Is the Bible Sexist?

A common complaint about the Bible is that it is sexist - or even misogynistic. Recently on The Bible Explained (TBE) podcast, Jenn touched on the subject - women and head coverings. This is just one part of the Bible that is often debated. Jenn took two podcasts to discuss the subject, and you can listen to the first one here.

Of all Bible characters, Paul is the one who is mostly accused of discriminating against women. Second to him would be the law given to Moses in the Old Testament, and of course, the story of Adam and Eve. Are the instructions of Paul, Bible laws, and histories truly sexist?

Wikipedia defines sexism as “prejudice or discrimination based on one’s sex or gender.” They continue that “sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another.”

The definition is broad - and if we include Britannica’s definition of misogyny, “hatred or prejudice against women, typically exhibited by men,” we can get an idea of what many people think the Bible is about.

Usually when I hear claims that the Bible is unfair to women, I see a small part of Scripture without any context or effort to understand the entire situation. Remember that the Bible is a commentary to itself. There are tons of times that the Bible quotes itself, clarifies, and talks about the same themes. Instead of just ripping a quote from here or there, we need to gain an understanding of its true meaning taught throughout the whole Bible.

For example, if you happened to walk up to me while I was having a conversation, you might hear me say, “I hate pizza…” and you could assume that I really dislike pizza. If you saw me eating pizza a few days later and heard me say, “Wow, this is delish…” you could assume that I lied or was contradicting myself. But you didn’t hear the whole conversation. You just heard part of it. In fact, both things are true for me - my family knows I don’t want or like highly processed pizza, but I truly enjoy a good, homemade pizza. Hearing the whole conversation would have given you the rest of the story.

Many people will try to give you a “gotcha” statement. They’ll read a Bible verse or part of a Bible verse and attempt to prove that the Bible is unfair and unworthy of our attention. Here’s an example from the Old Testament Law. It might go something like this:

Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:20.

Sounds pretty unfair, huh? Are you saying women are dirty? And they have a Midas touch - of filth? Wow. That is unbelievable. THAT is in YOUR Bible. Look it up.

A person who is just starting to learn about the Bible might be really confused or maybe a little shocked. But with a little logic and background, you can see that God’s laws took care of women. This law is not saying a women is disgusting on her menstruation - it is giving her rest when her body needs it. A similar law in Leviticus 12 gives stipulations for women after childbirth - again giving her a bit of “maternity leave.”

It is true that a woman would be forbidden to participate in certain rituals and ceremonies and would be considered to be “unclean.” On the other hand, she would not need to worry about preparing for these events. If the word “unclean” is off-putting to you, you can rest assured that men also were considered unclean at certain times.

If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening. Leviticus 15:16

The man was only unclean until the evening - but this could happen more often. Women were not being singled out, but the law was certainly differentiating between the bodily functions of men and women. Likewise, many of the Biblical laws found in the Old Testament were different for the sexes, but very fair when considered logically.

The stories recorded in the Bible are also often misconstrued to say something that they don’t. These narratives are just accounts of history - things that truly happened. These stories don’t always depict wholesome or good events. Actually, many of them are just the opposite.

The story of Adam and Eve is one such story. It is the origin story of the human race and the problem of sin. It is also the reason for the good news of Jesus! But some people don’t see it that way. They see it as a fictitious tale of how women destroyed humankind. In the story, Eve ate of a forbidden fruit, and gave it to her husband, Adam.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:6

It is important to remember that this is a true account. Many people miss that little clarification that says her husband was with her. Adam had the responsibility of making sure no one ate the fruit. He agreed to eat the fruit. Eve was deceived by Satan, but Adam knew what he was doing. The Apostle Paul later tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 that death came from Adam.. and life comes from Jesus.

For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Speaking of Paul, he often gets a bad rap for telling wives to “submit to their husbands” and saying that husbands are the “head of the wife.” But take a look at what he tells husbands:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25

That’s a tall order! Husbands are commanded to love their wives, sacrificing for them. Husbands are commanded to sacrifice. Wives are told to submit. It wouldn’t be hard to submit to a person who has your best interest at heart. This is the order of marriage.

Paul is not implying that women are less than men. He is again recognizing the difference between the sexes and their positions. Paul also says,

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Corinthians 12:3

Many people get hung up on the part that says “the head of the woman is man.” But notice that it also says “the head of Christ is God.” We know that God is not better than Jesus, but that Jesus submitted and followed the will of the Father. We can also conclude that men are not better than women, but their positions and purposes are different. Husbands and wives complement each other by the divine design of God.

The Bible differentiates between men and women, but is actually a bit tougher on men. God has created men and women to unite together in marriage in a beautiful way. When God’s plan is followed, it is good for everyone involved, both men and women.

Are you confident in the role God gave you as a man or woman?