If you’re an LGBT+ Christian and have ever struggled with Paul’s letters, read “What Paul Really Said About Women” by John Temple Bristow.

I just finished this book, and seriously—it changed how I see Paul completely. For so long, I thought Paul was just… kind of sexist and rigid. But this book digs into the actual Greek, the cultural context, and how so much of what we think Paul said has been twisted by centuries of bad translation and patriarchal assumptions.

What’s wild is that Bristow isn’t some progressive activist—he’s a pretty traditional scholar—but he still ends up showing how Paul was way more inclusive than people give him credit for. Like, Paul literally worked alongside female apostles, deacons, and leaders in the early church. The book talks about Junia (a female apostle!), Phoebe (a deacon), and Priscilla (who probably taught theology to men, including Apollos).

For those of us who’ve had the Bible used against us—especially around gender or queerness—this book is such a healing read. It doesn’t directly talk about LGBT+ stuff, but it opens the door: if Paul wasn’t saying what we’ve been told about women, then maybe he wasn’t saying what we’ve been told about us, either.

TL;DR:

Paul wasn’t anti-women.

A lot of the “clobber” verses were mistranslated or misused.

The early church had female leaders, and Paul supported them.

If you’re queer and Christian, this book might seriously help you reclaim some peace with Paul’s writings.

Highly recommend for anyone wrestling with Scripture and identity. It’s empowering and surprisingly affirming, even if it wasn’t written specifically for us.