Pastor Paul And Women In Ministry

Women’s issues and “churchianity” have long been areas of great interest to me. On the latter, you may be interested in what I have written here:

Thank you Teknomom!

I see where John Piper has Helen Reseveare, a woman missionary, speaking at the Stand Conference. She will be sharing the stage with John McArthur.

Lin,

Thanks for that interesting tid-bit. I did a google search and found John Piper’s conference with the speakers listed here:

This is one of the inconsistencies that drove me to change my position on this issue . . and being an apologist, Cheryl knows that one of the classic signs of a failed argument/position is *inconsistency*.

Dunsman,

You are exactly right. The failure of the complementarian position is that eventually it must show inconsistency. To keep it completely consistent one must create an entire “rule” book of rules. i.e. is a woman allowed to give a man directions when he is lost or would that be “teaching” him and “taking authority” over him? There is so many inconsistencies and gray areas that must come because of the complementarian position that it makes my head spin. I have read that a woman is allowed to give a “testimony” as long as she doesn’t use more than two scriptures in her testimony. If she uses more than two then she has stepped into the forbidden area of “teaching”. Honestly it reminds me of the Talmud and the multitude of human laws that restricted and hedged people in, in a way that God never intended.

Funny, I was just going to ask if perhaps they would say Helen’s presentation was just ‘informational’. But then, that is teaching, right? If a testimony does not teach then what is the point?

You are right…that fine line is hard to balance…and so there are many inconsistencies. The rule book would have to be mightly big.

This all goes back to the wrong teaching on authority in church. What is it about ‘authority’ that has people so confused? For example, If I find my male elder/pastor is a false teacher am I to submit to his authority? No, of course not. So what is this ‘authority’ really all about?

Cheryl,

I’m honored that you would link to anything I’ve said. As you can imagine I’m sure, anything I might write has it’s roots in people who have been a help to me along the way.

I am certainly blessed more than you know by what you have to say. Keep up the great teaching as the Body, myself included, needs it and appreciates it.

Thank you Pastor Paul for your comments and your encouragement! You are a very humble man and praise coming from you means a great deal to me.