BRANCHES November 2014

SOUTHWOOD
reflect
Chapell writes, “The eldership is a ruling office in the church that is
assigned to males by specific apostolic instruction, Old Testament
pattern and necessary implication of family headship.” As Chapell
observes from some of the key texts listed above, this is not, as
many have argued, simply a culturally specific instruction that has
faded with the passing of the centuries since Paul wrote under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. To the contrary, the reasoning used in
I Timothy 2, among other places, roots its basis all the way back to
God’s creational design.
As clear as the Scriptures seem to be in this regard, it is equally clear
that these directives were not given to oppress women or hinder the
use of their gifts in the Church. Examples of women prophesying and
praying in the assembly of God’s people are present in both Old and
New Testaments. Instances of instruction of God’s people as well as
working alongside church leaders like the Apostle Paul himself occur
more than once, and these are not only recorded in Scripture but also
commended and celebrated (e.g. Romans 16:2, Acts 16, Acts 18:26).
So, the Bible is clear that while men have a particular calling and
responsibility for leadership within Christ’s Church, a fully biblical
church will engage the gifts and talents of women alongside them.
When this happens, the body of Christ can function the way it is
portrayed in passages like I Corinthians 12, where each part does its
work (Ephesians 4:16) in a way that is indispensable to the functioning
of the body as a whole. As Chapell says, “for elders that would lead
congregations well (by humbly acknowledging their limitations and
respecting God’s purposes in dispensing different gifts throughout
the church), godly and wise women should be sought by sessions for
ministry advice and involvement.”
For many years Southwood has sought, albeit imperfectly, to
engage the gifts of such women in many aspects of church life and
particularly alongside the elders. Women at Southwood have taught
and co-taught Sunday School classes, chaired various committees
of the church, and counseled alongside elders in matters of church
discipline. Our Session has seen time and again our need for listening
to and laboring with our women for the sake of the whole church.
God’s design within his Church, then, mirrors the family in that men
and women complement each other in filling different roles for the
betterment of the whole. When leaders serve rather than lording
their authority over those who follow (Matthew 20:25-28), and when
congregations submit to their leaders willingly (Hebrews 13:17), there
is a beauty evident in the Church that is both counter-cultural and
innately attractive.
The Danger of Excessive Distinctions
Sometimes in an effort to guard against drift toward error or in an
effort to display one’s biblical commitment, churches will add further
distinctions on the role of women in the church that the Bible does
not prescribe. While this seems like a very safe move, it can actually
be quite dangerous. For those of us eager to hold onto the Bible’s
authority even when it runs against culture or tradition, allowing
culture or tradition to drive such a decision actually undermines our
position and can hinder the proper functioning of the body of Christ.
Chapell explains the danger this way: “Which is more wrong, to
allow what the Bible prohibits or to prohibit what the Bible allows?
The answer is that both are equally wrong because both cause man
to usurp the lawgiving role reserved for God alone. Thus, before we
prohibit anything, we must make sure that the Scriptures prohibits it.
Simply ‘playing it safe’ by maintaining unbiblical traditions that deny
rights without biblical warrant is not spiritually safe at all. We must be
sure ‘God says it’ before we impose restrictions on any member of the
body of Christ.”