Is God Sexist?
Rev Charlie (May 2025)
The question, ‘Is God Sexist?’, often centres on key passages from the New Testament letters, 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. For those familiar with the debate, it typically comes down to a clash between ‘complementarian’ and ‘egalitarian’ perspectives. A credible biblical case can be made for both perspectives, although neither may fully resolve the question at hand. Moreover, such a complex debate falls beyond the scope of this brief response. However, it is possible to address this question without getting bogged down with all of that.
Jesus’ attitude toward women was radically affirming. On numerous occasions, he broke social taboos regarding how men were expected to interact with women; often in ways that would have been considered scandalous within a first century Jewish context.
When Jesus encountered the woman at the well, he engaged her in conversation. While this may seem unremarkable today, in the cultural context of the time, it was highly unconventional. For a man to speak alone with a woman, in a somewhat secluded setting, would have been considered scandalous, especially given the woman's questionable reputation as implied by the text.
At the home of Mary and Martha, Jesus sat teaching with his disciples gathered around him, as was customary for Jewish rabbis. It would have been frowned upon for a rabbi to include a woman in his inner circle, yet on this occasion, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet along with the others and Jesus commended her for doing so.
Most shockingly of all, Jesus allowed a ‘sinful’ woman, likely a prostitute, to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. When he was criticized by his host, a Pharisee, Jesus affirmed the woman’s actions as the loving response of one who has repented and received forgiveness.
Far from being 'sexist,' Jesus consistently treated women with love, respect, and compassion.
Women played a key role in Jesus’ ministry and were chosen by God to be the first witnesses of the resurrection. It was a group of women who discovered the empty tomb, and it was women who first encountered the risen Lord. Its hard to imagine a ‘sexist’ God bestowing such an honour on women.
The Apostle Paul is often accused of being sexist, yet in his letter to the Galatians he writes, ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ In the ancient world, these three divisions - ethnicity, social class, and gender - ran deep and carried significant implications, particularly for women, who had a lower social status and limited rights. Paul is clearly stating that within a Christian framework, all people are equally valuable, a profoundly controversial assertion for his day.
Finally, we consider the impact of Christianity on societies shaped by deeply ingrained sexism. Christianity has been a significant force in promoting the equal treatment of men and women. For example, in contrast to the norms of pagan Roman culture, the Church held men to the same standards of monogamy and fidelity traditionally expected of women. In fact, faithfulness to one's wife was (and remains), a prerequisite for Church leadership (1 Timothy 3:2–12).
In his book, Dominion, historian Tom Holland argues that Christianity radically reshaped views on sex and marriage, calling men to exercise self-control and outlawing all forms of rape. It placed sexuality within the context of monogamous marriage and played a crucial role in elevating women.
God is not sexist; he loves and values men and women in equal measure, as demonstrated in the life of Jesus and by the historical influence of the Church.
There are undeniable biological differences between men and women— leading to variations in physiology and temperament. This suggests a God ordained variance in roles, if only in the area of childbearing. We should not conflate an awareness of difference with sexism.
The question of varying roles for men and women within the Body of Christ, is not the subject of this article. Suffice it to say, God desires the flourishing of both men and women, who are equally made in his image, and created for lives of mutual interdependence with one another and ultimate dependence on him.
1 Corinthians 14: 34-35 and 1 Timothy 2: 11-12
