The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming

Was Eve cursed? Should women be paid less? These and other hard questions are asked by Sharon Williams in a friendly but challenging way. How does Sharon evaluate Bruce' answers? Please listen to this Bonus Episode of Season Five of The Eden Podcast.Bruce made a free book offer at the end. Here's the link: Tru316.com/free  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

This interview was recently conducted by Natalie Anne Hoffman on episode 135 of The Flying Free Podcast. I think you’ll appreciate her perspective and way of evaluating what we are discussing on this episode. These are her own words straight from the introductory comments she posted online explaining this episode to her audience:It took 11 words to change the world. 11 words misinterpreted. 11 words misunderstood. 11 words manipulated. A single sentence from the mouth of God to the first woman...Eve. A pronouncement. A prediction. A curse. Or was it?Do you know these words? Prepare yourself. Because you’re about to learn their TRUE meaning. It might blow. your. mind. And it will change the world...again. Then Natalie added this: Why this episode is a must listen:- The What: Bruce’s wife spent seven years researching her doctoral dissertation on 11 words. He followed with his own research on correlating New Testament verses. - The Why: How your understanding of those 11 words affects your view of women, men, God, and your entire existence.- The Are You Kidding Me?: A clear, precise explanation of those 11 words. You may scream. You may dance. You may fist pump several times. You may run around the block screaming incoherently. It’s that good. - WARNING: Bring an extra pair of socks. Because this episode is going to blow them clean off!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Sheila Wray Gregoire is an excellent and insightful interviewer. This Bonus Episode for The Eden Podcast is taken from the last section of Episode 111 of The Bare Marriage Podcast where she interviews Bruce C. E. Fleming on the word "head" and his new book Beyond Eden, Ephesians 5-6.In this interview they both refer to her first interview of Bruce on Episode 99 on The Bare Marriage Podcast. There she questioned Bruce about The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 and the importance of getting right a verse that has been gotten wrong for the last hundred years. It is Genesis 3:16, and especially Line 1 in the Hebrew text. In her research Dr. Joy Fleming found that God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way! Though most all modern translations make the verse look like God did that. It turns out that when Genesis 3:16 is made clear the seven passages on women and men in the Bible can be made clear. This BONUS Episode of The Eden Podcast is about one of those passages, the one in Ephesians 5-6. Beyond Eden, Ephesians 5-6 is available on Amazon HERE as a Kindle e-book and as a 118-page paperback complete with Study Guides after each chapter. Beyond Eden and The Book of Eden are also available as audiobooks on Audible.Go Deeper!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

BONUS NEWS FLASH! 20,000 Downloads!In just over nine months YOU have downloaded THIS MANY Episodes of The Eden Podcast! And I know your favorite one – it is Season 1, Episode 1. It is titled “Genesis 3:16 has been polluted!”- What is your second most favorite Episode? - Which one has helped you the most? - Which one surprised you the most? - Which one are you still puzzling over the most?- Which passage is the most important? Each Season of The Eden Podcast covers a major passage or two. - Season One covers Genesis 2-3.- Season Two covers Ephesians 5-6.- Season Three covers 1 Timothy 2-3.- Season Four covers 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 and 1 Peter 3.These Seasons on The Eden Podcast cover the seven key passages on women and men in the light of the corrected wording of Genesis 3:16. But because not everyone listens to podcasts, Books One and Two in The Eden Book Series have now been released. And Books Three and Four are in process. The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 is available as an ebook on Kindle, as a paperback on Amazon and as an audiobook on Audible. So is Beyond Eden, Ephesians 5-6.What you may not know about is my compact 93-page commentary on Genesis, Ephesians and 1 Timothy. It is called Women and Men in the Light of Eden and I have a limited number of copies I’m giving away for FREE to celebrate our group milestone of hitting 20,000 downloads! I’ll send YOU an autographed copy as your FREE gift as we celebrate! Just pay the shipping and handling. Click this link to make your request! https://bit.ly/2XgGTJq Or you can access a special page on the website. Here it is: www.Tru316.com/freeI’m grateful: To God for the Word! For the research of my wife to uncover and remove the pollution of Genesis 3:16.For how many listen to multiple episodes of The Eden PodcastFor the help I’m getting producing the podcasts and the booksFor the listeners who are starting local Tru316 Chapters to spread the word!To God be the glory!Bruce C. E. FlemingSpeaker on The Eden PodcastFounder of the Tru316 Project (www.Tru316.com) P.S. Here’s that link again. I’ll send YOU an autographed copy of Women and Men in the Light of Eden as your FREE gift as we celebrate! Click this link to make your request! https://bit.ly/2XgGTJq  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Many people are disappointed or even shocked when they read what God apparently said to Eve in the Garden of Eden.In her more than seven years of research, Dr. Joy Fleming revealed that modern translations are NOT telling us the meaning of God's eleven words to Eve in Genesis 3:16.To get the word out in the English-speaking world of her work at the University of Strasbourg, France, her husband and fellow scholar Bruce C.E. Fleming launched the Tru316 Project and The Eden Podcast. Now tens of thousands of episodes have been downloaded. And books and online courses are being consumed. The goal is for a host of teachers and advocates to be raised up who will alert and inform the church and correct the messages that have been polluted by the incorrect view of Genesis 3:16, especially in Line 1 of the Hebrew text.Deeper? Here's your FREE offer!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Where does the Garden of Eden appear in 1 Timothy? It appears at the end of chapter 2. But prejudice or bias from a mistaken interpretation of what God said to the woman in the Garden of Eden appears a bit earlier in the chapter.Have you heard that Paul was biased against women? I have. Do you think Paul could have gotten something that important so very wrong? That idea goes against my understanding of what inspiration by God involves. In my mind, if God inspired Paul’s words in 1 Timothy and if God’s theology is trustworthy, then what Paul wrote must be error free as well.I don’t think we take the Bible seriously if we dismiss this part of it as being culture-bound and irrelevant. So let’s study the passage in 1 Timothy a bit shall we?In order to not take the verses on Eden out of context we need to determine what their context is. This means we need to determine where the passage in 1 Timothy that refers to Adam and Eve begins and ends.To save time, let me say that Paul lists his three personal sins in 1 Timothy 1:13. Paul was astounded that God gave him the commission to serve as God’s mouthpiece among the nations outside of Israel. God treated him gently because he had only sinned ignorantly and in unbelief. After giving God praise for saving him especially from three of his sins, he uses this list to go step by step in the remaining verses of chapter 1 and in chapters 2 and 3. First, he refers to his fist sin, that of blasphemy in 1 Timothy 1:19 and 20. He names two blasphemers, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who he delivered to Satan to learn not to blaspheme any longer.Then, his second sin, that of being a persecutor of the church, he takes up in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. He had been saved even though he was a persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ. He wanted other persecutors like him to be saved as well. Finally starting with 1 Timothy 2:8 and going down through to the end of chapter 3 he takes up his third sin, that of being a disrupter of the church. I dedicate several detailed Episodes in Season Three of The Eden Podcast to this passage in the context of 1 Timothy.Finally, Paul tells Timothy to retrain the subgroups of men and women overseers, those who had gone astray in their teaching and their practice. They were not to be delivered over to Satan to learn their lesson as were Hymenaeus and Alexander. Instead, they were to be retrained by Timothy in the manner typical of rabbinical students who listened quietly and submissively to their teachers. These students learned in order to teach and practice. This was the ministry of the men and women overseers in the church at Ephesus.Why should they get such gentle treatment, compared to Hy and Alex? Paul justifies his advice to Timothy in chapter 2 verses 13-15a. He turns to what happened in Eden because the situation of the women overseers who were being retrained was very similar to that of Eve in Eden.Paul had been a second-degree blasphemer, persecutor and disrupter. He hadn’t sinned on purpose like a first degree murderer or sinner. He did it ignorantly and in unbelief. This had been the case for Eve.Adam ate the forbidden fruit with his eyes wide open. He was a deliberate and first-degree sinner. A first-degree eater, if you will. But Eve had to be deceived into eating. Only eating after being deceived did she eat. She, like Paul was a second-degree offender.God gave Eve a gentler treatment than he gave the man. The man received a curse on the ground from God. This was a harsh sentence of judgment! But nothing was cursed by God because of the woman.In fact, a true reading of Genesis 3:16 shows that God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit the woman in any way. What did God promise? In what promise could she place her trust? According to Genesis 3:15 and Line 1 of 3:16 Eve would be saved by placing her faith in her Offspring, in the One God had promised. God had promised that her offspring would crush Satan’s head. And he did so on the cross.This familiar message, to us, is that her promised Offspring, Jesus, is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He is our Champion too!Do we think Eve had a different hope to believe in? We should not miss this message referred to in 1 Timothy chapter 2. Jesus is the One. We look to him in faith to save us. Eve looked to him in faith to save her. That is the message of the three verses at the end of 1 Timothy 2.Let’s not get sidetracked by verses 13 and 14 in 1 Timothy. In what came to be numbered as verse 15a Paul testifies that Eve was saved through “the Childbearing.” The word Childbearing is a singular noun that has within it the potential of plural fulfillment. Of course it does. There were many generations of Eve’s seed down until the birth of Jesus by Mary in Bethlehem.Mini Course!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once

The Tru316 Project was launched to clean up the word pollution of Genesis 3:16 and related passages. How has the interpretation of the other passages set pollution fires? - Some people teach the woman was the Temptress and was cursed by God. - Some teach God saw evil desire in her heart and put the man in charge. - Some teach a man is like Christ to a woman. - Some teach that God gifts men only for public ministry. And there’s more. All this can be traced back to the incorrect translation of Genesis 3:16. That’s why we need a true 3:16! Because God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way!FREE book offer!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Many people are disappointed or even shocked when they read what God apparently said to Eve in the Garden of Eden.In more than seven years of research Dr. Joy Fleming revealed that modern translations are NOT telling us the meaning of God's eleven words in Genesis 3:16.Because her research was largely unknown in the Christian world, her husband and fellow scholar Bruce C.E. Fleming launched the Tru316 Project and The Eden Podcast. Now tens of thousands of episodes have been downloaded. And books and online courses have been snapped up.Here's you offer for a FREE book!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

This is a BONUS Episode of The Eden Podcast. Recently, our church welcomed Dr. Jeannine Brown to our pulpit. She is a New Testament professor and a member of the Committee on Bible Translation for the NIV. This audio picks up in the middle of the morning service as our pastor introduces Dr. Jeannine Brown.  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Unsaved husbands needed to be “won” to Christ! When Peter said “if any obey not the word” he used “if” in a first-class conditional way. He could have used the word “since.” There was nothing “iffy” about these men. None of them obeyed the word. All were unsaved.Verse 7 is packed full of meaning. In context, this verse provides the best practical advice in the Bible for husbands whose wives are unsaved. Peter’s advice is that unequally-yoked husbands – Christian men married to unbelieving women – should be model husbands.  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Here is my paraphrase of 1 Peter 3:1-7Advice to witnessing wives1You unequally-yoked wives, be submitting yourselves to your own husbands so that even though they do not yet believe the Word, through your conduct without using a word, they may be won to faith in Christ, 2 when they observe your God-fearing, pure conduct3not outward adorning or special coiffure, or the wearing of gold, jewelry and fine clothes 4but the inner adorning of the heart by your incorruptible meek and quiet spirit which is of great value before God5for indeed this is how the holy women of old, who kept hoping in God, adorned themselves as they submitted themselves to their own husbands.6Sarah, for example, trusted in God and submitted to Abraham her husband after the angel came. You are now her daughters by your well doing and your fearlessness of any disappointment.Advice to witnessing husbands7Likewise you unequally-yoked husbands, use good sense as you dwell with your unsaved wife while she is the weaker partner, treating her with dignity as a fellow human being, so that your prayers for her salvation might not be hindered.Not all spouses are ready to receive Christ when their partner first comes to Christ. It can be a sad and distressing experience to find that the other spouse is not ready, is closed, or even hostile, to the good news about Jesus. It is hard for a new believer to realize that just because one of them now has and understands new life in Christ, that the other may not yet be ready to believe!In verses 1-7, Peter tells these Christians how to get their message across, even if they find themselves prevented from speaking a single word! First he addresses Christian wives with unsaved husbands, and then he writes advice for Christian husbands with unsaved wives.These spouses are for at least a time “unequally yoked.” These spouses are joined together in marriage but each one is not pulling their full weight in the spiritual realm. One is alive in Christ. The other, as yet, is not.GO DEEPER: Please visit Tru316.comHave you read the foundational research that makes all these studies possible? Please read The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 by Bruce C. E. Fleming (based on the research of Dr. Joy Fleming).  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

What a joy it is to see the rising number of episode downloads as YOU listen to the life-changing meaning of the passages we are studying together. Thank you so much. You are making a great investment in your life, the life of your family and friends and the life of your local church.Our launch Episode, Episode One, Season One, of The Eden Podcast has been downloaded many more than a thousand times. Listeners have gone on to download the equivalent of 10 more times each, downloading more than 15,000 episodes! Listening to Seasons One through Four is equivalent to your taking a year’s Introductory Course in Bible Content and Practical Theology on Genesis 3:16 and the related Old Testament and New Testament passages! Congratulations!!!Now that you have listened and learned so much what comes next?** Most listeners will be a basic learner. Maybe that’s you. You have been learning in order to apply what you have learned. God is helping you have confidence in the Bible and to boldly live out in your daily life what you have been learning. And that’s great! Please try to listen to all of the first four Seasons of The Eden Podcast where we think again about the key passages on women and men in the light of a true understanding of Genesis 3:16. We learn that in Genesis 3 God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way. You can now get and study the books in The Eden Series. There are Study Guides that go with each chapter to help you go deeper! Book One in the Series is The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 by me, Bruce C. E. Fleming.** Some listeners, perhaps every listener, will be gifted by God to help others. Maybe this is you?? In what ways can you help others? Pray for those who are listening to The Eden Podcast, including you. Pray for others who need to find out about The Eden Podcast and the books in The Eden Series. Refer them to episodes of The Eden Podcast that interest them. Refer them to a book in The Eden Series that interests them.Engage with others in informed, loving conversation. Point them to the website of the Tru316 Project with its blog, shop, products, transcripts of the podcast episodes, links to the YouTube Channel and more.Refer them to a Tru316 Project mentor who can answer their questions.** Some listeners will be called by God to do more. To take action. Maybe this is you? In what ways can you take action?Organize a listening group or a book club to go through an episode or a chapter.Apply to be a Mentor with the Tru316 Project to answer questions on the content of The Eden Podcast. Attend live, or by replay, the Monthly Mentoring Meetings.Be an activist encouraging translation committees, authors, pastors and educators to update their materials in light of the correct understanding of Genesis 3:16. This action is the very reason I founded the Tru316 Project! This is what I pray for!** One or more listeners will join the team of the Tru316 Project part- or full-time. Maybe that’s you. What skills could you bring to the Tru316 Project that would strengthen the ministry of the people just described? What will happen if you go deeper with the Tru316 Project? More will happen! Much more! You already know what happens on The Eden Podcast. You share our love and respect for the Bible, even in the so-called difficult passages, which turn out to be full of good news. For whatever level of engagement you choose to make, make it a good one. Pray about it. Keep listening to The Eden Podcast. Keep reading your Bible. Refer others to the podcast and the books. Step up and start making monthly financial support to the Tru316 Project as an e-patron over on patreon. Above all - take action!GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Since God didn’t limit from ministry in any way, it should come as no surprise that many women participated in ministry in the early church. Others have described well their work but these women deserve mention once more.With Paul. Paul had many women co-laborers in public ministry. A third of those persons listed as ministering in Rome in Romans 16 were women. In Corinth and Ephesus, Paul worked openly and fruitfully with Priscilla, an accomplished theologian, teacher and church planter. In no place did Paul restrict women from use of any spiritual gift in the church, in the home, or in society. In order to shake out the cobwebs of the proposal from the legalists who wanted to limit women in ministry, it is helpful to review what the Old and New Testaments teach about women in ministry. Paul quoted their proposal in 1 Corinthians 14 verses 34-35 and then refuted their ideas in the very next verses.Old Testament. In the Old Testament, a number of women were great judges, prophets and queens. Miriam was one of the three great leaders of Israel during the Exodus (Micah 6:4). She sang the great song of celebration after the defeat of Pharoah’s army. The prophet Hulda’s threefold “Thus says the Lord!” led to a great revival (2 Kings 22:13-20). Judge Deborah was a leader in Israel (Judges 4:4-5; 5:1-2). Esther became queen for “such a time a this” (Esther 4:14). Her leadership resulted in many Gentiles coming to faith in God (8:17). She was recognized for her prudence and judgment and was vested with authority (9:11-12, 29-32).Hebrew pronouns, which are more gender precise than they are in English, showed that women were told in the Psalms and in Isaiah to proclaim the Word of God. Kroeger and Kroeger (p. 13) pointed out: "Psalm 68:11: The Lord gives the Word. Great is the host of women who proclaim it. Isa 40:9: O woman who is herald of good tidings in Zion, lift up your voice with strength, O woman who is herald of good tidings to Jerusalem, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God.’”During the Old Testament period only the few Israelites who were descendants of Levi were allowed to be priests (Exodus 29:9, 40:15). Even those who were Levites had to disqualify themselves if they had a blemish or open wound of any kind (Leviticus 21:17-24). This was part of the symbolism embodied in the sacrificial system of the Tabernacle.Since women have regular menstrual periods, they were freed from duty as priests. This was in order to maintain the symbolism that the only blood in the Tabernacle or the Temple would be the blood of the sacrifice (Leviticus 10:1-3; 15:31-33; cf. 16:1-4, 17). This blood of the sacrifice represented Christ’s coming sacrifice in which his blood would cover sins (Romans 3:25). No other blood was allowed.This restriction due to the symbolism of the blood of the lamb was similar to the restriction placed on fire because of the symbolic importance of the fire used to light the sacrifice on the altar. Aaron’s eldest sons presented unacceptable fire to the Lord and were put to death (!) for doing so (Leviticus 9:23-10:2). All this was done to maintain the purity and the clarity of the spiritual meaning of these symbols.New Testament. Jesus replaced the symbolism of the Old Testament period with the real thing. Instructive symbolism was no longer needed. The rituals that pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus were no longer needed. Instead people could clearly point to Jesus dying for our sins on the cross. We all, each one of us, now can repent of our sins and invite Christ to send the Holy Spirit into our hearts. When we do so we are, to use Jesus’ words, born again. In the New Testament, with restrictions due to symbolism no longer necessary, both women and men are called priests and kings (Rev 1:6), as well as prophets and apostles. Peter taught (1 Pet 2:5, 9) that all believers are part of a holy priesthood. All believers offer up spiritual sacrifices and are to proclaim the praises of God.Some may ask, “Why wasn’t at least one of the twelve disciples a woman?” Discreet men of that time had only males as close companions if they wanted to remain free from the innuendo and accusations of outsiders. Jesus was a male and so he traveled with other males in his immediate group. But outside of his immediate companions, were a number of women who traveled with Jesus. In Luke, women learn and minister along with the twelve disciples (Luke 8:2-3; 10:38-42; 13:10-11; etc.). We know the names of the twelve disciples. The names of a number of women are known as well. They are Mary and Martha of Bethany, plus Mary Magdalene, Salome, Johanna, Susanna and Mary the mother of Jesus.In Acts 1:13-15; 2:1-4, Luke records that a number of women were in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost. They were part of the 120 who were anointed by the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit and then went out proclaiming the Gospel in public. Peter explained in Acts 2:17-18 that this had been foretold by the pro

Paul inserted a final quotation from the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Then he refuted and rejected the proposal.In these two verses the subject, tone and vocabulary of the passage change noticeably. Then, in verses 36-38 comes a return to Paul’s normal vocabulary and style with a strong rebuke to those who proposed the ideas contained in the previous two verses. Finally, in verses 39 and 40, the storm passes and earlier themes are picked up again.According to verses 34-35, some want the Corinthian Christians to adopt legalistic limitations on who can, and who should not, use their gifts for the building up of the church. Specifically, the proposal excludes Christian women from speaking in church.Contentious claims. In verses 34 to 35 we encounter a string of bad ideas that do not belong to Paul. Why should women not speak, or preach, publicly? Because they are “not permitted.” Permitted? By whom, or by what?Women are to “be subject.” Why? Because that’s what their “law” says. If a Christian woman has a Christian husband who is informed enough to be able to instruct her, she can learn from him at home! Preposterous!What law? People have suggested that the quote/unquote “law” being referred to in verse 34 is … a reference to Genesis 3:16. However, Genesis 3:16 says nothing about “speaking” or about “being silent.” As we have seen earlier, that verse is not a curse, nor does God limit woman in any way. There is no such restriction in a true 3:16!Paul’s teaching elsewhere in the New Testament is nothing like the proposal in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Let me quote what David Odell-Scott says:Paul … states time and again that Christians are not under the law, but are free of it. … “But now we are discharged from the law” (Rom. 7:6). Earlier, in 1 Corinthians Paul instructs the Gentile men of Corinth that they are free of the law and are, therefore, not required to be circumcised (1 Cor. 7:18-19). Elsewhere, too, Paul has rejected the claim that Gentile Christians should keep the Jewish dietary laws. (Odell-Scott, BLT, p. 14)Those who are proposing limitations on women in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 are advocating the ideas of the legalists, the sayings of Jewish teachers that were passed on orally and later written down in the Jewish oral law. In an early article of his, (“Libertarian Women” Trin J 1 NS, p. 187) Philip Payne pointed out how verse 34 indicates the source of these ideas:… when Paul refers to the Old Testament, he usually does not write ‘as the law says’ (which often suggests oral tradition) but ‘just as it is written’.Payne also pointed out the elements in these verses that come from the milieu of the Jewish oral law:(quote) … According to Jewish custom, the part of the synagogue given to the scribes’ teaching was open only to males, as its name suggests: andron. … Women were forbidden to teach…. Their position in society was reflected in the common formula, “women, slaves, and children.” In the home, too, the wife was not even to pronounce the benediction after a meal. (Close quote)The “law” appealed to in 1 Corinthians 14 is the oral law. The words used here, such as the Greek word for “shame” in verse 35, are typical of the rough language used in the oral law. They are not the kind of words Paul uses. This is an example of the segregationist practices of Jewish legalism seeping into the church.To clarify that verse 34 refers to the “oral law,” and not the Old Testament “Law” with a capital “L” Bible editors of the NIV removed the capitalization that was first used in the NIV of 1971. Instead of using a capital L “Law,” the verse now has a lower case l “law,” for “… as the law says.”Was Paul intimidated? In making a reference to the oral law, those who contended with Paul made a serious tactical error. Paul no longer looked with favor on the rules he had followed as a Pharisee before his conversion. Paul had rebuked Peter for giving in to such influences (Galatians 2:11-14). He would not be swayed by a similar appeal coming to him from Corinth!GO DEEPER: To read about the foundational research on Genesis 2-3 by Dr. Joy Fleming that makes these New Testament studies possible please see The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 by Bruce C. E. Fleming  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In the full passage of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul focuses parts of the passage on each of these three groups in the church:Verses 3-9: on the converted Jews.Verses 11-12: on everyone in church.Verses 13-15: on the converted non-Jews.Here is my paraphrase of verses 10-12:Verse 10 - Application of the principle for Christian womenTherefore, a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.Verses 11-12 Theological basis of the principle of unityNevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all come from God.Prior to verse 10, Paul defends the principle that a Christian woman is a member of the body of Christ in every way. Then, in verse 10, he applies this principle in a simple affirmation.He ends verse 10 by adding another principle that argues in favor of the full status of women in ministry (those who are “praying and prophesying,” or preaching and teaching). In verses 11-12, he puts the matter in theological perspective. (1) women and men share in reciprocal relationships and (2) God is over all.Studying the grammar of 1 Corinthians 11, we note the following developments in the passage:Verses 4-6 are a unit that should be set off with quotation marksVerse 7a is a thought by itselfVerse 7b is a different thought followed by two verses that are subordinate to it and elaborate on itVerse 8 is subordinate to 7 – it is introduced by: “for” Verse 9 is subordinate to 7 as well – “for indeed”This structure is rare in the New Testament but is used six times in 1 Corinthians (pointing this out would be worth a “home run”)Verse 10 is introduced in Greek by “therefore” and is the culmination of this series of thoughtsThe verb in verse 10, “ought” is the same one used in verse 7, where a man “ought not” cover his head (another home run observation)Based on this here are my summary thoughts:A Christian woman is as equally obligated and empowered as a Christian man to not cover her head when ministering in church.GO DEEPER:I invite you to read the foundational study in Genesis 2-3 that unlocks the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11. It is The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 (God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way).  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In your mind, simply put quotation marks around the three verses of 1 Corinthians 11:4-6. Or better still pencil in quotation marks around them on the page of your print Bible.If quotation marks are missing around these verses in the Bible version you are using, is that wrong? Yes, and no. In koiné Greek in which the New Testament was written there were no quotation marks added. You had to add them yourself because this kind of punctuation wasn’t adopted yet. Translators have to decide whether or not to get the idea across in a modern language by doing nothing, by adding quotation marks or even by adding a few introductory words such as, “someone will say.”Dr. Bill Mounce brings up the example of 1 Corinthians 6:12. He writes, “Many translations put the phrase in quotation marks. “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful.” These include the ESV, and also the HCSB, NRSV and NET. Mounce continues that Paul “is quoting what his Corinthians opponents are saying. He doesn’t agree with them, but he is citing them.”Placing punctuation. The New International Version placed quotation marks around Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:23-26. Not every word in these verses was put in quotes. The translators noted that Paul was dialoguing with his readers in a brisk give and take. They showed this by adding quotation marks, dashes, and a paragraph break to his comments. They added these even though no punctuation marks were used in Paul’s original letter.Here is how the NIV punctuates 1 Corinthians 10:23. The words placed in quotation marks by the NIV I will highlight for you:23“I have the right to do anything”, you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but not everything is constructive. The proposals from Corinth in 1 Corinthians 10 are set apart by the quotation marks and the punctuation added by the NIV. This passage immediately precedes the verses on women and angels in 1 Corinthians 11.Modern readers are confused if translations do not add punctuation marks. Nevertheless most translators and editors have not placed quotation marks around verses 4-6.The reader who does not realize that the three verses of 1 Corinthians 11:4-6 are a quotation tries to make it part of Paul’s ideas. This makes the rest of the passage impossible to decipher. By omitting this punctuation translators make it look like Paul is advocating these legalistic ideas! Some scholars have even accused Paul of “reverting to his pre-Christian roots as a Pharisee in verses 4-6.”In order to continue the thought of verses 4-6, major modifications have been made in the translations, including in verse 10. Commentators go to great lengths to try to make sense of the passage as a whole. But none of this is necessary if one simply and reasonably places verses 4-6 in quotation marks.Why do people think the ideas in verses 4-6 could possibly be Paul's? I think it is because they have gotten Genesis 3:16 wrong. That's why we need a true 316.Go Deeper!Support the Tru316 Project for $3.16/month!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In 1 Corinthians 11:3 Paul reminds his Jewish readers, who are monotheists, of the importance of unity. Three times he points to independent elements that together make up one unit. The image he uses is that of the parts of the body that, united, make up one whole body:Believers-and-Christ are united in one spiritual bodyA wife-and-husband are united in one fleshSon-and-Father are united in the Godhead.He states his main idea in the first line of verse 3, and then adds two subordinate parallel images to illustrate it. In his reference to the parts that make up the body Paul challenges the reader to answer the question, Just who is “every man”?“Every man” is every believer – every man and every woman who is a Christian. This image is parallel to the one Paul uses in Ephesians 5:23: “Christ is the head of the church.”1 Corinthians 11:3: Christ is the head of every manEphesians 5:23b: Christ is the head of the churchAn extraordinary responsePaul begins his response to those who did not hold to the tradition he had taught the Corinthians with some word play. Usually a “play on words” has an extra element in it that draws attention to the fact that something extraordinary is being said, even though ordinary words may be used.In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul uses “every man” in Greek to stand for “every person – male or female.” Writing “every man” he makes a gentle play on words to make a point: Do some of you want to focus only on what a man is free to do in Christ? Not I. I will focus on every man in Christ because I want you to focus on what every person – male or female – is free to do in Christ!GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The focus of this episode is: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Getting this passage right.Here’s some good advice. “Don't take verses out of context.” How do you do that? One way is to cut off the beginning of a passage. If you miss the beginning thoughts of a passage you risk missing the meaning of the following message. Sadly, this happens every time people skip over 1 Corinthians 11:2 and start at verse 3. And most people start after verse 2. They leave out this critical verse!In verse 2, Paul begins a passage of praise. He praises the Christians at Corinth for resisting pressure to behave differently. He praises them for following exactly what he had advised them to do. Only after the end of the passage of verses 2-16 does he begin to criticize the Corinthians. So, What were they getting right? They were applying what he summarizes in verses 10-12. Have you noticed?Wrong assumptions. In 1962, Don and Carol Richardson risked their lives to share the Gospel with the Sawi people of New Guinea. Their book Peace Child tells their unforgettable story of living among a people group where treachery was valued as their highest virtue. They would fatten potential victims with friendship before betraying them for slaughter.The very first time these pioneer missionaries tried to tell the Sawi headhunting cannibals of New Guinea the Good News about the cross of Christ things went very wrong! This occurred as they were telling about Jesus the night Judas betrayed him with a kiss. Jesus, the good guy, was praying in the Garden of Gethemane on the hill across from Jerusalem where soon he would be nailed to a cross for our sins. In the night, Judas, the bad guy, came up to him in the darkness with a crowd with clubs and swords. He wanted to make it clear to them who to arrest. He didn’t want them to get the wrong person. He didn’t want Jesus to get away. He told the brutal crowd, watch for the one I greet with a kiss. He is the one to arrest.The listeners held their breath as the scene unfolded before them for the very first time. Up came Judas, the follower, to Jesus his teacher. “Teacher” the betrayer said to Jesus and then kissed him.The listeners went wild! What a master stroke! What a fantastic betrayal! The missionaries were horrified at the unexpected response their teaching produced. These headhunting cannibals saw Judas as the hero of that night scene. He had just betrayed his victim. To them, he had triumphed!In the Sawi culture they valued treachery. They would deceive their enemies pretending to be friends. Judas for them was a master of betrayal. Jesus was just a witless target. Undoing the results of that session took lots of work. In a less spectacular way, people have been getting wrong the message of 1 Corinthians 11. Coming to these verses with the wrong presuppositions, readers and translators alike have missed the message the passage. They have misread the key verses. Let’s start with the overall flow of thought which is Praise for Proper Practice 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.2Now I praise you, brothers and sisters, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. …10Therefore, a woman should have authority over her own head …16But if anyone thinks of being contentious, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.17Now I do not praise you in giving these next instructions since you come together not for the better but for the worse. …After Paul moved on from Corinth in his missionary journeys, the church he had founded there continued the practices he had taught them to follow. They followed what he had taught them about women and men ministering to the congregation. God raised up both women and men to lead the congregation in worship and to teach God’s Word.Apparently there were grumblers who tried to restrict some people from leading the group. They wanted their old religious traditions to be followed and grew contentious about it. But the rest of the congregation maintained the course on which Paul had set them. They earned his praise for this. Paul wanted them to continue what they had started together in Corinth. In every church he started, this was the way he wanted the believers to worship and teach.Incomplete or incorrect? Paul learned from the visitors from Corinth (1:11) that the church had developed four distinct factions. Some people purported to be “of Paul,” others “of Peter,” and still others “of Apollos” or “of Jesus.”In spite of all this, Paul was still their unquestioned spiritual parent, the one who first planted their church. Divisions of opinion had arisen among them on practical issues dealing with marriage (7:1) and idolatry (8:1; 10:14). Some wanted the church to follow the rules and regulations found in the Jewish oral law, for example in 14:34-35.In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul addresses those in the church at Corinth who wanted to limit the ways women were participating in ministry. Had Paul really meant that women should pray and prophesy al

God didn't curse Eve or limit woman in any way in Genesis 3:16. This is what Dr. Joy Fleming discovered in the 11 Hebrew words of this key verse. But your Bible doesn't read that way because of a translation error!!This and much more has been put into The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 by Bruce C. E. Fleming available on Audible HERE.  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Welcome to this bonus episode of The Eden Podcast where we think again about the Bible on women and men and we start with a correct understanding of what happened in the Garden of Eden back in the beginning.I’m Bruce C. E. Fleming, founder of the Tru316 Project and a former Academic Dean and Professor of Practical Theology.This bonus episode celebrates our arrival at the end of Season Three on The Eden Podcast. I’ve started getting messages from some letting me know you have listened to all of the episodes up to this point. Congratulations! You have just completed a major achievement! We don’t hand out certificates just yet. But I would like to encourage you for your achievement.Let’s look at what has been accomplished!Season One of The Eden Podcast is the foundation of it all. What happened in Genesis 2-3 is so important to what we know of God, of one another, of the liar who attacked murderously at the Tree, of the difference between the responses of the man and the woman and of God’s responses to all three. We focused especially in Episodes 6 and 7 on God’s words to the woman in Genesis 3:16. Basing our insights on the research of Dr. Joy Fleming we observed that God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way! And we learned much more. That’s why we put all of Season One in a book and added Study Guides at the end of each chapter. The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 is 124 pages long in paperback. It is also available from Amazon as a Kindle E-book, and shortly should be available on Audible. I encourage you to get at least one copy for yourself today! Just go to Amazon HERE.Season Two is about Ephesians 5:15-6:9. Because people haven’t begun at the beginning of this passage at 5:15 and ended at the end of the passage at 6:9, and because people haven’t recognized the way Paul developed his ideas inside the passage building up to his key idea in 5:32 there has been much that has gone wrong in their interpretation of this passage. Thanks to the insights we gained from a true view of Genesis 3:16 we were able to understand it all much better. This was especially true of Paul’s advice on teaching and admonishing one another and in submitting ourselves to that input from one another.Season Three is about 1 Timothy 2:8-3:13 in context. We covered so much good material here and marveled at Paul’s loving and merciful attitude with the overseers who had gone astray in the church at Ephesus.So, here’s how I would like us to encourage one another!First of all. Spread the word! Of course, above all take what you have learned and apply it in your life as God moves you to. Then tell others. You can refer them to the entire The Eden Podcast series at TheEdenPodcast.com. You can refer them to several specific episodes. My favorites in Season 1 on Genesis are Episodes 1, 6 and 7. (But really I like them all.) My favorites in Season 2 on Ephesians are Episodes 3, 4 and 6. My favorites in Season 3 on 1 Timothy are 2, 5 and 6.Second. I’d love to have you study with us as a member of our Tru School of the Bible. We are now taking early enrollment for our first 8-week course which will be called Unlocking Eden, Genesis 2-3. It will be held during our Summer Session in July and August. The cost will be $316 (of course 316) and the number of places is very limited. So you can sign up today. The cost will be refundable. Here’s the link on our website: Tru316.com/UnlockingEden.There’s more to come! In your life and in mine. God is so good and God’s word the Bible is wholly worthy of our trust, respect and enjoyment!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In 1 Timothy 2:8-15, Paul recommended appropriate discipline for disruptive and injurious behavior. His recommendations took into account not only the sin committed, but also the heart motivation of the offender. In 1 Timothy 3:1-12 the women and men leaders who had been disciplined were encouraged to aspire to, and to resume, ministry in the church.In these verses, Paul did not teach any doctrine of “authority-of-a-husband,” or “leadership-by-men” in the church. Instead, he drew a picture of various Christian men and women actively serving Christ, having been made faithful by Jesus, the Word!How did we get here? Likely, much of what we have just covered is not what you have heard before about 1 Timothy 2-3. We faced the same thing in our studies of Ephesians 5-6 and Genesis 2-3. For me, the findings of my wife’s research into Genesis 3:16 makes all the difference. She found that in God’s eleven Hebrew words in Genesis 3:16 God didn’t curse Eve or limit woman in any way.God showed love and mercy to Eve in the Garden of Eden. But Satan, the murderer and liar, wants us to think God cursed her. She unmasked his attack at the tree but he is still the enemy of the woman. He wants us to take as many shots at her as he can get us to!Sadly, translators and theologians have been tricked into playing on his side. They have mistranslated Genesis 3:16 and they have also mishandled other Bible passages related to God’s words to the woman like 1 Timothy 2-3.That’s why we have produced these studies. That’s why we have written The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3. Where they have gone astray Bible translations need to be corrected based on the true words of Genesis 3:16. That’s the challenge of the Tru316 Project: to bring about change in all the passages that need correcting in the light of what God really said in Genesis 3:16. I invite you to get involved and join the work. You can start at Tru316.com.  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Jump with me to the heart of the matter. 1 Timothy 3:1 does not teach that only men are to be overseers in the church. Verse 2 does not teach that only married men can be pastors. And verses 4-5 do not teach that men only are to manage the household.1 Timothy 3:1 offers encouragement to the overseers undergoing retraining by saying, “Anyone aspiring to oversight desires a good work.” However, many people cover over the meaning of the verse. They lard it over with teaching full of imported meaning that is foreign to the text. They make it sound something like this: Here’s an 11th Commandment: "Only men should be overseers!" Surprising departure from the previous meaning I described? It certainly is! What do you think of it?In the verses that follow verse 1 there are other departures from the meaning of the inspired Greek text. People repeat their error from verse 1 when they teach that verse 2 says that only married men should be overseers in church. Then, with regard to life in the Christian family they get wrong verses 4-5 saying that men are the ones who must manage the family unit. The Greek words of 1 Timothy chapter 3 don’t say any of these things. Many translations, sadly, go astray. Let’s correct them as we think again about 1 Timothy chapter 3.In the passage of 1 Timothy the three times Paul uses the words pistos ho logos. In 3:1, Jesus, the faithful Word, serves as the high point, the turning point of the second section of the letter to Timothy that runs from 1:18 to 3:16. As Jesus is faithful, Jesus in turn makes others faithful, in this case the overseers Paul has been correcting in 2:8-15.As we arrive at 3:1 we are at a major turning point. Paul turns from “How to correct disruptive wayward overseers” to “How to restore them to ministry.” Keeping this focus on overseers, both female and male, keeps us from going astray in our interpretation and in our practice in church today. The Greek words in the rest of 1 Timothy 3:1 are inclusive of both women and men. They are gender neutral. Paul is talking about tis or “anyone,” female or male who aspires to oversight. Overseers were among the ones gifted to serve the rest of the body of Christ. Those who received this gift were described in Ephesians 4:11-12. In the letter to the Ephesians, only some believers in the body of Christ are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers. Because Paul is speaking about those who had gone astray from within this group, when he talks about anyone aspiring to oversight in 3:1 the antecedent to the pronoun “anyone” looks back to those people who already had been gifted and called to be overseers. The “anyone” in 3:1 refers to those who have already been in public ministry and have been stopped from doing so because they had gone astray and disrupted the church. But these were not without hope. To the contrary they could aspire to such a good work once more thanks to Jesus, the faithful Word.Have you looked on wayward church leaders this way? Have you seen defrocked pastors, and elders and preachers and teachers treated this way? I have. But not much in the churches in my own country in America. But in other countries where we have served I have seen a fruitful practice of discipline, retraining and restoration carried out.  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

1 Timothy 2:13-15 How Eve and Paul were alike, by Bruce C. E. FlemingThe focus of this episode is: 1 Timothy 2:13-15 How Eve and Paul were alike“What’s this Dad?” I asked picking up the flat and pointed piece of chipped stone. “That’s an arrowhead son,” he replied. “What’s it doing here, Dad?” “Ahh. That’s a great question!”“What’s this doing here?” is what many ask when they come across the verses that are numbered as 1 Timothy 2:13-15. They ask, “Why do we find these words in this place?” One could say we have several figurative arrowheads to consider in these verses.- Why does Paul here bring up the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve?- Did they have something to do with the wayward women leaders Timothy was correcting in Ephesus? What?- Where in the text does the reference to Eden end in these verses?- Why does Paul bring up the birth of The Child in verse 15?- And who are “they” at the end of verse 15b?These questions can all be answered. We can answer them now because we have asked the right questions.We can answer them because we have looked at the context and the main actions Paul is recommending in 1 Timothy 2:8 to 3:16. We can answer them because we are not off-the-track wandering in the weeds looking for the answers to the wrong questions, which I’m afraid so many have done.Let’s look at the literary structure of the passage as Paul presented these ideas. As we do we see where verses 13-15 belong in the development of Paul’s thought. He has not written a linear progression of ideas in a 1, 2, 3 manner. He has written using a rainbow pattern of parallel ideas. The main idea is in the middle. On either side are ideas that echo and complete each other.Because verse 9 has no verb and begins with “likewise” we have to start back in verse 8. Then come verses 9-15 which are Paul’s focused advice about correcting-in-order-to-restore-to-ministry the subgroup of wayward women overseers in Ephesus.In verse 8 Paul gives a command to Timothy. He wishes for the wayward men overseers to preach and pray in public worship with holy hands (not tainted by sin) with sound doctrine, which is not a source of angry disputing.In verses 9, 10 and 12, Paul gives a parallel command to Timothy. He wishes for the wayward women overseers to preach and pray in public worship with proper outward dress and behavior.In verse 11 Paul makes use of this passage’s only imperative verb where he says, Let these women learn! as good students paying attention.Then, Paul opens a parenthesis in verses 13-15a before he returns in 15b to advice that parallels his earlier advice. That advice concerned the formerly wayward women overseers Timothy was to retrain and restore to ministry. Verses 13-15a serve as a digression. In them Paul justifies the course of action he is recommending. He explains why he is prescribing such gentle correction for them.Remember, with the wayward leaders Hymenaeus and Alexander back in 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul turned them over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. But with these women wayward overseers he is recommending a very different kind of teaching. They are not being handed over to Satan to be taught. They are to be allowed to learn and get retrained as good students from Timothy himself, or by Priscilla or by other faithful overseers in the church at Ephesus.Here’s my paraphrase of verses 13-15a in the context of verses 2:11 to 3:111Let the women overseers who were wayward learn in quietness and with all studiousness. 12I am not permitting them to teach men in an incorrect way, but to be retrained in quietness.13Why? For, God formed the two in the Garden, Adam and then Eve 14and Adam was a first-degree eater. He was not deceived but sinned on purpose. But Eve was deceived and as a second-degree sinner, to that degree, she became a transgressor.15But she, Eve, would be saved through the birth of The Child who was to come, as will the women you are retraining if they persevere in faith, love, sanctification and self-control.3:1“Faithful is Jesus the Logos, the Word,” so if any one of those you are correcting aspires to oversight, that woman or that man desires a good work!Like Paul, like EveWhy? The Gospel of Mark recounts how Jesus’ disciples were slow to learn the lesson of the multiplied loaves. First, Jesus fed the 5,000 from a few loaves and some fish (Mark 6:35-44). A second time, Jesus multiplied a handful of food into enough for four thousand people (Mark 8:1-9). A little while later, Jesus and his disciples found themselves in a boat with just one loaf of bread. The disciples were hungry and began to worry. Oh, what could they do in these dire straits?Carefully, Jesus talked to them about their cares and about their blindness to His power to provide for them again and again. He reminded them of all that had happened. Yet they still didn’t understand (Mark 8:14-21). They needed to be told again.In similar fashion, just in case his message has not been fully understood, Paul adds several more verses in 1 T

Here's my paraphrase of 1 Timothy 2:8-12 from the Greek:(8) Timothy, I wish for the men to pray and prophesy correctly while leading worship, lifting up holy hands without causing anger and disputing!(9) Likewise, I wish the women who pray and prophesy leading worship to adorn themselves with modest apparel that promotes self-control - not with improper hair plaiting, along with its gold and pearls, and costly clothing - (10) Women preaching godliness are adorned by their good works.(11) Let those women overseers who were wayward learn in quietness and with all studiousness as good students. (12) I am not permitting them to teach men in an incorrect way, but to learn in quietness.Each Greek word is analyzed in the transcript of the Episode. Go DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

1 Timothy 2:8 is not a verse about people in general praying around the world. What should tip us off are the comments at the end of the verse about “anger” and “disputing.”Disruptive Preachers. How often are people angry and how often do disputes break out after prayer meetings where you are? Not often? Never? Is this verse not applicable in your situation? No. It likely is not. It applied to the situation in Ephesus. And would apply in similar situations down through time.In his next sentence, in verse 9, Paul begins with the Greek word “likewise.” And then he uses no verb. When this happens in Greek we are to look back to the verb in the previous sentence and use it in this one. What is the verb we are to use in verse 9? It is the verb “I wish.”Verse 8 is aimed not at all men, nor at all the men overseers. It applies to the men overseers who are praying and preaching incorrectly. Because verse 9 starts with the word “Likewise,” we can assume it is aimed not at all women, nor at all the women overseers. It applies to the women overseers who are praying and preaching incorrectly.Right, wrong, right. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 Paul describes the characteristics of faithful women overseers in the first half of verse 9 and also in verse 10. He contrasts these with the improper behavior of the wayward women overseers described in the second half of verse 9 and in verse 12.The incorrect behavior of verses 9b and 12 practiced by a subgroup of the women overseers was to be stopped. Then these women were to be taught. Paul says "Let learn!" This command in Greek in verse 11 applied to the women who were being retrained for service after being restrained from false teaching and practice.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The first seven verses in 1 Timothy 2 are Paul's discussion of his second sin, that of being an official who persecuted the church. But many commentators and theologians haven't understood how the first seven verses of 1 Timothy 2 fit into the structure of Paul's letter. Some have suggested like this person, that Paul "strung his ideas together in 1 Timothy in a rather haphazard manner." That doesn't sound like Paul to me!Why this trouble? These people have missed the literary context of these seven verses. They have missed the continuing development of Paul's thought through each of his three sins and here in his discussion of his second sin, that of persecuting the church.Paul knew all about officials who could wreak havoc on the church. These seven verses track closely Paul's own past:when he persecuted the churchwhen he was convertedwhen he ceased persecuting the churchGO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Paul listed MY THREE SINS in 1 Timothy 1:13. First, Paul was a blasphemer. He had spoken evil of Jesus. Second, he was a persecutor. He had persecuted believers in Christ. Third, he was injurious. He had disrupted the church. Three groups in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:18-3:16). Paul often gave a list near the start of his letters. The list pointed to what was coming next in his letter. When I learned of this I began looking for a list in 1 Timothy. I read various commentaries to see what list they had found. No one mentioned any list.And then, I found it! Paul’s list comes in 1:13. The list is found in his three sins - Paul had been (1) a blasphemer, (2) a persecutor, and (3) a disruptor. These three sins become the template he will use in Section Two of this letter. In Section Two of his letter, Paul writes about three groups of people in Ephesus who correspond to each one of his three sins. Paul comments about those who are guilty of his first sin in a few words. He comments about those who have the power to commit his second sin with more words. He comments to Timothy about the group guilty of his third sin with the most words.Here are the three groups:Blasphemers at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:18-20)Persecutors at Ephesus (1 Timothy 2:1-7)Disruptors at Ephesus (1 Timothy 2:8-3:16)GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

A quick survey of the key points in Genesis 2-3 that are affected positively by a correct understanding of Genesis 3:16. Christy and Kaylin interviewed Bruce C. E. Fleming on their podcast about what Genesis 3:16 really says in the Hebrew text and how this helps our understanding of the other verses that tell us what happened back in the Beginning. Lots covered and lots of fun in this interview!Order a 3-Pak of the paperback, The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 HEREFor the Kindle version order HEREGO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Celebrate with the Tru316 Project as we approach "3/16 Day" 2021! The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The hot topic, the hot verse in all of 1 Timothy is 1st Timothy 2:12. People want to go right there and from that verse only they want to know all about “women in church.” But if they look only to verse 12 they are taking a scriptural teaching out of context! Context and content. What is the context of 1 Timothy 2:12? It is found in a series of ideas that actually begin back in 1:18 and continue down to 3:16. What is the content of verse 12? 1 Timothy 2:12 turns out to be only the second half of a Greek sentence. And it is not the important half of the sentence. The important half of the sentence is in verse 11. And if we look only to verse 12, we’ve missed the main idea.Getting right what we think 1 Timothy says is most important these days. Especially for its teaching in chapters 2 and 3 on women and men in ministry, and how to correct and restore those who go astray while in the ministry.GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Translators’ errors are hurting so many lives. Perhaps the biggest error of all is occurring in Genesis 3:16. People get a sour taste when they read modern translations of Genesis 2-3 that make God appear unfair and even vindictive. What they read leads them to think God cursed the woman in some way even though she had been deceived. They think she had been the Temptress and deserved a curse unlike the rebellious man whose body was not cursed.Would you like a book you can read and study with others? At the Tru316 Project we’re really excited to provide you The Book of Eden, Studies from Genesis 2 and 3. Because God didn’t curse Eve or limit woman in any way. In eight chapters we work our way through the following points and more:Here are THINGS THAT TRULY HAPPENED IN EDEN (GEN. 2-3)CREATED EQUAL PARTNERS. God created the man and woman as equal partners.BOTH RULED OVER ALL. God told both to rule over all other creatures and creation.BOTH ATTACKED BY SATAN. Both were attacked by Satan but each reacted differently.GOD AFFIRMED THE WOMAN. God affirmed the woman’s confession, appointed her Satan’s combatant and gave her the Promise.GOD CURSED NEITHER HUMAN. The woman wasn’t cursed in any way in the original Hebrew text. But translations wrongly make it look like God did so in one or more ways.At the end of each chapter you’ll find a Study Guide. These are not just review questions. They encourage discussion and lead you to apply what you read from the Bible.I’ve created a package where you can order three or more hard copies of The Book of Eden to use in Study Groups, Book Clubs and for the Family. I’m autographing each one.Go today to Tru316.com and click on the button to order your discounted copies of The Book of Eden. That’s tru316.com.Here’s the link! https://tru316.com/shop/ols/products/the-book-of-eden-genesis-2-3-by-bruce-c-e-fleming  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The focus of this episode is:Ephesians 5:32-6:9. Family members submitting one to anotherHave you ever been in a conversation like this? Maybe you’re talking with a lovable old uncle, or you’re in conversation with a friendly neighbor. You’ve been talking about one thing and then you get off the track and start talking about something else. Finally, comes a moment when one of you says, “Let’s get back to what we were talking about.” And you pick up with that earlier train of thought right where you left off.That’s something like what we find at the start of Ephesians 5:33. Paul uses a Greek word that is usually translated into English as “nevertheless” or “however.” This Greek word, “nevertheless” refers to something said earlier and picks up the train of thought that was left off for a moment. In this case, with “nevertheless” Paul is referring back to verse 21 where he redefined the vertical act of submitting and turned it into the horizontal relationship of reciprocally submitting. This was the new way Christian believers were to be getting along in the Spirit. Even though “nevertheless” is Paul’s first word in the Greek sentence of verse 5:33, some English translations omit the word all together. I think it is important to include it, because it alerts us that Paul is linking back to the subject of verse 21.Paul not only redefined the verb “to submit, ” he also used the word “fear” at the end of the verse 21. Paul said we mutually submit one to another in the fear of Christ, or in respect of Christ. By using the word “fear” Paul signals a second time in verse 33 that he is linking back to verse 21. In verse 33, after he says a Christian husband should demonstrate agape love toward his wife, Paul says a Christian wife “fears” her Christian husband. How does she do that? Not in the way of a frightening fear. Not that kind of fear. But of a fear in the way of a serious and profound respect because of the ties that bind us to Christ. Because we are united in Christ how do we then live as a married couple? Paul says (1) we love our spouse – that’s an idea from verse 25 and (2) we respect our spouse – that’s an idea from verse 21.If a man is to love his own wife the same as himself, does a wife also love her spouse? Of course! If a wife is to respect her husband, does a husband also respect his spouse? Of course! Our underlying status as members of the body of Christ enriches our relationship with one another as husband and wife. As Christian spouses, each being filled with the Spirit, we reciprocally love and respect one another.Taken out of context, people misuse the words in this verse. They think wives aren’t supposed to love their husbands. That husbands don’t need to respect their wives. They even claim that wives are to fear their husbands in what is basically a wrong way. These ideas misuse the words in this verse.Recognizing that verse 5:33 has hooks and references back to the previous verses of 32, and 25, and 21, helps us to clear away these misconceptions. And we see again the idea Paul introduced in verses 22-24. We see that the Christian couple is a wonderful example of Christians in a reciprocal relationship.Ephesians 5:32 is the middle point of a pattern that Kenneth E. Bailey called elsewhere a “prophetic rhetorical template.” This modified seven-point prophetic rhetorical pattern runs from Ephesians 5:22 to 6:9. All of it illustrates how believers submit reciprocally one to another. Recognizing this pattern is being used here is a big help to us in understanding what is going on in verses 5:33 and following. [Study Guide note will talk about “the high jump,” as labeled by Bailey, used elsewhere in biblical literature - several smaller sections that give a running start before the major arcing template is presented. This running start begins in verses 15-18. A second step is taken in verses 19-21. And the 7-point chiasm begins in verse 22 and runs through 6:9.]The first three segments of the rhetorical template begin at verses 22, 25 and 28. The middle part is in verse 32. The last three segments of the rhetorical template begin at 5:33, 6:1 and 6:5.As Paul’s readers digested what he had just written in verses 22-31, they were coming to understand that Christians should be submitting one to another in church. But was it possible to practice this behavior in the home?That’s what Paul addresses in 5:33-6:9. He takes up, one by one, the three basic relationships that could occur in the household of believers in his day. He discusses each category in turn:Husbands and wives (5:33)children and parents (6:1-4)servants and masters (6:5-9)Try not to pay attention to the chapter break that occurs here. It is important to remember that Paul wrote this section on “walking” in the Spirit hundreds of years before chapter breaks and verse numbers were added by other people to his writings. There were no chapter and verse breaks when Paul wrote Ephesians. The big fat number 6 we see in our Bibles standing a

In Ephesians 5:22-32 the unity of believers in one body with Christ is illustrated in the three sections: (1) verses 22-24, (2) verses 25-27 and (3) 28-32. The introductory verses are 19a and 21. The summary verse is 32.in verse 25b, two main ideas are grouped together in the center of the linchpin. They are: “As Christ loved” and “as Christ gave of himself.” Believers in Christ are to love and give of ourselves one to another. This is how we walk in the Spirit, submitting reciprocally one-to-another. In verse 32, Paul confirms this in an “all of the above” statement. What was once a mystery, formerly unknown, has been clarified by verses 22-31. In verse 32 Paul writes, “This is a great mystery, that is now revealed. It has to do with Christ and the church.”Although many claim that the last half of Ephesians 5 is not about the church but is all about marriage, the clear summary statement of verse 32 should redirect them onto the right track. It is about the church. Ephesians 5:21-32 is all about believers caring for one another, submitting reciprocally, in the church of Christ.But wait! There’s more! Paul balances out verses 22-31 on the one side of verse 32 with all of the material in 5:33 to 6:9 on the other side of 5:32. Because of the chapter break after verse 33 we usually don’t see that Paul has put together one very large chiastic parallel pattern with three sections on each side of verse 32. On the one side of this giant rainbow pattern going up to verse 32 are the three “as Christ” examples. On the other side going down after verse 32 is a three-part pattern from life in the family at the time of Paul.GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The New Verb in verse 22. The action and the people involved in the incomplete sentence of verse 22 – “wives … to your husbands” must be filled in with the paired actions of the Spirit-filled believers in Ephesians 5:19a and 21. Thus Paul’s meaning in verse 22 is Wives and husbands be submitting to the teaching and correction you are receiving from one another in Christ-ing verbs can be read as having an exclamation point after each of them so I can read verse 22 this way too: “Wives and husbands submit to the teaching and correction you are giving to one another in Christ.”Verses 22 to 24 are formed by Paul not in a 1, 2, 3 linear pattern of ideas but as a mirror parallel or chiastic pattern. It follows an A B B' A' pattern. That means that the two parts in the middle in verse 23 are linked together, and that verses 22 and 24 are linked and mirror one another. Since verse 24 is a mirror of verse 22 we can look at it to find out about the last couple of words in verse 22. “to the Lord.” Why does Paul add these words?In verse 24 Paul writes in Greek “as the church submits to Christ even so wives to their husbands in everything.” Because we know what it means for Christians to submit to Christ in everything we know the limits and the extent of what it means for Christian wives to be mutually submitting themselves to their husbands as they and their husbands are teaching and correcting one another in their Christian walk. These verses are not about how a household is to be organized, hierarchically or not. This is how two believers who are joined together in marriage are the ultimate example of how Christians can be mutually building up one another in their Christian walk. So verse 22 means: Christian couples be submitting yourselves to the speaking, the teaching and correction, you are getting from one another as to your life in Christ.GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Here are the four points for Spirit-filled walking in Ephesians 5:19-21. Each point in Greek starts with an -ing verb. The first one, or part A, is “speaking.” In verse 19a we read, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”The second one, or part B, is “singing.” In verse 19b we read, “singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord.”The third one, or part B prime, is “giving thanks.” In verse 20 we read, “giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father.”And the fourth one, or A prime, is “submitting.” In verse 21 we read, “submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.”The first and last of these four points, A and A prime, go together. These are “one another” activities. And the middle two, B and B prime go together. These two are directed “toward God.”Notice that two of these activities must be done in the Body of Christ? A person can’t do the A and A prime “one-another” activities all alone! This is one reason to make sure you’re involved in a local group of believers, a local church. How can you do “one another” activities alone? How else can you do “one other” activities? As part of a local church body of believers you know the names of who Paul has in mind in these verses for you. These would be the names of all the other believers with you in your local church. Treating “one-another” in these mirrored ways leads to good health in the body of Christ.GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

The “speaking” simply stated as such in Ephesians 5:19a involves two practical actions, “teaching and admonishing.” All believers filled with the Spirit are to teach one another the truths found in the psalms, in hymns and spiritual songs. Every believer is to inform or remind every other believer in the Body of Christ. On the other hand, and where necessary, believers are to admonish, or correct, one another.This is the first way believers are to experience the Spirit-filled life. Believers of all ages are to teach and correct one another. Is this understanding of the meaning of 5:18b contrary to what many people say it is? Yes. Teaching that being Spirit-filled is ALL about speaking in tongues or ALL about seeking to heal the sick and so on, is not what Paul tells us here using his four-point pattern. And there are other ideas that people mistakenly inject here and there in this long passage.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

This Episode is the first in our Beyond Eden series on Ephesians 5:15-6:9. We begin with this overview and we look at common traps that lead to misinterpretation of important passages in Ephesians. Then, in the coming Episodes we’ll go more in depth.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

In the Garden the man listens to the words of the serpent tempter. And the man makes the intent and actions of Satan his own. He too rebels against God.Step by step he moves away from God and toward Satan! Has Satan just thrown God’s words into question in 3:1? Apparently the man does too.Does the man look with respect on the woman’s defense of God’s words reported in 3:2? We don’t read that he joins her in correcting the word of the serpent tempter.Does he respect God’s warning against eating resulting in punishment? He apparently believes the serpent enough who lies and says “You will not surely die” according to 3:4.Doesn’t he already know about good? God had named the Tree the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Does he want extra knowledge, to know evil?And so, he eats the forbidden fruit.When God judges the three at the Tree, God groups the man together with Satan in his words of judgment. God treats the woman apart from these two rebels because she doesn’t rebel on purpose. She disobeys only after being deceived.God makes six points in addressing the serpent. And then God uses those same six points and exact wording, even to the repetition of sounds when he addresses the man. The way this passage is written out in Hebrew adds to the meaning of the words that are used. This repeated pattern of six common elements ties the two of them together in God’s evaluation of their intent and acts.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

To understand Genesis 3:16 we must recognize that in God’s first words to the woman in Line 1 God didn’t even touch on the subject of childbirth. (1) God spoke to her about shared sorrowful-toil (the Hebrew word is ‘itsebon) in field work and (2) God spoke to her about conception or pregnancy (the Hebrew word is heron) and especially of the offspring who would bruise Satan’s head.The way the words are put together in a chiasm in Genesis chapters 2 and 3 carries meaning. And the way verses 15-17 are linked together in a linchpin construction by the two key words in Line 1 of Genesis 3:16 brings meaning. But the meaning of each word itself is also important.In the two words of the linchpin construction that link God’s words to her with God’s words to the man and to the serpent the woman learns two things. Neither of them is a curse on her. One thing is about bad news. One thing is about good news.The bad news she learns is that when God curses the ground because of the man it will affect her too. They both will experience ‘itsebon or “sorrowful toil” as they do field work to raise food from the cursed ground outside of Eden. God knows they will be going there and what life there will be like. So God describes to her what her experience will be like with the cursed ground. She will have ‘itsebon. She will have sorrowful-toil. That is bad news.But God immediately moves on to tell her of good news. How can the words of 3:16 be taken as good news right after God’s stern judgment on the serpent tempter? Three of the four words in Line 1 ring of good news!GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

God did NOT curse the woman in Genesis 3:16 IN ANY WAY! But modern translations make it look like God did. So it is necessary to think again about the word patterns in 3:15-17, and the larger context of Genesis 2-3, to see what God really said. Genesis 2-3, in Hebrew, is a meaningful seven-part pattern that is a chiasm. A chiasm can be pictured as a rainbow or as a bell curve.Line 1 of 3:16 is the center of a linchpin pattern that links verse 15-17. The first linking Hebrew word is ‘itsebon which means “sorrowful-toil” and points down to the same word used in verse 17. There God tells the man that the curse on the ground made because of him will result in ‘itsebon or “sorrowful-toil.” In working the ground with their hands each one, the woman and the man, would have ‘itsebon or “sorrowful-toil.”In Line 1 of 3:16 the second linking Hebrew word heron which means “pregnancy” or “conception” points back to the Hebrew word zera‘ which means “seed” or “offspring” which is used in verse 15. A literal translation of the four Hebrew words of Line 1 of Genesis 3:16 in English would be as follows: (1) Multiplying (2) I-will-multiply (3) your-sorrowful-toil (4) and-your-conception.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

God spells out the ultimate doom of the woman's enemy which will come through her. Even though he will persist in his attacks and even though figuratively he will bruise the heel of her offspring, who we know ultimately to be Jesus, her offspring will bruise Satan on the head.In Genesis 3:15, in God’s last words to the serpent, God prophesies that the woman’s “seed” or “offspring” (the Hebrew word is zera‘) will defeat the Tempter. Bad news for the Tempter, but good news for the woman and all humanity!God's words of Good News, called the protevangelium, carry over into God's first words to the woman in Genesis 3:16. God will certainly give her conception of the Offspring who will vanquish Satan!Sadly, most modern translations of Genesis 3:16 cover over this promise and make 3:16 sound like a virtual curse. These mistranslations must be corrected! We need a true 316.Go Deeper!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Many blame Eve as the Temptress. This medieval idea is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says the Tempter in the Garden was the serpent. That is why God cursed the serpent Tempter. And that is one of the reasons why, when we look for a curse on the woman in the Hebrew text, we find none.Satan tempted both the woman and the man. The Hebrew text in Genesis 3:1-5 shows him using plural pronouns each time he says “you.” In other words, he wasn’t aiming his words at just the woman. He was saying you-two, y’all, you-both. And the man was right there listening to all he said. Neither the woman nor the man had ever heard a lie before.The woman became a second-degree offender when she ate of the forbidden fruit. She did not sin on purpose. She ate only after being deceived. However, the man became a first-degree offender. He sinned on purpose.There is a clear distinction drawn between first- and second-degree sinning in the Bible. God makes that distinction in the judgement of the three that comes next in the Garden of Eden.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

This first marriage, and the description of marriages to come, was the ideal pattern for all men and women to follow, a pattern with four points:Each member of the union to be, separately, first knows God personally.The man (not the woman) leaves his birth family and together with his wife they establish a new family unit. His primary allegiance is no longer to his parents but to her.When the man leaves his parents to join his wife, his parents and all society is put on notice that here is a new family unit.Because they are joined together in the presence of God, the church, the body of believers, recognizes their new family unit.This is God's ideal for us. Genesis 2:25 is the high point of the passage of Genesis 2-3. They were naked before each other and unashamed before God.GO DEEPER  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

Cook's helper or Partner? In Genesis 2, when God creates the woman, she is described in relation to the man. In two Hebrew words packed full of meaning, ‘ezer kenegdo, God describes how the two are designed to go together. They are made for each other, just hours apart. Once together, they are to be a resourceful and satisfied pair, at home together in Eden.Modern language versions of the Bible translate these two Hebrew words in confusing and contradictory ways. But there really is no cause for confusion. The two words in Genesis 2:18 are not that hard to translate.An ‘ezer kenegdo is someone who is equal, a counterpart, one who works together with another as they help each other through sharing their strengths.GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

It turns out that there’s been a lot of pollution dumped into Genesis 3:16 by translations into the modern languages we use today. They mix new ideas into the verse and cover over the ideas God put there in the original Hebrew words of the verse. Translations make it look like God cursed the woman when God cursed neither the woman nor the man. The translation of that verse has been incorrect. So, why aren’t our translations doing better? And, why would there be a problem translating this verse? What’s going on?Did God blame Eve? Take the Mini Course. Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3fFC8j4GO DEEPER!  The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner