John 4:5-26 commentary

 5: Then cometh he to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph 6: Now Jacob's well was there Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey sat thus on the well and it was about the sixth hour ^[noon] 7: There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her Give me to drink 8: For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat 9: Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him How is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans 10: Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of Him and He would have given thee Living Water 11: The woman saith unto Him Sir thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep from whence then hast thou that Living Water?

12: Art thou greater than our father Jacob which gave us the well and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle? 13: Jesus answered and said unto her Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again 14: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him ^{[Invisible women x’s 3]} shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15: The woman saith unto Him Sir give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither to draw 16: Jesus saith unto her Go call thy husband and come hither 17: The woman answered and said I have no husband Jesus said unto her Thou hast well said I have no husband 18: For thou hast had five husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband In that saidst thou truly

Comments: ^{John 4:17-18} We do not know if the Woman at the Well was widowed or divorced. Chances are good that her fifth husband put her away without giving her a divorce settlement, thereby leaving her in marital limbo, which prevented her from marrying. If she had been divorced at any time in her past, Jesus acknowledged her marriages as legitimate. He did not stigmatize her for being married five times, though he did not legitimize her current living arrangement.

19: The woman saith unto him Sir I perceive that thou art a prophet 20: Our fathers ^{[invisible women x’s 2]} worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship

Comments: ^{John 4:19-20} It goes without saying, that in this passage the woman refers to her ancestors, both her foremothers as well as her forefathers worshipped, but who is pictured in reader’s minds when all ancestors are called “fathers?” Who is pictured in the minds of readers when translators translate all people as “men?” Males are pictured, rendering women invisible. Gender-biased-translation is the case with most every Bible translation. This must be addressed and corrected.

Though a social outcast, otherwise she would not be drawing water at high noon when none of the other women would be at the well, the Woman at the Well is obviously interested in the things of God. As soon as Jesus spoke of spiritual matters, she immediately launches into a theological debate.  

21: Jesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain ^{Amos 5:1} nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father 22: Ye worship ye know not what We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews

Comments: ^{John 4:21-22} Jesus stopped the debate by telling her the Law of Moses, that required worship to take place in the Temple at Jerusalem, would soon be abolished. When he said that salvation is through the Jews, it was an unapologetic reminder that the scriptures foretold that Messiah would descend from the line of Judah.  

23: But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him 24: God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth 25: The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ When he is come he will tell us all things 26: Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am He

Comments: ^{John 4:23-24} We worship by the Holy Spirit, by the Truth of HIS WORD, through faith in the RISEN SON OF GOD, who is TRUTH personified. Jesus said he was the only way, the only truth, and the only life, and that no one could come to the Father except through Him. Jesus died for the sins of all, so that all could be saved, but not all will be saved.

^{John 4:25-26} The Woman at the Well was looking for Messiah. She was a woman of faith. The first record we have of Jesus verbally revealing his identity to anyone, is to a woman. Though history and gender-biased-Bible-translators have tried to render women invisible, Jesus never did. Our Creator went out of his way to obliterate sinful gender-based hierarchies and double standards. Jesus made a point to let women and his male disciples know that his female creation was every bit as important, relevant, and autonomous as his male creation, and needed to be publicly treated as such.

Amos 5:10

 

They hate the one that corrects in the gate and they abhor one that speaks uprightly

Comments: ^{Amos 5:10 [Invisible women]} Scripture also records women rebuking, correcting, and speaking uprightly. It is wrong and wicked to call all mortals by the male designation. This is an ages-long deliberate effort to undermine the value of women. 

Women are not him, his, or he. And Bible translators should take into consideration when mixed crowds or both women and men are being referenced and translate accordingly. Bible translators should take full context into consideration while translating and should do so without gender-bias. 

Deuteronomy 7:14

Thou shalt be blessed above all people there shall not be male or female barren among you....

God protected women by saying [in his Word] that it was false to consistently blame wives for not bearing children. It was not always wives who were infertile. 

In ancient times, if a wives bore no children, husbands could legally put those wives away and take new ones. But scripture made it clear that infertility of husbands could be the reason a marriage produced no children. But, alas, for centuries male dominated theology-- not criticizing men in general, just stating a pertinent fact--conveniently ignored the statement found in Deuteronomy 7:14, a statement that made clear the fact that husbands could also be infertile. 

Acknowledging this scripture would have emancipated women from centuries of fear and suffering due to infertility censure. 

2 Timothy 4 commentary

       1: I earnestly testify therefore before the God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom 2: Proclaim THE WORD stand in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all patience and teaching
3: For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound teaching but after their own desires they shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears 4: And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto mythos 5: But you watch in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist fully carry out your service ^diakonia 6: For I am now ready to be offered ^{to die} and the time of my departure ^death is at hand 7: I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith 8: It remains then [that] there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me on that day and not to me only but to all [who] also love his appearing 9: Endeavor to come to me quickly 10: For Demas has forsaken me having loved this present age and is left for Thessalonica Crescens to Galatia Titus to Dalmatia 11: Only Luke is with me Take Mark and bring him with you for he is profitable to me for diakonia ^service 12: And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus 13: The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come bring with you and the books but especially the parchments 14: Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil the Lord reward him according to his works[1]
15: Of whom you be wary [of] also for he has greatly withstood our words 16: At my first trial no one stood with me but all forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 17: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the proclamation [of Christ] might be fully made and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion ^{from death by beasts in the Colosseum} 18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 19: Salute Prisca[2] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus 20: Erastus abode at Corinth but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick  21: Make every effort to come before winter Eubulus greets you and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the adelphos [believers who are with me] 22: The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit Grace be with you Amen

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[1] Paul did not appear to have a problem with naming names and expressing sentiments many would characterize as unchristian and making statements that seem to contradict Jesus’ words about loving your enemies and blessing them instead of cursing them. 

[2] In all male-dominated societies [virtually the entire planet—still today], it is customary, when referencing a married couple, to mention the husband first and then the wife. This is common protocol world-wide, including in the democracy of the United States. Yet we see Paul, in an ancient, and unapologetically androcentric, culture, list the wife’s [Prisca’s] name first. This is not coincidence. Both the Jewish culture and the Greek culture of the day, esteemed freeborn women only just above slaves in the social strata. But Jesus elevated the status of women [that men had lowered—not God] while he walked the earth, and his first followers continued in his example. The earliest efforts at “organizing” the early Church and the councils that followed, had everything to do with control in general and keeping woman in her “place” in particular. All of the early church “fathers” (this writer disagrees that they were any such thing) were misogynistic and  committed to the suppression of women in leadership. Yet, The great Apostle, in his letter to the young diakonos [servant of the Lord], had the audacity, not only to mention a woman teacher by name but to mention her before her husband. This is not insignificant.

2 Timothy 3 commentary

       1: This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come 2: For audawm shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphēmos disobedient to parents unthankful unholy 3: Without natural affection trucebreakers false accusers without self control fierce despisers of those that are good 4: traitors heady highminded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 5: Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away 6: For of this sort are they who worm their way into homes and gain control over women who are not as yet spiritually mature[1] loaded [down] with sins led astray by various sinful desires[2] 7: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 8: Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth [they are] men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 9: But these [men] shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all as theirs [Jannes and Jambres] also was 10: But you have fully known my doctrine manner of life purpose faith longsuffering love patience 11: Persecutions afflictions which came to me at Antioch at Iconium, at Lystra what persecutions I endured but out of them all the Lord delivered me 12: Yes and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 13: But evil men and seducers shall advance [becoming] worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 14: But you continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom you have learned them 15: And that from a babe you have known the sacred letters which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness 17: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works

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[1] Concerning the term, “silly” [women] as used in 2 Timothy 3:6 (excerpt from, Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery and theEvangelical Caste System, 2010, by Jocelyn Andersen)

This example of gender-biased-English-translation-theology might appear minor to some, but we do not believe it to be so. In 2 Timothy 3:6, a different word for woman is used and, again, James Strong, in agreement with the translators of the Authorized Version, displays misogynistic bias. In this passage, we are given a description of false teachers who target young women as primary victims. These female victims are described in the Greek as gunaikarion. Strong writes that gunaikarion is a diminutive of gune (woman, wife, or women). A diminutive of “woman” would indicate a young, not fully developed, or immature/ inexperienced (in the scriptures) woman. But, rather than reflecting the young and inexperienced status of these women [in his concordance] Strong defines gunaikarion (young and inexperienced) as “silly” women—which is the word used by the translators of the King James Bible, and does not reflect with the least bit of accuracy what gunaikarion meant to the ancient Greeks. The language of most other translations is just as misogynistic as the A.V., using derogatory words such as, “weak or gullible,” to describe women who are inexperienced in the Word of God, words that hatefully indicate a non-existent flaw or fault in the women. Describing these women as “silly, weak, and gullible,” is inexcusable on the part of Bible translators.  The Greek word “karion,” which is added to the Greek word gune [woman] to form the word gunaikarion, is still used in the Greek language today. It means, nut or kernel. Nuts and kernels are seeds. so we see, that the word does not carry a connotation of weak or foolish (silly, gullible) but rather the promise of growth and development. It is not a stretch to connect a seed with young [and as yet educationally and spiritually undeveloped] humans. All Christians, no matter what their natural age when they come to Christ, begin their Christian lives as spiritually young, full of promise, but not yet fully matured in the faith. So how is it justified that physically or spiritually immature female believers [victims], targeted by false teachers in 2 Timothy 3:6, are downgraded, using gender-biased-English-translation-theology, from young and spiritually immature women, to the disparaging [and incorrectly translated] terms, “silly, weak, and gullible?” About the word “silly,” in the A.V., it is used only one time in the New Testament—and that is in reference to. There is no corresponding Greek to support the use of the word, silly. This unfortunate rendering is entirely inappropriate and prejudicial against women. And the fact that it has gone unchallenged up to the present time, indicates how deeply ingrained and acceptable the derogatory stereotyping of women still is, among Biblical scholars and the Christian community at large. 

Under the Old Covenant, girls and women were not taught the scriptures in the same way boys and men were. Boys sat at the feet of rabbi’s and were systematically educated, while girls and women had to catch it on the fly (so to speak), hearing the Word of God only at Temple and synagogue attendance and by listening to men have conversations about their males-centered interpretations of the Law and Prophets [which were blatantly anti-woman]. This does not mean that women were less devout than men, completely ignorant, or that every woman was spiritually undeveloped. It simply meant that women as a group were less privileged and their knowledge was limited by discriminatory traditions that carried the weight of TORAH within the Jewish culture of the day. So there would have been many New Testament women, exhilarated by the new freedom given to them to learn, who would have been starving for knowledge, and who would have been targeted by false teachers.

** The Greek word, “karion,” means nut or kernel. “The name, karion, comes from the word, prokaryote. The word Prokaryote is derived from two Greek words--'pro' meaning before and 'karyon' referring to the nucleus. 

[2] It is the predatory male teachers that verse :6 goes on to describe as “laden with sins led away with divers lusts—and not the young women who were their prey. This is made clear in the following verses where no one questions that it is the false teachers who are 7: Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and who “8:… also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith.” Despite this, translation after translation makes it appear as though it is the women who are “loaded down with sins and led astray by various lusts,” instead of it being the men (wolves) who targeted them. It is deceivers who are referenced in verse :6 as, “laden with sins led away with divers lusts,” not the ones they are attempting to deceive. Despite this, translation after translation makes it appear as though it is the women who are “loaded down with sins and led astray by various lusts,” instead of it being the men (wolves) who targeted them. 

   It is the deceivers, not the the deceived, who are referenced in verse :6 as, "laden with sins [and] led away with divers lusts." The women in this passage, are not bad people. They are not stupid people. They are people whose lack of education (not by their own choices) has prepared them to become victims.