Women and St. Paul
Here in the United States, March is dedicated as the Women's History Month. Worldwide, March 8 is commemorated as the International Women's Day. This celebration is held to preserve and raise awareness of women's history - or "herstory" - by drawing attention to the contributions of individual women and the women's movement to society and the world. As the Jubilee Year of St. Paul progresses, it is appropriate an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Apostle's view of women and better appreciate the role of women in the Church.
While the graces that the ever-increasing women in ecclesial ministries are giving to the Church cannot be denied, one can still hear objections that this development is a novelty brought by Vatican II. In reading Paul, one can quickly discover that this is far from the truth. When Pope Benedict XVI instituted this Pauline Year, he announced that one of the goals of St. Paul's 2000th birthday celebration is to promote greater comprehension of the life and message of the Apostle. The topic of women is an area of Pauline thought that really needs a deeper understanding.
Paul is often mistakenly perceived to be a misogynist and chauvinist. This is compounded by the sad history of the misuses of the Apostle's writings to justify the domination and subordination of women (Eph 5:22-24; 1 Tim 2:8-15; Col 3:18-19). However, these distortions of Paul stem from an uncritical knowledge of sacred scriptures. A majority of contemporary bible scholars point out that these passages cited above are not from Paul.
Most scripture scholars today identify seven out of the thirteen letters attributed to the Apostle as having been authentically written by Paul himself: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. The six other letters: Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, are considered to have been written after the Apostle's martyrdom by later church leaders who attributed them to him, a practice that was accepted in the first century. Recent editions of the Bible, like the Catholic Study Bible, have informative introductions that incorporate this kind of data from the latest studies.
The letters of St. Paul show that he had an organized body of collaborators, many of whom were women. Many of them are explicitly named though with no other details: Euodia and Syntyche (Phil 4:2-3), Apphia (Phm 2), and the unnamed sister of Nereus (Rom 16:13). Other women are described as having "worked hard in the Lord": Mary (Rom 16:6); Tryphaena, Tryphosa and Persis (Rom 16:12).
Then there are women who are pictured as having important responsibilities in the Pauline house churches and whom the Apostle called colleagues. Cloe of Corinth headed a household founded by Paul. She communicated regularly with him and it was through her that Paul learned of the divisions within the community (1 Cor 1:11). From Cenchreae is Phoebe, whom Paul describes as a deacon or leader and benefactor (Rom 16:1-2). The eighth-century mosaic titled "Ecclesia Romana," which portrays a woman, is a reminder of this prominence.
Another frequently mentioned household church leader is Prisca, along with her husband Aquila. The Apostle calls them his "co-workers" and he is grateful to them for having "risked their necks for my life" (Rom 16:3-4). Paul also mentions twice "the church in their house" (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19). Paul also mentions another husband and wife team whom he called "apostles" and "relatives and fellow prisoners," Junia and Andronicus (Rom 16:7). Naming a female, Junia, an "apostle" is significantly remarkable.
That Paul had a great number of women co-workers enabled him to become sensitive to and get affected by the missionary and spiritual experiences and expressions of women that he integrated into his own. In many instances, Paul uses feminine and maternal images to portray his mission. The Apostle talks of labor pangs in his work (1 Thes 5:3; Gal 4:19; Rom 8:22). He compares himself to a nursing mother caring for her children (1 Thes 2:7) and of himself as giving milk to babes before they eat solid food (1 Cor 3:1-2).
St. Paul's thought and practice regarding women is a continuing call and challenge to the Church. That women played important roles in the Church from the very beginning have significant implications today. Contemporary women in ecclesial ministries beautifully reflect this Pauline vision of collaborative ministry of men and women serving Christ and the Church in mutuality and equality. For Paul, this is rooted in the reality of who we all are in Christ: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:27-28).
By Father Thaddeus Noel G. Laput, CM
Vincentian Father Laput is parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City
From March 6, 2009 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
