The Gorilla in the Room
Notes
Transcript
Herman Who?
Herman Who?
Hermeneutics—the proper interpretation of Scripture
Tickled the thought last week with exegesis and eisegesis
One principle is that of context, also mentioned last week
This week we need to look at the total context
>immediate context, the chapter
>book
>author
>testament
>totality of Scripture
Main Idea: What was Paul saying about the role of women in the church...
Main Idea: What was Paul saying about the role of women in the church...
...as it relates to keeping order during worship?
...as it relates to keeping order during worship?
If we don’t get past this, we will have issues with the rest of the chapter
>We may have issues with our understanding of the church
We seem to have a conflict between what he says here and what he said in chapter 11
>I promised then I’d get back to that—here we are
Context
Context
Historical/cultural
Chapter/verse
Book
Writer
Genre
Testament
Totality of Scripture
Historical/Cultural
Historical/Cultural
Women had more defined roles in society
To violate the cultural norms would/could bring the church into disrepute
The reason behind
but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
Women with shaved heads were showing rebellion/lack of morals
Without understanding the culture, this verse doesn’t make sense
The current context—asking questions—appears to be either Paul’s answer to a question posed, or a statement on women speaking to men other than their husbands in the public setting of worship
>A strict taboo in the day
Writer/Genre
Writer/Genre
We can lump these together as Paul’s epistles
>To the churches he stressed submission of the wife to the husband
>Most fully shown in Eph. 5
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
That’s the setup for what follows
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
This relationship should be displayed in the way husbands and wives relate in the public worship service
>A wife asking questions of another man would be a lack of submission to her husband
>Biblically and culturally embarrassing to the church…and the couple
…and there is much more
So much for the role of the wives/women as participants; but what else does Paul say to the church leaders?
Note first that the epistles with the leadership issues are addressed to Timothy and Titus
Then to the tougher stuff:
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Ouch! That’s harsh!
In the final analysis, he appeals to the created order
Her value, however is shown that she perpetuates the church
Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Qualifications for elders also bishops/ overseers (among whom are the pastors) are given in what Paul wrote to these men
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Deacons have similar qualities
All the terms, deacon, they, them…are masculine in form
Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
Critical Concept
Critical Concept
Here we return to the text
A statement of Paul’s authority vv. 37-38
If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.
If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
Pretty simple: Paul’s statements are God’s Word, delivered through him
That would be inclusive of all Paul’s writings…
Including what he had to say to Timothy and Titus
So, any argument is with God, not with Paul
Conclusion
Conclusion
The most important thing
The relationship between husband and wife is—when done rightly—a reflection of the relationship between Christ and his bride, the church.
He died for His bride
Without His death, burial and resurrection, the church would not exist
Without understanding this and following the pattern He laid down, the church is at best powerless; at worst dead
>I submit that the death of the church in the west is largely due to the weakening of the understanding of the relationship between Christ and the church; Christ and mankind; men and women
>If more men would get it right, more women would rightly follow
When Jesus gave up Himself, He also gave us His “self” for the good of, the glory of, His bride
What a lesson.
How it Plays out Here
How it Plays out Here
No statement that women are of lesser value than men
This does not deal with the corporate (legally corporate) body
Cases in point: women hold positions of treasurer, clerk and trustee—that is allowed by design
On spiritual matters the elders and deacons have the authority
In the times of public worship, men have the the primary roles
Whatever role women hold is under the authority of the elders/deacon
We have had women missionaries share ministry reports both in church and SS
>but not preach
We have women take some leadership roles in teaching young people (boys and girls)
>but not teaching men
We have women engage in prayer and other functions in smaller groups (though not our primary worship service)
The theme is order, so that God’s glory is shown
Men have the leading roles in the worship