Called Together

Many churches consider the role of Christian women in the home and church to be a settled issue. However, an honest look at the biblical evidence reveals that there is still much to be learned. This book is especially for readers who are in churches where women are not permitted to teach men or where a woman would not be welcomed in the pulpit. In these churches, there is often a belief that there is no biblical support for women in spiritual leadership unless she is under supervision by a male. Within this culture, women are taught to need to yield their lives within the family to the preferences of male headship. In Called Together, Dr. Larry D. Ellis tackles this misbelief. He examines the issue through the lens of Scripture, embracing the importance of spiritual leadership by both women and men. The author specifically researches the teachings and behaviors of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. He presents a biblical study of the key passages incorrectly used to restrict women from Christian leadership in the home and the church. Ellis specifically examines how some translations can give false impressions of what the original readers would have understood to be the meaning of the biblical texts. He also explores the Mediterranean first-century gentile culture, the biblical history of shared Christian leadership, and the responsibilities of women leaders in the early church. He argues that restricting women from teaching and leadership negatively impacts the spread of the gospel today. Ellis concludes that the spiritual leadership of both women and men is critical for an authentic expression of the vision of Jesus for the church.