Offered in Defense of Women in Ministry
In a recent Facebook conversation about the nature of God, many of my dialogue partners insisted that God is a gendered male. They make this assertion based on a “plain reading of Scripture” in which God is Father and is therefore male.
For the sake of brevity, here I will point out that the Fatherhood of God does not suggest gender, but that God is “Creator.” To ascribe gender to God is to ascribe to God the image of a creature, an explicit violation of the second commandment. Yes, God the Son was incarnate as a human male. But the incarnation is an act of divine grace in which God the Son is united with humanity in such a manner in that neither the full humanity, nor the full divinity of the Son is compromised. To speak of the eternal Logos as God the Son does not imply maleness, but begottenness.
The Facebook conversation to which I referred originated in a discussion about the role of women in ministry. Again, a “plain reading” of the Bible suggests that women are prohibited from a leadership role of preaching and teaching in the Church. I have argued that such a “plain reading” of the Bible actually leads to a profound misunderstanding of being in Christ.
To make my point I wish to present an exercise in the “plain reading” of Scripture which suggests that females are not included in God’s redemptive plan.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12 KJV).
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14).
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:19).
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23)
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
This selection of Scriptures will do. After all, those who insist on a “plain reading” of Scripture usually limit the “Scripture” to their various proof texts. A few “plain reading” observations are in order. It appears that only “sons” can believe in Christ and be led by the Spirit. If females are included in the redemptive plan, then conversion to Christ must mean that they become, are transformed, into “sons.” Furthermore, females in Christ are “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” A “plain reading” of this text suggest that glorification means the ontological transformation of females into males, because a “plain reading” of this text would imply that to be “conformed to the image of His Son” means to take on the Son’s male gender.
Of course, this “plain reading” hermeneutic is utterly ridiculous. But so is a “plain reading” that limits leadership in the church to males; or insist that God is a gendered male.
