female pastors
Murphy (gmurphy@imperium.net)
Fri, 16 Aug 1996 19:15:57 -0400Mike Jaqua writes, "The scriptural proscription of female
pastors/elders could not be clearer yet the issue has been raised."
This is wrong. Of course I Cor.14:34 & I Tim.2:12 are in the Bible -
but so are, INTER ALIA, the stories of Huldah (II Kg.22:14-20/II
Chron.34:22-29)and Mary Magdalene being the first witness of the
resurrection (Jn.20:11-18). These (& passages could be multiplied -
Deborah, Priscilla, &c) suggest that the "proscription" is less than
absolute, and that it may be limited to particular situations of church
and/or society. Fortunately many churches have now not just "raised"
this issue but are ordaining women.
I don't particularly want to get into the debate on
homosexuality, but will just note that there is no corresponding
ambiguity in texts related to that. Whatever may be said about the
various negative statements about homosexuality in the Bible, there is
nothing AT ALL said about it in all of Scripture which is positive.
SHALOM,
George Murphy