โI am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I amโ - John Newton #grace
@hitefield I didnโt handle the Scripture, fight against it, or even offer my own interpretation. I showed how the text is highly disputed, especially among complementarians, and why.
@JaminHubner@Wade_Burleson You are welcome to argue for your interpretation of the passage. And you may be right.
But we need to be honest about the challenges before us on this issue and act more charitably towards those who disagree.
Folks trot out 1 Tim 2:12 as their strongest prooftext that "the Bible is clear on this issue," as if the most consequential word (authentein) in that verse weren't one of the rarest, most obscure, and highly disputed Greek terms in the Bible. +
"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; & Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived & became a transgressor."
โ1 Tim 2:12โ14
It's not complicated, just unnpopular.
@JaminHubner@Wade_Burleson There is no slam-dunk case on either side.
One can make a credible case, within the bounds of orthodoxy and a commitment to inerrancy, for both egalitarianism & complementarianism.
Thatโs what a leading complementarian scholar in the SBC affirms.
https://t.co/Hi3uJ7rWsy
Not only does Dr. Schreiner โthank God for evangelical egalitarians,โ he also affirms that egalitarians โcan build a credible case within the bounds of orthodoxy and a commitment to inerrancy...โ 1/3
@JaminHubner Hereโs a visual. The red circles highlight hapax legomena (terms that appear only once in the Bible), as well as other rare, obscure, and/or contested terms. +
In 1 Corinthians 14, numerous prophets spoke and/or sang the Word of God in the congregation, all judging and all being judged for their proclamations. There is no evidence whatsoever that all these preachers were pastors. Indeed, Paul had to silence several, both men and women.
The early church was known for its confession that Jesus is Lord and how they loved one another.
Itโs hard to grow when whatโs โof first importanceโ is something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ and when youโre known for a different part of your confession.
Another must-read from @ryanburge. In my view, the biggest issue facing the SBC is that membership losses are outpacing baptisms. Iโm grateful that baptisms are up! But weโre still on a steep downward trajectory and facing an actuarial cliff as Baby Boomers age. The only way to turn around the SBC is to win more people to Christ AND retain those already in our churches, especially our children. https://t.co/cMq4DPSPL1
SBC Observation:
The fact that thereโs a contingent upset about Mohler limiting violations of โfunctionโ to preaching only
tells you that contingent fully intended to apply it more broadly than just preaching.
I wonder how many in the SBC would support such a robust amendment. Itโs an attempt to be consistent and apply a literal interpretation. And yet it still comes up short because 1 Cor 14:34-35 says women are to be silent: They are not allowed to speak.
Suggestion:
โDoes not affirm, appoint, or endorse any woman teaching or exercising authority over men in the church, including:
- serving in the office (or bearing the title) of pastor/elder/overseer,
- preaching sermons to the assembly, or any other form of public teaching to the church with men present,
- or any other form of rule, authority, or government over men in the church.
And yet in no way forbids women from:
- teaching their children at home,
- teaching and training other women or children in the church,
- private conversations about Scripture, theology, or the gospel,
- evangelizing the lost,
- or participating in corporate worship and service with the rest of the church.โ
Hearing from committed SBC conservatives who are suddenly wavering on their support for Mohlerโs "Truth & Unity" amendment due to the change. Questions are mounting. If Iโm Mohler and his camp, a full-court press is needed immediately to defend this to the conservative base.
@KennethOrtiz I stand by my original statement. We should be finding ways to work with more believers, not finding ways to part with churches trying to help us fulfill the Great Commission. If we make a move, it should be to unite with more believers in gospel work, not less.
@HollandGreig I believe wherever the line is drawn to let churches decide will be arbitrary. But to your credit, you go further than most are willing to go.
Wherever the amendment draws the line, it will be arbitrary. And it will never be applied consistently. I understand the goal is to find language to achieve a super-majority. But, as SBC history has proven, getting a super-majority doesnโt make it right or fair.
@KennethOrtiz We should be inclined toward unity. It makes sense for Baptists to be Baptists. But Iโm opposed to drawing smaller and smaller circles of cooperation, making tertiary issues a litmus test for gospel work.
@erikthesmith@colinsmo As Southern Baptists, I think it makes sense to draw lines of cooperation along the lines of Baptist distinctives. But this issue is not essential to being Christian, Bible believing, or Baptist.
@HollandGreig Are women allowed to sing in the choir or on a praise team to lead the church in worship?
Are women allowed to vote in congregational meetings?