Unlikely Candidate

By Carmen Joy Imes

I’m not the best candidate to contribute to a Women’s study Bible. I’ve never read one myself, and until recently I wasn’t convinced they needed to exist. My current church has no women’s ministry, and for most of my adult life I’ve not attended events just for women, unless I happened to be the speaker. However, when Tyndale approached me about contributing to Every Woman’s Bible, I sensed God’s invitation to say yes. I hoped to draw on my years of Bible education (BA, MA, PhD) to benefit women who have not had the opportunity to study the Bible formally.

God had a surprise in store: the project changed me! In all my years of study, no one had ever asked me to read the Bible as a woman or for women. Taking the time to do so illuminated aspects of the biblical text that I had brushed past or set aside. It’s changed the way I teach my Bible classes at Biola University, because I believe that all of my students need to learn to read the Bible through the eyes of half the church. My female students have questions that need answers, but my male students will relate with women for the rest of their lives, too—their mom, sister, wife, daughter, niece, mentors, and friends. For that reason, I am recommending this Bible not just for women, but for the men who walk alongside women in this life of faith. I’m proud of the work we did. The finished product is gorgeous! I pray that it helps a whole generation of women (and those who love them!) encounter God in a fresh way.

CARMEN JOY IMES, PhD, is an author, speaker, blogger, YouTuber, and serves as associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University in California.

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