Ordination of Women
An Obvious Application of
Timothy and Titus to Ordination Issues.
A denominational ordination policy of ”Bible
Strict Constructionists”
We have carefully studied scripture passages on the tests of ordination and have developed our stance on ordination rooted in the clear teaching of the key passages of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus. We believe these passages are the Apostle Paul’s best statements of who should be ordained and who is excluded so we have taken our stand honestly and forthrightly as follows:
|
The plain words of
Scripture say… |
So we simply do not
ordain these kind of people: |
|
Now the overseer
must be… the husband of but one wife, -1 Timothy 3:2 An elder must be
blameless, --Titus 6 |
1. We do not ordain women—for a woman obviously can not
be “the husband of but one wife.” |
|
Now the overseer
must be… the husband of but one wife, -1 Timothy 3:2 An elder must be
blameless, --Titus 6 |
2. We do not ordain singles or widowers—for they cannot be “the husband of but one wife.” |
|
Now the overseer
must be… the husband of but one wife, -1 Timothy 3:2 An elder must be
blameless, --Titus 6 |
3. We do not ordain divorced men, or remarried men—for they can not be “the husband of but one wife.” |
|
He must manage his
own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect (If
anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of
God's church?) -1 Timothy 3:4-5 …a man whose
children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and
disobedient. –Titus 6 |
4. We do not ordain married men without children—for if
they do not have children we cannot know if their children obey them. Indeed
we do not ordain married men with children until the children are old enough
to be able to rebel for only then would we know if their children obey them
and these fathers are thus able to manage God’s church. Further, we delay
ordination for fathers until they have teens in their home—for how can we
know their children “believe” as Titus calls for until the children are old
enough to reject the faith? |
We recognize that these biblical positions are unpopular in a day when single people, childless couples and women expect equal rights. But we simply follow the plain teaching of Scripture—all of it. We refuse to consider these tests laden with cultural factors which allow some wiggle-room in the modern world. Thus we treat them as direct tests which come down to us “as is” to be implemented exactly as they are clearly stated.
We do know that some denominations pick and choose among these verses, using these passages only when they speak about the ordination of women. We refuse to do that. We unapologetically treat all these tests for ordination equally—for men and woman alike.
This is why our
denomination only ordains middle aged men who have at least teen-agers in their
household who obey them and are believers.
--------------------------------------------
Of course I made this up, but I wonder if there is some denomination somewhere who is this “pure” in their application of these passages? I note that some of the single male freshmen I teach are quick to quote one verse here to prove women should not be ordained—but they seem to ignore the rest of the passage. I wonder why?
So what do you
think?
Click
here to respond: Your insights & comments?
Keith Drury
Other writing by Keith Drury on ordaining
women
~Wesleyans: Quit sending our daughters to youth conventions
(Responses)
~How to get your denomination to stop ordaining women
~Advice to Women in Ministry (From Call
of a Lifetime book)
~Young men won’t follow a woman pastor?
~ Who said this about women in ministry?
~Who said this about women in ministry(#2)?
Writing by others on ordaining women
~Why I favor Women in Ministry, by Ken Schenck
~Top ten reasons MEN should not be ordained (Ivan
Emke)
~Women in ministry: a
biblical perspective (David Thompson; Asbury)
~Should women be ordained to ministry? (Lee Haines)
~Other writing on women in Ministry from Jim
Watkins’ pages