A few weeks ago during Sunday School, my pastor told us about the old changing its policy and ALC (American Lutheran Church, now part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of American) ordaining women back in the mid 70s. Apparently, the LCMS, or Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, said they would ordain women if the ALC could find some biblical way to ordain women. The ALC did not find a biblical reason, so the LCMS continues to disallow women ministers to this day. The ALC did start ordaining women ministers, but only because of the changing culture. Did Paul do the same thing when he said women should not be leaders in church? Was he following the changing of the times?
I've been simmering on this the past few days now.
I looked up 1 Timothy 2: 11-25, which says,
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.
This passage is always used to justify not ordaining women in the church. I want to pay close attention to some of the words in this passage.
1.)
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man....
The word I stuck out to me. (1 Timothy is a letter supposedly written by Paul (some scholars disagree on this, even though his name is mentioned) to Timothy regarding his ministry in Ephesus.) Was this Paul saying this, or was he inspired by the Holy Spirit to say this? I have trouble thinking it was the Holy Spirit saying this because of the role of women in the story of Jesus. The first person Jesus went to after being resurrected was a woman (Mary Magdalene). Jesus felt the touch of a woman on his cloak in Mark 5:21-34. Jesus felt his spirit leave him and enter someone else, so he bent down and told this woman that her faith has healed her. This tells me that there is something special about the role of women in Jesus' lifetime.
2.)
She must be silent.She must be silent? Why? Psalm 92 says,
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High.....3.)
Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
True, but when Adam did get deceived as well. He got deceived by Eve. The Doctrine of Original Sin came from the fact both Adam AND Eve fell temptation to Satan, and fell into sin. Not just Eve, making the idea of Men being superior to Women completely ridiculous.
4.)
But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.
This contradicts the idea that we are saved by grace through faith found throughout Paul's teachings. It appears to be works-righteousness. What was Paul trying to say here? Honestly, I don't have an answer for that. I do think Paul was letting his secular beliefs into his writings.
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:8-12,
For man did not come from women, but women from man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
Yes, man did come first. However, man and woman are equal in the eyes of God. Both are creations of his, and both deserve equal respect. Do not hold women lower than men. (I could also turn this into a political post, but I won't).
I have a love/hate relationship with Paul. Some of the stuff he says I think is great, while some other things I disagree with him. I remind myself that I'm a Christian; not a Paulinian. Are Paul's writings fit to be included in the Bible? Are there other writings out there that are better suited for the Bible?
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