Cheryl Schatz

Mark,
I do not hold to parochial views. I have no problem at all disagreeing with egalitarian views if I believe that they violate the scriptures. Those who regularly read my blog will attest to that. I have way too much of a love for the truth to get caught up in an ideology. I just want Biblical truth no matter which direction it leads me.

My shock at the complementarian view of a subordinate Lord of Hosts in the Trinity (for this is who Jesus is in His preincarnate state) is because of my doctrinal background not because of my egalitarian beliefs. My work with the Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1988 has trained me in the importance of the Trinity and the comp view is much closer to the JW view than it is to the historic position of the Trinity. Remember I used to be a comp myself but I could not teach a subordinate will in the Trinity or a lesser authority for the LORD of hosts. It is against the express teaching of the Scriptures. Some JW’s find themselves in the comp view and they tell me because the comp view is the most like their old JW view. Others who have been set free from the Watchtower are shocked to hear the teaching about the lowering of Jesus. I sat in a lecture by Bruce Ware with a former Jehovah’s Witness on either side of me, one of them having a family history back to the time of the founder of the Watchtower. She literally gasped when she heard the comp teaching of the Trinity. And she was raised to believe that women couldn’t teach men so that wasn’t the issue. The issue is the downgrading of Jesus.

Bruce Ware has gone so far in his downgrading of Jesus that he has no problem in stating that Jesus has no “role” of hearing or answering prayers. My response to that is what one of my ex-JW friends said about Bruce Ware. He did not want to be standing next to him at the judgment when he gives an account to Jesus. He says that anyone who believes that Christians are wrong to give too much honor to Jesus deserves the lightning bolt that will hit them at the judgment.

I say that one cannot give too much honor to Jesus. He is the Almighty God and worthy of all honor and praise and glory.