On the place of women in ministry, Southern Baptists agree for the most part. On their place in education, there has been some dispute over the past few years, especially with all the stuff that has gone down at Southwestern (www.swbts.edu). Recently, a Louisiana pastor has blogged, or ranted and raved, about the issue. You can read it here.
His Argument is a decent one, but it could use some work. He bases his argument from the standpoint that in his letter to Timothy, Paul instructs us that no woman should teach a man. They should only teach women. Of course, many Southern Baptists take this to mean in the church and even further, at the seminary level. I am a Southern Baptist and agree, women should not be in authority over a man, in the church. Liechty uses this premise to argue that women should not teach men who are training to become pastors.
However, if we take Paul's argument to its logical conclusion, then we would deduce that women should not teach men in any field. Mathematics, history, physics, literature. Any woman seeking to teach in Higher Education would only be allowed to teach women, at least in an SBC institution. This is something that is absurd and not Biblical.
If we accept this view of Paul's statement, we would find ourselves firing women professors and administrators all over the country.
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4 comments:
Heath,
I am curious as to what you take Paul's words to mean. Here and on my blog, you have mentioned what you believe it does not mean. Will you please offer what you believe it does?
We see that here, Paul uses the Greek word gune, referring to a wife, and then uses the present infinitive with didaskein meaning, to continuously teach. Paul is saying here, that a wife ought not continuously be teaching over her husband. This goes against Paul's teachings throughout the Epistle on the distinct roles of women and men that have been ordained that way by God.
Often, gune does refer to wife but it can also mean a woman in general. Paul used it thus in Gal 4:4 and in I Cor 7:1. And if we press gune to be a reference to only married women, then Paul would be arguing for the woman to be silent not just at church but at home as well. And if we make the point that she cannot teach at home(her husband), then it would stand to reason that she cannot teach at church either.
Even though you have pointed out that didaskein is in the present infinitive, Wuest points out that this means that a woman is not to be a teacher. "Thus... pisteuein is to be a believer,... douleuein is to be a slave,... hamartanein is to be a sinner." A teacher teaches, continues to teach, which is what makes a teacher a teacher. That she is not to teach him at all is emphasized by the fact she is to be in silence.
Blessings for a great weekend.
You do not get many thoughts do you? :)
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