Now what?

Most people sitting in church have no idea what their belief in male authority and female submission looks like on paper.  Read this paper by Kevin Giles, who is an advocate for women's equality.  In this paper he is critiquing the teachings of some hierarchical complementarians.  You can find this on SpoudazO Logos who is one of our regular readers and whose comments you often see.

The attitude he describes so well is what we are facing.

Now what?  How do we convince these women who have accepted male domination in their home, in their church, and in their society, that male domination is not what Jesus died for.  Jesus offered freedom to men and women.  Centuries have passed and this is where we find ourselves.  Now what will you do to speak up for women's equality? Share this: Email Print Facebook