Why does the Apostle Paul repeatedly return to Genesis 2 when discussing men and women?

Again and again, the Apostle Paul returns to Genesis when teaching about the life and worship of the gathered church. Genesis2Paul is a growing library of biblical studies exploring why.

Many of these studies examine Paul’s teaching about men and women within the gathered church, because it is there that his repeated appeals to Genesis 2 are most explicit. Others explore how those same creational patterns shape Paul’s theology of creation, Christ, and the gathered church more broadly.

The relationships of men and women within the gathered church are an important part of this research. They are one expression of Paul’s wider theology of creation, the gathered church, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and are therefore explored within that larger biblical framework.

Together these studies invite us to discover how Paul’s repeated return to Genesis illuminates his theology of creation, the gathered church, and the relationships of men and women.

The invitation is simply to follow Paul’s own arguments carefully and consider where they lead.

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An Introductory Selection of Studies

If you are new to Genesis2Paul, these studies provide a good introduction to the questions explored throughout this site.

Each study is written to stand on its own. Read together, they invite us to discover a wider theological understanding of Paul’s use of Genesis and the life of the gathered church.

Should 1 Corinthians 11–14 and 1 Timothy 2 Be Read Together?

These two passages are usually studied independently. This study examines their shared vocabulary, theological foundations, and rhetorical structure, asking whether together they reveal a unified Pauline theology of the gathered assembly. Explore this study →

Who Should Explain Paul?

Should Paul be interpreted primarily through reconstructed historical settings, or through the explanations he repeatedly provides himself? This study explores why Paul’s own arguments should remain the primary framework for understanding 1 Timothy 2. Explore this study →

Who Should Explain Genesis?

Should Genesis be interpreted primarily through later traditions, modern debates, or by following its own literary context together with the Bible’s unfolding interpretation? This study explores why Genesis should first be read within its own literary setting along with the canon’s developing witness before engaging the many valuable disciplines that help us understand God’s Word. Explore this study →