2015-11-15

God calls only men into the Public Ministry

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God entrusted the Office of the Ministry to Adam, not to Eve. God sent His Son into the world and permitted Him to be born as the new Adam (Rom. 5:14), not as the new Eve, to correct the first Adam’s offense and that which was remiss in his care of the Ministerial Office (Rom. 5:14; Adam’s “offense”: Rom. 5:15,17: “one man’s offense”: Rom. 5:19: “one man’s disobedience”: but in such a way that “Adam was not deceived” 1 Tim. 2:14). By correcting the first Adam’s disobedience, the new Adam, Christ, corrected both Adam’s failure to speak as well as the first Eve’s decision to become a teacher and her disobedience and the disobedience of all Adams and Eves. Christ called men to be apostles (all in all 14 men; Joseph Justus, who was nominated, was also a man), not a single woman. In addition, when speaking of those serving in the ministry he referred to them by using masculine pronouns and at the same time made a distinction between them and “others”, which “others” included both “menservants” and “maidens” (Luke 12:45).

The first congregation and its eleven apostles, according the word of the Bible, unanimously agreed that a man should be chosen to replace Judas. Acts 1:20-22: “For it is written in the book of Psalms (Ps. 109:8)…his bishopric let another (heb. אַחֵר, masculine) take. Wherefore of these men (ανδρών)… must one be ordained to be a witness with us of the resurrection.”

When the apostle Paul as Christ’s messenger in clear words (1 Cor. 14:33-40 and 1 Tim. 2:11-15) denies women the right to preach in the congregation and to serve in the ministry, he does not teach something new, but rather the same which Christ Himself had taught and which the apostles and the entire church had both taught and practiced. The apostle bases his stand on the order of creation, on that which “saith the Law” (1 Cor. 14:34), and which is unchangeable. God’s order is: “He shall rule over thee”, Gen. 3:16, and “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection”, 1 Tim. 2:11. The basis for this is also the fact that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression”, 1 Tim. 2:14, or in other words the difference in nature between men and women, of which Moses Gen. 3:6 already gives a telling description: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.”

The women at Jesus’ empty tomb received a one-time command to go and bring the news of Christ’s resurrection to the disciples. They were not, however, given an office or a life-long call as the apostles were, nor were they told to leave everything and follow Jesus.

God’s clear revealed will is that the Office of the Ministry is an office for qualified men, qualified in the school of the Holy Spirit.

That women are currently preaching in many churches in their capacity as pastors and lectors and speaking at functions of the different revivalistic groups is contrary to God’s will.