Dr. Craig Keener at #usmbstudyconf "Women in Pastoral Ministry: An Egalitarian Perspective"
Where does the biblical evidence point?
The Bible has many prophetesses, some very prominent. (Miriam, Huldah, Deborah)
Can women be apostles and prophets, but not pastor-teachers?
But what do we do with the two texts that many take to prohibit women’s ministries?
Paul cannot be mandating all kinds of silence. (i.e. no singing)
It was customary for people to interrupt public lectures with questions. So Paul gives short and long range solutions
- Stop asking disruptive questions in church because you are unlearned.
- Ask your husbands at home
The problem in Corinth is not that women are teaching, but that they are learning too loudly.
Did you know 1 Timothy 2 is the only text in the Bible that prohibits women from teaching?
- Happens to be in the only series of letters where we specifically know that false teachers were targeting women with the teaching.
- Paul cites two biblical reasons why women shouldn’t teach
- Adam was formed first
- It was Eve that was deceived
That is why we need to take into account letters’ original situation.
- If you read the Bible enough, you see that Paul was addressing specific situations a lot
- You have the make the right analogies before you apply his inspired message
- I believe that the transcultural principle in 1 Timothy 2 is
- not that women shouldn’t teach
- But that easily decided people shouldn’t teach
- In our culture that may be men or women whoever lacks access to adequate biblical understanding.
- I believe that Paul elsewhere does affirm women’s ministry, and this help us to see that Paul himself didn’t prohibit women from teaching the Bible always.
Do we apply directly instructions to first-century churches, or apply their principles for new settings?
- Slavery, honoring kings
- Marriage
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