Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uupsi!njin!paul.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: math1h3@jetson.uh.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: ambitious women may approach the altar now ... Message-ID: Date: 17 May 91 06:39:29 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Houston Lines: 30 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu > If Jesus felt that a woman (or women) were fit to be the first to > receive the Good News of his resurrection, and felt that they were fit > to carry that Good News to tell men when he first rose from the grave, > why would he feel them unfit to carry that same Good News to men today? You are speaking of evangelism. Women exercise the gift of evangelism all the time; that does not make them pastors. I think 1 Peter 3 is particularly relevant here; Peter says: "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands, so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." So a woman can carry the Good News to people without violating the principle of male headship; but Paul says clearly in 1 Tim 2:11-15 that in church they should learn in quietness and full submission, and they may not be a master-teacher in authority over a man. This, as I have said before, means they may not serve as a man's pastor. I don't think women must always try to win over unbelievers 'without words.' That wouldn't make much sense. But they do need to be submissive to their own husbands. David H. Wagner a confessional Lutheran My opinions and beliefs on this matter are disclaimed by The University of Houston.