October 23 - Women’s Liberation

 Read today’s texts first: Job 13,14; Acts 17,18

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

You shouldn’t text while you drive
and you shouldn’t prooftext while you preach. 

Poor Job not only has to deal with his personal loss and pain, he now has to endure the attacks of his so-called friends.  Fortunately he has enough sense to dismiss their words: “will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for Him” (13:7).

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar prove that it is possible to take Scripture out of context, misapply it, and in doing so, misrepresent God.  In my Acts readings I noticed a theme in Paul’s ministry that becomes distorted by those who later misapply some of his teachings. We now know you shouldn’t text while you drive; may I suggest you also shouldn’t prooftext while you preach.

Paul addresses two issues in the churches of Corinth and Ephesus that required the silencing of disruptive women.  In Corinth they were disturbing the church services; in Ephesus they were relaying false teachings (1 Corinthians 14:34,35; 1 Timothy 2:11-15).  Some have taught from these two passages that women should be restricted from positions of church leadership.  However, assuming the integrity and consistency of the author is a basic rule of hermeneutics.  Paul would not teach something that is contradictory to his own practice.

We see in our Acts readings today that Paul evangelized the way Jesus did.  He discovered that women often responded to the gospel first (17:4,12,34) and they sometimes helped him plant churches and disciple other believers  (18:26).  Priscilla at first was named after her husband Aquila (18:2) but soon she was listed first (Romans 16:3,4), apparently because she became such an effective teacher and church leader, ironically in both Corinth and Ephesus.

From a day when women were marginalized up to today when the pendulum has swung too far the other way, we need to rediscover the balanced view of God’s Word.  We must not misrepresent the Holy Spirit who empowers boys and girls, men and women, for shared ministry and leadership (Acts 2:17,18).  “Lord, whenever I consider what’s next for me in ministry, help me to remember what might be next for my wife in ministry as well!”