Global School of Ministry Course 122
Women in Ministry: Introduction and Context
#1
To do justice to the subject matter, these issues are put under the spotlight:
Critical Questions
General Introduction
One of the most controversial aspects of the bible is the interpretation of two Pauline exhortations concerning women and public ministry. We are commanded to compare scripture with scripture to understand the full counsel of God on any subject matter.
This course then takes a holistic view of all the commands of scripture to establish the mind of God that women are called to minister just as their male counterparts. To properly understand the mind of God, it will do us well to heed the counsel in Isaiah 28: 10,13. That way, we can lay out each precept upon a preceding one to comprehend the whole mind of God concerning this sensitive subject.
This course then takes a holistic view of all the commands of scripture to establish the mind of God that women are called to minister just as their male counterparts. To properly understand the mind of God, it will do us well to heed the counsel in Isaiah 28: 10,13. That way, we can lay out each precept upon a preceding one to comprehend the whole mind of God concerning this sensitive subject.
To do justice to the subject matter, these issues are put under the spotlight:
Critical Questions
• What was the context in which Paul charged women to be silent in church at Ephesus (1Timothy 2: 9-14)
• Did Paul recognize, receive and promote the ministry of women?
• What is the biblical basis of women to function in ministry?
• What constraints to women ministry are worthy of consideration
• What are peculiar weaknesses which women in ministry must recognize and deal with at the cross to ensure the fullness of spiritual liberty?
• Balancing demands of home, ministry, career, etc.
• Peculiar pitfalls to avoid in women ministry.
What was the context in which Paul charged women to be silent in Church?
Of all the Mission fields in which Paul laboured Ephesus ranks among the most challenging. Here, the apostle to the gentiles encountered the worship of one of the ancient wonders of the world, the giant statute of Diana, the goddess of the land (also known by the Greek term, Artemis).
The worship of this idol was rocked by the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to the extent that one of its devotees, Demetrius stirred up a riot against Paul Acts 19:1- 41. The Church that was planted out of spiritual warfare, power evangelism and deep teaching on the nature and identity of saints and the New Testament Church was an exceptional one as can be seen from the epistle to the Ephesians.
Unfortunately, false teachers who had backslidden from the truth preyed on this vibrant church! In Acts 20: 17-38, Paul addressed the leadership of the Church to warn them of the impending effects of false teachers. Those false teachers were to wreak havoc on the church so much so that when Jesus appeared to John at the Island of Patmos, He found the church wanting in a vital area: loss of first love Revelation 2: 1-7.
Of all the Mission fields in which Paul laboured Ephesus ranks among the most challenging. Here, the apostle to the gentiles encountered the worship of one of the ancient wonders of the world, the giant statute of Diana, the goddess of the land (also known by the Greek term, Artemis).
The worship of this idol was rocked by the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to the extent that one of its devotees, Demetrius stirred up a riot against Paul Acts 19:1- 41. The Church that was planted out of spiritual warfare, power evangelism and deep teaching on the nature and identity of saints and the New Testament Church was an exceptional one as can be seen from the epistle to the Ephesians.
Unfortunately, false teachers who had backslidden from the truth preyed on this vibrant church! In Acts 20: 17-38, Paul addressed the leadership of the Church to warn them of the impending effects of false teachers. Those false teachers were to wreak havoc on the church so much so that when Jesus appeared to John at the Island of Patmos, He found the church wanting in a vital area: loss of first love Revelation 2: 1-7.
Paul was so concerned for the Church in Ephesus to have the right oversight that he posted his trusted protégé, Timothy as its first Bishop Philippians 2:19 – 24; 1 Timothy 1: 1- 4. Jewish women who embraced eternal life in Christ were coming into a pure culture shock. Gentile women were loose in morals, had unbridled freedom to do whatever they pleased and were generally given to fashion that was seductive in nature. Many were essentially wild and controlling. Because of the influence of the goddess Diana, women saw themselves as liberated to live anyhow. The Church that was planted in this environment needed to understand some principles of the Kingdom. Those principles Paul instructed Timothy to teach had to do with moderation in fashion and the need for order and respect for lines of authority in the House of God.
It is against this background that Paul gave the instructions in 1 Timothy 2: 9 – 14. Broken down, they postulate as follows:
1. Decent and appropriate clothing should be worn by women who professed faith in Christ so that their liberty does not occasion stumbling in brothers who may still be in transition to spiritual growth.
2. Women, who were coming into the faith of Christ, were instructed to concentrate on studying rather than seek to teach and instruct 1 Timothy 2: 11 – 12. For Jewish women in the city, this was an extraordinary opportunity since in the synagogues; they were basically on the margins. Faith in Christ had broken down the middle wall of partition and they were now given the opportunity to diligently study the word of God.
3. To drive home his point, Paul pointed out what happened in the Garden of Eden when Eve upset the line of authority God had created for them, by passing Adam to converse with the stranger, Satan who took the form of a serpent 1 Timothy 2:13,14. This allusion was tied to the fact that false teachers who had reared their ugly heads in Ephesus were targeting women first and may have made some progress in their nefarious designs.
The question of context
It is important that we bear in mind the context of the early Church which was birthed amidst Judaism. The full counsel of God was yet unfolding so the Church was evolving based on the degree of light that was released and accepted. Men generally had the head start in hearing and therefore receiving the word in many of the cities of the Diaspora. Logically, they became the first set of ministers available.
At various times, certain truths were fully understood and integrated into practice of the early Church. We need to recollect that the Church had to even convene a conference for the purpose of settling the cultural issue of circumcision. At issue was whether gentiles needed to be circumcised (a practice God required of Abraham and his off springs as seal of His covenant with them) before they can be accepted as Christians. James, the half brother of Jesus who moderated that First Jerusalem Council was to deliver a wise judgement which saved the day when he ruled that circumcision was not necessary for gentiles as a precondition for conversion. He went on to counsel that gentiles who come into faith in Christ must abstain from idolatrous contamination, from sexual immorality and from eating strangled animals as well as blood. Acts 15: 1-29.
At various times, certain truths were fully understood and integrated into practice of the early Church. We need to recollect that the Church had to even convene a conference for the purpose of settling the cultural issue of circumcision. At issue was whether gentiles needed to be circumcised (a practice God required of Abraham and his off springs as seal of His covenant with them) before they can be accepted as Christians. James, the half brother of Jesus who moderated that First Jerusalem Council was to deliver a wise judgement which saved the day when he ruled that circumcision was not necessary for gentiles as a precondition for conversion. He went on to counsel that gentiles who come into faith in Christ must abstain from idolatrous contamination, from sexual immorality and from eating strangled animals as well as blood. Acts 15: 1-29.
The point here is that the Church was addressing issues as they came up. Furthermore, the entire counsel of God for the present dispensation of the Kingdom had not yet been collated as they were still being downloaded from God to His people through various vessels. Even Peter found it exciting to note the depth of some of the great revelations God committed to Paul 2 Peter 3: 15, 16. In this regard, it must be noted, for instance, that almost all the first set of disciples of Jesus had died by the time John the beloved received the massive prophetic master piece, the Book of Revelation!
To successfully discuss the issue of Women in Ministry therefore, we need to firstly go through the whole gamut of the Word to see what is said in various sections. Secondly, we will need to compare scripture with scripture in order to ascertain the mind of God as Isaiah 28:10, 13 exhorts. Thirdly, we need the fresh insight of the Holy Spirit to reveal the mind of God.
To be continued..../
To be continued..../
No comments:
Post a Comment