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Opening HiswordDavid McKibbenThe meaning of lawThe word "law" tends to have negativeconnotations in the minds of people. Itis often associated with restrictions onbehaviour, condemnation and a sense offear and uncertainty. Even in Christiancircles the concept of law, specifically themoral law or the Ten Commandments,is often regarded in a negative light assomething at odds with the Gospel.What different meanings does the wordlaw have in the Bible?- It can be used to describe a generalprinciple. Read Romans 8:1, 2. There aregeneral laws that operate in both thenatural and spiritual realms eg. the law ofgravity, the law of sowing and reaping.- The word is used in reference to theceremonial law. Read Hebrews 8:4,10:1and Ephesians 2:14, 15. This law coversthe various sacrifices, rituals and festivalswhich were ultimately fulfilled in Christ.- It refers to the civil law. Read Exodus21:1 and Leviticus 18:1-5. In this instancelaw refers to the various statutes andjudgements that were established to applythe principles of the Ten Commandmentsto everyday life and the order of society.A comprehensive list of these laws andregulations is found in Exodus 21:2–23:13and Leviticus 18:6–19:37.- The word sometimes refers to the firstfive books of the Bible which were writtenby Moses. Read Luke 24:44 and Galatians4:21-23.- The most popular use of the word is inconnection with the moral law or the TenCommandments. Read Romans 7:7-12, 14and James 2:8-12.In his commentary on Galatians 3:19-22,which contains a complex argument ofPaul regarding the law, the late Scottishtheologian William Barclay made theastonishing statement that there arealmost 300 different interpretations of thisdifficult passage! That statement aloneshows the importance of considering thecontext of each instance when the wordlaw is used so that we can understand itcorrectly.Pastor David McKibben is senior pastor ofParramatta and Guildford churches.12 June 29, 2013 • record.net.auComfortable chaosOPINIONSara ThompsonA few months ago, news of the Boston Marathon bombings spreadaround the world, particularly as images from the fateful event filled ourscreens and tugged at our hearts. But our lives go on as usual.It isn’t the first tragedy we’ve seen. Death from natural disasters, masskillings and wars has become an accepted part of life in the 21st century.But what about the loss of life that doesn’t make it to the news bulletins?What about the hundreds who die of starvation, from lack of clean water,from abuse and from human trafficking every day? I know, we’ve heardthese tales of woe before, but that doesn’t make them any less real.Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that life isn’t meant to be like this.Of course, you say. One day Jesus will return and make it all better. Butas we go on as usual, the idea of “one day” fades into the distance andwe settle back into our antediluvian lives. We’ve accepted a chaotic, tragicworld as normal. We’ve forgotten it isn’t our home.Sometimes I find myself viewing God as an aloof authority Figure ratherthan an intimate and loving heavenly Father who is so deeply involved inour lives. Death is not a statistic to Him; everything that happens in thisworld makes an impact on God. He’s mourning the loss of His children— notjust the ones in Western countries, the ones who have names and faces—but those who suffer, seemingly forgotten, out of our view.If He knows when a sparrow falls, then how much grief must He experiencewhen His own children cause each other so much pain? How muchmust He be longing to return and end this suffering?Tragedy is a part of life, but it shouldn’t be.Sara Thompson is a Bachelor of Arts (communication) student at Avondale College of HigherEducation.OPinion poll RESULTVisit to answer our polls or check results.What is your favouritespace to create solitudeand connection to God?Nature45% Turn offdigitaldevicesA quietroom14%Driving12%29%
FEATUREShould the Churchordain women?This piece is part of a series providing varying perspectives on the parameters of ordination.While people are currently asking,“Should the Adventist Church ordainwomen?”, the Church itself is addressinga broader question, namely, “Should theChurch ordain anyone at all and if so, should it ordainwomen?” Assuming the results of this study mean thepresent practice of ordination is continued, consistencywould compel me to say that since the Adventist Churchis ordaining men it should ordain women too and for allthe same reasons. However, the question really deserves amore considered response than this with a look at some ofthe evidence available to us.To begin with, the church is a New Testament phenomenonthat came into being through the descent of the HolySpirit at Pentecost and continues to find its raison d’etrein the presence and activity of that same Spirit. The Spiritproduces fruit (Galatians 5:22) in the lives of all believerswithout distinction and gives spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians12:1-11 cf. Romans 12:6-8) to many to exercise for theedification and growth of the church. Though these twoactions of the Spirit provide the means whereby the churchis able to exist and function, gender is not mentioned as afactor in either of them (for a more accurate rendering ofthese references in the Greek text see the NNIV).Paul’s body parts illustration (1 Corinthians 12:12-31 cf.Romans 12:4, 5) is another case in point. He uses a humanbody model that is gender neutral to describe the variousfacets of the church and to declare their usefulness to thewhole. This is in harmony with his teaching that universalsalvation means, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neitherslave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are allone in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).The Bible avoids the limitation of belonging only to aspecific time or location in what it teaches. Rather, it majorson principles that are always applicable anywhere. It isits tendency to deal with motives and attitudes that makesScripture timeless and universally relevant.So what does this mean for male and female roles? Arethey also subject to biblical prescription?While attitudes and motives are directed by Scripture,gender roles are normally defined by the customs andculture of a given society. As such they are subject tovariation and modification as the values, knowledge andopportunities of people change over time and from groupto group. So based on custom and culture we have differentways of living and relating. These may or may notconflict with Bible principle or the teachings of the Gospel.When they do conflict the New Testament has more thanone way of dealing with them. Sometimes the answer is tocompromise for the sake of the Gospel as Paul did in faceof the practice of slavery, while the abolitionists of the 19thcentury fought against it in the name of Christ. At othertimes the answer is to confront it as Paul did in the case ofcertain unacceptable behaviours during worship on the partof some women (1 Timothy 2:11-15), while he endorsedthe worship practices of other women who preached andprayed appropriately in the congregation (1 Corinthians11:5).For the rest we can say that where culturally conditionedpractices cause no impediment to the progress ofthe Gospel they can be practised at will by believers. Thisincludes the way people eat, dress, work, relax, relate,manage their homes and run their churches.Why should the Church ordain women? It would seemto me that this question cannot be answered by a onesize-fits-allpolicy. On the basis of New Testament teachingand practice and on the expectations of custom andculture in some parts of the world, the Church should beginto ordain women immediately. This would go a long waytowards stopping the damage being done to the progressof the Gospel by failing to do so. In other parts of the worldit may be a folly to ordain women because it might harmthe progress of the Gospel to do so. Based on its intimateknowledge and understanding of its own part of the worldit would be wise for each union to make its own decisionas to whether or not to ordain women and leave the restof the unions making up the worldwide Church to do thesame.Carole Ferch-Johnson served, until recently, as the Australian Union Conference'sassociate ministerial secretary for the support of female pastors.record.net.au • June 29, 2013 13
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Page 4 and 5: EDITORIALStorming the BastilleJames
Page 6 and 7: NEWS IN BRIEFButt outThe United Nat
Page 8 and 9: MY CHURCHCoursesNow Available:Youth
Page 10: FLASHPOINTOrdination: Pastor Leo Wr
Page 17 and 18: FEATUREhe describes in his autobiog
Page 20 and 21: Record rewindLester DevineFirst mis
Page 22 and 23: NOTICE BOARDhis children, Zakary, J
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