The Role of Woman in the Church - Assignment Example

Order 274033 The Role of Woman in the Church A Survey of Current Approach By Carl B. Hoch, Jr. Critique: Cultural changes concerning the contemporary role of women has become one of the most controversial issues in western Christianity. The feminist movement has questioned this Cultural norm in America which has challenged the patriarchal philosophy of the ministry of the local church. Therefore; women's role in the local church administration has been scrutinized and much debated about resulting in questioning the inerrancy of Biblical teachings. Thus the Evangelical leadership has galvanized towards two major organizations: the Council for Biblical Equality, which promotes: (a) the evangelical egalitarian view and (b) the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood promoting the evangelical hierarchical view. Historical evaluation is needed to counteract sexist interpretations and to understand general trends surrounding the issue of hierarchical vs. egalitarian roles. Three views on the role of women in the ministry of the local church, act as general philosophical camps. The egalitarian view points to three primary texts supporting the right for women to hold ecclesiastical office: Romans 16:1, 7 and 1 Timothy 3:11. At the same time, the egalitarians must answer the hierarchal traditional interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11,12. The question of women holding ecclesiastical offices of authority has been the primary test case for egalitarianism. Traditionally, the evangelical church has denied women the office of apostle, pastor, elder and deacon. Cultural feminism, since The Feminist Mystique, (publication of Betty Friedan's, work became the rally point of the feminist movement.) has launched a passionate crusade to place women into leadership positions within all social structures. And the evangelical church, generally the bastion of the hierarchal tradition, has felt the special onslaught of this feminist campaign. The non-evangelical egalitarian view generally holds that the Bible is sexist and rooted in patriarchal culture. Within the non-evangelical egalitarian view, some hold to a complete rejection of the Bible in constructing a contemporary philosophy of the role of women in ministry, and see contemporary feminism as the hermeneutical grid, instead of holding the Bible as the final authority for contemporary practice. Others endorse the seeds of cultural liberty within Christianity as evolving into a progressive liberation of women from early cultural patriarchal domination. It challenges the historical hierarchical tradition of interpretation. Therefore, a concrete understanding of it becomes paradoxical in nature. The evangelical egalitarian view, also known as the Biblical equalitarian position, holds to an authoritative Bible but challenges the historical hierarchal tradition of interpretation. This view sees the Bible as teaching complete equality between male and female, with an emphasis on mutual submission. This view basically gives strong emphasis to a cultural hermeneutic, to eliminate the hierarchal tone of the New Testament passages of role difference. Through exemplification it can be better discerned. Romans 16:1- reads, "I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchreae." (KJV) Egalitarians generally hold that "servant" should be translated "deaconess." This could suggest an office of authority, reflecting gender equality in role responsibilities. The Greek interpret Phoebe as a leader, elder or deacon in her church. Romans 16:7 reads, "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who were in Christ before me." According to the egalitarian position, the feminine proper name Junia is designated an apostle. Hence, a woman apostle is mentioned in the New Testament, at least in the general sense. And even in the general sense, there is still an element of definite authority implicit in the title. Timothy 3:11 reads, "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." he view that these are wives of deacons, suggests that the nature of the office is such that the deacon cannot perform his responsibilities alone, but needs a wife to lend a helping hand. At best, the three passages dealing with women in ecclesiastical office would allow for women to function within a particular office, without a defined rule of authority. The evangelical hierarchal position has been the traditionally accepted understanding within historic Judaism and Christianity. Basically, this view suggests that God has established a functional hierarchy in the home and church. The male is to lead and the female is to follow, with the implications in the ministry of the local church, to limit women to non-leadership positions. The evangelical hierarchal view can be broadly divided into two positions: a role restricted position, which views the offices of pastor, elder, staff or church board as outside of a woman's functional role and a limited restricted position, which views most of these offices as within a woman's functional role, but only when the authority is exercised over women. Corinthians 11:2-16 has been a battleground for both the role of women in the family and the ministry role of women in the local church. In considering the ministry of women in the local church, the debate centers on verse 5 - "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven." Egalitarian interpretation is quick to point out that according to verse 5; women may pray and prophesy in the worship service of the local church. It seems however, that the issue of women praying and prophesying in the local congregation does not demand office holding or authority over men. True, proclamation gifts generally are authoritative in nature but this does not require that all such speaking situations demand an authoritative tone. The limitation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 seems to focus the authority issue, to exclude men. In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15, women are commanded to remain silent in the church. The traditional hierarchal interpretation, views these passages as limiting the proclamation ministry of women as to audience (i.e., women to women but not women to men) and/or occasion (i.e., during private conversation but not public gatherings). The egalitarian view has surfaced the cultural issues, limiting the apostolic command to specific historical problems at Corinth and Ephesus. Accordingly, although there may be times when women are to remain silent in the local church gatherings, these passages are not to be taken as universally binding. But, the Apostle's practice: "But I permit not a woman to teach, not to usurp authority over the man." Such apostolic interpretations serve to limit women role in contemporary church. We might just understand it to be on the basis of Adam's Creations and Deception of Eve but it is difficult to understand a cultural limitation. This is the Achilles heal of the evangelical egalitarian movement! The New Testament teaches that younger women are to center their ministry on the domestic challenges, which must be defined around the eight fold curriculum of Titus 2:4-6.Tus the gender defined roles of women are here to be vowed strangely within the domestic arena encompassing: the one and only purpose of young women to be trained by older women in the art of loving their husbands, loving their children, give themselves in subjection to men and to face the spiritual challenges to be faced by them and to keep their minds purged of all negative provocations!!. The role of women's ministry in the local church is defined in Titus 2:3-5, thus limits a woman's to base her operations and ministry in the home only. Any variation and diversion from this may lead to "Blasphemy of the word of God". Seen in this light the credibility of the word of God Himself seems at stake! Just as it is true that a "feminine mystique" creates a frustration among women to look for something more (i.e., a career, involvement in a movement or cause, etc.), so a "male mystique," where frustrated men seek for productive purpose is created by men removing themselves from the high calling of expanding the kingdom of God. Both "mystiques" are the result of a cultural shift from godly priorities.Therefore,women in today's world should be granted rightful freedom in taking on ministry of local church-to provide them a level playing field with men (spouses)on egalitarian terms. References: Online article: "The Philosophy of Women's Ministry in the Local Church" Topical Position Paper by Doug V. Heck (Published on: June, 2007) Retrieved on: 16th, February, 2009. http://www.grace4u.org/Topical/WomeninMinisty.htm - 62k An Unofficial web site of Grace Bible Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma --- 2009 RWB Enterprises --- Read More