Welcome to our Symposium on
Women's Ordination. The title of
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my presentation is "The New
Testament, Headship or Headache"
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Allow me to share two quotes
with you and I'd like to pray
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with you then. Both read the
Bible day and night, but thou
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readest black
while I read white.
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And then a quote from a
former Harvard President Charles
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Seymour. He said, we seek
the truth and we will endure
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the consequences. Let us pray
together. Father, indeed we've
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come to seek the truth. Grant
that I might speak it in love
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that we might faithful to
Scripture and that we truly
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understand the divinely designed
roles between men and women.
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We ask for your Holy
Spirit, in Jesus' name Amen.
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While the world was watching the
Olympics and worried about the
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differences between the 100s
of seconds, and medal counts
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and fractions of a point, Russia
was effectively planning to take
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over the Crimean Peninsula. And
to me war seemed so outdated.
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Men fighting over land, tanks,
trenches, soldiers. Sounds so
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19th or 20th century.
Didn't we end that with WWII,
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Korea, Vietnam. But the earth
will reel under wars and rumors
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of wars, Matt 24:6 until the end
and don't you think for 1 minute
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That war is only about Russia
rattling its sword, North Korea
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sneezing or troubles in Iraq
and Syria. We have had another
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war for generations now. And, no
I'm not talking about the drug
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war. It's a war that's fought on
two fronts. Waged for an entire
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generation and it's not just
knocking on our church doors
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it's kicking in the doors.
It's an unprecedented assault on
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gender and the authority of
Scripture. In the course of the
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debate on Women's Ordination
I've noticed a persistent
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rejection of Biblical headship
and hear some of the objections
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I most frequently encounter.
#1-I think A colleague of mine
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with a PhD in the sciences once
told me "Ingo I've never studied
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the issue of Women's Ordination
but I think. Let me tell you
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something. We as a church cannot
afford to say on Biblical matter
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I've never studied this, but
I think. Then the other one, I
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hear a lot is, 'they think'.
What will culture think if we
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deny women a job they can very
well do. But I'm of the stubborn
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mindset that the church ought
to change the world, not the
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world the church. The brackish
waters of the world are sweeping
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into the boat of the church
more and more. But as I read the
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Bible, I find it countercultural
For eg. Sabbath did not meet
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my culture. In fact when
I applied for a summer job
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I had to settle for a lesser
income because of the Sabbath
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issue. It was inconvenient.
Foot washing-you've got to be
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kidding! That is in my space.
That does not fit culture.
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The entire Gospel is a scandal
to the Jews and foolishness to
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the Greeks, but we go by the
Bible. A 3rd one I hear a lot is
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I can. Women make good, often
better pastors, so the argument.
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But this argument was also
used by the rebellion of Korah,
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Dathan and Abiram, Numbers
16. Why do we do what we do?
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Because we can. That is not
a sufficient argument for faith
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and practice in the Adventist
Church. The guidelines of the
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Bible should be considered. It's
His book, not mine. His church
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not mine. Another very common
objection to headship and the
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Ordination of Women is
'can't do anything about it.'
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Let's just ordain women and
let's just do away with headship
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because "a Conference President
told me" this train has already
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gained too much
traction you cannot stop it.
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Let me tell you something.
Trains can be stopped.
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I've also heard, "the horses
are already out of the barn."
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Well y'all, I live in Texas. I
really do. Just south of Dallas.
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And I know when horses are out
of the barn, but shouldn't be
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you get what's called a halter
put it around the neck of the
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horse and lead the critters back
into the barn, give them some
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water and hay and shut the
gate. A philosophical mind set
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that it's out the
gate needs to be stopped.
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Another very common argument
'I feel'. Ordaining women just
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feels right and conversely
not ordaining women feels wrong.
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Experience based theology is one
of the worst things the devil
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has come up with. Let
me share a quote with you,
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Counsels of Health, pg.109
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Just a couple more here. The
quote I hear is "we are losing
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our youth.' And if we do not
ordain women and keep pushing
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this headship thing as a head
ache we will lose even more.'
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I'm from Europe but I think we
are losing our youth because we
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have surrendered our signature,
paralyzed our prophetic profile
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and forsaken our fingerprint
to cultural opinion and worldly
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accommodation. Who would want to
stay in a church that makes no
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difference whatsoever and
that looks just like the world?
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People have left the Adventist
church over the Sabbath.
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Sabbath is really ineffective
in attracting and retaining
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members from a cultural point
of view. But Biblical principle
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will always override
inconveniences and practical
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considerations. The gate into
the kingdom, according to Jesus
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is narrow. It was actually
the Adventist Church's stand on
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Scripture in regard to many of
these matters that convinced me
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to join this movement as a
teenager. Here's one I just
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recently heard from a deacon
'Isn't all this talk about
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headship and women's ordination
a huge distraction to the
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mission? In a sense it is.
But so much is at stake the
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authority of the Word of God
and our submission to it. If we
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concede on this issue, what else
will be compro- mise? State of
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the Dead? Sabbath? If we just
say this is a distraction let's
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just move on then, we're
sweeping a festering sore into
the rug only for it to
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flare up later and bigger. And
then one that always comes up
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"But what about, What if, What
about China? What about this?"
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What about that? What about
these exceptions? What about
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Missionary Tay who was told by
EG White he should've baptized
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even though he was not ordained?
We cannot establish Biblical
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rules, faith and practice for
the church based on exceptions.
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They have to be
based on the Word of God.
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In regards to the
_ that's an easy one
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Ellen White used common sense.
No ordained minister was around
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and so these converts should
be baptized. But this did not
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change policy nor her previous
quotes that I will mention later
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In regards to China, I'm
suspicious when I'm forced into
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a conclusion. And I've heard
some women leaders in China
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don't want to get ordained.
That's an American theopolitical
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ambition superimposed on
to their culture. Two more,
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The call from God. Who am I to
judge a woman's sense of calling
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from God? Again, the Sabbath
here serves as my litmus test
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Do we dismiss the Sabbath when
somebody says, I feel Sunday is
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the right day because of the
Resurrection. Even a supposedly
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Biblical argument. Our ultimate
authority is not subject to
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feelings and impressions but
the objective inspiration of God
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through His word, the Bible.
And finally, this one's a recent
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one. Golf-gentlemen only, ladies
forbidden. Is that not abuse
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of women? Doesn't headship lead
to abuse? I recently received
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this email. I think both
sides are wrong, I'm quoting
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On one end the women are demand-
ing ordination and on the other
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side the men have dug in their
heels with the same attitude.
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Both sides being rigid, unbend-
ing, unyielding, close-minded
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and absolutely certain
that they're both right.
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On my account this is simply
not the case. I did not wake up
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one morning and decided
I'm going to be against women's
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ordination. This has been a
painful process of prolonged
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discussion, prayerful Bible
study and deep heart searching.
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We're not just a bunch of grumpy
old men trying to keep the women
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out of ministry. We are Bible
students and we pray and I must
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emphasize that no opponent of
women's ordination that I've met
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speaks against women engaging in
many forms of women's ministry
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We need more women in ministry,
not less. Let me tell you one
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thing. The abuse of women
is never Biblical headship, and
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true Biblical headship will
never lead to abuse of women.
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professor David Williams
warns that, "Theological beliefs
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about the headship of men
and the submission of women have
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been used to justify domestic
violence" pg.40. That's right.
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False, false theological beliefs
especially by unconverted
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Christians will always cause
pain and harm. Correct beliefs
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translated into loving action
never will. Biblical headship
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is not a headache. Human error
has also led to car accidents.
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We still drive cars. Human error
crashes airplanes, we still fly.
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Electricity can kill but
we still use electricity. Fire
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burns houses it also warms
homes A correct view of Biblical
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headship is something positive.
For me to speak about headship
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from the New Testament point of
view, I need to reach into the
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deep pockets in the treasure
trove of the Old Testament.
00:13:47.22\00:13:50.79
I think the Old Testament,
esp- ecially the creation story
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has to be the most profound
literary piece ever penned by a
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human being. It is so rich.
And what I find in Genesis 1:24
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is that humans were created
by a special verbal act of God.
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On the 6th day God creates large
land animals, for example. And
00:14:15.22\00:14:22.12
then in verse 26 he speaks a
second time. Very special moment
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And then comes this famous
statement in Genesis 1:26-27
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I will read it to you
directly from Scripture here.
00:14:35.04\00:14:39.14
What is normally been pointed
out every time we talk about
00:14:54.62\00:14:59.43
this verse, including in
my small group at the TOSC
00:14:59.46\00:15:02.96
Theology of Ordination
Study Committee, small group
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is, this verse means equality.
Male and female created in the
00:15:06.37\00:15:12.67
image of God. I want to point
out something rather obvious
00:15:12.71\00:15:17.91
but something that is often over
looked. The very phrase male and
00:15:17.95\00:15:24.55
female communicates a difference
Men are not women, women are
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not men. And on Facebook I made
a conscious choice. They ask you
00:15:32.33\00:15:39.17
what gender? You now have three
options. Male, female and custom
00:15:39.20\00:15:48.18
You want fries with
that? According to Genesis 1:27
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you have two options, male
and female and I'm well aware of
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natural aberrations and all that
but by and large human beings
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are defined by gender and the
genders are not the same. Men
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do not have babies. Sorry
Schwarznegger, and gentlemen
00:16:08.53\00:16:13.27
let me talk to you directly.
My 3/4 ton pickup, I told you
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I'm from Texas, my 3/4 ton
pick up does not make me a man.
00:16:19.14\00:16:24.15
Smoking cigars and drinking
Johnny Walker is not headship.
00:16:24.18\00:16:28.62
Nor is watching men on TV run
after a leather ball headship
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and manhood. Manhood is not
developed on the couch with a
00:16:32.59\00:16:36.49
bag of chips in one hand and
a remote or a soda in the other.
00:16:36.52\00:16:40.13
Manhood is developed by being a
Bible student, in prayer and in
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learning how to appropriately
treat women. Including, taking
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out the trash without being
asked. In making right decisions
00:16:52.94\00:16:57.48
in leading a family. Being a man
does not mean being rough with
00:16:57.51\00:17:01.85
girls but being right with the
God who made the girls. Rudeness
00:17:01.88\00:17:07.12
is not the cousin of
testosterone, respect is.
00:17:07.16\00:17:11.26
I need to quickly read you a
few quotes and then ask you a
00:17:12.19\00:17:16.97
a serious question.
Under God CPTS pg.33
00:17:17.00\00:17:23.91
But listen while Ellen White who
happens to be a woman understand
00:17:34.58\00:17:40.56
Understands this
headship It is not a headache.
00:17:40.59\00:17:43.12
This would have
brought peace and happiness.
00:17:43.16\00:17:47.46
Now watch what happens.
00:17:47.50\00:17:49.66
A lot is at stake here.
Adventist Home, pg. 211 onward
00:18:01.74\00:18:06.25
Let me add, not a headache!
00:18:22.66\00:18:25.30
Now watch how she
describes true headship.
00:18:48.89\00:18:52.49
Is that headship or a headache?
00:19:21.49\00:19:24.93
Adventist Home, pg.116. There's
one what stands higher than the
00:19:24.96\00:19:29.96
husband to the wife, it is her
Redeemer and her submission to
00:19:30.00\00:19:33.37
her husband is rendered as God
has directed and as it is fit
00:19:33.40\00:19:37.74
in the Lord. My question to
you. Did all this end with the
00:19:37.77\00:19:45.21
New Testament? Did Ellen White
make a colossal mistake here?
00:19:45.25\00:19:49.88
Was she misguided? Is she pro-
longing the headache of headship
00:19:49.92\00:19:55.52
And is this headship limited
to the home or can this headship
00:19:55.56\00:20:00.20
be found in the church as
well? As we delve into the New
00:20:00.23\00:20:05.37
Testament, let me address the
term Ordination itself because
00:20:05.40\00:20:10.31
it has been suggested that
it has Roman Catholic origin and
00:20:10.34\00:20:14.94
should be abandoned altogether.
Problem solved, we get rid of
00:20:14.98\00:20:19.38
ordination. Male or female.
Ordination does have Latin
00:20:19.41\00:20:26.72
origins and it is used by the
Catholic church but I checked
00:20:26.76\00:20:31.06
my Catholic catechism, an
official Catholic publication
00:20:31.09\00:20:35.76
and it also uses the following
terms. Abraham, Adam, advent
00:20:35.80\00:20:41.17
altar, old testament, amen,
marriage, family, prayer, church
00:20:41.20\00:20:44.84
righteousness, Bible etc.
You get my point? Just because
00:20:44.87\00:20:49.01
another faith community uses the
same terminology does not mean
00:20:49.04\00:20:55.22
we mean the same by it or
we have to discard every word
00:20:55.25\00:21:00.76
the Catholic church uses that
we use. Let me look at the text
00:21:00.79\00:21:06.36
that is under debate. Mark 3:14
A short one sentence statement
00:21:06.39\00:21:15.50
according to the Gospel of Luke
chapter 6 and also Ellen White
00:21:15.54\00:21:20.34
Jesus spent all night in prayer
before this event. This must be
00:21:20.38\00:21:26.98
something important and I do not
think we can simply discard it.
00:21:27.02\00:21:31.65
Mark 3:14, and He ordained
12 that they should be with Him
00:21:31.69\00:21:38.96
and that He might
send them forth to preach.
00:21:38.99\00:21:42.06
People tell me, well that's just
King James. It really just means
00:21:42.10\00:21:48.90
He made them disciples,
He appointed them disciples.
00:21:48.94\00:21:52.87
In 1 Kings 12:31, 13:33, the
Septuagint the Greek translation
00:21:52.91\00:22:00.58
of the Old Testament in Hebrew
uses the same word that KJV uses
00:22:00.62\00:22:05.95
for ordained here when
Jeroboam made his own priests.
00:22:05.99\00:22:11.69
So the term, he appointed,
he made, he ordained can mean
00:22:11.73\00:22:17.37
exactly that. He ordained the 12
Ellen White is rather specific
00:22:17.40\00:22:25.21
what Mark meant by this ordina-
tion. Desire of Ages, pg290
00:22:25.24\00:22:30.81
The roots for the practice
and terminology and concept of
00:22:56.74\00:23:02.21
ordination is not rooted in the
Catholic Church but in the Old
00:23:02.24\00:23:07.52
Testament scriptures continued
by Jesus Christ himself.
00:23:07.55\00:23:11.82
Page 296, one more
quote in this regard:
00:23:11.85\00:23:16.79
Now what is interesting is that
Ellen White opens the doors of
00:23:38.01\00:23:43.75
the church wide to the women in
ministry. However, she makes a
00:23:43.79\00:23:48.82
gender differentiation.
Manuscript Release Vol 5, 323
00:23:48.86\00:23:54.60
The ministers are paid for the
work and this is well, then she
00:23:54.63\00:23:58.47
talks about ladies engaging in
ministry and she says, "although
00:23:58.50\00:24:03.94
the hands of ordination have not
been laid upon her". So we have
00:24:03.97\00:24:09.61
the minister on one side
and women engaging in ministry
00:24:09.64\00:24:13.82
without ordination. At another
time in 1895, R&H, July 9
00:24:13.85\00:24:20.36
she says ministers do this, that
and then women can consecrate
00:24:20.39\00:24:28.50
some of their time in visiting
the poor, lookin after the young
00:24:28.53\00:24:32.27
visiting the sick, the work of
deaconesses and she says, they
00:24:32.30\00:24:38.44
will need to counsel with the
church offices or the minister.
00:24:38.47\00:24:42.38
A clear distinction between
women in ministry and the
00:24:42.41\00:24:47.68
ordained ministry. She also says
the same principle of piety and
00:24:47.72\00:24:54.32
justice that were to guide the
rulers among God's people in the
00:24:54.36\00:24:57.69
time of Moses and David were
also to be followed by those
00:24:57.73\00:25:02.66
given the oversight of newly
organized church of God in the
00:25:02.70\00:25:07.24
gospel dispensation. Headship
was divinely defined methodology
00:25:07.27\00:25:15.58
of dealing with the headache of
persecution. The headache is not
00:25:15.61\00:25:21.25
in the headship. Ellen White
points out, Acts of the Apostles
00:25:21.28\00:25:27.36
pg.92 onward, through the
system of setting apart, through
00:25:27.39\00:25:33.56
ordination, the apostles
and elders, men in leading
00:25:33.60\00:25:37.27
responsibility she says, thus
the efforts of Satan to attack
00:25:37.30\00:25:43.41
the church in isolated places
were met by concerted action
00:25:43.44\00:25:47.71
on the part of all and the plans
of the enemy to disrupt and
00:25:47.74\00:25:52.35
destroy were thwarted. Now lemme
ask you something. If this is
00:25:52.38\00:25:57.12
what true Biblical headship does
for the church, if we take this
00:25:57.15\00:26:03.43
away we are opening the front
doors to Satan. He requires that
00:26:03.46\00:26:10.20
order and system be observed
in the conduct of church affairs
00:26:10.23\00:26:13.74
today, no less than in the days
of old. I noticed something very
00:26:13.77\00:26:18.71
interesting. Every time there is
a monumental baptismal event in
00:26:18.74\00:26:26.92
the Bible, there is a key
male figure associated with the
00:26:26.95\00:26:32.69
baptism and a subsequent or
surrounding miracle taking place
00:26:32.72\00:26:37.49
Rather quickly, 1 Cor 10. Moses
mentioned parting the Red Sea
00:26:37.53\00:26:43.80
and Israel is baptized. Elisha
tells Capt. Naaman you need to
00:26:43.83\00:26:51.01
dip under 7 times his leprosy is
healed and Elisha's the minister
00:26:51.04\00:26:56.31
in charge. John the Baptist
baptizes Jesus and you have
00:26:56.34\00:27:00.38
every member of the Godhead
present and the Father speaking
00:27:00.42\00:27:04.15
out of heaven. The apostles
baptized all nations in the
00:27:04.19\00:27:08.76
context of the resurrection.
Peter baptizes the diaspora,
00:27:08.79\00:27:13.29
dispersed Jews and there is
appropriate Biblical speaking in
00:27:13.33\00:27:17.60
tongues. Philip baptizes the
eunuch, the Spirit miraculously
00:27:17.63\00:27:22.60
moves Philip for further mission
enhancement. And finally,
00:27:22.64\00:27:26.84
Ananias baptizes Paul and
Paul's blindness is healed. This
00:27:26.88\00:27:32.51
combination of Biblical baptism
and a minister always comes
00:27:32.55\00:27:39.12
with a miracle. Let me address
something else. Ellen White is
00:27:39.15\00:27:47.76
rather specific, before I go
to the next Bible text, she's
00:27:47.80\00:27:51.43
rather specific that apostles
and elders are men. Listen to
00:27:51.47\00:27:56.84
the language. I'm English second
language and I had to painfully
00:27:56.87\00:28:01.88
learn all this grammar. It's
called an antecedent. Listen to
00:28:01.91\00:28:06.82
this. Acts of
the Apostles pg. 196
00:28:06.85\00:28:10.59
She identifies
apostles and elders as men.
00:28:18.66\00:28:21.56
Now what is interesting is
I've used paraphrases and modern
00:28:27.24\00:28:32.54
updates of Ellen White writings
and they tend to smoothen out
00:28:32.57\00:28:37.85
this gender specific language
and put in there men and women
00:28:37.88\00:28:43.65
where Ellen White originally
only said men. What about Phoebe
00:28:43.69\00:28:50.16
the deaconess or Phoebe the
deacon? In Romans 16 you have
00:28:50.19\00:28:58.47
Paul ascribing the word diakonos
to a female. And people on the
00:28:58.50\00:29:05.57
side of women's ordination say,
see you have it in the writings
00:29:05.61\00:29:11.01
of the New Testament, deacons
have to be husband of one wife.
00:29:11.05\00:29:15.58
But here Paul grants the
office to a woman. Not so fast.
00:29:15.62\00:29:22.72
Paul does use the word deacon or
diakonos in the Greek but that
00:29:22.76\00:29:28.10
term most of the time simply
means servant. Let me give you
00:29:28.13\00:29:32.93
some examples. Who all is
called a diakonos in Scripture.
00:29:32.97\00:29:37.91
The government, Jesus, God
himself is called diakonos in
00:29:37.94\00:29:44.95
2 Cor 6:4. Satan's servants 2
Cor11:15, are called diakonois
00:29:44.98\00:29:51.72
servants, pseudo false apostles
are called servants. Paul is a
00:29:51.75\00:29:55.82
diakonos. Individuals like
Tychicus, Timothy, Epaphras etc
00:29:55.86\00:30:03.06
They're all called diakonos,
servants. In a specific context
00:30:03.10\00:30:09.44
with an office, that can mean
a deacon. But let me tell you
00:30:09.47\00:30:13.81
something else about this term.
The Greek language, I have it on
00:30:13.84\00:30:18.38
my phone, I have it on my
computer, I have dictionaries in
00:30:18.41\00:30:21.58
my office. I teach Greek at
college level. Greek language
00:30:21.62\00:30:25.99
does not have a female term
deaconess. Paul had no choice
00:30:26.02\00:30:32.36
In the lexicon there was only
diakonos. It would be stretching
00:30:32.39\00:30:39.20
the text too far to say that
Phoebe was an ordained deacon
00:30:39.23\00:30:43.84
occupying a male office, there-
fore it's ok to ordain women
00:30:43.87\00:30:48.08
elders or pastors. In the same
neighborhood, of course, Junia
00:30:48.11\00:30:55.38
she often comes up, she was
on the front page of one of our
00:30:55.42\00:30:58.55
denominational magazines. Romans
16:7, Greet Andronicus and Junia
00:30:58.59\00:31:06.49
my kinsmen and my fellow
prisoners, hardly would they
00:31:06.53\00:31:12.13
have been in the same cell is
Junia was female, who's of note
00:31:12.17\00:31:17.24
Here comes a phrase, its a pre-
positional phrase 'among the
00:31:17.27\00:31:22.51
apostles'. So the idea is since
Junia was of note, well known
00:31:22.54\00:31:28.75
among the apostles, Junia was an
apostle. That is stretching the
00:31:28.78\00:31:35.19
text way too far. No. 1 we do
not know 100% whether Junia was
00:31:35.22\00:31:41.03
male or female. We just do not.
The writings are the usages of
00:31:41.06\00:31:46.33
that name suggests she
possibly was female, let's say
00:31:46.37\00:31:49.54
she was a woman, then we have
the issue with this phrase of
00:31:49.57\00:31:53.81
among the apostles. Paul in
Galatians says that he preached
00:31:53.84\00:31:59.38
he, Paul, among the gentiles.
That doesn't make Paul a gentile
00:31:59.41\00:32:04.95
You have one person, a subject,
among other subjects they are
00:32:04.99\00:32:10.83
two separate subjects not the
same. But here is something else
00:32:10.86\00:32:15.30
I doubt that Andronicus was
an apostle in the first place
00:32:15.33\00:32:21.30
and if he was not then she was
not either. If Andronicus and
00:32:21.34\00:32:26.57
Junia were so well known
how come they were not mentioned
00:32:26.61\00:32:29.48
in the book of Acts? Only the 12
are listed in the New Testament
00:32:29.51\00:32:33.58
before Paul and Barnabas went
on their first mission trip.
00:32:33.62\00:32:36.42
Apostleship in the New Testament
is never linked to females
00:32:36.45\00:32:40.39
and interestingly Paul
could've used Greek terminology,
00:32:40.42\00:32:44.99
well known to distinguish
separate groups but he did not.
00:32:45.03\00:32:52.33
He just said among the apostles.
So I do not think that Junia
00:32:52.37\00:32:57.84
was an apostle. I'm going
in canonical order 1 Cor 11.
00:32:57.87\00:33:04.15
The text is either completely
ignored and is missed as very
00:33:04.18\00:33:09.98
difficult. I've noticed in my
personal life the texts that are
00:33:10.02\00:33:13.96
difficult are not the ones that
are difficult. They're texts I
00:33:13.99\00:33:17.66
don't want to deal with!
And scholars like to call texts
00:33:17.69\00:33:22.26
difficult if they don't really
want to subject to its authority
00:33:22.30\00:33:26.63
Here it is, 1
Corinthians 11 verse 3
00:33:29.54\00:33:32.87
Now some scholars say that means
source, that is about the last
00:33:45.85\00:33:50.66
option in the Greek dictionary.
Maybe the head of a river
00:33:50.69\00:33:55.66
is a source. I have over
300 translations on my computer
00:33:55.70\00:34:02.54
including German,
French, Russian, English.
00:34:02.57\00:34:05.07
The majority of translations
do not translate it as source
00:34:06.64\00:34:11.65
and they also do not translate
1 Cor 11:3 as I would have you
00:34:11.68\00:34:18.32
know that the head of every hus-
band is Christ and the head of
00:34:18.35\00:34:22.99
of every wife is the husband
and the head of Christ is God.
00:34:23.02\00:34:27.93
If you just take the Bible and
turn off the scholars and the
00:34:27.96\00:34:34.04
commentaries for a second and
read for yourself you will find
00:34:34.07\00:34:38.51
that Paul is arguing generically
not husband wife. Lemme show you
00:34:38.54\00:34:44.35
1 Corinthians 11, verse 7.
00:34:44.38\00:34:47.58
Is only the married male
the image and glory of God?
00:34:55.42\00:34:59.79
I doubt it. I think Paul
is speaking generically here.
00:34:59.83\00:35:05.33
Paul is speaking of male
and female at the point of their
00:35:17.81\00:35:22.32
creation, not at the point of
their marriage. That means he's
00:35:22.35\00:35:26.86
arguing generically here, not
specifically husband and wife.
00:35:26.89\00:35:33.19
That of course never, never
means that men are of superior
00:35:33.23\00:35:41.00
value. It just means they
have a different creation based
00:35:41.04\00:35:46.07
function in this
world. The parallel in
00:35:46.11\00:35:49.38
Ephesians 5:23
makes it very clear.
00:35:49.41\00:35:52.18
The husband is not the
source of the wife. Eph 5:23
00:35:52.21\00:35:57.55
not as a headache. Impossible
to associate that with headship
00:36:00.49\00:36:06.06
It would be an insult
to accuse the New Testament
00:36:16.17\00:36:20.11
or our position of making male
leadership a headache in the
00:36:20.14\00:36:27.02
church, we ought to get rid
of it. The theological framework
00:36:27.05\00:36:32.05
of appropriate Biblical headship
is Christ-like, Savior-like
00:36:32.09\00:36:37.29
behavior of male to female.
00:36:37.33\00:36:40.23
A medical doctor just this
week challenged me on this text
00:36:41.33\00:36:45.30
She said how can you be so
sure that Paul is not strictly
00:36:45.33\00:36:50.67
speaking of husband-wife
relationships. I can be so sure
00:36:50.71\00:36:55.31
is that behind me the majority
of translations and the context
00:36:55.34\00:37:00.55
of the passage itself.
Now I know the quote from
00:37:00.58\00:37:07.16
Signs of the Times, Jan 27, 1890
Christ, not the minister is the
00:37:07.19\00:37:13.16
head of the church. What do
you do with quotes like that?
00:37:13.19\00:37:17.20
Rule of thumb. Always read
quotes in context. Ellen White
00:37:17.23\00:37:23.37
was speaking, I cannot read the
whole quote in context, but she
00:37:23.41\00:37:27.91
was speaking against church
members that had elevated the
00:37:27.94\00:37:32.61
pastor's position where they did
nothing in the pew but applauded
00:37:32.65\00:37:37.29
the services of the
pastor. Here is the quote.
00:37:37.32\00:37:41.92
That is Biblical headship.
Acts of the Apostles pg.359
00:38:30.67\00:38:36.18
Should we cancel this ministry
of ordained men? At this point
00:39:04.44\00:39:10.88
in earth's history?
Heaven forbid. Exodus 18:25
00:39:10.91\00:39:17.85
Signs of the Times, April 7,1890
00:39:26.36\00:39:31.17
Pastors, to His chosen ministers
who have the treasures of His
00:39:44.48\00:39:49.28
grace in earthen vessels.
This Testimonies to Ministers
00:39:49.32\00:39:55.09
This counsel is for us.
It should be heeded by our
00:39:55.12\00:40:01.40
responsible men. We do not have
an old, outdated men only model
00:40:01.43\00:40:07.17
in the Old Testament and now
that we're in the New Testament
00:40:07.20\00:40:09.90
we're in the new model and open
the doors to women as ordained
00:40:09.94\00:40:15.18
elders or pastors. That is not
the case from the writings of
00:40:15.21\00:40:19.45
Ellen White nor Scripture. Now
I've heard just recently that
00:40:19.48\00:40:27.76
this headship thing is a
new theology, never has the
00:40:27.79\00:40:31.69
Adventist church before heard
about this headship terminology
00:40:31.73\00:40:35.96
This terminology has shown up
in 1973 when the church started
00:40:36.00\00:40:42.17
studying male and female and
the role of gender in the church
00:40:42.20\00:40:46.21
The primary role of Adam in Eden
and his primary responsibility
00:40:46.24\00:40:52.11
in the fall is mentioned in
the 1957 questions on doctrines
00:40:52.15\00:40:55.98
It is mentioned in the
1987 The Adventist Belief book
00:40:56.02\00:40:59.72
It is mentioned in the 2001
Annotated Editions of Questions
00:40:59.75\00:41:03.56
on Doctrine. It is mentioned by
Morris Venden, it is mentioned
00:41:03.59\00:41:06.93
by the SDA Bible Commentary
including Vol.12, The Handbook
00:41:06.96\00:41:11.13
of SDA Theology. These and many
statements by Ellen White negate
00:41:11.17\00:41:16.47
the claim that headship is a new
idea. Let me go to what I think
00:41:16.50\00:41:22.14
has to be the most misquoted,
abused Bible text on this topic.
00:41:22.18\00:41:28.48
Galatians 3:28. I've sat in
meetings, I've read documents
00:41:28.52\00:41:36.46
I've listened to fellow scholars
who I think, absolutely took
00:41:36.49\00:41:42.46
this text out of context
ignoring what Paul is saying.
00:41:42.50\00:41:46.10
Here it is: There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond
00:41:46.13\00:41:52.97
nor free, there is neither
male nor female for all are one
00:41:53.01\00:41:58.08
in Christ. There you have it.
Male female no longer matters,
00:41:58.11\00:42:02.75
we can ordain men, women no dif-
ference. It says it right here.
00:42:02.78\00:42:08.56
When you read the Bible text in
context, verse 26, Paul speaks
00:42:08.59\00:42:16.90
about believers coming to Jesus
Christ and the context, the text
00:42:16.93\00:42:22.50
the center of gravity of
Galatians 3, is people becoming
00:42:22.54\00:42:29.44
Christians. There is no special
gender salvation privilege.
00:42:29.48\00:42:35.25
You are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus, v.26
00:42:35.28\00:42:40.52
v.27, as many of you as
have been baptized into Christ
00:42:40.56\00:42:46.86
have put on Christ. Then comes
V.28 is neither male nor female
00:42:46.90\00:42:52.13
v. 29, his conclusion, If you be
Christ's then you are Abraham's
00:42:52.17\00:42:58.97
seed and heirs according to
the promises of God. Does that
00:42:59.01\00:43:05.51
cancel all male headship? No, it
does not. Curiously the Andrews
00:43:05.55\00:43:11.59
statement on headship says,
This is a call back to Eden
00:43:11.62\00:43:15.92
Eden establishes a completely
different point. Genesis says
00:43:15.96\00:43:22.96
there are men and there are
women. There is male and female.
00:43:23.00\00:43:28.77
Paul now argues that in regard
to salvation, gender, economic
00:43:28.80\00:43:36.58
status, social status does
not matter. He does not address
00:43:36.61\00:43:43.08
church offices, male responsi-
bility in the church. And what
00:43:43.12\00:43:47.22
is really interesting is that
the same apostle who wrote this
00:43:47.26\00:43:50.49
text later wrote 1 Tim 2&3,
also wrote Titus 1&2 and I think
00:43:50.53\00:43:57.33
Scripture is congruent and
does not contradict itself.
00:43:57.37\00:44:01.80
Ellen White, Christ's
Object Lessons, confirms pg.386
00:44:03.27\00:44:07.34
every soul may have free access
to God, all are brought nigh by
00:44:07.38\00:44:13.05
His precious blood. I've already
mentioned Eph.5:22-25 where the
00:44:13.08\00:44:21.36
husband is the head of the wife
as also Christ is the head of
00:44:21.39\00:44:25.89
the church and He's the Savior
of the body. Now here comes true
00:44:25.93\00:44:30.20
Biblical headship. An atheist
couple can love each other
00:44:30.23\00:44:35.20
and have a good long lasting
marriage. But the point of
00:44:35.24\00:44:41.01
marriage according to Paul is
much deeper and more profound.
00:44:41.04\00:44:44.75
The purpose of marriage is to
mirror reflect the love of God
00:44:44.78\00:44:51.55
to the world in the demonst-
ration of sacrificial love of
00:44:51.59\00:44:56.49
the husband. That means that a
cancellation of headship in the
00:44:56.52\00:45:02.76
marriage would be the equivalent
of a cancellation of a
00:45:02.80\00:45:06.97
demonstration of the love of
God to the world. That we cannot
00:45:07.00\00:45:11.21
abandon. But I must hurry
on to the big one. The possibly
00:45:11.24\00:45:17.28
most important text on
headship in the New Testament.
00:45:17.31\00:45:20.78
1 Tim chapters 2,3. When I read
this text a million times on my
00:45:20.82\00:45:31.36
knees, there is no way that
I can get around the fact that
00:45:31.39\00:45:37.00
there is a universal appeal, not
just a local situation with some
00:45:37.03\00:45:42.94
Ephesian pagan goddess going
on and there is a very tightly
00:45:42.97\00:45:48.84
defined gender distinction
happening in the text.
00:45:48.88\00:45:53.42
Paul says, men when you pray,
do this. Ladies, your adornment
00:45:53.45\00:45:58.49
should be like this. Inward
not outward. Men do this. Women
00:45:58.52\00:46:04.59
don't do this. Men when you want
to be an elder, here are the
00:46:04.63\00:46:08.93
criteria. This is a
highly gender specific text.
00:46:08.96\00:46:14.44
I want to point out after the
context a cultural idea I cannot
00:46:14.47\00:46:26.05
follow this commentator,
a Hanson. He wrote a book on
00:46:26.08\00:46:29.45
1 Timothy. He says just as
the first half of this chapter
00:46:29.48\00:46:34.12
showed us the author at his
best he's talking about Paul
00:46:34.16\00:46:37.73
so the second half seems to show
him at his worst. Christians are
00:46:37.76\00:46:41.96
under no obligation "to
accept his teaching on women"
00:46:42.00\00:46:46.30
Problem solved. We'll just take
scissors and cut out portions of
00:46:46.33\00:46:51.17
Scripture. We cannot do that.
I'm with the Jewish commentator
00:46:51.21\00:46:59.81
Stern who wrote in his
commentary pg.640 "For those who
00:46:59.85\00:47:04.19
hold a high view of Biblical
authority the text must drain
00:47:04.22\00:47:09.66
over and correct what we
think is just". I have to submit
00:47:09.69\00:47:15.50
to this book. We cannot always
reconstruct the local situation.
00:47:15.53\00:47:22.54
The argument is made that Paul
is dealing with a very specific
00:47:22.57\00:47:27.01
local situation and he's just
giving counsel to Timothy period
00:47:27.04\00:47:31.38
First century and that's where
the buck stops. Speculative
00:47:31.41\00:47:35.95
free constructions of a possible
local situation create a
00:47:35.98\00:47:40.22
cultural guess work that
abandons the solid grounding of
00:47:40.26\00:47:43.16
Scripture and I have a shelf
full of commentaries and guess
00:47:43.19\00:47:47.40
what, they do not agree on
what that local situation is.
00:47:47.43\00:47:52.97
We are at a loss. But we are
not if we follow the Bible. All
00:47:53.00\00:48:00.04
letters in the New Testament are
written to a specific situation
00:48:00.08\00:48:03.91
but also to a larger audience.
Most famous one is by Jesus
00:48:03.95\00:48:08.28
written to the Ephesians in the
book of Revelation and then it
00:48:08.32\00:48:12.39
says, He who has an ear let
him hear what the Spirit says to
00:48:12.42\00:48:16.86
the churches, plural. That means
local counsel is applicable
00:48:16.89\00:48:23.97
in a universal setting. But here
is the concept. Paul tells women
00:48:24.00\00:48:32.17
that they're not allowed
to teach nor to have authority
00:48:32.21\00:48:36.31
over the man. It's going to
be a little detailed but hang in
00:48:36.34\00:48:41.82
there. He says let the woman
learn in silence 1 Tim 2:11
00:48:41.85\00:48:47.22
very important to note the sil-
ence phrase with all subjection.
00:48:47.26\00:48:52.89
That means Paul is packaging
this prohibition of teaching
00:49:02.20\00:49:08.01
she needs to learn and the sub-
mission in between the silence
00:49:08.04\00:49:12.68
statement. Does this mean
that women cannot speak at all?
00:49:12.71\00:49:17.65
They cannot be greeters,
they cannot teach cradle roll
00:49:17.69\00:49:21.42
they cannot work in VBS, they
have to be silent. No. It is
00:49:21.46\00:49:27.06
very clear from Scripture
that this phraseology of silence
00:49:27.10\00:49:31.97
for example, Acts 22:2, 2 Thess
3:12 means not a verbal silence
00:49:32.00\00:49:39.81
but a humble, respect and
submission to authority. And
00:49:39.84\00:49:45.91
women are allowed to teach other
women. In Titus Paul opens up an
00:49:45.95\00:49:52.15
entire teaching ministry that we
have neglected. Women ought to
00:49:52.19\00:49:56.49
teach other women. Ellen white
is very direct that men have to
00:49:56.52\00:50:02.30
be very careful in counseling
females. A neglected ministry.
00:50:02.33\00:50:07.90
That tells me something. Now
follow this. If the prohibition
00:50:07.94\00:50:14.54
to teach was only based on Eve
being deceived, then Eve could
00:50:14.58\00:50:19.95
not teach at all. You following
this? The prohibition to teach
00:50:19.98\00:50:26.65
women are not allowed to teach
is in direct relation of Eve
00:50:26.69\00:50:31.33
transgressing in relation to
her husband's supervision role
00:50:31.36\00:50:36.43
that Eve violated. Yes women
can teach. They can instruct in
00:50:36.46\00:50:41.27
personal Bible study. So in
summary what Paul is saying here
00:50:41.30\00:50:49.11
between chapters 2 and 3 in
1 Tim there is no gap in the
00:50:49.14\00:50:58.19
original writing. He flows
directly from chapter 2 to 3
00:50:58.22\00:51:05.99
which means the context of
women not being allowed to teach
00:51:06.03\00:51:10.77
is because the teaching
ministry belongs to male elders.
00:51:10.80\00:51:17.41
The proof is in the pudding.
There is a phrase in 1 Tim 2:12
00:51:17.44\00:51:23.85
but to be in silence. And then
in 1 Tim 3, he says if a man
00:51:23.88\00:51:33.42
desires the office of a bishop
he desires a good work. A bishop
00:51:33.46\00:51:37.49
an overseer, an elder must be.
Between chapters 2 and 3 is a
00:51:37.53\00:51:42.96
tight verbal link what women
are to be and chapter 3 what men
00:51:43.00\00:51:50.11
are to be. An husband of one
wife. No way around it. Refers
00:51:50.14\00:51:57.01
to a male. So Paul is suggesting
this is what I want women to do
00:51:57.05\00:52:02.85
and here's what I want men to
do. Two more things here in this
00:52:02.88\00:52:08.16
regard. We are not dependent
on scholars, commentaries
00:52:08.19\00:52:13.13
and artificially reconstructed
context. Paul tells us
00:52:13.16\00:52:18.13
specifically his counsel is
based, v.13 on creation before
00:52:18.17\00:52:25.01
the fall and v.14 on the fall
Eve was deceived first, fell
00:52:25.04\00:52:31.41
into transgression and then Adam
Paul roots his counsel on male
00:52:31.45\00:52:38.25
elders and the function of women
in the church not on cultural
00:52:38.29\00:52:43.46
context, not on isolated scena-
rios but on creation and curse.
00:52:43.49\00:52:50.03
Biblical headship.
According to Paul if you read
00:52:56.37\00:53:00.28
the criteria for the men means
I as a male elder and pastor
00:53:00.31\00:53:06.75
have Christ in my head. It is
not a headache. It is Jesus at
00:53:06.78\00:53:13.56
the head of the ship and Christ
like thoughts in your head
00:53:13.59\00:53:18.13
Ellen White says, Today,
that is Manuscript 43, 1907
00:53:18.16\00:53:23.87
There are other texts we will
address in panel discussions
00:53:51.63\00:53:56.73
The priesthood of believers,
that is not a new concept.
00:53:56.77\00:54:01.40
That comes straight out of
Exodus 19:5-6, and not every
00:54:01.44\00:54:07.51
Israelite was a priest in
a priesthood of believers.
00:54:07.54\00:54:11.51
Now the question is, what do we
do now? Where do we go from here
00:54:11.55\00:54:19.02
I want to suggest that we must
as a people return to Scripture.
00:54:19.05\00:54:25.89
This movement was founded on
a group of people on their knees
00:54:25.93\00:54:32.37
who studied the Word. We cannot
just throw out authority texts
00:54:32.40\00:54:37.97
because they seem counter
cultural in the 21st century.
00:54:38.01\00:54:41.04
Couple of years ago I had
a class of about 50 nursing
00:55:34.00\00:55:39.97
students, most of them not
SDA's. And I'm teaching the
00:55:40.00\00:55:45.84
letters of Paul and we got to
all these Bible texts and I was
00:55:45.87\00:55:49.84
afraid what will these secular,
non- Adventists no Ellen White
00:55:49.88\00:55:54.38
female students do with
these chauvinistic quote texts?
00:55:54.42\00:55:59.25
What I did is I copied all
the texts onto a piece of paper
00:55:59.29\00:56:05.16
no commentary, no Ellen White.
1 Cor 11, Titus 1-2, 1 Tim 2-3
00:56:05.19\00:56:12.93
Ephesians 5. I handed out all
the texts, I let the students
00:56:12.97\00:56:18.47
study the texts in silence for
about 10-15 minutes then I asked
00:56:18.51\00:56:25.81
them 'how do you see the Bible?
Not culture, not your opinion
00:56:25.85\00:56:29.82
from the 21st century, how do
you see the Bible, Paul, Jesus
00:56:29.85\00:56:34.99
describe male female functions
in ministry'? They did a
00:56:35.02\00:56:39.06
beautiful job describing the
differences between the genders
00:56:39.09\00:56:43.40
the different roles, elders and
all that. Class was almost over
00:56:43.43\00:56:49.50
and a lady in the back raised
her hand and I thought, here
00:56:49.54\00:56:54.14
it comes. How dare you and how
can Paul? I thought here comes
00:56:54.18\00:56:59.15
A lady in the back asked,
Pr. Sorke, where can we find
00:57:01.08\00:57:10.39
such men? And so my question
lingers from the Garden of Eden
00:57:10.43\00:57:17.97
to you, especially the men,
Adam where are you? Let us pray.
00:57:18.00\00:57:25.97
Father I want to thank you
for the testimony of Scripture.
00:57:26.01\00:57:29.98
And I want to pray that the men
of our church will rise to the
00:57:30.01\00:57:35.22
occasion, step up to the plate
and be godly, Biblical headship
00:57:35.25\00:57:41.42
men, not a headache. Father
in this regard we pray for mercy
00:57:41.46\00:57:47.13
and your grace for ourselves
individually and for the entire
00:57:47.16\00:57:52.83