Cheryl Schatz

Mark,
Regarding question #4,

You answered:

4. Cheryl, i would encourage you to look at the way that ‘presbyter’ and episcopos are used interchangeably in the NT because you said this
   “Eph. 4:11 does not mention elders. An overseer is something that someone “strives” for. A “pastor” is a spiritual gift given to whomever the Lord wills.”

You seem to be contradicting me, but are you going to agree that Ephesians 4:11 gives the onus of the gift to the Holy Spirit? Is it not true that Ephesians 4:11 says that “pastor” is a gift given?

Now I see that you have once again completely ignored my questions. I showed you that there is not two or three witnesses that forbid women to teach the Bible to men. I asked you:

Please explain how 1 Tim. 2:12 qualifies as a universal witness and how 1 Cor. 14:34, 35 not even speaking about teaching but about commanding of complete silence can be God’s law? Where is the law that it references?

You ignored my questions from question #4 to talk about elders. Why did you do that? Are you unable to answer my questions? Please Mark, I ask you to answer my questions as they are very important questions. It is vital to have two or three witnesses to establish a doctrine of sin.

In Acts 20 Paul addresses elders (v. 17) and bishops (v.28) and they are obviously the same group of men. Peter writes to ‘presbyters’ urging them to ‘fulfill the office of bishops’ (1 Peter 5:1-2). Titus 1:5, 7 refers to elders and bishops interchangeably. Now since elders are to oversee (bishop) and shepherd the flock (pastor) it is easy to see that pastors are elders who’s primary responsibility is to teach. They are the same thing, only the Catholic church adopted a wrong interpretation to give rise to the papacy. Surely you don’t agree with them?

Acts 20 establishes that the Holy Spirit is the One who makes people overseers. Can you please explain why men want to hold back those who have been established as overseers? Those who were given the approval as elders were already doing the work as elders. No one is “made” an elder so that they now must become one. Rather those who take the lead by example are those who are gifted and called and desire the work of being an overseer. Do you disagree that the Holy Spirit and not man is the One who empowers a person to do the work of oversight?