Reflections of an Undeconstructed Pentecostal
In a recent conversation I was asked, “How do we move forward to settle the issue of women in ministry?” I replied, “You’ve got to call out the issue for what it is – sexism.” I continued, “If the issue is homosexuality we call it out as sin. If the issue is racism, we call it out as sin. And, if the issue is sexism we must call it out as sin.” Many of my colleagues will protest, “It’s not sexism, it’s what the Bible teaches!” So, which is it?
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The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
Paul’s words have been employed as a universal statement that denies any role to women in the ministry of the gospel. While I admit that at first reading they seem rather straightforward, when taken in the context of the narrative of Scripture, they seem out of place. So, I wonder, what if women had been silent?
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So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:19-21).
In the 1980’s I attended a small Southern Baptist College. This was during the conflict between the conservatives and moderates (liberals?) about the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. In our “Gospels” class, I remember telling a small group that the future debate would not be about verbal inspiration or inerrancy, but about hermeneutics. Thirty years later, that statement has proved to have been prophetic.
Continue reading “The Bible – A Dangerous Weapon?”