John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN, was quoted in the Telegraph this week as referring to the UN as a Twilight zone, "This atmosphere is like a bubble. It is like a twilight zone. Things that happen here don't reflect the reality in the rest of the world. There are practices, attitudes and approaches here that were abandoned 30 years ago in much of the rest of the world. It's like a time warp.”
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The result of this event, it seems to me, after reading bloggers who attended and those commenting, is not togetherness but more angst over theological debates that were the rage 30 years ago. Case in point: the role of women in pulpit ministry. Article XVI of The Together for the Gospel Statement says,
We affirm that the Scripture reveals a pattern of complementary order between men and women, and that this order is itself a testimony to the Gospel, even as it is the gift of our Creator and Redeemer. We also affirm that all Christians are called to service within the body of Christ, and that God has given to both men and women important and strategic roles within the home, the church, and the society. We further affirm that the teaching office of the church is assigned only to those men who are called of God in fulfillment of the biblical teachings and that men are to lead in their homes as husbands and fathers who fear and love God.
We deny that the distinction of roles between men and women revealed in the Bible is evidence of mere cultural conditioning or a manifestation of male oppression or prejudice against women. We also deny that this biblical distinction of roles excludes women from meaningful ministry in Christ's kingdom. We further deny that any church can confuse these issues without damaging its witness to the Gospel.
In commenting on this article, one side believes pulpit ministry is for men only.(JOLLYBLOGGER: Oppression of Women???) The other side are aghast at such a thought. (rhettsmith.com: I know, stop beating a dead horse. But stuff like this really, really burns me. Maybe it's just me!)
Both sides are living in the past. The church needs to move on from such silly debates. I remember our youth group being devastated in the early 1980’s by heavy handed elders at our Plymouth Brethren church who would not allow young women to share a song during our communion service because that would violate the dictum that women were to remain silent in the church. I did not leave the church but others did. It was obvious to me that debate did nothing but bring shame on the gospel!
From my perspective, if Jesus sanctioned this distinction between men and women he would never have allowed Mary to assume the role of a rabbinical student by sitting at his feet and listening to his teaching, (Luke 10:39) For Mary to do so, there was an implicit understanding that she would arise and teach others what was being taught her. Neither would the gospel writers have allowed Mary Magdelene to be the first apostle, a fitting description for the one Jesus commanded to “Go and tell” … (John 20:17)
Paul’s great chapter on what it means to “get it together for the gospel” is Ephesians 2. In that chapter he describes the “mystery of the gospel” which is the visible unity of the church despite its ethnic, societal and gender differences. He says the same thing in Galatians 3:28, the famous passage that states there is neither male nor female in Christ.
How is this debate about pulpit ministry contributing to the visible unity of the church? I think it contributes more to dividing the church than it does to uniting it. When the church is divided the powers in society win and the church is marginalized. When it is united, the powers are defeated. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Perhaps, it is time for us to REALLY BE TOGETHER FOR THE GOSPEL. Perhaps it is time to stop rehashing all the old tired worn out theological debates that divide us. Rather, let us come together around some things we can agree on rather than be divided by the things we disagree on.
For starters, lets agree that Jesus is Lord. Whether or not we believe in the 19 articles of the T4G statement or not, we need to agree that Jesus is Lord. Since Jesus is Lord, let’s agree to disagree on our differences. For what its worth, I think if we did that, we’d be more true to the gospel than if we signed onto any number of creedal confessions.
As I have written previously In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in all things, charity!
Other bloggers who are talking about this subject
Challies Dot Com: T4G - Recap and Reflections
Ochuk’s blog » Blog Archive » T4G(ender hierarchy) - very long
The Young Evangelical: Together for the Gospel despite gender role differences? by Bryan Peters
Euangelion: Together for the Gospel … Not Quite! by Michael Bird
