I honestly think that because of ancient tradition that there wasn't many women in leadership. I can see this by how God used these women in the past...
Deborah
Meaning: a bee
Deborah was a judge and prophetess, the "wife" (woman?) of Lapidoth. Jabin, the king of Hazor, had for twenty years held Israel in degrading subjection. The spirit of patriotism seemed crushed out of the nation. In this emergency, Deborah roused the people from their lethargy. Her fame spread far and wide. She became a "mother in Israel" (Judg. 4:6, 14; 5:7), and "the children of Israel came up to her for judgment" as she sat in her tent under the palm tree "between Ramah and Bethel."
Preparations were everywhere made by her direction for the great effort to throw off the yoke of bondage. She summoned Barak from Kadesh to take the command of 10,000 men of Zebulun and Naphtali, and lead them to Mount Tabor on the plain of Esdraelon at its northeast end.
With his aid she organized this army. She gave the signal for attack, and the Hebrew host rushed down impetuously upon the army of Jabin, which was commanded by Sisera, and gained a great and decisive victory. The Canaanitish army almost wholly perished. That was a great and ever-memorable day in Israel.
In Judges 5 is given the grand triumphal ode, the "song of Deborah," which she wrote in grateful commemoration of that great deliverance.
Anna
Meaning: grace.
This is the name of an aged widow mentioned in the Bible. She was the daughter of Phanuel. She was a "prophetess."
After seven years of married life her husband died, and during her long widowhood she daily attended the temple services. When she was eighty-four years old, she entered the temple at the moment when the aged Simeon uttered his memorable words of praise and thanks to God that he had fulfilled his ancient promise in sending his Son into the world (Luke 2:36-37).
Huldah
Meaning: weasel
This was the name of a prophetess -- the wife of Shallum. She was consulted regarding the "book of the law" discovered by the high priestHilkiah (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chr. 34:22-28). She resided in that part of Jerusalem called the Mishneh (A.V., "the college;" Revised Version., "the second quarter"), supposed by some to be the suburb between the inner and the outer wall, the second or lower city, Akra.
__________________ "Theological liberalism is a different religion, a religion of moralism and uplift, whereas. Christianity is about sin and grace." -John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
Being a reformed Christian I know that most of them hold a complimenterian view of scripture while I hold an egalitarian view. I'm glad to see we have sisters out there doing God's work. I really hope that you don't leave. I hope that your complimenterian brothers and sisters open minds to preaching the Gosple rather than legalism.
NewGuy
I hope you dont mind a couple questions intended to draw out the point being made.
Repent and be baptized... if we conform to this are we conforming to legalism? What are the consequences of not conforming to this standard?
Also, which command of God would you deem as having been 'unimportant?
I hope you dont mind a couple questions intended to draw out the point being made.
Repent and be baptized... if we conform to this are we conforming to legalism? What are the consequences of not conforming to this standard?
Also, which command of God would you deem as having been 'unimportant?
Are you seriously comparing repenting and coming into salvation to a person leading the church?
I don't deem any command as unimportnat I just see the difference between cultural significance of a day to essential doctrine...we all hold different views to different aspects of scripture we should focus on the essentials.
__________________ "Theological liberalism is a different religion, a religion of moralism and uplift, whereas. Christianity is about sin and grace." -John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
Are you seriously comparing repenting and coming into salvation to a person leading the church?
I don't deem any command as unimportnat I just see the difference between cultural significance of a day to essential doctrine...we all hold different views to different aspects of scripture we should focus on the essentials.
Ok
I have an answer for the 3rd quesiton, which is that you do not deem any command of God as unimportant.
This means then that since we see in scripture, that the priesthood for instance, is limited to the sons of Levi and the sons of Aaron, that the exclusion of women is not an unimportant command of God. This has been Hebrew tradition, by command of God, for 3400 years or more. It further means that you deem it as an important command since you see no command of God as unimportant. Is this correct?
You also agree with me that to repent and be baptized is important since every command of God is imprtant. Is this true?
I have an answer for the 3rd quesiton, which is that you do not deem any command of God as unimportant.
This means then that since we see in scripture, that the priesthood for instance, is limited to the sons of Levi and the sons of Aaron, that the exclusion of women is not an unimportant command of God. This has been Hebrew tradition, by command of God, for 3400 years or more. It further means that you deem it as an important command since you see no command of God as unimportant. Is this correct?
You also agree with me that to repent and be baptized is important since every command of God is imprtant. Is this true?
Do you not consider prophets as leaders who speak for God?
And yes every command is important, but some issues are not as clear like this one. We should focus on what is clear.
__________________ "Theological liberalism is a different religion, a religion of moralism and uplift, whereas. Christianity is about sin and grace." -John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
Do you not consider prophets as leaders who speak for God?
And yes every command is important, but some issues are not as clear like this one. We should focus on what is clear.
The scriptures are very clear in referance to offices and callings, and a prophet is not the same as a pastor or a teacher. A pastor is the captain of that particular ship, in the Master's royal Navy. A pastor must weild some command over people and just as the man is head over the woman in the family, a pastor is head over the flock he tends.
Paul is very clear, issueing commands to the pastors of churches, commands which demand usurping power over the flock. Paul told Timothy what to teach and preach, he wrote to the corinthean church, telling them to demand a man repent or else have no company with him. He writes back later commanding to restore the same repentant brother. A female is not to usurp authority over the husband nor over the flock among whom are men.
Now if you are in agreement with me that God's command to Israel was indeed not unimportant, that ONLY sons of Aaron and Levi could perform as priests, why would you deem it unimportant that He sets the same order in a church that is really the same congregation of believers that Moses is among?
The scriptures are very clear in referance to offices and callings, and a prophet is not the same as a pastor or a teacher. A pastor is the captain of that particular ship, in the Master's royal Navy. A pastor must weild some command over people and just as the man is head over the woman in the family, a pastor is head over the flock he tends.
I don't see a reason while a Godly woman can't do this.
Paul is very clear, issueing commands to the pastors of churches, commands which demand usurping power over the flock. Paul told Timothy what to teach and preach, he wrote to the corinthean church, telling them to demand a man repent or else have no company with him. He writes back later commanding to restore the same repentant brother. A female is not to usurp authority over the husband nor over the flock among whom are men.
Pauls commands are affected by cultural view. I suggest you post scripture so we can further discuss this topic in context.
Now if you are in agreement with me that God's command to Israel was indeed not unimportant, that ONLY sons of Aaron and Levi could perform as priests, why would you deem it unimportant that He sets the same order in a church that is really the same congregation of believers that Moses is among?
Two examples based on Jewish culture. Why aren't you taking prophetess into account?
__________________ "Theological liberalism is a different religion, a religion of moralism and uplift, whereas. Christianity is about sin and grace." -John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
I don't see a reason while a Godly woman can't do this.
So then you do see at least one command of God as unimportant.
This would be the one that she learn in silence in the church and does not usurp authority over men.
Now the question is, by what criteria do you establish that this command of God is unimportant. Is it because you esteem the old testament in higher regard than the new? Is it that you believe God had good reason for establishing the priesthood as a priesthood made up of only men, but He had no good reason for establishing the same order in the church?
Also, do you realize that the church is nothing more than sect of the Jews? This is twice stated in the book of acts. So why do you deem it as inconsistant or improper when it is firmly established for 3400 years?
Did Sarah perform sacrifice or did Abraham? Why did Sarah not perform sacrifice? Because it was commanded of Abraham by God Himself.
You have the word of God and 3500 years of established tradition based on the command of God which you say you deem as important. I suggest you not write this one off based on a feeling of unfairness.
You'll have that problem anywhere you go. People will haunt you and hurl antagonisms of you and call you all sorts of derogatory terms because your beliefs or your convictions contradict their own. Nothing new under the sun.
I know this section of the site will definitely be less without you, though.
__________________
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
- Benjamin Franklin
Tell me what the world is saying today, and I’ll tell you what the church will be saying in seven years. -Francis Schaeffer
We must not be so engulfed in trying to force social behavior to conform to our standards that we become enemies of those our Lord has called us to win to Himself. We must reject sin and never compromise God's standards of righteousness. But we also must never engage in defamation and denigration of the lost sinners who make up our corrupt culture. When Christians become political, sinners become the enemy instead of the mission field. - John MacArthur
I know this section of the site will definitely be less without you, though. 
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