Women as pastors/priests

Glorfindel · Tadpole Joined: 11 Aug 2003 Posts: 28 Location: UK

I know that this can be quite a 'hot potato' for some people, anyone got any views ??

Personally I am in favour of women as ministers.

Nobby · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2003 10:21 am Post subject: Women as pastors/priests

Hi Glorfindel,

Glorfindel · Tadpole Joined: 11 Aug 2003 Posts: 28 Location: UK

It seems we are all in agreement then ...

RevJP · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 7:54 am Post subject:

no, not really....

Glorfindel · Tadpole Joined: 11 Aug 2003 Posts: 28 Location: UK

So what do you think then??

paul · Little Goldfish Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 51

i'm not sure,what does the word of God say?
i would have nothing against it,but i believe we have to go with what the word teaches.

God bless.
paul

RevJP · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 2:46 pm Post subject:

Yep, I'm with Paul on this. It doesn't matter what I 'think' about it. Scripture isn't dependent upon my designs. I'll go with scripture, not culture.

Glorfindel · Tadpole Joined: 11 Aug 2003 Posts: 28 Location: UK

Not even when you take in to account the cultural context that Paul was writing ??

We also need to remember that there are differences of opinion on the correct translation of some of the Greek. For example when Paul says that man is the head of every woman, the word head can be translated as head (as in head of the body) or source as in the source of a river.

Scripture also tells us that man and woman were created as equals!

Fin x

RevJP · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2003 9:15 am Post subject:

heislove · Newbie Alert Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Posts: 1

I believe, and this is biblical, that a woman should not be in charge of a Man's spiritual growth. there is a reason that God gave us the roles that he did. We can only hope to decern them while we live here.

admin · Beloved Admin Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 88

My minister is a woman. If the bible promotes sexism in this fashion, then that's the point I personally would depart from scriptural teaching.

shepreach · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:30 am Post subject:

Van · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:35 am Post subject: What does the Bible say?

WHY MEN ARE CHURCH ELDERS

In the New Testament, Paul writes three letters (two to Timothy and one to Titus), which contain much of the material used to structure the church. It is debatable, whether the instructions are timeless (they apply to us) or whether they are limited and only applied then because they were culturally appropriate. Those that say women should perform the same roles as men in marriage and in the church think all Paul was teaching is to behave in a culturally appropriate way to avoid needless disputes. Others think modeling submission to God in the home by women submitting to their husbands and men and women submitting to the Elders helps guide children into an understanding of obedience to a loving God.

In any event, in First Timothy 1:18, Paul says he is giving instructions so that Timothy may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. He then says all of us should respect authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Dropping down to First Timothy 2:11, Paul says, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.” He then says he does not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent. Paul then explains his thinking that women can lead men astray (as Eve did to Adam) but they can be restored to the office of authority by bringing up their children “if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”

Clearly the restriction on teaching does not prevent instruction to children or in an informal setting (visiting with others) teaching men, even teaching leaders of a church, as demonstrated in Acts 18:26.

Anyway, that is my understanding of the text and the two opposing views. My church thinks modeling submission in the home and in the church concerning spiritual authority is a timeless teaching. Note that both men and women are to submit to the spiritual authority of the leaders of the local church, so the modeling is not just for women. But by modeling submission the children see a consistent pattern of behavior, hopefully leading them to decide to obey God.

Another issue is teaching without authority. On the internet, when I post that the Bible teaches this or that, the readers of the post are not under my authority, they can accept or reject what I post and they can post concurring or opposing posts. But in a local assembly, with the mandate of the members to submit to the authority of the elders, then the teaching carries more weight. God ordained this social structure to spread the gospel of Christ to the four corners of the earth. So in the church, with a married women elder, you would have the case where the husband must submit to the spiritual leadership of the woman in church and the women submit to the spiritual leadership of the husband in the home. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

In Genesis 3:16, God tells Eve that as part of the curse, her desire will be for her husband and he shall rule over her. This might mean lots of things, but one view is that women are cursed with the desire to have authority over men, but God ordains that men shall rule over woman. Some think this view is supported by Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians 14:34, or in other words, the example from the OT is men almost exclusively being chosen by God to exercise authority in government and in temple activity. God does however use woman on some occasions such as Deborah, in a governmental role and Pricilla in a spiritual role, teaching a church leader. But even here in the spiritual role, the role is informal, and not or so it seems in a public gathering.

shepreach · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:33 am Post subject:

i have no quarrel with those who think a woman should not pastor. you do not have to attend my church. i, however, must do what God has called me to do.
deborah was more than a government figure. she was appointed by God as a judge of israel and israel was a theocracy at that time.
then there is mary. as the mother of jesus, God placed His Son in her immediate care for years. seems to me He he must have trusted her to do it right. then there is mary who carried the news of the resurrection to the 12. Jesus could have appeared to them Himself. instead He sent a woman.
as far as a husband being under the authority of his wife at church. that only holds true if he attends the church where she pastors. at any rate pastors are servants and they as well as the rest of the church are under the authority of God. if the church is what it is supposed to be there shouldn't be a conflict.

Van · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:11 am Post subject:

The account of Deborah is given in the Book of Judges, chapters 4 and 5. She was a prophet of God, and she guided Israel in the defeat of Sisera. In may be that God used her, a woman, to heighten God's victory "for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman" (Judges 4:9).