I haven't had time for very much recreational reading in this part of my life, so I seek to spend time with the essentials, as I decide them. The issue of women roles as viewed by the Church is one I wouldn't have judged as essential in earlier times in my life...but I have lived a little, and it now seems a matter that has a good deal of prominance in my thinking. I don't seem to be able to avoid examining the arguments on it any more. I believe because it touches on many of the essential parts of living our lives with purpose and meaning. The apostle Paul speaks of engaging lifes actions as a fighter in the ring- to lay punches purposefully and for full impact, not like some wimp flailing the air, doomed to a knockout.
1 Corinthians 9:
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
So, for many women who want to sincerely follow Christ, and hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" as much as the men do... it is vital that we get a handle on what the Bible says concerning us and our roles. Related to that, is our witness to a desperate world. We have to be able to properly articulate our faith- not simply in words, but in the way we live, our choices and realities. In that spirit, I present you this:
Adrian Warnock's blog has one the more important series of thoughts on this. He does an interview with Wayne Grudem, in four parts, which covers most of the important points on the issues at hand in the gender discussion.
I hope you will read it all. It isn't a series of posts that one can give slap-dash analysis on, and Christmas season does not lend itself to long periods of time on the computer, but I hope to relay some some thoughts on points that were made in the egalitaian vs. the hierarchal sides of the discussion. Wayne Grudem appears to be firmly in the hierarchal complementarian camp, and I hope to read through the online pdf files found @ Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth Online..
Interested in joining me in this?
