Thinking on the apparent correlation between Salem and social media, I searched Wikipedia for the Salem Witch Trials this Lord's Day after morning worship. Here's what stood out:
"An overwhelming majority of people accused and convicted of witchcraft were women (about 78%).[32] Overall, the Puritan belief and prevailing New England culture was that women were inherently sinful and more susceptible to damnation than men were.[33] Throughout their daily lives, Puritans, especially Puritan women, actively attempted to thwart attempts by the Devil to overtake them and their souls. Indeed, Puritans held the belief that men and women were equal in the eyes of God, but not in the eyes of the Devil. Women's souls were seen as unprotected in their weak and vulnerable bodies. ...
Quarrels with neighbors often incited witchcraft allegations. One example of this is Abigail Faulkner, who was accused in 1692. Faulkner admitted she was "angry at what folk said," and the Devil may have temporarily overtaken her, causing harm to her neighbors.[34] Women who did not conform to the norms of Puritan society were more likely to be the target of an accusation, especially those who were unmarried or did not have children.[35]"
Does the apple fall far from the tree? As today's NAPARC denominations continue to parse out gender roles, women are asking the same age-old questions and seeking answers that
(As Pictured : https://twitter.com/SolaSisters/status/1277332755177668608 )
Listen to the New Testament accounts of women functioning for the benefit of God's people. Hear their voices and watch what they did:
Daughters:
Acts 2:16 ...this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
Anna the Prophetess:
Luke 2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. 38 At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Pricilla:
Acts 18:24 A Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was powerful in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately.
And finally, the beautiful, impeccable and doctrinally precise praise of Mary Mother of Jesus:
Luke 1:46 And Mary said:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48 because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 He has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
mindful of His mercy,
55 just as He spoke to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants forever.
One thing is abundantly clear in Scripture. The voices of women have been heard and valued in a variety of contexts, historically. These and other Biblical accounts evidence that women ministered to the body in various ways. They loved and helped the church and greater community through speaking, giving, and working. Their knowledge of theology was deep and rich, and well-received as they engaged others with it. They were not ashamed to verbalize what they had been taught and knew to their hearers, men and women, nor were they silenced in their contexts. Can we acknowledge and highlight that in our churches, Bible studies, and social media platforms? Will you pastors and elders do that from your pulpits?
For complementarian and Confessing women, the church discussion seems endless and, sometimes fruitless. So much of what women offer the church goes minimized and rejected. Many women continue to suffer under the oppression of patriarchal systems. As OPC Elders and Pastors seek to suss these things out on their behalf, Reformed and Evangelical women plead, wait and watch as women like Aimee Byrd, Rachel Green Miller, and others are publicly flogged and tried for daring to write and speak rationally and knowledgeably on these topics. When will we be valued and treated as co-laborers and co-heirs in the kingdom? When will the pastors, teachers, and theologians who have been silent stand up and defend the women they claim to protect, and put these modern-day witch hunters under discipline for their patterns of reviling and abusive speech? Have we grown and matured at all as a society and as a church culture, or have we reverted back to seventeenth-century Massachusetts?
Recommended reading:
Rachel Green Miller's Blog: https://rachelgreenmiller.com/
Aimee Byrd's Blog: https://aimeebyrd.com/
Marissa, "Gospel Gal" is a blogger and host of the new podcast, Church Chats with Gospel Gal (find on Youtube). She is wife of Mark, mother of three adult girls, counselor, educator, and mama bear to many. She lives in NW Georgia and attends an ACNA church in the area.
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