INTRODUCTION
Hermeneutic; is the study of the methodological principles of interpretation,
or is the method or principle of interpretation. Also hermeneutic may be
defined as the science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures, is the
branch of theology that deals with the principles of Biblical exegesis.
Hermeneutical challenges for women role in pastoral ministry refers to
the challenges which based on right interpreting scriptures or wrong
interpreting scriptures to allow women in pastoral ministry or not allowing in
the position of pastors.
The term “pastoral ministry,” refer to the spiritual
gift of pastoring of shepherding the church of God. Thus, following the metaphor of the shepherd
both as leader and as companion. In the
Ancient East the role of the pastor was seen as a process of drawing together
in unity and of providing care for the young and helpless.
Jesus
himself is the “good Shepherd” of the New Testament (6). With merciful concern,
he leads his flock to living waters (7). Jesus fulfills in his person the
prophetic expectations of the Good Shepherd and institutes for certain of his
followers a pastoral office in the believing community.
The background
Historically, the role of the pastor has developed
in the Christian Church in terms of a ministry of care for the believing
community. While an over-emphasis of the metaphor has brought about rejection
of the idea of the people of God as a “flock” of “sheep,” there remains a
deep-lying conviction that some members of the ekklesia are called and gifted
to be “pastors” for a work of ministerial service and pastoral care. The terms
pastor/pastoral and minister/ministry have evolved together. This does not
imply that a new concept of “pastoral ministry” has necessarily emerged in
distinction from the separate underlying meanings attached to the several
words.
The debate about whether a woman is permitted
to be a pastor continues to intensify. Although there is scant historical
precedent for it, many today claim that either men or women may be pastors.
Throughout the centuries, Christian theologians have reflected on this issue,
and the preponderance of them has concluded that the pastoral role is
exclusively assigned to men. In the current discussions of gender roles, there
is a need for clear thinking about what the Bible says.
The
question requires careful analysis. This article addresses some of the larger
concerns revolving about the issue of women serving as pastors. The exegesis of
specific texts is a necessary starting point for the discussion, but the issue
goes beyond isolated texts. There is a consistent pattern of biblical teaching
on the subject. Our approach will be to identify these patterns and deal with
the greater issues they raise. This discussion, which is necessarily brief,
should be complemented by a serious and detailed exegesis of the relevant
texts.
The issue of women as pastor is not a cultural
issue to be settled by the cultural readiness of the different regions of the
world church. It is not even a political issue to be decided by petition
drives, public opinion polls, referenda, or surveys. Rather, it is theological
issue which can only be settled on the basis of biblical authority.
The Bible
clearly teaches that both men and women are equal in the sight of God, and both
have been called to the soul-winning ministry. At the same time, the Scriptures
also teach that God has assigned different roles to men and women. Within the
equality of male and female, in some culture they believe that, God calls men
to be spiritual leaders in the home and in the church, while in reality the
women also may be a spiritual leader even at home if his husband is not
believing in God. And even in the church it depend the talent given from the
God.
Despite
the official position of the church, there are agitations and strong campaigns
in certain quarters of the church to ordain women. Those who are pushing the
practice argue that the issue is cultural, not theological. Others in their
rank who concede that the issue is theological maintain that new biblical and
historical evidence support women’s ordination! Sometimes, the one-sided nature
of discussions by those pushing the practice do not allow for opposing views.
And in some cases, church members are not informed about available resources
that support the church’s biblical position.
The
question requires careful analysis. This article addresses some of the larger
concerns revolving about the issue of women serving as pastors. The exegesis of
specific texts is a necessary starting point for the discussion, but the issue
goes beyond isolated texts. There is a consistent pattern of biblical teaching
on the subject. Our approach will be to identify these patterns and deal with
the greater issues they raise. This discussion, which is necessarily brief,
should be complemented by a serious and detailed exegesis of the relevant
texts.
Women in the New Testament engaged in significant
ministry, performing valuable service in sometimes-difficult situations. This
is readily seen in the Acts of the Apostles. Both Priscilla and Aquila spoke
privately to Apollo at Ephesus (Acts 18:24-26), correcting his incomplete and
flawed theology. Further, women clearly played a significant role in the work
of the Apostle Paul. In his letter to the Romans, Paul identified sixteen
significant helpers in ministry (16:1-16), and at least ten of them were women.
Who knows what the health of the church at Philippi would have been were it not
for Lydia (Acts 16:13-15), apparently a benefactor to the church, and others
such as Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2-3)? And of course, women made a
significant contribution to Jesus' ministry. Luke recalled with appreciation
their financial support and company with Him (Luke 8:1-3).
The
question at hand is not whether women are of equal value to men, nor is it
whether they can minister effectively. It is, rather, the nature of their
ministry in the church. More specifically, it is permissible for a woman to
serve as senior pastor?
The place
to begin is to ask, "What does the Bible
say?" The problem is in biblical interpretation
of the scripture verses, especially the Paul writings. In 1 Tim. 2:12, states,
"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man"
(NIV) women should learn "in silence,” (Compare with Titus 2:3-5 and 2
Tim. 1:5; 3:14, 15). He states that they cannot teach or have authority over
men. The problem
Of interpreting these verses; is in making conclusion that, the women not
allowed to have a pastoral position, or perform the pastoral function, because
the position of pastor puts them in authority over men.
An
Adventist Perspective
We know, for
instance, that in the beginning, God created both man and woman in His image,
with equal value and dignity (Galatians 3:28). Moreover, in the Bible, God
clearly calls women to use their spiritual gifts in a myriad of different
ministries (Joel 2:28, 29). At the same time, the Creator designed men and
women with distinct gender traits and appointed them to embrace different roles
within the family and the church. It is Holy Scripture that calls men to be the
spiritual leaders in these realms (1 Timothy 2:2–5). This site assembles some
of the best scholarship and media on this subject from a Seventh-day Adventist
perspective.
The
nineteenth century Seventh-day Adventist Church, largely because of the
influence of Ellen White, was remarkably innovative as it grasped opportunities
to exhibit a dynamic and versatile definition of ministry. Ellen White
consistently defined ministry by those relevant functions its ministers
performed. And it is obvious that women were allowed to perform all those
relevant functions, excepting those which the church defined as belonging
solely to the ordained minister.
When
the church seemed to founder on the question of whether women could be
ordained, Ellen White, in 1895, resolved that issue. She went further as she
described why the early Christian church ordained Paul and Barnabas. The
principle she expressed has obvious relevance to the question of women and
ordination to ministry: "In order that their work should be above
challenge, He instructed the church by revelation to set them apart publicly to
the work of the ministry. Their ordination was a public recognition of their
divine appointment to bear to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the
gospel."31
Truly,
Ellen White has fulfilled her mission to the church by pointing out the
scriptural principles concerning ordination. Here, she applies scriptural
principles to ministry as defined during the time she saw the Australian
experience as a model for the church. She defines true ministry from Isaiah 58
and Isaiah 61:
The Lord has
given Christ to the world for ministry. Merely to preach the Word is not
ministry. The Lord desires His ministering servants to occupy a place worthy of
the highest consideration. In the mind of God, the ministry of men AND WOMEN
existed before the world was created.
[The premise that God had a preconceived concept of ministry for both
men and women before He created the world destroys ideas of subordination and
offers very telling evidence about Ellen White’s concept of the role of women
in ministry.] He determined that His ministers should have a perfect
exemplification of Himself and His purposes. No human career could do this
work; so God gave Christ in humanity to work out His ideal of what humanity may
become through entire obedience to His will and way. God’s character was
revealed in the life of His Son. Christ not only held a theory of genuine
ministry, but in His humanity He wrought out an illustration of the ministry
that God approves. Perfection has marked out every feature of true ministry.
Christ, the Son of the living God, did not live unto Himself, but unto God.34
The history of the ministry of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in the nineteenth century illustrates that women were indeed
serving as "priests" and "ministers" of the Lord. We must
recognize that heritage.
At least two statements from Ellen White mention
women in pastoral roles.
The central question, of course, is what did
she mean by "pastoral"? Ellen White sometimes used pastoral
terminology to denote the personal visitation aspects of a minister's work, as
contrasted with public pulpit ministry. In this vein she denounced ministers
who "only preach or worse yet, merely "sermonize," but
"neglect personal labor" because they lack the "watchful, tender
compassion of a shepherd. The flock of God has a right to expect to be visited
by their pastor, to be instructed, advised, and counseled in their own homes." Again, she says,
"The pastor should visit from house to house among his flock, teaching,
conversing, and praying with each family," as well as seeing that
prospective members are "thoroughly instructed in the truth." This is
precisely the work Ellen White elsewhere recommends for women in team
ministry--"visiting from family to family, opening the Scriptures to
them."(70) It is in this pastoral work that they are promised "a
power that exceeds that of men."(71)
"Women to Do Pastoral Labor"
The foregoing provides the necessary background for
a consideration of two statements which indicate that the spiritual gift of
pastoring is given to women as well as men.
If there is
one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications
before the public, thus leading them to search the Scriptures. Missionary
work—introducing our publications into families, conversing, and praying with
and for them—is a good work and one which will educate men and women to do
pastoral labor.
According
to this paragraph, door-to-door "missionary work" literature
evangelism has two particular benefits:
first it is good work in itself and second it is a useful preparation
for larger responsibilities. It "will educate men and women to do pastoral
labor." The same two themes also permeate the context of another mention
of women as "pastors." The
literature evangelism is itself a form of pastoral ministry, and also gives
preparation for pastoral ministry within a congregation.
All who desire an opportunity for true
ministry, and who will give themselves unreservedly to God, will find in the
canvassing work opportunities to speak upon many things pertaining to the
future, immortal life. The experience thus gained will be of the greatest value
to those who are fitting themselves for the ministry. It is the accompaniment
of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become
pastors to the flock of God.
The
canvassing work" is "true ministry." prepare "those who are
fitting themselves for the ministry," i.e., ministerial leadership of a
church. Sentence 3 affirms that the Holy Spirit "prepares workers, both
men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God." The deduction seems
clear that the clause "prepares . . . to become pastors" in the third
sentence stands in parallelism to "fitting . . . for the ministry" in
the previous sentence.
The experience thus gained will be of the
greatest value to those who are fitting themselves for the ministry. It is the
accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and
women, to become pastors to the flock of God.
Finally,
"shepherd of the flock of God" stands in direct parallel to the
expression "pastors to the flock of God" on the previous page,
showing that by "pastors," Ellen White includes all who teach and
preach the gospel, including literature evangelists. Comparing these parallel
statements suggests that the Holy Spirit "prepares workers, both men and
women, to become pastors," i.e., "shepherds to the flock of
God," but this shepherding role may take a variety of vocational forms.
Finally,
the references to the "Holy Spirit," "gifts,"
"pastor," "teacher," and "shepherd," as well as
the focal sentence "the Holy Spirit . . . prepares workers, both men and
women, to become pastors to the flock of God, imply that the spiritual gift of
pastor-teacher (Eph 4:11) is given to both men and women. Did Early Seventh-day
Adventist Women Function as Ministers?
In early Seventh-day Adventist history women played
major roles in the publishing and editorial work, home missionary work, the
work of Sabbath Schools, church finances and administration, frontier missions
and evangelism, and medical and educational work. Those women who labored as
full-time workers were issued the denomination ' s ministerial licenses but not
the ministerial credentials reserved for ordained ministers-indicating that
they were not authorized to perform the distinctive functions of ordained
ministers. 2
In Women in Ministry , however, some of the authors
have left the erroneous impression that because early Adventist women labored
faithfully and successfully in the soulwinning ministry, and because they were
issued ministerial licenses, these women performed the functions of the
ordained ministry. 3 On this inaccurate basis, they join other revisionist
historians in concluding that today the "ordination of women to full
Gospel ministry is called for by both the historical heritage of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church and by the guidance of God through the ministry of
Ellen G. White." 4
One prominent author in Women in Ministry has made
the same claim in his most recent work, A Brief History of Seventh-day
Adventists , a book promoted by its publishers as "providing a short but
accurate history of Adventism." This church historian states the following
under the heading "The Contribution of Female Ministers in Early Adventism":
Because the bulk of Adventism's ministry has
consistently been male, too few have recognized the contribution to the church
made by women who have served as ministers and in other official positions. . .
. What is beyond doubt, however, is that she [Ellen G. White] was probably the
most influential "minister" ever to serve the Adventist Church . Many
other women participated during the late nineteenth and early centuries as
licensed ministers. 5
Statements such as the above lend credibility to the
spurious claims by women's ordination advocates that "there were many
women pastors in early the Seventh-day Adventist Church ." 6
Contrary to such creative reinterpretations, the
Adventist women of the past typically understood that while they had been
called to do the work of soulwinning, and while it was Biblically legitimate
for them to preach, teach, counsel, minister to the needy, do missionary work,
serve as Bible workers, etc., the Scriptures prohibited them from exercising
the headship responsibility of elder or pastor. These dedicated Adventist women
did not view their nonordination as elders or pastors to be a quenching of
their spiritual gifts or as an arbitrary restriction on the countless functions
they could perform in Gospel ministry. As they labored faithfully within the
Biblical guidelines of what is appropriate for men and women, the dedicated
women of old discovered joy in God ' s ideal for complementary male-female
roles in the church. 7
In early Adventist records, full-time workers carrying
ordained ministers ' credentials were listed as "Ministers," while
the term "Licentiates" was used for nonordained workers (men and some
women) with ministerial licenses . Not until 1942 would the Yearbook of the
church employ the terms "Ordained Ministers" and "Licensed
Ministers" for these two categories of church workers. Both the early and
later distinctions between the two groups of workers ensured that nonordained
laborers in the soulwinning ministry would not be confused with ordained
ministers. One author, whom Women in Ministry quotes on other matters, noted
that by the turn of the century, when about 15% of church employees were women
in various roles, "the church classified none of them as ministers except
Mrs. White" 8 (a reference to her ordained minister's credentials; see
discussion below).
Indeed, we have yet to see any of these women
referred to as ministers in the writings of Mrs. White or the other pioneers.
There is, therefore, no valid justification for some contemporary writers to
suggest or to create the impression that women listed as
"licentiates" or even occasionally as "licensed ministers"
performed the functions of ordained ministers or were generally thought of as
"woman ministers." 9 Nor does the history of those days support the
idea that women today seeking to do full-time work in Gospel ministry must be
ordained as elders or pastors. The facts from the "historical heritage of
the Seventh-day Adventist Church " do not support such a conclusion. 10
VERSES FROM THE BIBLE ON WOMEN ROLE;
Romans 8:15 teaches that ALL women and men in Christ
are adopted as "sons". As a female in Christ, I am hereby officially
a son of God with ALL the rights, privileges and responsibilities that male
sons have...in the church, in the home, and in society. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Acts 2:17
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams; The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a
great host: Psalm
And there
was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was
advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was
a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart
from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming
up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all
who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38
Older
women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much
wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love
their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home,
kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be
reviled (Titus 2:3-5).Phoebe was a servant of the church at Cenchreae (Romans
16:1).
Be
imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me
in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But
I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a
wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or
prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays
or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same
as if her head were shaven. 1 Corinthians 11:1
So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in
the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have
labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest
of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:2-3
ESV /
Paul, a
servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of
God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was
declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by
his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have
received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the
sake of his name among all the nations, Romans 1:1-32 ESV
And I find
something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and
whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is
taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one
thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought
repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman
among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man
upright, but they have sought out many schemes. Ecclesiastes 7:26-29 ESV
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the
church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of
the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a
patron of many and of myself as well. Romans 16:1-2 ESV
“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces
her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says
the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be
faithless.” Malachi 2:16 ESV
forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One
of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why
will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I
love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the
truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace
will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in
truth and love. I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the
truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear
lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have
had from the beginning—that we love one another. 2 John 1:1-13 ESV
But as for
you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded,
dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves
to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to
love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home,
kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be
reviled. Titus 2:1-15
Summary
Throughout
our history, Seventh-day Adventist women have labored faithfully in the
ministry as teachers, preachers, missionaries, Bible workers, etc., and have
made a vital contribution to the mission of the church, all without ordination
. Far from providing a case for ordination, the nine women mentioned in the
Women in Ministry chapter we have been considering illustrate what women may
accomplish without it. They are by no means alone. The Bible workers, as an
example, offered valuable service in the ministry; they were an important part
of the evangelistic team because they often knew more about the people being
baptized and joining the church than the minister did; and the minister
welcomed their wisdom and judgment. But none of these women was ever ordained.
If these women, who were well versed in Scripture, had been asked if they
wanted to be ordained as elders or pastors, most would likely have exclaimed,
"Oh, no! It isn ' t Biblical!" I say this because it continues to be
the attitude of thousands of dedicated Adventist women around the world today.
In light of these facts of Adventist history-such as
that Ellen G. White was never ordained, she never called for women to be
ordained as elders or pastors, and none of our dedicated Seventh-day Adventist
women of the past was ever ordained as elder or pastor-I again ask those who
support women ' s ordination, just as I would ask those who support the
attempted change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday:
Since the testimonies of Scripture indicate that God
the Father did not do it; the Old Testament is clear that the patriarchs,
prophets, and kings never did do it; the Gospels reveal that Jesus, the Desire
of Ages, would not do it; the epistles and the acts of the apostles declare
that the commissioned apostles could not do it; Ellen White, with a prophetic
vision of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, dared not do it,
should we who live at the turn of another millennium do it? 26
What, then, shall we say in response to these
manufactured "facts" in Women in Ministry ? Simply this: It would
have been better to tell the facts as they are, for then Women in Ministry
would have been what the Ad Hoc Committee wanted it to be, a reliable guide to
church members trying to make the right decision regarding the ordination of
women as elders or pastors.
Instead of recycling misinformation, half-truths,
and errors, we must honestly and accurately state the facts regarding the
position and practice of our pioneers on women ' s ordination. Having done so,
we may then be at liberty to: (1) debate the rightness or wrongness of their
action, or (2) decide either to follow their theological understanding and
practice or chart our own course. It is irresponsible, however, to attempt to
inject our biases and self-interests into a historical fact, or reinterpret it
in order to push our ideological agenda.
Even if there was no intent on the part of Women in
Ministry authors to mislead, neither the church nor her Lord are well served by
"scholarly research" that distorts the history it purports to tell.
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