Meditations

Open line program October 21, 2023

Carla: Thank you very much for taking my call. I just wonder if you can help me clear up the discussions we had with our kids about women as pastors in the church. We have a son who is getting married and he and his fiancee had been discussing this and it’s just been kind of muddy and so I wonder if you could help clear that up for us?

Answer from Dr Michael Rydelnick hour 2 @40:35

https://www.moodyradio.org/radioplayer.aspx?episode=556193&hour=2

Summary:

Dr Michael Rydelnick believes in the “complementarian approach” where the woman complements the man in her role and function in the church. He quotes 1 Timothy 2:11-14. This passage is talking about the authoritative proclamation of the word that you get on a Sunday service and the function of the elder as the roles to be done by a man. 1 Timothy 2 does not mean women can’t teach sunday school class or that women can’t lead a home group. The reason Dr Rydelnik says was Priscilla and Aquilla lead a private study with Apollos. 1 Timothy 2 does not mean women has to be absolutely silent because 1 Corinthians 14 talks about women praying and prophesying in the worship service. Some people want to say 1 Timothy 2 is cultural because Timothy was in Ephesus where the temple of Diana was and there was a real dominance of women and it was just like a local prohibition but Paul gave two reasons in 1 Timothy 2: 13-14. The two reasons are the order of creation and the second is the deception of the woman. The second reason does not imply that women are more gullible but look at what happened when Eve did not follow the ordained authority structure and there are terrible consequences.

Dr Michael Rydelnik stresses that the role of women in the church is not a core issue of the bible like the deity of Jesus or the truth of the resurrection.

Scriptures

1 Timothy 2

¹¹ Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. ¹² And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.  -nkjv

¹¹ Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.¹² But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.¹³ For Adam was first formed, then Eve.¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. -kjv

¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer.  -nasb

¹¹ A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.  -niv

1 Corinthians 14

 ²³ Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. -nkjv

²³ If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: -kjv

²³ Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; -nasb

 23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? ²⁴ But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, -niv