Cheryl Schatz

Mark,
You said:

Not bible study, not youth, not mission, not bible college, but ‘church’.

Bible studies are “church” as they are assembly of the believers. The early church met in homes and they studied and spoke on the bible just as we do in our own homes. If you are going to restrict women in “the church”, then you will also have to restrict women speaking in the assembly of believers in their own homes.

Simply stated with the exponding of Pauls comments regarding eldership and how i see that role in the bible, i conclude that men should only be in that position teaching in the church.

Aside from whether women can be elders or not, the fact is that the Scripture nowhere says that only elders may teach. Women may indeed teach in the assembly of believers according to 1 Cor. 14 where Paul encourages all to prophesy so that all may learn.

I would like to ask you to prove that only elders are allowed to teach in the assembly? Where do you get such a strong stand from? Which scripture says this?

That said there number 1 priority should be to humble themselves and do everything in their power to make their ‘church’ as much like Christ as possible.

The assembly of believers is as much like Christ as possible when each one is allowed to exercise their own gift just as Paul instructed in 1 Cor. 14. Paul said that we are not to forbid the speaking of the gifts. The question I have is why are so many men willing to forbid the gifts that God has given? Are they not grieving the Holy Spirit by restricting His work and His gifts?

They should teach the word faithfully and be submissive in character and action to their sheep. They should never lord it over or demand things, but they also have the auhtority to make decisons knowing that one day they will give an account for what they do.

The teaching of the word in a faithful manner was not restricted to those who are “called” elders. No one in the assembly is to lord it over others nor as they to take authority over anyone in the assembly.

Headship isnt about domination, Christ revealed it is about love and submission and doing everything in my power to make my wife more like Him.

You are so right when you say that being “head” is not about domination. Kudos to you! However I disagree with you that being “head” means to make your wife more like Him. You have no power to do that. You place is to conform yourself to be like Him. Your wife’s responsible is to conform herself to be like Him. You can influence your wife and she can influence you to follow Jesus, but just as Adam was not called to speak for Eve, you will not be called to speak for your wife or be responsible for her. This is a faulty tradition that the church has accepted for a long time, but which has no foundation in the Scripture.

I dont think we should confuse teaching between spouses and the teaching roles involved in churches.

The Bible doesn’t talk about teaching “roles” and the word “role” is not even found in the Bible. Instead the Bible talks about “gifts”. We are all responsible for our gifts and no member of the body is to restrict others from using their gifts. The only restriction that is ever given regarding the gifts is based on what is beneficial for all. Speaking in another language without an interpretation and long periods of another language (more than three speakers) is not working to edify the church. Other than that, the gifts are to be embraced and welcomed and used. They are not meant to be restricted or held back from others in the body depending on their gender, their race or their social standing.