Re: Women in Church?
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:03 pm
I come at it from a different direction I guess.
I think it's unscriptural for women to be pastors for the same reason I believe it's unscriptural for men to be pastors. There's nothing in the New Testament that looks even remotely like what we have made the office of Pastor to be in today's church. Pastoring is not an office, it is a function gifted by the Holy Spirit. Authority in the church rests with Jesus, neither women, nor men by virtue of "offices."
For those who do believe the office of pastor is scriptural, there's ample evidence in the NT of women in some cases taking a leadership role, even with men present. It's one of the reasons why when Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the NT, Priscilla's name is almost always first, because she was the more recognized partner in that marriage when it came to respect and leadership in her sphere of influence.
Paternalistic culture is self-perpetuating and self-justifying over time. The essence of leadership scripturally is servanthood. Whenever I hear appeals to position to justify power, I hear many things but not servanthood. The type of leadership I see modeled in the early church among elders (which is a different designation than the unscriptural pastoral role so prevelent today) is one where established members in the local community are recognized for their wisdom and maturity and so other members are to adopt a position of respect where they allow themselves to be pursuaded and follow such a one's lead. It's never a given however. All of us are priests under the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. People who appeal to positions in the church to assume dictatorial contol are not modeling servanthood as it was taught and modeled by Jesus Christ.
I think it's unscriptural for women to be pastors for the same reason I believe it's unscriptural for men to be pastors. There's nothing in the New Testament that looks even remotely like what we have made the office of Pastor to be in today's church. Pastoring is not an office, it is a function gifted by the Holy Spirit. Authority in the church rests with Jesus, neither women, nor men by virtue of "offices."
For those who do believe the office of pastor is scriptural, there's ample evidence in the NT of women in some cases taking a leadership role, even with men present. It's one of the reasons why when Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the NT, Priscilla's name is almost always first, because she was the more recognized partner in that marriage when it came to respect and leadership in her sphere of influence.
Paternalistic culture is self-perpetuating and self-justifying over time. The essence of leadership scripturally is servanthood. Whenever I hear appeals to position to justify power, I hear many things but not servanthood. The type of leadership I see modeled in the early church among elders (which is a different designation than the unscriptural pastoral role so prevelent today) is one where established members in the local community are recognized for their wisdom and maturity and so other members are to adopt a position of respect where they allow themselves to be pursuaded and follow such a one's lead. It's never a given however. All of us are priests under the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. People who appeal to positions in the church to assume dictatorial contol are not modeling servanthood as it was taught and modeled by Jesus Christ.