0 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana
-- Lenten series--
Following is the fourth of six ar-
ticles taken from Father John
Buckel's book, "Free to Love: Paul's
Defense of Christian Liberty in Gala-
tians," distributed by W.B. Erdmans,
Grand Rapids. Father Buckel
teaches New Testament Studies at
St. Mcinrad School of Theology.
St. Paul the apostle proclaims
in the Letter to the Galatians that
there is to be no distinction in the
Christian community between Jew
and Gentile, slave and free, male
and female (Gal 3:28). Of these three
categories, the one involving gender
is still a topic of discussion for twentieth century
Christians. Paul's claim regarding the equality of
men and women is striking indeed. Nevertheless,
one sometimes wonders if the apostle always re-
mained faithful to his teaching concerning the rad-
ical equality of Christian believers. In 1 Corinthi-
ans 14:34-35, for example, Paul seems to infer that
women ha,<e an inferior status in the Christian
community. He very matter-of-factly states that
"the head of every man is Christ, the head of a
woman is her husband" (1 Cor 11:3). With this in
mind, the apostle believes that "any man who
prays or prophesies with his head covered dishon-
ors his head, but any woman who prays or prophe-
Neither male or female
By FATHER
JOHN BUCKEL
St. Meinrad Seminary
sies with her head unveiled dis-
honors her head" (1 Cur 11:4-5).
Therefore, Paul is convinced that
a woman "ought to have a veil on
her head" while praying. More-
over, he contends in 1 Corinthi-
ans 14:34-35 that "women should
keep silent in the churches.., for
it is shameful for a woman to
speak in the church."
These negative comments
notwithstanding, women played
an active role in the apostle's
evangelical ministry. Some of
Paul's first Christian converts
were women. The author of Acts
informs us that a woman named Lydia was the
first, along with the members of her household, to
respond to the apostle's proclamation of the gospel
in Philippi (Acts 16:14-15). There were also a num-
ber of people in Thessalonica who responded favor-
ably to Paul's heralding of the good news, includ-
ing many of the leading women (Acts 17:4).
The apostle is not afraid to refer to female
Christians as his co-workers. Paul takes note of
the fact that he worked side by side with women in
the midst of his missionary activity (Phil 4:2-3).
This is also attested to in Romans 16 where the
apostle sends his greeting to a number of Chris-
tians, 10 of whom are women. First of all, he corn-
mends his sister in Christ, Phoebe, a deaCOn'
apostle does not call her a deaconess)
at Cenchreae. Paul describes her
many, and of myself as well" (Rum 16:2).
refers to Prisca and her husband Aquila as Y
.... 1
low workers m Chmst Jesus (Rum
• • • "all the
Chmstlan conduct was well known m
churches of the Gentiles" (Ram 16:4). The
is especially grateful to Prisca and
risking their lives on Paul's
Then, using language that might surprise
modern day Christians, Paul refers to the
Junia as an apostle, as well as a t
(Ram 16:7).
Was Paul's behavior always
his teaching of the equality of male
which he professed in Gal 3:28?
male-dominated world in which the
it is more surprising that he had any sort
rive outlook on women in regard to
istry than that he should at times
seemingly derogatory remarks
believers. Like us, Paul had to
sion between his own cultural
radical newness of the gospel.
important question that we should ask, :
or not our behavior conforms
of Jesus Christ and its emphasis on the
of believers.
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Golden Jubilarians
Ralph and Mary (Rapp) Guetling of Evansville will cele-
brate their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a Mass of
Thanksgiving at 5 p.m. March 26 at Sacred Heart Church,
Evansville. A family dinner will follow at 7 p.m. at Bockel-
man's Restaurant. An open house will be held from 2-4
p.m. March 27, at the Hilltop Grove. The couple was mar-
ried March 22, 1944 at St. Boniface Church. They are the
parents of four children: Kimberly Tieken, Charles
Guetling, Carolyn Messmer and Pamela Wannemuehler,
all of Evansville. They have 10 grandchildren. Mr.
G,letling retired from Bucyrus Erie Company after 42
years and he retired from Holiday Health Care after 10
years.
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