A Noble Task, Not an Office: Reading 1 Timothy 3:1
Is It Wrong for a Woman to Want to Lead? What 1 Timothy 3:1 Says “Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” (1 Timothy 3:1, NIV) “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth…
Jenna
Jenna Dunn is the founder of Ezer Bible. She is the creator of the video series Bible Bias: The History of Unequal Scales in Bible Translation and Jesus in Eden. She has been a guest on the Beautiful Kingdom Builders podcast. She writes study guides for women who want to see the beauty of Scripture for themselves.
A Religion of Women and Slaves: What the Early Church’s Critics Got Right
Content note: this post mentions torture and martyrdom. In the second century, a Greek philosopher named Celsus wrote a long attack on Christianity. One of his favorite insults was about who the Christians were. He sneered that they could only…
Understanding What 1 Timothy 2:12 Means for Women in Ministry
Explore the true context of 1 Timothy 2:12 and discover how cultural background, Greek language, and Paul’s broader writings reshape our understanding of women’s roles in church leadership.
What’s the Difference Between Gender-Accurate and Gender-Inclusive Bible Translations?
The goal of any Bible translation should be to accurately convey the meaning of the original text in a way that is clear and accessible to its audience. Gender-accurate translations achieve this by using inclusive language when appropriate, ensuring that the message of God's Word reaches all people, regardless of their gender.
How the ESV Gendered Romans 12 and Why It Matters
Some translation choices are big and obvious. Others are two small words you’d never notice unless you set translations side by side. Romans 12:6–8 has two of the small ones. What the ESV says In Romans 12, Paul lists the…
Why Paul Wasn’t Quoting Genesis 3:16 to Silence Women
I followed the footnote, and it didn’t hold up I was reading 1 Corinthians 14 in my old ESV Study Bible. When I got to verse 34, “the women should keep silent in the churches… as the Law also says,”…
1 Corinthians 14:36 Shows Us Who is Being Rebuked by Paul
Most readers of 1 Corinthians 14:36 never notice it. It isn’t highlighted in translations, and it’s rarely explained in sermons. Yet within this single verse is a small linguistic detail that has the potential to reshape how the entire passage…
A Step-by-Step Approach to Creating Bible Chapter Outlines
The headings in your Bible weren’t written by Paul. Neither were the chapter numbers or the verse numbers. Chapters were added around the 1200s, and verse numbers in the 1550s. The section headings, the bold lines like “Wives and Husbands,”…
5 Simple Keys for Mastering Bible Reading and Understanding
Have you ever finished a chapter of the Bible and realized you couldn’t say what it was about? Or read a verse that seemed to say something you couldn’t believe God would say? The problem usually isn’t you, and it…
Why You Should Lean Into Difficult Bible Passages
Discomfort is a natural part of growth and learning. When we encounter ideas or experiences that challenge us, we're forced to confront our own assumptions and biases. This process can be uncomfortable, but it's also essential if we want to grow and mature as individuals.