Now – this final semester these old issues have come up.
Part of it, I believe is that I’m in a Pastoral Epistles class so, of course,
we have to deal with the issue of women in the church. I just finished writing a paper on the roles
and responsibilities of women as seen in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. I am also
facing this reality – the evangelical American church can be a challenging place for a woman to find her place, especially if she feels called into the ministry. I have been frustrated, and my
heart has continued to hurt over the matter… and I’ve been seeking to sort
through it biblically. I have some thoughts jotted down, but nothing is set
yet. I have a feeling that it will continue to be a process.
My first question to those who hold to a complementarian
mindset is this – if the church is to be the household of God (1 Timothy 3:15),
where are all the mothers? In the leadership of complementarian churches, the mother's role is often lacking. This feels "off." I feel like I can't quite place my finger on it, but one of my friends made the astute observation that if we are to truly "complement" the men, where is the space for us to do that?
My second question to complementarians is this –
is it really biblical to deny women from being pastors? This has more to do
with looking at gifts (Ephesians 4:11-12, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor. 12:28), functions, and office (1 Timothy 3:1-34, Titus 1:5-9). God gifts people how he wills –
nowhere in the gifts section does it restrain certain gifts to certain people. The
answer may come that the pastor is to be an elder (what complementarians view
as a biblical restriction to the office), but my question would be – is the job
requiring it, or your wording of the job (biblical or cultural)? Is there a problem with having
a women “Spiritual Formations” pastor, missions pastor, family pastor,
executive pastor, etc. provided it wasn’t worded that they function as an
elder (and that she would have proper authority over her)?
These are just some of what I've been grappling through with the complementarian perspective and wondering how much one's culture shapes and dictates our expression of our theology.
The following article does a decent job of summarizing my opinion on the subject:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.drpipim.org/womens-ordination-contemporaryissues-46/45-1-does-the-bible-support-ordaining-women-as-elders-or-pastors-part-4.html
I should note, I wouldn't offer my own opinion at all except for the several questions you framed in a rather open-ended manner. I have no particular interest in debating the point at great length, as enough ink has already been spilt on the internet to clearly outline both positions.
In my understanding, there is no room for an interpretation of the passages dealing with leadership offices which suggests that these offices could apply to women. The Greek words used are gender-specific, and male. As the article also points out, there is no biblical evidence to suggest that statements such as "a husband of one wife" could be gender-flipped - it isn't consistent with what we have been given.
On the other side of it, separate and distinct roles for men and women in the kingdom of God is a definite and clear concept throughout scripture. It is a consistent "grid", if you will, with which we could view all of the Bible. I am continually confused by questions such as "where is the space for us to do that?" with regard to women using ministerial gifts in conjunction with their husbands. If the biblical interpretation is explicit (which I believe that it is, though I understand full well that all do not agree with me), why are we trying to put women into a box that God did not intend them to be in?
I am talented at many things (and modest too), but it does not mean I am free to view those talents outside of the context of God's design for me as a Christian, as a husband, as a man. God's will must not be understood as an extension of our own will and perception of our giftedness. This leads me to my main point, which is often underrated or ignored...
The role of a woman in a healthy marriage is not to "make dinner", "do laundry", "raise the children", and other chauvinistic stereotypes; the agreed-upon division of labor may include these things but not necessarily. I'd rather focus on something else entirely. Men which are heavily engaged in active ministry are some of the most heavily emotionally taxed men on the planet. They were NOT meant to do it alone. From the very beginning (ha), it has been this way.
Far be it from me to do ANYTHING but honor and cherish loving my wife for the way in which she carries out her "duty" as a helper to me. I cannot say this enough: she is ESSENTIAL to my success in every area of living, and I have a relatively "easy" life. While I'm sure it would be possible for me to bear it alone, it has been clear to me for years now that I have no gift of singleness - I need her, and I was built to need her.
So again, the question is not "How can I fit my perceived gifts into God's prescribed plan?" (though that can be a valid and valuable question to meditate on in a different context). Rather, it should be "How can I glorify God in the spheres of influence I have been placed in?" We're all footsoldiers in this war, but God has prescribed there to be different roles among us - why do we doubt Him? Is our own perception of our abilities and talents, and the purpose for our having them, really so accurate?
As I said before, I humbly offer my opinion as just the opinion of one man. I do not know all things, but this is the place where my wife and I rest very comfortably together. I really do hope you'll be able to find similar peace, one way or another :)