The problem with the way that many people handle the Bible is that they bring their biases and opinions to the test, and try to bring the text in line with what they think. There are many people who do this in their personal study, even famous preachers-(See Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and Rob Bell) – to their own peril.
When approaching scripture, it is always best to come without bias, as an empty vessel waiting to be filled with God’s Word. It helps also to have some basic framework for Bible Study. I am a trained theologian, but for those who just want a better understanding of hermeneutics I recommend Herman Who from Wretched Radio/Todd Friel. It is about an hour long, and it is a great way to learn how to interpret and apply scripture rightly.
In the recent discussion concerning women and ministry, specifically women in open-air evangelism, there has been a huge elephant in the room concerning the scriptures that have been used to justify the position that women should not preach in the open air. Many of the scriptures that are used in direct context come from 1 Corinthians, Timothy, and Titus. The first point of hermeneutics is that we need to examine who these are written to. 1 Corinthians is written to the church at Corinth specifically. Its purpose is clear in that Paul is correcting error that he sees happening within the church fellowship, and to a larger extent to the people who made up the church as it addresses marriage as well. Titus and Timothy are written in context as instructions to young men to whom Paul has given responsibilities as overseers within specific churches. All three books address specific roles within the church fellowship. All three books to some extent address qualifications for the people who must fulfill the roles within the church fellowship. You have to do some interpretive gymnastics to draw the principles to be applied outside the church fellowship. Let us take a few passages that folks have done these gymnastics with to not only lord authority over them in the home inappropriately but also the movement to silence women in the open air.
Should a woman be doing this in the streets?
The Question of Authority
1 Corinthians 11:1-15 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
Even a casual reader of scripture understands that there is a created order. Man was created first, and out of women, man. There is an emphasis for Paul in 1 Corinthians of doing things properly and in order within the church in order to bring glory to God. In fact, later in this passage he warns about the disorganized chaos around the celebration of Lord’s table. This is about submitting to the divine structure of authority as a Christian. Every woman is under her Husband’s authority, every man is under Christ’s authority, as Christ is under God’s authority. Apparently, when a wife would uncover her head in this context she was rebelling against authority. This was causing a level of disorder in the services of worship. Paul was not placing a blanket statement on women praying or prophesying, in fact, quite the opposite. In verse 5, Paul could have addressed the praying or the prophesying of wives by saying that a woman who prays or prophesies dishonors herself. Instead, he addressed the symbol of authority on their head, stating that for a wife to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered was disgraceful.
The word for prophesy in verse 4 is from the Greek προφήτης, and it means to to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others – under the prompting of the Spirit. It seems clear that Paul, in this passage, has no opinion regarding women openly praying and prophesying in the context of church as long as she does it under submission! This is the check for women- are they doing things with the attitude of usurping authority, or are they doing them to the glory of God?
So, if Paul is stating here that as long as a woman is under authority, and is in submission to that authority she can προφήτης- that is teach, refute, reprove, admonish, and comfort others in the context of the church under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, why can’t she do it in the street under the same authority and protection? If a married woman is sent to Evangelize- to prophesy (teach, refute, reprove, admonish, and comfort) in the open air by her church, and her husband sends her as well (or even participates!) Then there is no one outside of that fellowship that can say that they are doing the wrong thing.
In the next article, we will attempt to look at 1 Corinthians 14. What does it mean for a woman to be silent in the church?
No comments:
Post a Comment