Listening to the Voices of Women in the Bible and the Church

Text by Dr. Chloe Sun Translation by Wendy Choy

That day is forever etched in my memory— I sat in the small room beside the English service chapel, tears streaming down my face, cradling my newborn baby, while my husband stood at the pulpit, delivering his sermon.

At the time, my husband and I had just graduated from seminary. He earned a Master of Theology, while I received both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology. I had completed all the training required for preaching and pastoral ministry. Yet after graduation, my husband quickly became a pastor—while I was left to be just the pastor’s wife.

This kind of “buy one, get one free” deal is all too common in many Chinese churches. A wave of frustration welled up inside me, and I protested to God: “This isn’t fair!”

The inequality between women and men in the church is rooted not only in cultural values that promote female submission to male authority, but also in theological interpretations and longstanding church traditions. Together, these influences have significantly shaped the way women are perceived and treated within the church.

As an Old Testament professor, I will explore in this article how women are viewed in the Old Testament. There are both negative portrayals and positive affirmations. My hope is that the church will continue engaging in meaningful conversations on this topic, listening to the voices of women in the congregation—and growing through them.

Negative Portrayals of Women in the Old Testament

After completing the six days of creation, God saw that everything was very good (see Genesis 1:31). But in chapter two, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (see Genesis 2:18). He also commanded the man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:17).

The woman, however, replaced God's standard of what is good with her own. Thus, the Bible’s negative portrayal of women begins with the very first woman. Genesis 3:6 records: "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it."

Eve’s choice impacted all of humanity, and it was from this event that the notion of “woman as evil” began to take shape.

In the laws of ancient Israel, the value of women was considered lower than that of men. According to Leviticus 27:2–5, the valuation for a female was thirty shekels, while that for a male was fifty shekels. Women were also regarded as more ritually unclean than men. If a woman gave birth to a son, she would be ceremonially unclean for seven days; but if she gave birth to a daughter, she would be unclean for two weeks (see Leviticus 12:1–5). The laws concerning female and male slaves were also different. For instance, if a man sold his daughter as a servant, she was not to go free as male servants did (see Exodus 21:7).

In the Old Testament, whenever Israel is personified as a woman, the negative imagery becomes especially pronounced. When the people turn away from God, they are depicted as an adulterous woman who follows other gods. God explicitly calls her a “prostitute” and describes her as “an adulterous wife who prefers strangers to her own husband” (see Ezekiel 16:32, 35). In the book of Proverbs, the adulterous woman is portrayed as the opposite of wisdom—she represents death and leads people down a path of destruction with no return (see Proverbs 19:13-18）

In the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible—the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings—female figures are often portrayed as evil, disruptive, sinful, impure, and sexually immoral.

Positive Portrayals of Women in the Old Testament

I've observed that many believers seem to accept negative portrayals of women without much thought—these images appear to be far more widespread than the positive ones.

Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2, “I do not permit a woman to teach,” has often been treated as a theological basis for restricting leadership roles to men—without taking into account the cultural context in which Paul was writing.

At that time, women in the church often had little access to education and were unfamiliar with social etiquette. They would sometimes speak during gatherings in ways that disrupted the order, so Paul advised them to remain quiet during worship.

I believe that believers need to consider both the theological message and the cultural context of Scripture in order to gain a more balanced understanding of how God views gender. While negative portrayals of women may appear prevalent in the Bible, the Old Testament’s Five Scrolls, also known as the Megilloth—Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and the Song of Songs—offer a contrasting perspective.

Ruth is repeatedly referred to as “the Moabite woman”—a label that carries a discriminatory undertone, reminding readers of the incident in which Moabite women seduced the Israelites into sexual immorality (see Numbers 25:1). Yet Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, her trust in the God of Israel, and her diligence and virtue reveal her to be a woman of noble character (see Ruth 3:11). She stands in contrast to that negative stereotype, and may even be compared to the “woman of valor” described in Proverbs 31. Ruth’s character breaks the long-standing label of Moabite women as promiscuous or immoral.

Likewise, through her courage and determination, Esther transformed from a helpless orphan into a woman of action and authority. Risking her own life, she intervened to save her people from genocide. Esther became a national heroine, challenging the notion that women are weak or inferior to men.

In the book of Lamentations, the voice of Daughter Zion tells the story of Jerusalem’s destruction. She represents the voice of a sinful woman, and the Bible gives her space to express the sorrow and anguish of guilt. She repeatedly acknowledges her wrongdoing (see Lamentations 1:5, 14, 18, 22), while also voicing the unjust punishment and unbearable suffering she has endured. Through her voice of pain, she challenges the image of women as worthless, affirming that even a woman who has sinned still possesses dignity and has the right to protest injustice.

The Song of Songs is a love poem in which the female protagonist freely and openly expresses her desire for her beloved. She speaks more often than the male character, and everything he says revolves around her. Her voice and presence affirm that woman is God’s creation—delightful in His eyes—and serve to overturn the harmful stereotype of women as mere seductresses or “prostitutes.”

Overall, the positive portrayals of women in the Five Scrolls stand in stark contrast to the more negative depictions of women found in other parts of the Old Testament.

As a woman, I have noticed that both of these contrasting voices coexist within the pages of Scripture.

How Does the Church Treat Women?

God’s intention is for the body of Christ—the Church—to reflect the fullness of His image as the Creator of both male and female. Sadly, many churches function like a single-parent home with a father but no mother. On the surface, everything may appear to be running smoothly. But anyone who has experienced the presence of both parents knows that a mother expresses love and teaches in ways that are different from a father—and children need the balance and richness of both.

It is unfortunate that when congregations see only male leaders on the pulpit, one must ask: Can they still see the fullness of God's image?

A male pastor once said, “If you want to know whether a church is healthy, look at how it treats its women.” The church must seek to understand what Scripture truly teaches about the identity and role of women. When God created Adam and Eve, His intention was to establish a complementary relationship of mutual support. After creating Adam, God said it was not good for him to be alone, so He made a partner to help him (see Genesis 2:18). It is important to note that the Hebrew word for “helper” (ʿezer) does not imply inferiority. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, God Himself is often described as the helper of His people (see Psalm 121:1–2).

Women lead, think, speak, relate, and express themselves differently from men. When both men and women participate in church leadership, the congregation is able to see a more complete picture of God’s kingdom. This is especially important in Asian and Asian-American churches, where those in positions of authority are still predominantly male. Pastors and elders have a responsibility to speak up for women—not only from the pulpit but also in various ministry settings. When men advocate for their sisters, the impact is often greater than when women speak on behalf of themselves.

I have been fortunate to receive encouragement from some male pastors who have invited me to preach not only on Mother’s Day, but also on other Sundays throughout the year. I believe that spiritual leaders who shape the church’s growth—as well as theological educators—should speak up in support of shared leadership between men and women. Their voices are vital in promoting a theology that is not only sound in principle, but also faithfully practiced in the life of the church through mutual partnership and harmony.

Finding Our Identity in Christ

For women, it can be incredibly difficult to find the right balance between speaking and staying silent, leading and submitting, stepping forward and remaining hidden. If a woman is too assertive, she risks being silenced or suppressed. But if she is too quiet, she may end up being overlooked or dismissed. In many ministry and workplace settings, a woman who expresses independent thoughts is often perceived as controversial, overstepping her bounds, or even having questionable motives.

However, we need to be secure in our identity in the Lord, to recognize the gifts God has given us, and to contribute our strengths with wisdom—working in partnership with others.

The year after that moment of weeping alone, I applied to a Ph.D. program. After graduating, I began teaching at a seminary—and I’ve continued to do so ever since. By choosing to serve outside of my own church context, I was able to respond to God’s call to minister to the global Chinese church. This path also helped lessen the personal struggle I experienced due to the gender discrimination within my home church.

Yet every time I witness the ongoing gender inequality in many churches, my heart aches for the gifted sisters who continue to serve faithfully, but are denied the same ministry opportunities as their brothers. They labor diligently, yet are not given equal standing or voice. In support of these women—who often endure discrimination and unequal treatment—I made the decision to incorporate the topic of gender and the church into my teaching. My hope is that, as my students become future pastors and leaders, they will not repeat the same mistakes.

Scripture contains both positive and negative voices about women. As God’s children, we cannot listen to one side while ignoring the other. Every voice matters. When women are not given the appropriate space to serve, the expression of God’s kingdom becomes unbalanced. It is my hope that church leaders will actively engage in conversations about gender, pay attention to gender bias within the church, and reflect on how their theological views and cultural traditions may shape their understanding of gender roles. Above all, may we allow the light of Scripture to guide us in making necessary corrections and moving toward greater faithfulness.

I long to see the fullness of Christ’s body—men and women serving together in harmony, like a beautiful duet offering a united song of praise to God.

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Originally published in the "Fullness in Christ Fellowship" Newsletter (March 2025 edition. https://ficfellowship.org/listening-to-women-in-the-bible-and-in-the-church/).

This article is translated from the original English version, “Listening to Women in the Bible, in the Church,” with the author’s permission.

https://www.inheritancemag.com/stories/listening-to-women-in-the-bible-in-the-church.

Author Bio

Dr. Chloe Sun holds an M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D., and previously taught Old Testament at Logos Evangelical Seminary. She is currently Professor of Old Testament and Program Director of the Chinese Studies Center at Fuller Theological Seminary.