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Can a Woman Be a Pastor? Looking at the New Testament
Recently someone raised this question: Were there any mentions in the New Testament of men/women who were actually titled “pastor”? I keep hearing arguments that there were no women pastors in the Bible, but I can’t find any men called “pastor” either. The observation that no one, male or female, is called “pastor” is absolutely correct. We don’t see “Pastor Paul” or “Pastor Mark” or “Pastor John” in the Bible. Or “Pastor Phoebe” for that matter. In the same way that no one person is ever referred to as the giver (imagine “Giver Aquila”), the exhorter (Exhorter Priscilla?), the evangelizer, the teacher, the mercy-shower…there is also no one in the New…
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7 Views on the Role of Women w/in the Inerrancy Camp
I'm speaking at an event today at which I'm outlining seven different views on the role of women held by those who hold to the verbal plenary inspiration of scripture: 1. TRADITIONALISTS Believe women are more easily deceived than men, but also masters at deceiving. Women are ontologically inferior to men at created level. “Women are the devil’s gateway.” — Tertullian. Augustine, Aquinas, John Knox, etc. COMPLEMENTARIANS (spectrum of about 4 views) Women equal before God, but in some form of hierarchy w/ men/ husbands. Authority = the issue w/ several views on the public ministry of women: 2. Male "headship" – all men = "head" over all women.…
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“Egalitarian” and “Complementarian”: What’s the Main Difference?
When people talk to me about what the Bible says regarding the role of women in ministry, usually they’re asking if I think a woman may preach. But these folks don’t actually ask “Do you think women may preach?” They ask if I’m a complementarian or an egalitarian. Why? Because the complementarian and egalitarian camps appear to be the two opposing poles in the debate about whether the Bible restricts women from participating in some ministries. Especially public ones. I’m always careful how I answer, because different people draw the line between the two camps at very different places. So if I identify with one or the other label,…
