Egalikus: Egalitarian Haikus

By Megan Benninger

In His own image,
God created them to rule—
Male and female BOTH.
(Genesis 1:27-28)

…
A royal priesthood,
Jesus, only, mediates.
No patriarchy!
(1 Timothy 2:5)

…
Boys are not better.
Slave nor free, male nor female.
In Christ, all are one.
(Galatians 3:28)

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ONE woman, not all,
Paul told to keep silent, since
She needed to learn.
(1 Timothy 2:11-12)

…
Pronoun treachery:
They translated “someone”= “he,”
When it meant “she” too!
(I Timothy 3:1-13 — while verse 2 does refer specifically to a male in having one wife, everything else in these verses was originally gender neutral. Translators added male pronouns which would be better translated as “someone” or “a person.” The one-wife reference does not exclude a single man from being an elder/overseer/deacon; therefore, it is reasonable to assume it would not exclude a woman, especially since Paul himself called Phoebe a deacon.)

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Miriam, prophet,
Deborah, judge and prophet,
Huldah, a prophet, too.
(Micah 6:4, Judges 4, 2 Kings 22:14)

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Phoebe, a deacon,
Junia, an apostle,
Priscilla, teacher.
(Romans 16:1-2, Romans 16:7, Acts 18:26)

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Spirit poured out on
Menservants and maidservants.
Daughters, prophesy!
(Acts 2:17-18, Joel 2:28-29)