Wednesday, December 29, 2010
bible reading
Just last week I discovered Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System. I am on my seventh day of this reading plan. What I appreciate most about this Bible reading format is that it requires only 10 chapters per day from different "sections" of the Bible. This is doable for even the most busy people (which amounts to 30-45 minutes of reading). For example, one section is the Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy), another is the Psalms. Proverbs has its own section, as do the Prophets and the Gospels and the Book of Acts, and so on and so forth. The second thing I really appreciate about this reading system is that once you complete a section, you don't stop reading that section, but you go back to the beginning of that section and begin again - so the reading never ends, it cycles back to the beginning. This practice is very formative for a student of Scripture because it helps to draw connections between each section of Scripture and aids the reader in interpreting Scripture with Scripture. You can download a free copy of Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System here. Thanks to Justin Buzzard for sharing this reading plan.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
deeper :: women in ministry
This is the third and final installment of the deeper series designed to give depth and historical consideration regarding key topics for your own study. Other topics already posted include: baptism and Communion. The purpose of the study is not for you, the reader, to agree or disagree with every theological claim. Rather, the goal is for you to use this study to begin to formulate your own position as well as be able to know more deeply what you believe.
:: How We Read Scripture [1]
We recognize that such a position on women in ministry is sometimes challenged on the basis of certain Scripture passages. However, we believe that all pertinent Scriptures need to be interpreted in the light of their immediate contexts, as well as in the context of Scripture as a whole. We also believe that no passages of Scripture clearly prohibit women from holding positions of authority. The passages that on the surface appear to do so are often twisted by interpretations stemming from biased readings of the text. In some cases there are faulty or biased translations. And in others there is evidence of localized situations that required special treatment that was not intended for general application.
We believe God has progressively revealed in the Scriptures to call, equip, and empower women for full opportunity of ministry in the church. Galatians 3:28 states that in the Christian era “There is neither…male nor female.” This is a general principle of Scripture. Any Scripture passages that at first appear to contradict this general statement must be understood in light of the general principle of Galatians 3:28. Clearly the spiritual and heavenly identity proclaimed in Galatians 3:28 has precedence over the earthly, administrative identity.
It was just such an understanding of Scripture that prompted our Wesleyan predecessors to re-examine the position held by many of their contemporaries that the Scriptures were pro-slavery, and to take the lead in both the abolition of slavery and in the abolition of discrimination against female ministers.
:: What Do We Know From Scripture?
:: In the beginning. From the moment God first created until this moment, he commissions men and women – created in his image – to be partners in service to one another and to all of creation. In the very beginning, God authorized human beings – both male and female – to serve in God’s creation and were given dominion over and for the sake of creation. Sadly, the practice of dominion as service in partnership was replaced by dominion as domination – male over female; this race over that race; rich over poor – as sin entered the world.
:: In the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was doing a new thing in Israel. In Jesus, God’s intent and purpose for the whole world was revealed. Jesus came to serve and call both women and men alike to serve in the kingdom of God. Traditionally, Roman household codes articulated the proper roles of women, slaves, and children in relation to the master or father of the house. Texts like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 reflect the pressures of cultural influence on the early church in its desire to give more freedoms to women, slaves, and children.
It’s noteworthy to mention that Jesus was accompanied by women who ministered to him and his disciples (Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3). But it was not easy for women to embrace the new roles which Jesus held out to them. In Luke 10:38-42, Martha complains that while she labors dutifully in the kitchen to prepare a meal for their guests, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his teachings. Martha plays the role of a proper Jewish woman, while Mary plays the role of a male disciple. Jesus declares that Mary has chosen the better role.
Lastly, the women who followed Jesus daily followed him all the way to the cross. These women, who came to fulfill their traditional roles to anoint his body, were the first to bear witness to the resurrection.
:: At Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost, both men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in many languages to those where gathered in Jerusalem for the festival (Acts 2:1-12). In was on this occasion in which Peter declared that “this is that” which the prophet Joel prophesied: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy…and on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (2:17-18). God’s Spirit came on Pentecost burning through barriers of age, sex, class, and race.
:: In the Ministry of Paul. The Apostle Paul reflected Jesus’ openness to women. In Galatians, Paul declared, “There is neither…male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (3:28). They were freed from the curse of the law, sin and death, and were joined through Christ as a community of equals. Thus women not only enjoyed spiritual freedom, but also the freedom to claim new social and religious roles.
In closing his letter to the Romans, Paul mentions 10 women in chapter 16, seven of whom he speaks of with affection and high regards. In verse one, Paul commends Phoebe, who was a “deacon of the church at Cenchreae” and “a benefactor of many and of myself as well” (Romans 16:1). Note that Paul calls Phoebe a deacon (masculine) and not a “deaconess.” Paul refers to Prisca and her husband Aquila as co-workers “who risked their necks for my life” (Romans 16:3). Junias is considered “outstanding among the apostles” (v.7). These are just a few of the women Paul commends in the Book of Romans alone.
In Philippians 4, the Apostle mentions two women who had “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” The women in Corinth prayed and prophesied in the assemblies of the congregation. Also, 1 Timothy mentions that female deacons held an official status in the church.
:: Misused Passages [2]. Among Scripture passages frequently cited against women serving in the ministry, probably the most significant are 1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 (“women should remain silent in the churches”), 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (“women are not to teach or have authority over men”), and passages in 1 Timothy and Titus calling for a minister to be “the husband of one wife.”
The 1 Corinthians passage is definitely dealing with a specialized, probably localized cultural issue, since in 11:5 Paul recognizes women speaking in church as a normal thing. The 1 Timothy passage as translated and interpreted is also inconsistent with Paul’s position in 1 Cor. 11:5. It likely deals with the false teaching at Ephesus that is repeatedly discussed by Paul in 1 Timothy. This passage concludes with a reference to women being “saved through childbearing,” which as defied any consensus of interpretation. Paul sets forth qualifications for a “bishop” (KJV) or “overseer” (NIV) in 1 Timothy 3:1ff., and elder/bishop/overseer in Titus 1:5-7, and a “deacon” in 1 Timothy 3:12, and in all cases says that such is to be the “husband of but one wife.” Since Paul implies that he and Barnabas were not married (1 Cor. 9:5-6) and he specifically calls Phoebe a deacon, it is clear that the references in 1 Timothy and Titus were not intended to exclude women and single men from ministry, but to exclude polygamous men.
:: Summary. One rule of scriptural interpretation is that unclear passages must be interpreted in light of clearer ones. With this in mind, from the beginning of creation to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul’s teaching, it is clear that God provided opportunities for women to lead, minister, and have authority in the Kingdom.
:: Our Heritage
“The Wesleyan Church has a rich heritage in the anti-slavery movement in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. One of the precedent bodies of the present denomination was born and flourished under just such a banner. While the current culture is more subtle in its expressions of prejudice than were those of an earlier era, The Wesleyan Church today is and must continue to be as clear cut in denouncing prejudice as were our founding fathers” (Standing Firm, p. 5).
Before The Wesleyan Church came to be as it is today, John Wesley used women as class leaders, as well as one or two as preachers. Luther Lee, one of the founders of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, preached the ordination sermon for the first woman ordained in America in 1853. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, fully supported a woman’s right to lead and to preach. B.T. Roberts, founder of the Free Methodist Church, wrote a book on this subject, fully supporting the right of women to be ordained and serve as vocational ministers.
As a result of careful study of the Scriptures combined with our rich heritage, The Wesleyan Church affirms that “a woman is fully equal to a man in terms of her responsibility, as directed by the Holy Spirit and authorized by the Church, to preach, teach, lead, govern or serve in any office or ministry of the Church” (A Position on Women in the Ministry of the Wesleyan Church).
:: Questions for Reflection
:: How has this study deepened or challenged your understanding of women in ministry?
:: What are you still wrestling with (if anything) in terms of affirming women in ministry?
:: What excites you about The Wesleyan Church’s position on this issue?
:: Resources for Further Study
:: “A Position Statement on Women in the Ministry in The Wesleyan Church.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan.org/em/women_ministry.
:: Kenneth Schenck. “Why Wesleyans Favor Women in Ministry.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan.org/em/women_ministry.
:: Lee Haines. “Women in Ministry: A Biblical, Historical Perspective.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan/em/women_ministry.
:: Endnotes
:: How We Read Scripture [1]
We recognize that such a position on women in ministry is sometimes challenged on the basis of certain Scripture passages. However, we believe that all pertinent Scriptures need to be interpreted in the light of their immediate contexts, as well as in the context of Scripture as a whole. We also believe that no passages of Scripture clearly prohibit women from holding positions of authority. The passages that on the surface appear to do so are often twisted by interpretations stemming from biased readings of the text. In some cases there are faulty or biased translations. And in others there is evidence of localized situations that required special treatment that was not intended for general application.
We believe God has progressively revealed in the Scriptures to call, equip, and empower women for full opportunity of ministry in the church. Galatians 3:28 states that in the Christian era “There is neither…male nor female.” This is a general principle of Scripture. Any Scripture passages that at first appear to contradict this general statement must be understood in light of the general principle of Galatians 3:28. Clearly the spiritual and heavenly identity proclaimed in Galatians 3:28 has precedence over the earthly, administrative identity.
It was just such an understanding of Scripture that prompted our Wesleyan predecessors to re-examine the position held by many of their contemporaries that the Scriptures were pro-slavery, and to take the lead in both the abolition of slavery and in the abolition of discrimination against female ministers.
:: What Do We Know From Scripture?
:: In the beginning. From the moment God first created until this moment, he commissions men and women – created in his image – to be partners in service to one another and to all of creation. In the very beginning, God authorized human beings – both male and female – to serve in God’s creation and were given dominion over and for the sake of creation. Sadly, the practice of dominion as service in partnership was replaced by dominion as domination – male over female; this race over that race; rich over poor – as sin entered the world.
:: In the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was doing a new thing in Israel. In Jesus, God’s intent and purpose for the whole world was revealed. Jesus came to serve and call both women and men alike to serve in the kingdom of God. Traditionally, Roman household codes articulated the proper roles of women, slaves, and children in relation to the master or father of the house. Texts like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 reflect the pressures of cultural influence on the early church in its desire to give more freedoms to women, slaves, and children.
It’s noteworthy to mention that Jesus was accompanied by women who ministered to him and his disciples (Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3). But it was not easy for women to embrace the new roles which Jesus held out to them. In Luke 10:38-42, Martha complains that while she labors dutifully in the kitchen to prepare a meal for their guests, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his teachings. Martha plays the role of a proper Jewish woman, while Mary plays the role of a male disciple. Jesus declares that Mary has chosen the better role.
Lastly, the women who followed Jesus daily followed him all the way to the cross. These women, who came to fulfill their traditional roles to anoint his body, were the first to bear witness to the resurrection.
:: At Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost, both men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in many languages to those where gathered in Jerusalem for the festival (Acts 2:1-12). In was on this occasion in which Peter declared that “this is that” which the prophet Joel prophesied: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy…and on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (2:17-18). God’s Spirit came on Pentecost burning through barriers of age, sex, class, and race.
:: In the Ministry of Paul. The Apostle Paul reflected Jesus’ openness to women. In Galatians, Paul declared, “There is neither…male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (3:28). They were freed from the curse of the law, sin and death, and were joined through Christ as a community of equals. Thus women not only enjoyed spiritual freedom, but also the freedom to claim new social and religious roles.
In closing his letter to the Romans, Paul mentions 10 women in chapter 16, seven of whom he speaks of with affection and high regards. In verse one, Paul commends Phoebe, who was a “deacon of the church at Cenchreae” and “a benefactor of many and of myself as well” (Romans 16:1). Note that Paul calls Phoebe a deacon (masculine) and not a “deaconess.” Paul refers to Prisca and her husband Aquila as co-workers “who risked their necks for my life” (Romans 16:3). Junias is considered “outstanding among the apostles” (v.7). These are just a few of the women Paul commends in the Book of Romans alone.
In Philippians 4, the Apostle mentions two women who had “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” The women in Corinth prayed and prophesied in the assemblies of the congregation. Also, 1 Timothy mentions that female deacons held an official status in the church.
:: Misused Passages [2]. Among Scripture passages frequently cited against women serving in the ministry, probably the most significant are 1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 (“women should remain silent in the churches”), 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (“women are not to teach or have authority over men”), and passages in 1 Timothy and Titus calling for a minister to be “the husband of one wife.”
The 1 Corinthians passage is definitely dealing with a specialized, probably localized cultural issue, since in 11:5 Paul recognizes women speaking in church as a normal thing. The 1 Timothy passage as translated and interpreted is also inconsistent with Paul’s position in 1 Cor. 11:5. It likely deals with the false teaching at Ephesus that is repeatedly discussed by Paul in 1 Timothy. This passage concludes with a reference to women being “saved through childbearing,” which as defied any consensus of interpretation. Paul sets forth qualifications for a “bishop” (KJV) or “overseer” (NIV) in 1 Timothy 3:1ff., and elder/bishop/overseer in Titus 1:5-7, and a “deacon” in 1 Timothy 3:12, and in all cases says that such is to be the “husband of but one wife.” Since Paul implies that he and Barnabas were not married (1 Cor. 9:5-6) and he specifically calls Phoebe a deacon, it is clear that the references in 1 Timothy and Titus were not intended to exclude women and single men from ministry, but to exclude polygamous men.
:: Summary. One rule of scriptural interpretation is that unclear passages must be interpreted in light of clearer ones. With this in mind, from the beginning of creation to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul’s teaching, it is clear that God provided opportunities for women to lead, minister, and have authority in the Kingdom.
:: Our Heritage
“The Wesleyan Church has a rich heritage in the anti-slavery movement in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. One of the precedent bodies of the present denomination was born and flourished under just such a banner. While the current culture is more subtle in its expressions of prejudice than were those of an earlier era, The Wesleyan Church today is and must continue to be as clear cut in denouncing prejudice as were our founding fathers” (Standing Firm, p. 5).
Before The Wesleyan Church came to be as it is today, John Wesley used women as class leaders, as well as one or two as preachers. Luther Lee, one of the founders of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, preached the ordination sermon for the first woman ordained in America in 1853. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, fully supported a woman’s right to lead and to preach. B.T. Roberts, founder of the Free Methodist Church, wrote a book on this subject, fully supporting the right of women to be ordained and serve as vocational ministers.
As a result of careful study of the Scriptures combined with our rich heritage, The Wesleyan Church affirms that “a woman is fully equal to a man in terms of her responsibility, as directed by the Holy Spirit and authorized by the Church, to preach, teach, lead, govern or serve in any office or ministry of the Church” (A Position on Women in the Ministry of the Wesleyan Church).
:: Questions for Reflection
:: How has this study deepened or challenged your understanding of women in ministry?
:: What are you still wrestling with (if anything) in terms of affirming women in ministry?
:: What excites you about The Wesleyan Church’s position on this issue?
:: Resources for Further Study
:: “A Position Statement on Women in the Ministry in The Wesleyan Church.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan.org/em/women_ministry.
:: Kenneth Schenck. “Why Wesleyans Favor Women in Ministry.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan.org/em/women_ministry.
:: Lee Haines. “Women in Ministry: A Biblical, Historical Perspective.” Can be accessed at: http://www.wesleyan/em/women_ministry.
:: Endnotes
[1] Taken from The Wesleyan Church’s official position on women in ministry entitled, “A Position Statement on Women in the Ministry in The Wesleyan Church.”
[2] The following is taken from The Wesleyan Church’s official position on women in ministry entitled, “A Position Statement on Women in the Ministry in The Wesleyan Church.”
:: In Israel. In the Hebrew Scriptures, we find God initiating and empowering women as agents of liberation (Exodus 1), to govern the Israelites as well as speak prophetically. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah trusted God and deliberately disobeyed Pharaoh’s orders. They risked their own lives in order to serve God’s purpose in setting the captive Israelites free. God used Deborah as a prophetess and judge who led Israel. She directed and accompanied Barak into battle against the Canaanites (Judg. 4:4ff.). Through Huldah, God sparked religious revival during the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:14). Lastly, God spoke through the prophet Joel of the coming of the Day of the Lord when God’s Holy Spirit would be poured out on both men and women and they and their sons and daughters would prophesy (Joel 2:28-9).
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
url change :: same blog name
Note that front porch life has officially been moved to http://pursuewholeness.blogspot.com/. The new URL more accurately reflects the shift in context which is taking place in my life right now - a shift away from a seminarian context to a more pastoral one. The phrase "pursue wholeness" comes from how I envision ministry in my context. I have always seen myself on this journey of pursuing wholeness in all of my life and along the way I have invited others into this pursuit as well.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
url & blog name change
My days are numbered. Well...my days here at Western Seminary are numbered in any case. This journey through seminary is coming quickly to a close next week. It's been a wonderful journey filled with many successes and many growing edges. I began this blog when my seminary days began back in 2006. So I created the URL - joshatwestern.blogspot.com to reflect my current context. Now that this chapter in my life is closing, I'm considering changing the blog name and URL. I'd like some input and suggestions on changing the URL and possibly changing my blog title. Feel free to post your ideas in the comments section.
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