Considering The Whole Counsel of God Wayne A Pelly Empower International Ministries Ekklesia Foundation for Gender Education EFOGE August 2325 2018 Kampala Uganda Faith and Gender ID: 706890
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Women’s Role in the Church Considering “The Whole Counsel of God”
Wayne A. Pelly
Empower International Ministries
Ekklesia
Foundation for Gender Education
(EFOGE)
August 23-25, 2018 – Kampala, Uganda
Faith and Gender:
Equality for Women and Men
In the Church and SocietySlide2
A Perplexing Problem1 Timothy 2:12
I do not permit a woman to . . . .
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
Women should be silent in church . . . .1 Corinthians 11:4-5But - women are praying and prophesying in church . . . .
2Slide3
A Better ApproachActs 20:27 – Paul to the Ephesian elders
“I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God”
We need to hear
all relevant biblical passagesWilling to consider all biblical evidence
3Slide4
A Proposed “Framework”The Strategy: Note Cards
Record all relevant N.T. passages
Sort and re-sort – and look for patterns
The Criterion:“Entire Counsel of God” – all relevant Scripture texts are included
Each text is considered and allowed to speak
4Slide5
Preliminary Results (1)Descriptive Texts
Women
in ministry or leadership
activities - often in counter-cultural ways - are simply described
A
Significant Discovery: The primary criterion for further sorting
5Slide6
Preliminary Results (2)Instructive
Texts
How did the “Descriptive” activities come about?
Identify texts that would have encouraged womenThese
texts “instruct”
Encouragement for women to act in these ways
Encouragement for men to support & welcome
6Slide7
Preliminary Results (3)Corrective
Texts
Texts that would have discouraged women
Only two of themJustification for “Corrective” Category
Context: Addressing problems in one situation
Cannot explain the behavior &
values found in the other two groups of texts
The
Descriptive & Instructive explain the
Corrective!
7Slide8
The “Whole Counsel of God”Three
categories of
texts on the role of women:
Descriptive Texts - Describe
Instructive
Texts -
Instruct
Corrective
Texts -
Correct
8Slide9
The Gospels:The Impact of Jesus Christ
Overlap between Descriptive and Instructive
Will consider them together
No Corrective texts in the GospelsThe impact of Jesus
:
. . . on
women
. . .
on men
. . . and on their relationships with each other
9Slide10
The Impact of Jesus on WomenWhat does dowry price for a wife get you?
Answers
we usually hear:
ChildrenFoodSex
Jesus
does not treat women on this basis!
10Slide11
The Impact of Jesus on Women (2)Luke 11:27-28
Luke 8:1-3
John 4:1-42
Luke 10:38-42
11Slide12
The Impact of Jesus on Women (3)All Four Gospels: Women the first witnesses to the resurrected
Lord!
Then sent to bear witness to the
apostles! John 20 – Not accidental or incidental!
12Slide13
The Impact of Jesus on Women (4)Scott Bartchy’s Summary:
“The rejection of traditional female gender roles” (as defining women’s identity and value) and
“The creation of new, public roles for women”
13Slide14
The Impact of Jesus on MenTo bring change in
c
ulture
How men view womenHow men view
themselves
– equally important!
14Slide15
The Impact of Jesus on Men (2)Redefinition of what it means to be a man
Traditional
norms of masculinity limit men, too!
Jesus’s teachings free men as well as women
Sexuality
as a tool of relationship, not for proving your “manhood”
15Slide16
The Impact of Jesus on Men (3)Jesus redeemed men from a system that pressured men in damaging ways:
How they measure their worth
Subordinate themselves to powerful patriarchs
Endless cycle of strife and vengeance
Struggle to dominate and be honored by others
16Slide17
The Impact of Jesus on Men (4)Mark 10:35-45/Matt. 20:20-28
James
and John ask for the two top spots
Background: Dan. 7:13-14 – the “Son of Man”
The Messiah who
will be served by all
peoples
Jesus
reverses
the expectation!
17Slide18
The Impact of Jesus on Men (5)Luke 22:24-27 – verse 25
“
Benefactors” – A strong element of
inequality and difference in
power
You
are not to be like that!
Greatness
is in the act of serving, not being served
18Slide19
The Impact of Jesus on Men (6)John 13:3-10, 12-17
“What does it mean to be Lord?”
Jesus
washes the disciples’ feetPeter resists – even objectsHe will be expected to wash the feet of others
He is not ready to become this kind of man
Are we?
19Slide20
Summary: Lessons for MenHonor and Status
Dominance (Patriarchy)
Authority
Power
20Slide21
The Impact of Jesus on RelationshipsThe Sexual Double-Standard
John 8:1-12
Matt. 19:3-9/Mark 10:2-12
21Slide22
The Impact of Jesus on Relationships (2)Matt. 5:28-29 – Adultery in the heart
Luke 7:36-50 – “Do you see this woman?”
22Slide23
The Early ChurchActs and the Letters of the Apostle Paul
Does the emphasis we saw in the Gospels appear in the early church?
The Framework we have identified:
DescriptiveInstructive
Corrective
23Slide24
Descriptive TextsScripture texts that
describe
what women were doing
Acts 18:26Acts 21:9
24Slide25
Descriptive Texts – Romans 16Rom. 16:1-2 – Phoebe
Rom. 16:3-4 – Priscilla &
Aquilla
, Rom. 16:7 – Junia
Rom. 16:6, 12, 13, 15 – Several women
25Slide26
Descriptive Texts – Others1 Cor. 11:4-5 – Both men & women are praying & prophesying in the assembly
Phil. 4:2-3 –
Euodia
and Syntyche are coworkers of Paul
26Slide27
Descriptive Texts – SummaryNote what is
missing
:
No effort to justifyCommonNote what is present
: Women are . . .
Recognized publicly
. . . Equally with men
27Slide28
Instructive TextsDescriptive texts raise
questions:
What encouraged women?
Instructive texts “instruct the church”
28Slide29
Instructive Texts (2)Acts 2:17-18 – The Mark of the
New Age
Spiritual gifts – No Gender Restrictions
1 Cor. 7:4-5 – Practical equality in marriage
29Slide30
Instructive Texts (3)1 Cor. 7:7 – God Approves Singleness
1 Cor. 11:11-12 – Interdependence
Gal. 3:28 – Equality in this life, not the next!
Neither Jew Nor GentileNeither Slave nor Free
Nor Male and Female
30Slide31
Instructive Texts (4)Eph. 5:29-6:9 – Impact on the man:
Husband
Father
MasterEph. 5:23 – Husband is the head of the wifeEph. 4:15
31Slide32
Instructive Texts (5)Paul’s “pursuit of radical self-humiliation”
His suffering and weakness
His authority is to “build up and not to tear down,” in contrast to dominance
32Slide33
Corrective TextsAddress a problem situation to correct it
Tendency to use as “proof-texts”
Violates “whole counsel of God” principle
One-half of a two-way conversationPaul addresses issues raised by the recipients
33Slide34
Corrective Text – 1 Cor. 14:34-35
“. . . The
women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.
If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” (ESV)
34Slide35
Corrective Text – 1 Cor. 14:34-35 (2)Context: Disruptions in the church service
Women are the
third
group Paul asks to be silent (after prophets & tongues-speakers)
35Slide36
Corrective Text – 1 Cor. 14:34-35 (3)
Possible Understandings:
Later manuscript insertion
Chatting by the womenInappropriate interruption of speakers
Wives shaming their husbands
Statement by the Corinthians which Paul dismisses
Can’t be Instructive: Can’t negate 1 Cor. 11:4-5
36Slide37
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15“Let
a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
I
do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Yet
she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
” (ESV)
37Slide38
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15 (2)
Primary text used to restrict women
Classification as Corrective:
Contrary to all Descriptive & Instructive TextsAddressing immediate context – the specific & unusual situation of the Ephesian church
Difficult to apply as a universal directive to all churches
38Slide39
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15 (3)1 Tim. 1:3-4 – why Paul left Timothy in Ephesus
To command others to not teach false doctrines
(and) to not devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies
Possible false teachings to correct:
39Slide40
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15 (4)
Continuing worship of goddess Artemis
Acts
19:23-40Possible background for vs. 15
Influence of an early form of Gnosticism
1 Tim. 4:3 – “some will forbid people to marry”
Important key for vs. 15, woman & childbirth – “passing safely through” childbirth
40Slide41
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15 (5)
“Adam was formed first, then Eve”
Addresses either/both Artemis worship & Gnosticism
Artemis born before her twin Apollo & helped deliver him Some Gnostics: Eve created first, then created Adam & brought him enlightenment
Paul’s appeal to Genesis 2-3 refutes both
41Slide42
Corrective Text – 1 Tim. 2:11-15 (6)
“
Authority
” – an unusual word“Authentein” not “exousia
”
Strong evidence for “domineer”
Vss. 8-9 are consistent with “domineer”
Male & female status hierarchies
Women using false teachings to dominate men?
Men are not therefore to dominate women!
42Slide43
The Value of this ApproachHonors the “Whole counsel of God”
Descriptive & Instructive texts
Clear & uncontested context & meaning
Substantial agreement between Gospels, Acts & Paul’s letters Corrective textsDifficult to interpret with confidence
Concerns regarding the claim to “biblical authority”
43Slide44
The Value of this Approach (2)All Scripture, in context, in categories that explain & support the others
Descriptive
: The Instructive texts are being lived out
Instructive: The values of Jesus Christ & the Apostle Paul that influenced the early churchCorrective: Reinforce the Descriptive –
explain why
problems arose
44Slide45
The Value of this Approach (3)When the “Corrective” becomes “Instructive”
Only a few passages are allowed to speak
Most of Scripture on women & men is ignored
If 1 Cor. 14:34-35 & 1 Tim. 2:11-15 at the core:No meaningful framework for all ScriptureProblem: Not that women are silent but that most Scripture we need to hear is silenced!
45Slide46
The Value of this Approach (4)A practical example – a woman today
Christian upbringing, good education, godly character – great example of “Descriptive”
With priority of 1 Tim. 2:11-15
Never escape restrictions of – or suspicion toward – women resulting from misinterpretations of this textPriority of Descriptive & Instructive texts encourages & empowers her leadership
46Slide47
The Value of this Approach (5)The usual choice:
Read Gal. 3:28 through lens of 1 Tim. 2:12, or
Read 1 Tim. 2:12 through lens of Gal. 3:28
The “Whole Counsel of God” Approach:A process that allows us to hear all scripture on the topicDevelop a framework for all texts to be heard in their context
Gal. 3:28 summarizes our result, but is not the lens
47Slide48
The Value of the Berean Approach (6)Our Lens:
The “full counsel of God”
Considering all relevant Scripture
The Result:A compassionate understanding of the full purpose of women & men in God’s sightOne of balance, mutual respect, & mutual service
48Slide49
Women’s Role in the Church Considering “The Whole Counsel of God”
Wayne A. Pelly
Empower International Ministries
http://www.empowerinternational.org
/
Download the latest version of this paper
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Wayne@EmpowerInternational.org