Women in Ministry
Written May 8th, 2008 by Josh Rives | Email This
Our church recently released a statement of their position regarding women in ministry. The short version is that women are free to hold and act in any form of ministry except the elder position. You can read their extended explanation of the statement here. This is not something I have looked into extensively, but I had a general idea of my beliefs. After reading their explanation, I think I disagree with some of the finer points but I definitely have some problems with the thinking that brought them to the conclusion.
Since there are specific passages that set women’s role in ministry, we have to address those. The verses addressed by my church were 1 Corinthians 11:3-12, 1 Corinthians 14:32-36 and the big one, 1 Timothy 2:8-14. 1 Timothy 2:12 specifically says “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” This is being explained away by two lines of thinking.
- Those verses were specific to that culture and not relevant to today’s culture.
- Those verses were specific to that audience and do not apply to the entire church.
My problem with these two ways of thinking is where do you draw the line. What else could be culturally-specific verses? I think you could justify doing away with the Lord’s Supper since it was specifically commanded to the disciples. Regardless of your conclusions on this issue, I do not think we should be using this line of thinking to reach the conclusion. It seems to open a door to a whole new type of criticism with no limits. I sent off for more thoughts on this and had a good response that you can read. Another response I received brought out another good point
Just the fact that they write a 24 page essay about it shows a real concern to what is truth according to biblical mandates. Whether u completely agree, that is still great leadership. Most churches do not have the balls to address cultural issues of today according to what they believe the bible teaches. So kudos on the switch to a really biblical church… It seems
This is something I also have been thinking about throughout the process. I appreciated IBC’s commitment to seeking out Biblical answers to today’s question. Rumor is they spent a year going over all the evidence.
The link to the response is a 404.
Fixed…Thanks
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“Cultural relevance” is actually a valid form of biblical criticism. Not every verse in the Bible is applicable to all people at all times. Otherwise, we couldn’t allow women to wear jewelry, and we’d all be in trouble for ignoring levitical law.
Still, it’s true that it can’t be applied as convenient. This is where context is of highest importance. Every one of the passages that “set women’s role in ministry” must be read in the context of the entire chapter, and the entire book. This is how some have come to credibly believe that Paul’s words were meant for a specific group of people at a specific time.
Jan,
I am sort of onboard with cultural relevance being a valid form of Biblical criticism, but I’m still concerned about how we draw the line. I can see cultural relevance being justified a bit too extensively.
The jewelry thing is a good example. My wife wears jewelry. I’m not offering a solution, just a caution I guess.
The difference is, the Bible (NT, I’m talking) doesn’t say that women are forbidden to wear jewelry. It says “Do not let your adornment be merely outward”. If all adornments were sinful, God would be sinful by giving crowns in heaven.
The point about the OT is that the laws were abolished and fulfilled in Christ.
We cannot pick and choose what we want to follow today and what we don’t because of culture. If we can tear apart these verses by Paul, when what verse can’t we tear apart? Because the culture expects women to dress in such a way to entice lust, but the Bible says we should not, do we reject the Bible for being culturally irrelevant? But, forcing/luring a man into lust isn’t one of the 10 Commandments (just as women in leadership over men is not), so where is the line? (Many people draw lines at the 10 commandments, hence the reference)
Homosexuality, swearing, pornography, drinking, illegal drug use, immodest clothing, abortion… these are just a small handful of the other issues that are currently being scrutinized as being “culturally relevant”, and more and more nominal Christians are rejecting what the Bible has to say, and are conforming to what is “culturally relevant”.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 John 5:5
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
We are to conform to Christ and His Word. Whatever part of this world that goes against Christ, we do not conform to, no matter who threatens us with the label of being “culturally irrelevant”. We do what we can to reach the lost and edify the body, but we do not flow with the culture when it goes against God’s expressed will in the Bible.
In Rome, it was culturally relevant to go to the pagan temples and to have sex with the temple prostitutes, and the church accepted it, but Paul rebuked it. The culture got together and got drunk, so the church started doing that for the Lord’s Supper, and Paul rebuked them. The Greek culture often had women with authority over men, so the church started doing it, too, and Paul rebuked them. Where do we draw the line about what we do and don’t do today to flow with the culture..? When doing so goes against God’s expressed will.
Thank you for your elaboration on this topic. Just in short, I don’t think that it is biblically correct for women to hold a position.