Women’s Ordination Issues
The issue of women’s ordination boils down to a few different sub issues.
An issue of leadership authority, both in the church and in the home and An issue of who can lead a church in the office of church pastor or elder.
We find qualifications of who can be church pastors and elders in 1 Timothy 3 And Titus 1.
An issue of supposed inequality
Some claim that women are being held in subjection as if to say they are being treated as less valuable or less equal to men. While many women are treated this way, this is not how the Bible teaches us to treat women in either of the aforementioned chapters or anywhere else in the Bible. Jesus treated women with the utmost respect and love. It’s not an issue of keeping women supposedly “lower” than men. Men and women are equal in God’s sight. Galatians 3:28 says this. However, this passage in Galatians does not give women authority to be church pastors and elders, nor to be the spiritual leaders in the home. Now of course there are single mothers that have no choice. But even this does not in any way allow for women to lead churches in the office of church pastor or elder.
An issue of how we interpret the Bible and An issue of trusting that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God.
Some think that Paul was trying to keep women down. They say that Paul was a misogynist, “someone who hates, dislikes or is prejudiced against women.” However, passages like Romans 16:1 prove that wrong. Paul was like Jesus: he treated women with the utmost respect and love. If we say that Paul was a misogynist, then we deny the other parts of the Bible that prove otherwise. Plus, if such a person who was a “woman hater” was such while writing portions of the Bible, then the Bible is not the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Thus we would be denying 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Some people say that certain parts of the Bible were only for cultures that Paul was writing to. However, there is an easy way to refute this. The only part of the Bible that we are not to practice today is the sacrificial system and the keeping of the Israelite feasts. Why? Because they pointed forward to Jesus and what He did for us and is doing for us now. The passages that discuss the issue of pastorship/eldership do not point forward to anything. Furthermore, Psalm 33:11 says this about the Bible: “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”
An issue of breaking the Tenth Commandment
I may be tarred and feathered for saying this next part. For some women, it is an issue of coveting what is not theirs. Again, it is clear in 1 Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:5-9 who God has assigned to be church pastors and elders. God created us as men and women with different roles. For women who want to be pastors and elders, they are coveting a position that God has not given them.
It is a threat to church unity.
Some consider this issue as a distraction from spreading the Gospel. Be that as it may, because of the magnitude that this issue has come to, it must be addressed. Satan wants few things more than to fragment God’s church, to divide us in disunity. Satan knows his time is short and he does not want to die, as he knows is going to happen. Therefore, he is going to throw out every last ditch effort to elongate his life. And not only that, because he knows he is going to die, he is going to try to take as many people with him as possible to the lake of fire. And deceiving people about the truth on male headship and women’s ordination is one such way to do that. When we are dissatisfied with what God has given to us and assigned us to do, we are really dissatisfied with God HIMSELF. When we step outside of God’s ordained order, we invite anarchy, ruin, and death. Also, we are in rebellion to God when we step out of His ordained order. More on that below.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 – And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Leviticus 10:1-2 – And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
Hermeneutics - Some say that the chapters in the Bible that deal with roles in the church and the roles of men and women were just for the culture that Paul originally wrote them to. However, the Bible disagrees. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says this: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The Bible also says this: Psalm 33:11 – "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." There is nothing anywhere in the Bible that says what the apostles wrote about church leadership and male headship was only for the cultures back then.
Some say that because of the culture we are in, we should be ordaining women. They say we should interpret the Bible according to the culture that we live in. However, the same argument is made by many who say that Sunday is the new Sabbath. (Click here to learn about the true Sabbath. Also, check out http://sabbathtruth.com/). The same hermeneutics that allow for women's ordination are the same that allow for approval of homosexuality and Sunday observance.In Connection with this, the same hermeneutics that demand women become pastors/elders because of culture, is also the same hermeneutic that is why most Christians keep Sunday instead of the truth Sabbath.
Listen to this from the same article: "This issue is bigger than we may think, for the same hermeneutics that twist these plain texts of Scripture to ordain women as pastors and elders are the same hermeneutics that will lead us right out of the church in embracing Sunday as sacred. Please, let us not follow the example of Satan who aspired to a position higher than he was assigned by God. Please, let us not follow the example of Eve who, "like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it" (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 59). Please, let us not follow the example of Korah, Dathan, and Abram who were dissatisfied with the roles God had given them and sought the priesthood also.
The “It’s Cultural” Argument
It is often stated by proponents of Women’s Ordination that 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are cultural. However, there is nothing in either text to give that impression. An example is that of 1 Corinthians 11:5-15. Here, the apostle Paul talks about women using head coverings when praying. But then in verse 16, Paul states that there is no commandment for this practice. One could then make the argument that head coverings is cultural.
There is, however, nothing in Paul’s counsel on church leadership to even hint that what he said there is cultural. Some like to say that this counsel was for a local incident but again, there is nothing in the text to suggest this.
Let us also consider family order. This is another reason that 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are not cultural. In Titus 2 Paul writes about gender roles and family order. Remember, in the original manuscripts, there were no chapter and verse divisions. Therefore, Titus 2:1-5 was written in direct context of Titus 1. Notice what Paul says in Titus 2:5; it is important to follow God’s family order and gender roles so that His Word is not blasphemed.
An example is in order. I read a short story from another SDA who invited a friend to church. This church happened to have a female elder. The invited friend said, “You know, we may not have the right day of worship, but we can read Paul. There shouldn’t be a female elder. I won’t be back.” This invited individual was more firm to the Bible than many others.
Ephesians 5 also talks about family order, as does 1 Peter 3. What’s interesting is that nobody says these chapters are cultural, although culture in general is angry with these chapters. God is consistent with His Word. There is order in Heaven. There is order in the family. There is order in the church. The church is an extension of the family. If a wife is supposed to submit to her husband in the home, he therefore cannot turn around and submit to her in church. It’s inconsistent.
We also never see examples of female priests/apostles/pastors/elders anywhere in the Bible in God’s order of things. We only see them in cases of apostasy and false religions. For example, Jezebel may have likely been a priestess of Baal, as was common back in ancient times because she was a royal daughter.
The Bible also says in 1 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is God breathed, or inspired. To say one portion is cultural or for an isolated incident when there is zero evidence for it is to deny 1 Timothy 3:16. It is not for us to decide these things without solid evidence. Again, one can make the case for head coverings to be cultural, as Paul said there was no commandment for it. However, one cannot make this claim with church leadership, as there is nothing anywhere in the Bible that says it’s cultural.
We are commanded in the Bible not to be or produce stumbling blocks to others. Putting women in the position of pastor/elder creates stumbling blocks for outsiders, because when they read Paul, they’ll see the Bible doesn’t support the practice.
Role Rebellion
Let us now consider a few cases of role rebellion. These are all fascinating stories of people who tried to claim roles for themselves that God had not given them. Ponder these stories, as well as commentary from EGW on each one.
The story of Eve:
We find the story of Eve in the first few chapters of the Bible. As we all know, she ate the forbidden fruit. And why? She wanted a role that God had forbidden her from having. “You shall be as gods,” Satan told her. and because she was unsatisfied with the role God had given her, she fell far below it.
EGW:
Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband’s side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it. A similar result will be reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in accordance with God’s plan. In their efforts to reach positions for which He has not fitted them, many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a blessing. In their desire for a higher sphere, many have sacrificed true womanly dignity and nobility of character, and have left undone the very work that Heaven appointed them. – {PP 59.1}
The story of Korah
In Numbers 16-17, we find the story of Korah’s rebellion. He was a Levite and had sympathizers from other tribes. As a Levite he was in the service of the temple; but as he was not of the family of Aaron, he was restricted from the priesthood. He became jealous and was so entrenched in his rebellion that judgment came upon him and his cohorts. They were swallowed up by the earth.
EGW:
In the rebellion of Korah is seen the working out, upon a narrower stage, of the same spirit that led to the rebellion of Satan in heaven. It was pride and ambition that prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God, and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven. Since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent, the same ambition for position and honor, into the minds of men. He thus worked upon the minds of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, to arouse the desire for self-exaltation and excite envy, distrust, and rebellion. Satan caused them to reject God as their leader, by rejecting the men of God’s appointment. Yet while in their murmuring against Moses and Aaron they blasphemed God, they were so deluded as to think themselves righteous, and to regard those who had faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by Satan. – {PP 403.3}
The story of Aaron’s Rod that budded
Shortly after the judgment upon Korah, Israel was murmuring yet again. Then God sent a plague. After the plague was removed, God instructed Moses and Aaron to take a rod from each tribe of Israel, including Aaron’s rod. They were put them in the temple, and leave them overnight. God said He would make the rod to bloom of the tribe of the family He had chosen for the priesthood. Next morning, Aaro’s rod bloomed. It was also placed within the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God’s throne. Since God’s throne is eternal, so is God’s Laws in church leadership.
EGW:
But further evidence was given that the priesthood had been established in the family of Aaron. By divine direction each tribe prepared a rod and wrote upon it the name of the tribe. The name of Aaron was upon that of Levi. The rods were laid up in the tabernacle, “before the testimony.” The blossoming of any rod was to be a token that the Lord had chosen that tribe for the priesthood. On the morrow, “behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” It was shown to the people, and afterward laid up in the tabernacle as a witness to succeeding generations. This miracle effectually settled the question of the priesthood. – {PP 403.1}
The story of the once good king Uzziah
In 2 Chronicles 26, we find the story of King Uzziah. For most of his reign, he closely followed God and was blessed by God as a result. However, as the danger is in times of blessing, this once good king became proud and aspired to priestly duties. He went into the temple to burn incense. The priests confronted him about it and he became very angry. As with many today, he did not appreciate being reminded of what the Bible says on this topic. Verses 19-21 tell us how, as a result of this angry rebellion, God struck the once good king with leprosy.
Uzziah was filled with wrath that he, the king, should be thus rebuked. But he was not permitted to profane the sanctuary against the united protest of those in authority. While standing there, in wrathful rebellion, he was suddenly smitten with a divine judgment. Leprosy appeared on his forehead. In dismay he fled, never again to enter the temple courts. Unto the day of his death, some years later, Uzziah remained a leper—a living example of the folly of departing from a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” Neither his exalted position nor his long life of service could be pleaded as an excuse for the presumptuous sin by which he marred the closing years of his reign, and brought upon himself the judgment of Heaven. – {PK 304.2}
Common Objections
Some use Phoebe as an excuse. However, in Romans 16:1, the word for servant is the same word for deacon. It means a servant, or attendant, particularly to one who cares for the poor. The word does not mean pastor or elder. It describes the office of deacon or deaconess, those who’s calling is for practical ministry, such as providing food and clothes.
Others use Junia as their excuse. She is mentioned in Romans 16:7 as being “of note among the apostles.” However, note means “by.” She was known BY the apostles, not as one of them. In other words, she had a good reputation as far as they were concerned, much like Dorcas did as well.
Who can be a pastor or an elder?
The Bible is very clear on who God has chosen to lead our church and congregations. The apostle Paul makes it clear (as does the apostle Peter) in at least four of his letters that God has chosen men as the spiritual leaders of both the family and the church. (1 Corinthians 11, 1 Timothy 3, Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, and Titus 1, and 1 Peter 3). If men are supposed to be the spiritual leaders at home, then they are supposed to be the spiritual leaders at the church. The family is a small church.
Husbands and fathers represent Jesus in the family. Isaiah 54:5. The wives represent the church, and the church is the wife of Jesus. Jeremiah 6:2. Revelation 21. To have a godly man as the pastor of a church, and to have godly men as elders of the church, is God’s design.
To have a woman as either a pastor or an elder puts her in the position of spiritual husband of the church congregation. This is spiritual homosexuality. Major historic denominations have experienced major membership loss after they voted to have women pastors and elders.
Consider the following video by Pastor Doug Batchelor of Amazing Facts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGrzd_iJu0
1 Timothy 3:1-12 – This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Titus 1:5-9 – 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
These are very gender exclusive passages. It’s not an issue of which gender is the greatest. It is an issue of who God entrusted to lead both the families and the church at large.
Some take 1 Timothy to an extreme in order to try and prove women’s ordination. They say something like, “Are single men then excluded from being ordained?”
From Ordinationtruth.com: “The answer to your question is that the maleness of the elder/overseer is settled in the previous chapter (I Tim. 2:12-13), based on the original created order. As the apostle Paul was both unmarried and ordained (I Cor. 7), and was functioning as an overseer himself (Titus 1:5), the collective testimony of the text would certainly indicate that single men are eligible for ministerial ordination. // The “husband of one wife” qualification means that if the man in question is married, he must be monogamous. As one on our Committee has noted, the Fourth Commandment doesn’t only apply to people with children, servants, or domestic animals. It simply means that if you have these, the command applies to them as well. // When one considers the collective testimony of Scripture, including the fact of Paul’s ordination and continuing overseership despite being single, it becomes clear that the command in First Timothy 3 simply admonishes that if the man ordained to ministry is married, he must have only one wife.”
When we step outside of God’s ordained order, we are also committing blasphemy. Blasphemy – Titus 2:1-5 – But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Can Women be in Ministry? i.e., teaching, preaching, etc..
1. Judges 4 – Deborah. 2. Exodus 15 – a prophetess. 3. II Chronicles 34:22-24 – Huldah, the prophetess. 4. Luke 2:36 – Anna the prophetess. 5. Acts 18:26 – Priscilla in ministry with her husband. 5. Romans 16:1 – Phoebe a servant of the Church.
Matthew 28:19-20 is a charge to all believers, male and female to take the Gospel to the world. In connection with 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, it is a charge to take the Gospel to the world in the roles that God has assigned to us. How much more powerful would the Gospel be if we do it that way?
There are women who are especially adapted for the work of giving Bible readings, and they are very successful in presenting the Word of God in its simplicity to others. They become a great blessing in reaching mothers and their daughters. This is a sacred work, and those engaged in it should receive encouragement.—Letter 108, 1910.{Ev 469.3}
1 Timothy 2:12-13 – But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
The issue here is not women teaching in the context of Sabbath school or even being a military or hospital chaplain. The issue is again authority. Women are not permitted to exercise “authority over the man…”
How can a woman be submissive to her husband at home, then turn around and be his leader in church? It just doesn’t make sense.
In an article entitle, An Open Letter to My SDA Family, we find this: “All believers are to work for the salvation of others, but not all are to lead in this work. A question with no logical answer is begged, how can a woman “submit” herself (as it says in Ephesians 5:22 and Colossians 3:18) to her husband at home, but then as soon as they walk into church on Sabbath morning, he is to submit to her leadership? Is she not his wife at church also?”
Listen to this from the same article: “This issue is bigger than we may think, for the same hermeneutics that twist these plain texts of Scripture to ordain women as pastors and elders are the same hermeneutics that will lead us right out of the church in embracing Sunday as sacred. Please, let us not follow the example of Satan who aspired to a position higher than he was assigned by God. Please, let us not follow the example of Eve who, “like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 59). Please, let us not follow the example of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who were dissatisfied with the roles God had given them and sought the priesthood also.”
Consider what Ellen G White said about women:
“Woman should fill the position which God originally designed for her, as her husband’s equal. The world needs mothers who are mothers not merely in name but in every sense of the word. We may safely say that the distinctive duties of woman are more sacred, more holy, than those of man. Let woman realize the sacredness of her work and in the strength and fear of God take up her life mission. Let her educate her children for usefulness in this world and for a home in the better world.
“The wife and mother should not sacrifice her strength and allow her powers to lie dormant, leaning wholly upon her husband. Her individuality cannot be merged in his. She should feel that she is her husband’s equal—to stand by his side, she faithful at her post of duty and he at his. Her work in the education of her children is in every respect as elevating and ennobling as any post of duty he may be called to fill, even if it is to be the chief magistrate of the nation.” — (Adventist Home, p. 231.)
Male Headship in the Bible
From a study of the Bible from Genesis onward, we see that God has order. God has order in the family. He has order in the church. He has order in nature. God has order in Heaven. God is a God of order. That is plain to see all over the Bible. Another order that we see in the Bible is that of male headship. Again, this is not saying that men are better than women. We are not. It is saying, however, that God has given us different roles. Again, God is a God of order.
Let’s start at creation. Adam and Eve were created separately. Adam was created first. If there was to be no submission from Eve toward Adam, why wasn’t she created at the same time? Adam was created and then tasked with naming the animals that God had created. This is a role of authority. Humanity was given authority over the earth. (Genesis 1:28). In this passage God said to the man and woman, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
However, only Adam was given the authority of naming. He named the animals. When his wife was created and brought to him, he named her. (Woman, Genesis 2:23). Then he named her again after the fall. (Eve, Genesis 3:20). Eve was also created as Adam’s “help meet.” (Genesis 2:18). She was not created as his head, nor as his slave. From the Adventist Home, page 25, Ellen White says, “Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him.”
Eve was indeed Adams equal. But he was still her leader, as intimated by the order of creation, Adam’s naming task, and in the phrase, “to be loved and protected by him.” When someone is protecting you, wouldn’t you want to submit so that you are better protected?
The same woman said this, on page 211 of the same book: “The husband and father is the head of the household,” and in another book, “Every family in the home life should be a church, a beautiful symbol of the church of God in heaven.” (Child Guidance, page 480).
Again, this is not about keeping women down, but about fulfilling the roles that God has given to men and women.
Let’s look at another Bible text, from 1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-9: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God… For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.”
Men and women are to work together for the spread of the Gospel. Fathers and mothers are to work together to raise their children to love, honor, and reverence God. But we’ve been given roles to fulfill.
Male Headship in the Spirit of Prophecy
“The father is the priest and the house-band of the home. The mother is the teacher of the little ones from their babyhood, and the queen of the household. Never is she to be slighted. Never are careless, indifferent words to be spoken to her before the children. She is their teacher. In thought and word and deed the father is to reveal the religion of Christ, that his children may see plainly that he has a knowledge of what it means to be a Christian….” — (Reflecting Christ, p. 178.)
“The father is the highest priest of the family. The souls of his wife and children, as God's property, should be to him of the highest value, and he should faithfully guide the formation of their characters. The care of his children from their infancy should be his first consideration; for it is for their present and eternal good that they develop right characters. He should carefully weigh his words and actions, considering their influence, and the results they may produce.
“He who is engaged in the work of the gospel ministry must be faithful in his family life. It is as essential that as a father he should improve the talents God has given him for the purpose of making the home a symbol of the heavenly family, as that in the work of the ministry he should make use of his God-given powers to win souls for the church. As the priest in the home, and as the ambassador of Christ in the church, he should exemplify in his life the character of Christ. He must be faithful in watching for souls as one that must give an account.
“In His service there must be seen no carelessness and inattentive work. God will not serve with the sins of men who have not a clear sense of the sacred responsibility involved in accepting a position as pastor of a church. He who fails to be a faithful, discerning shepherd in the home will surely fail of being a faithful shepherd to the flock of God in the church.
“Every family is a church, over which the parents preside. The first consideration of the parents should be to work for the salvation of their children. When the father and mother as priest and teacher of the family take their position fully on the side of Christ, a good influence will be exerted in the home. And this sanctified influence will be felt in the church and will be recognized by every believer. Because of the great lack of piety and sanctification in the home, the work of God is greatly hindered. No man can bring into the church an influence that he does not exert in his home life and in his business relations….
“The angels of God, who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, will help you to make your family a model of the heavenly family. Let there be peace in the home, and there will be peace in the church. This precious experience brought into the church will be the means of creating a kindly affection one for another. Quarrels will cease. True Christian courtesy will be seen among church members. The world will take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus and have learned of Him. What an impression the church would make upon the world if all the members would live Christian lives!” — (Reflecting Christ, p. 179.)
“The primary object of our college was to afford young men an opportunity to study for the ministry and to prepare young persons of both sexes to become workers in the various branches of the cause.” — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 60.)
“Behold, amidst this scene of grandeur, the stormy petrel gliding up the face of a huge wave, darting above the foam of a breaker, or sweeping along the watery valleys as composedly and as naturally as it ever swept over the same sea in an hour of calm. Behold, too, another bird, whirling and darting above the spray with a cry of seeming despair; now flying before a monster sea, and anon struggling to keep its wet and weary wings from folding into helpless inaction.
“Tell me, lady, why this little trembler is in so pitiful a plight, while the stormy petrel gambols freely among the waves. You cannot answer. Then listen. The petrel is in its appropriate sphere. The little trembler is a land-bird, tempted, at first, by sunny weather, to wander among the islands, and driven, at last, by a strong wind to sea. He is out of his sphere; and hence his quiet has fled, his song is silenced and his life endangered. God made him for the land. The grove is his home, and his sphere is among the flowers.
“It is thus with the entire creation. Everything has its appointed sphere, within which alone it can flourish. Men and women have theirs. They are not exceptions to this truth, but examples of it. To be happy and prosperous, they must abide in them. Man is fitted for the storms of public life, and, like the petrel, can be happy amid their rudest surges. Woman is formed for the calm of home. She may venture, like the land bird, to invade the sphere of man, but she will encounter storms which she is utterly unfitted to meet; happiness will forsake her breast, her own sex will despise her, men will be unable to love her, and when she dies she will fill an unhonored grave.” — (The Health Reformer, July 1, 1873, par. 21.)
Role Distinction
The Trinity
In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” Part of the order of God’s design here on earth, as we’ve already mentioned, is that of male headship. We can see the order of headship also in the Trinity. In John 5:30, Jesus says, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
Of course, there is an objection to that. Some say that Jesus was only temporarily submissive to the Father’s will while He was on earth. But that is simply not the case. Going back to 1 Corinthians 11:3, “and the head of Christ is God.”
The very fact that there is a Father/Son relationship between God the Father and Jesus is proof of submission on the part of Jesus to God the Father. God the Father and Jesus are equal in their beings but in their roles to each other, Jesus always has been, and always will be, submissive to God the Father out of love for Him.
There had been no change in the position or authority of Christ. Lucifer's envy and misrepresentation. . . . made necessary a statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had been the same from the beginning ( Patriarchs and Prophets , p. 38).
Malachi 3:6 & Hebrews 13:8 tell us that God never changes. If Jesus has always been submissive to the Father’s will, than that means He always will be.
It is a mystery that One equal with the eternal Father should so abase Himself as to suffer the cruel death of the cross to ransom man; and it is a mystery that God so loved the world as to permit His Son to make this great sacrifice. -- The Signs of the Times, Oct. 24, 1906
The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—“ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God’s plan, but would exalt the Father’s glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.{PP 36.2}
The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.{LHU 18.3}
The Ten Commandments
No other gods – God wants to be first in our lives. We cannot be happy serving anyone but Him. God wants us to make His role in our lives paramount above all others.
No idols – Pretty much the same reason as #1.
Don’t take God’s name in vain – God is God. We are not. By not taking His name in vain, either by sinful living or using His name as a curse word, we are acknowledging our place as His subjects.
Remember the Sabbath – By keeping the Sabbath, we are acknowledging several things. One of these, is that God is Creator. Another is that Jesus is our Redeemer, and therefore, we are the sinners He came to save.
Honor your father and mother – This one points out our duty to pay respect to our parents. We all have parents that it is our duty to respect. They are our parents, we are their children.
No murder – By murdering someone else, we are claiming that we have the right to take the life of someone else: a right that belongs only to God. We are claiming a role that belongs only to God.
Don’t commit adultery – Those of us who are married, each have one spouse. My wife has been given the role of being my wife. I’ve been given the role of being her husband. If I were to commit adultery, I would basically be saying that I want someone else to be my wife, that I no longer want to be her husband. (For the record, I don’t want any woman beside my wife, just to clarify).
Don’t steal – In stealing something, we reject God as being the one who provides for us. This hearkens back to commandments One and Two, where God’s role in our lives is to be our top priority.
Don’t bear false witness – Many times we make a false accusation against someone else when we can’t read the heart. One way this is often done is by gossip. In doing this, we claim a role that belongs only to God, as only God can read the true motives.
10.Don’t covet – Same reason as number 8.
The Two Greatest Commandments
Love God – By loving God with all our hearts, we acknowledge the God is sovereign over us and that we are His servants. That Jesus is our redeemer, and we are the sinners He came to save.
Love your neighbor – By loving our neighbor, we are acknowledging that there is a specific way to treat them and there are certain roles that we have toward each other.
World Church Decision
In conclusion, let us consider what the world church has voted on this subject. The world church has voted against the ordination of women to the office of pastor/elder three times in the last 35 years. They are as follows:
The General Conference session in Indianapolis, in 1990.
The General Conference session in Utrecht, in 1995.
The General Conference session in San Antonio, in 2015.
It was also voted against in the 1880s by the church.
The modern prophet of the Lord has made some striking statements. They are as follows:
There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God. AA 163.2
But when, in a General Conference, the judgment of the brethren assembled from all parts of the field is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be stubbornly maintained, but surrendered. Never should a laborer regard as a virtue the persistent maintenance of his position of independence, contrary to the decision of the general body. 9T 260.1
