Perhaps the clouded understanding of the culture of Paul's time clouded His Words. In this case culture influnce scripture.
God is not a sexist He is a spirit….
The letter killeth, and God purposely pleased those divine words in the Bible to say something to us deep and profound; but we have a tendency to hear and see what some man made system believes and ignore the fact that God’s spirit always has a deep and profound message it we (singular) have an ear to hear.
Like I just said God is a spirit; neither male nor female; just like Adam before God took the rib from Adam and created Eve.
When God speaks to us He uses what I will call spiritual language, symbolisms, examples, parables to show us something beyond the letter that killeth.
1 Corin 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (age) are come. example
Example: NT:5178 a : Strong’s: tupikos (toop-ee-kos'); an adverb related to NT:5179; found only in 1 Cor 10:11: as a warning, by way of example, typologically (i.e. figuratively, as a prophetic type, a typological interpretation of Scripture)
For this reason so many literalize God’s Word, because their minds are earthy, carnal or religious; but look a little closer; I like the word see: (Gk) with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable See: Strong’s NT:3700
Masculine is always spirit or spiritual (man child) God is always referred in the masculine with the exception of one of his names (El Shaddai) which is feminine (sorry to break some wineskins)? It has been said there are over two hundred different names for God is scripture; a name speaks of name, nature, character and authority. God is one but has many different natures.
But look at the feminine side of scripture we have the soul, the church, Baby lon. My point a man can have a soulish type ministry spiritually speaking.
But I have meet women who were masculine for their ministries were spirit.
Menno said:
Elijah,
Who get's to decide what we should pick and choose to follow in Scripture?
It is perhaps that you do not like what Paul wrote, because you do not fully understand what Paul wrote? Is it possible that cultural understandings NOW are clouding what Scripture says?
Which influences which? Scripture influence culture, or culture influence Scripture?
Lastly, if you are suggesting that we can ignore some of Paul's writings - then what do you say to a non-believer that says, "well, I do not like it when Jesus said 'I'm the way the truth and the life, you can only come to the father through me.', I think I will ignore it like you ignore what Paul wrote."?