Is it Time for Female Pastors?

This is a lose ,lose proposition.

 

There is no question that some women like some men can preach good messages. In fact women are not forbidden from preaching and there is no doubt that God has called some to do just that. However there is restrictions to whom they can preach or teach. They are limited to women only and that in itself is a great chore.
I have often wondered why when some women leave their estate, deny the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ by preaching to or teaching men why anyone would stay and listen or defend those women who are not being led of the Spirit. Why would anyone decide to stand against the God of the bible when He has given so many examples of what happens to those who do?

 

That church is Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington (Mark Dever, 9Marks).

 

Correct because it will lack the blessing of God!

 

It Will Become Moot Subject Someday!

Not that I think it is right, or wrong, but a sure as the churches of this world are approving things like gay marriage, there will, probably be a day, when this subject will be put to bed and accepted by the general assembly of all church bodies in order to keep the faithful from going elsewhere.

Sure there will be defectors, and it will divide the church, but, like gays in the military, gay marriage, gays adopting kids, gay preachers, the pendulum of change swings wide and in time it will pass this way.

Time seems to change all things, right and wrong, and as bad as change is (as it breaks wide of what the Word of God says), change seems to catch up with everyone over time.

There was a time when some of our more liberal, no evangelical churches were evangelical and stringently conservative.

Time has a way of changing the atmosphere of all things held dear by generations that preceded us.

I'm sorry to have this outlook, but if Jesus doesn't return soon, the church as we know it will be serving melba toast and pablum.

Of course, this is merely my opinion, but I've looked at the history of the church over the last thousand years, and seen some horrifying changes all by the name of staying politically correct and to keep the ship from sinking. :tear:

Sad View of Our Future? You tell me! :tear:

Pastor Paul

 

Jerome...are you saying they did such a thing???or are you kidding?

 

Paul, himself, says that some of his writings are his opinion and some are from God. This is very plain as he admits it. When he says "This is God," then I believe it is from God. When Paul says "This is me speaking" then I believe it is Paul's opinion ... and he says as much. When Paul says "I" I believe he means "I" "Paul." Are you saying that when Paul says "I" he means God?

 

No, if it is Paul's opinion then it is neither right nor wrong. It is his opinion. Remember at some places Paul does say, "This is from God," in other places he says that it is he, Paul, speaking. Then it is his understanding at that time.

If we are going to take the Bible literally then when Paul says "I" then it is Paul and not God.

We must also remember that Paul's letters were to individuals or to individual churches and his instructions and opinions addressed local issues. They are not necessarily universal commands as situations differed from place to place. It does place a big responsibility on us to try to understand and Paul's writings can never be used in a way that contradicts Christ's teachings on how we are to view and treat each other. Our task is not an easy one.

 

Sorry but the word used for Phoebe is translated over 20 times in the Bible as deacon. In some translations she is called a "servant" and in others a "deacon" or "deaconess." Why would it be translated over 20 times as deacon and once as servant. Probably because men were the translators and did not like the idea of a woman being a deacon ... but she was.

Junia was definitely a woman. There was no male name close to that spelling at that time. The only objection is from people who want to lower the value of women in God's world.

There was a Roman male name that is close to that spelling, but the first instance of it being in any literature is several hundred of years later.

 

But God didn't forbid it, Paul did and there is a great difference. When Paul says "I" I believe he meant what he said, "I, Paul."

 

"Reformed Baptist" usually means a baptist or baptist church who believes in the so-called "Doctrines of Grace" - indeed many such churches may, like mine, Foxhole Grace Baptist Church, have the word "Grace" in their church name.

However, I followed your link, and it led to a site that indicated to me that the term was being used in a different way, referring to something that was the forerunner of the Atlantic District of the Wesleyan Church.

Certainly none of the Reformed Baptist Churches I know of are anything to do with that, and have not opened the pastorate to women.

I'm sure we have had a conversation about this possible cause of misunderstanding in the use of the term "Reformed Baptist" before on the BB, though unfortunately I couldn't find it when I looked just now.

 

Phebe Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
So let's look at the word in Greek "Diakonos"

from Strongs:
one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister the servant of a king
a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use a waiter, one who serves food and drink

Seems even according to this deacons were not considered as leaders in the church but servants, see this part "a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use a waiter, one who serves food and drink" again not a position of authority. The greek word means a servant thus translated that way in the passage for Phebe.

As for Junia, Paul commended her and never states she had a position of authority in the church. "Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me." Greet them Paul says for they are of marked or of not anoung tne Apostles. Since there were only 12 Apostles then she definitely was not an Apostle, so what position do you see her holding? Nowhere is the term deacon or deaconess nor is the word diakonos used for her.

So one must read their opinion into scripture to say Junia had any position of authority in the church.

 

More on Ella Sanders, ordained by the Reformed Baptist Alliance of Canada more than a century ago:

Ella Hadassah Sanders: Heroine

Iconoclast already explained that his brand of Reformed Baptist has nothing to do with these saints, maligning them as them "an apostae [sic] liberal group".

 

Dr. Bob explains it again (pay attention this time):

 

Here is waht the greek "Diakonos" means in regard to a deacon, "a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use a waiter, one who serves food and drink" so if she was a deacon as stated above she had no authority in the church. The OP is talking about the position of Pastor not the position of deacon. The two are not inner-connected so whether Phebe was or wasn't a deaconess is a very moot point considering the position of deacon is not that of authority in the church but is in fact the position of a servant.
The deacon has no Spiritual authority in the church but instead has charge of serving tables, taking care of the physical business of the church not the spiritual business.
Our society has brought them to the position they hold today but by the original purpose and the greek word "Diakonos" their waqs no Spiritual authority given Phebe, she would have served tables just as the deacons did.

 

I'd rather listen to Paul who says that a deacon (the role in a church) MUST be the husband of one wife.

 

That's right. The same Paul who wrote that in I Timothy wrote this in Romans:

Romans 16:1
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.

Connect the dots people.

 

You cannot connect dots that are not on the same page. Was Phoebe the husband of one wife (or a "one woman man" as has been argued here)? Case closed.

 

I have no problem whatsoever with a female pastor if she is clearly the best option.

My support for that?

Why the scriptures, of course. :godisgood: