CHILLICOTHE, Oh. (BNC) by Ron Thomas — Once again, New-Testament saints read of another congregation giving ground to the ways of the world. Recently, a large church in a college town fit themselves in well with others who have gone before them, that is, gone beyond what the New Testament teaches.
The Lord’s apostle, Paul, gave clear guidance from the Holy Spirit about how the New Testament church is to conduct itself. Timothy was to read scripture and teach those things that were and are crucial to the organization of the New Testament church (cf. 1 Timothy 3:14-15). In this context he said the female saints did not serve in positions of leadership or leading the assembly, only the male saints were to do that (1 Tim. 2:8-15).
The objection to the above remarks will be in relation to Paul writing the female saints were to not usurp authority over the male saints, that is, to teach. If the article is correct with this comment, “teaching adult Bible classes alone” the objection is mute because what the Holy Spirit forbids, this congregation now embraces!
Does it really matter what the New Testament says anymore?
Those who seek change begin small but, in the end, what the Holy Spirit says does not matter if the society, which controls the local church, wants something different.
The college congregation and other similar churches now give lip service to such things as “it does matter what the New Testament teaches.”
I suppose, to give some degree of comfort to those who would resist, the following sentiment was expressed, “The shepherds also re-emphasized that by over a two-thirds consensus within the eldership, Downtown would not have female shepherds or preachers.”
This is supposed to be encouraging? I guess I fail to see it. What a tremendous shame! Two-thirds? At the risk of being insulting, it appears biblical knowledge is lacking in great quantities. Only two-thirds? It’s just a matter of time when the two-thirds turns into one-third, then a complete reversal.
The precursor to change is to have a special time of study and prayer. Throughout the centuries with the untold number of excellent biblical expositors, have they failed in their study time and prayer to understand the role of the female in their local churches? Did they not know how to read their English Bible or the Greek text to conclude something different than what 20th and 21st century Bible believers now conclude?
One of the elders of the congregation gave what was believed to be serious consideration of the church community in the “rapid socio-cultural change”, but it appears they gave too much consideration to the culture and not the New Testament. In the written paragraph of the story, wherein they grappled with the issue, there is no mention of what the New Testament says is to be done. To me, this is most telling.
From this there seems to be unity, and unity is good, though in this case there is no unity with the Lord on the matter. So, I guess, unity is not good, contrary to the opinions of two sisters in the congregation. The current attendance of the congregation is nearly 2,000; I wonder what it will be in ten years. It does not matter, I suppose, since to the congregation in this college town, the New Testament teaching on the topic did not matter either.
2019-11-22 at 7:06 am
The real problem is the men are not taking the leadership role that the Good Lord has assigned to them and have it given over to the women.
2019-11-22 at 7:24 am
I don’t think what you think the New Testament says is what the New Testament ACTUALLY says….Peter quoted Joel to solidify how the Holy Spirit would work from Pentecost on. Your interpretation is at most not beneficial at all…
2019-11-22 at 3:09 pm
I THINK IT IS JUST ANOTHER CASE OF CHURCH LEADERS TRYING TO PLEASE THE PEOPLE AND NOT GOD.
THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE LOST OF PEOPLE FROM THE CONGREGATION AND NOT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.
THEY ARE FORGETTING THAT GOD HAS SAID WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM HIS WORD.
I FOR ONE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE DOING THAT
2019-11-23 at 7:30 am
Yes, absolutely, Johnny Hunt…God is the Ultimate Righteous Judge in these matters and He will hold each person accountable for his or her actions here on earth…there is no supreme court to overrule God so you had better make sure that you please and honor Him for His wisdom, guidance, protection, and mercy towards mankind.
2019-11-23 at 12:13 am
God is the ultimate head of His people and He has given us numerous examples in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation about the roles of men and women in His kingdom. Nowhere in Scripture can you point to, justify, or find authorization for a egalitarian relationship for men and women in leadership of God’s people…in writing to Timothy, Paul references the fall of mankind in Genesis as reasoning for his directives in I Timothy 2:8-15…God has made it very clear through the apostle Paul what He expects in the faith and practice of His kingdom…God is the Righteous Judge and He will decide about the faithful execution of these matters according to His Will, not ours…🤔🤔🤔
2019-11-23 at 8:51 am
I have been making the point for years that in the churches of Christ we talk about what the woman can and cannot do in the church, or what she can or cannot do in the home. The issue we stay away from is “What About The Woman In The World?” A lady put it this way: “You mean to tell me that as a woman I can’t be an elder or teach a class with men present, or preach a sermon in the church of Christ but I can be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States?” The late Jane McWhorter in her book “She Hath Done What She Could” said it better than anyone I have read in commenting on I Timothy 2:11,12. She wrote “Apparently some women feel that God has restricted woman’s authority only in the church and that she is free to assume as much power as she desires in the business world. The admonitions of Paul in I Timothy 2:11,12 extend to all phases of woman’s life. To ensure order in the world, God has placed man over the woman.” (page 12) This position I have preached for most of the 45 years I have preached the gospel. Women have no authority over men in any area of life.
2019-11-26 at 3:14 pm
Mr. Bruin, I am a very strong willed woman but have always known what God expects of me. There’s nothing biblical about men having authority over women outside the church. We have a really good example of Deborah the prophetess or judge, She didn’t answer to anyone, and even told Barak that because he failed to take the leadership role, a woman would be given the victory. (Judges 4). There is also no biblical example, other than shepherds leading the flock, where I have to take direction from a man other than my husband. I believe that you are making a law where there is none. Women have some serious roles to fill in the church, and that should be enough for them (and for me that has been the case). Teaching must be done to ensure that women feel equal as Paul declares that “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28