Short answer, no, the Bible isn't against it and the church shouldn't be. The Bible actually supports women in teaching and leadership roles repeatedly. Here are the quick instances that come to mind: 1) Christ himself revealed himself to the woman at the well, who proclaimed His Lordship to her whole town - many believing in Him as a direct result. 2) He also explicitely sent Mary from the tomb to reveal the resurrection to the Disciples. 3) The Isrealite people were led by Deborah, as judge, and 4) saved by Esther as queen. 5) And even in the non-Isrealite traditions, the Queen of Sheba was respected and given hospitality by the Isrealite king, Solomon. 6) And even much maligned Jezabel's leadership authority was never questioned even though she was feared for being straight-up evil.
The entire prohibition against women teaching is sourced in a few sentances in Paul's letters and routinely taken out of the context of his humanity and his good ministry. As to the first point, Paul was Paul, a human, sinful and as lost as any of us. He was not the Christ, and he himself repeatedly affirms that he is not to be treated as the Christ. Paul himself describes that in Christ there is no male or female, that love trumps everything, that love is NOT insistance on one's own way, that placing a law of any kind above the work of the Holy Spirit destroys the power of the Gospel. He repeatedly confronts believers to get out from being under religious law (like circumcision), but then he ardently applies religious law to women regarding silence and head covering. And there's the rub... But seriously, who can blame him, those days were very oppressive towards women - that was the norm - he was officiating in his present time. Paul was a single man, who was doing his absolute best to share the Gospel and keep his congregations from falling into chaos. He just displayed his humanity from time to time, blinded by his own blind spots, passing judgement that can't be passed, etc...just like us. It's not like he was Jesus, after all. So anyway, the vast weight of history through scripture supports that women are not prohibited from leadership by God, though it obviously seems strikingly less frequent. I don't want to get too deep into the historical aspect, but it is worth mentioning we are in the very first era in human history - really only about 30 years of the entire human history - in which women have been granted any semblance of equality or opportunity, and that is only happening here in Western society. It is only here and now that men and women may each individually grapple with serving God with their entire mind, body and spirit to their best capacity. It is only here and now that each person can truly be treated as a creation who God has ordained for good work in such a time as this. That is an exciting opportunity for the body of Christ. Secrets are a bugger. Everybody has them. But I have never heard someone say, "I am just so thankful for all the things I hide about myself."
We keep secrets to protect not who we really are, but to protect who we pretend to be. It takes a lot of courage to deal in honesty. It is hard to face truth and grant forgiveness and acceptance. It is hard to not place the fear judgement over the love of truth. And there is the rub. Faith & French Fries
A fresh take on Jesus for people who don't go to church. Totally free food & music from Tate Music Group recording artist, Adam Cates. 1/29 5-6 pm Tap House Grill Oswego. Ok so I don't actually think I am going to write about Tebow. Frankly, I am annoyed with the amount of Christian airtime that has been taken up by detailed, laborious explanations of why he sucks, why his faith is oppressive...yada, yada, point, counterpoint...blaaaaah.
AND YET if the alternative (as a cursory look around the professional sporting ranks seems to imply) is adultery, crime (mostly violent), and at the minimum rampant egoism...Tebow seems like a nice change of pace. And that's the rub, isn't it? He has gotten so much attention because he is the only guy we've ever seen in that venue that expresses his beliefs like he does. He has changed the dialogue. It's really shaken up the dirtbag status quo. Good for Tebow. No I don't. Failure sucks, but this puts it into perspective. Freedom, can't live with it, can't live without it.
Here it is: You are free to pick your nose at the intersection, log on to late night computer porn... and/ or give 40% of your income to the people working on ending AIDS in Africa. You are free to die after living a meaningless, self-indulgent life where nothing but your latest desire was satisfied... or you are free to embark on a life of serving the poor of India as they die ala Mother Theresa. And anywhere on that scale between the two. You just, well, get to choose. Most of the time this adds up to far less significant issues like, are you gonna eat another donut? Do you open the door for that man behind you even though it is cold out and that causes you to wait 3 seconds more at the door? Do you pick up the wrapper on the ground, or drop your own next to it? Do you take a second look at the man or woman in line at the grocery store because you like what you see? Do you take the close parking spot or do you walk another 20 yards and leave the good one for the next guy... Put all that together - a few average moments on earth - and you either get to be a guy who is healthy, conscientious, faithful, and self-sacrificing.... OR you are a guy who is unhealthy, brusque, consumptive, pervy and aggressive. And that, my friends, is freedom. |
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