The Gospel-Centered Woman, Part II {LitFuse Blog Tour}

This is the second part to the review of The Gospel-Centered Woman by Wendy Alsup. This post will go through the remaining chapters of the book (5-11). But first…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wendy Alsup is a wife, mom, and math teacher. She is the author of Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives and By His Wounds You are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman's Identity. 

Find out more about Wendy Alsup and The Gospel-Centered Woman. Readers can keep up with Alsup via Practical Theology for Women Facebook page and follow her on Twitter.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Many Christian books written to women claim to present God’s good instructions for their lives. Some expound on the value of marriage and children. Many extol the virtues of the Proverbs 31 wife. A good number teach the value of love, submission, and respect in Christian marriages. Though this book deals with these topics, The Gospel-Centered Woman addresses women from an entirely different perspective. The most important part of the Bible’s instructions to women center around the gospel. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brought about a seismic shift in our understanding of Scripture. After His resurrection, His disciples understood words written thousands of years before with a clarity they never had previously. The good news of Christ illuminates all other Scripture, including instructions to women.

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You can read Part I here.

Chapter Five: Equipped to Forgive and be Forgiven

It is amazing, truly amazing, how moving closer to God changes our perspective on life, and our person. God supplies us with what we need to deal with our sins against others and vice versa. In this chapter, Alsup talks about the stages of acknowledging our sin, confessing our sin and repairing the damage from the sin. She also talks about when we are on the receiving end of the sins; how do we react.

Alsup shows the different levels of how we deal with sin- with and without God’s grace. She talks of trying to justify the actions, then being defensive about our actions. The gospel, however, allows us to let go of these. We can put that aside and it also allows us to allow others to do the same. “When we get grace, we can then grant forgiveness” (pg. 70).

Chapter Six: The Gospel Unites Us with Christ

We all have an identity. Many of us identify ourselves with our career, our position in the community, our role in our family, etc. Alsup points out the wonderful fact that in the book of Ephesians Paul shows us, through his words, how we should be identifying ourselves by and with Christ. If we cannot, or do not, then we have some work to do –we either need to change our focus or our life. “Jesus alone is our ultimate source of identity” (pg. 75).

Section 3: Wisdom in the Tension

In this section, the last section of the book, Alsup talks about the law and wisdom, spotlighting how it applies to women.

Chapter Seven: Wisdom Versus Law

“[W]e must first distinguish between wisdom and law and second between universal law and law for a specific culture for a specific time” (pg. 83). Here she is telling us that there is the law of the Old Testament and the wisdom from the New Testament. Also that the Old Testament culture was quite different than the New Testament; as our culture is different than both. She talks a bit about what wisdom is in this chapter.

I like in this chapter she does talk about the oft elusive Proverbs 31 woman. She makes a very good point that we must not get sidetracked or stuck on the parts of the ‘law’ that we cannot fulfill because of our life situations and circumstances. Her example of the woman with no children to not feel inadequate because they do not have children to rise up and call her blessed is just one. She ends that portion with, “Please do not go to the dark place.” We can only do with what we’ve been given. There isn’t any need to feel ashamed or bad that we can go no further to fulfill the ‘law’ when we do not have the means.

Chapter Eight: The Bible is the Best Commentary on Itself

“[W]e need to establish what the Bible does and does not say to women today” (pg. 91). There are parts (or most?) of the Bible that often seem irrelevant to our times. I’ve thought that before. She references the fact that no modern Christian group offers up animal sacrifices yet they definitely did in the Old Testament. I like that she says “the Bible transcends culture context.” It is relevant to today, just as when it was written.

In terms of the Old Testament laws, Jesus fulfilled the law. He completed the law. And then He showed us how to do as He did –He is our example and the “law” we are to follow. Alsup references 2 Peter, Luke, Matthew, Romans, Hebrews, Galatians, Leviticus, Judges, Genesis and Ephesians. She shows that the Bible was relevant in the New Testament era as it was in the Old Testament and equally today.

Chapter Nine: Wisdom from Proverbs 31

Alsup puts this chapter after the last, I think, to help those who have trouble living up to the Proverbs 31 woman.

Chapter Ten: Instructions from Ephesians

It is appropriately titled and the content is focusing on Ephesians 5. She also adds in a few references to 1 Peter 3.

Chapter Eleven: The Gospel in Your Context

Alsup points out that she has primarily addressed her words to those women who are wives and mothers. But what about the single woman with no children? Or the woman who was married; who has children but isn’t married; or…any of the other different circumstances that modern women find themselves in –opposite of the ‘traditional’ wife/mother. What does the Bible say about them? Are they left out? Not at all.

Throughout the Bible we have the stories of Rachel and Leah (in a non-traditional marriage that’s for sure!), Abigail (wife of a rather bad man), Ruth and Naomi (one barren and widowed, the other lost her children and husband), Mary and Martha (single women). That’s not all of them though- there’s Jesus’ mother Mary, Timothy’s mother and grandmother Eunice and Lois. Don’t forget Rahab, Lydia and Rebekah.

Alsup directs us back to Chapter Three- Godliness with Contentment. She says that she’s written with the assumption that most women long for a ‘healthy family relationship’. We have a longing, as women, for this. It is something that God has decreed as ‘good’ and yet there are many who do not have it. She fairly recaps what she has said previously about who we are in Christ- what we can have when we are close to Him; we do not need to prove ourselves through our works; we can have assurance; we can have peace. Through the rest of the chapter she talks about Wait and Endure. Wait- think of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, and Hannah. Endure- she directs us to Romans 5 and Hebrews 12 and to understand or realize that ‘this world’ is not our home.

At the end of the book are Discussion Questions for each chapter, about 2-4 each.

MY THOUGHTS

Alsup has definitely been through some things in her life that helps her to see the different perspectives of women in different situations. The Proverbs 31 woman is often seen as unattainable and yet that is what is set up for Christian women to follow. It’s difficult. But there is much more to the Bible for women than just that chapter. The Bible is full of instruction, very relevant to us today. I had mentioned in the first part of my review that I thought the organization was a little chaotic but once getting through to the last couple chapters, it kind of all falls together.

Alsup has a lot of good in this book. I did personally find the tone to be one of a hurt woman trying to find the peace that only God can give. I’m not entirely sure if it’s intended that way or if it is because of her particular place in life at the time she was writing. I think for women who are feeling hurt or out of place –or just trying to find out where women fit –because of their circumstances will understand the tone. It isn’t one of anger, though. I could feel the frustration, perhaps, of not being able to live up to the expectations placed on women by others and/or themselves. But then you feel the relief as well when she points to God’s Word, primarily the New Testament.

It’s not a bad read, not difficult. I think it could be of benefit to some women and others might just use it for confirmation or clarification.

***Disclaimer: I received this book free in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour. No compensation was given. All opinions stated are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.**