Searching the Scriptures - Samuel Pipim

authority, at whatever level, is for the express purpose of accomplishing the redemptivework of Christ in the lives of church members. It is intended to promote the spiritualgood of the people; its end is salvation. [2]In addition to church authority's being for the "edification" of the church, Paul added thatit is "not for tearing you down." This second expression is a most emphatic protestagainst the abuse of church authority. Whenever elders or ministers exercise authority ina domineering, despotic, coercive, or dictatorial manner so that they frustrate the savingministry of Christ in His church, their actions constitute a usurpation of Christ's authority.The Issue At Hand. The issue which now confronts us regarding the ordination ofwomen is this: Who is qualified to exercise the authority of the ministerial office?Specifically, may women be ordained as elders and pastors? Does the church haveauthority to authorize the ordination of women to the office of elder or pastor? Thesequestions call for searching the Sciptures to understand the nature and purpose ofordination.Ordination to the Gospel MinistryThe New Testament teaches that the act of ordination, as such, does not confer anyspecial grace or holiness upon the one ordained. Ordination does not bestow some specialmagical powers of the Holy Spirit; neither does it confer upon the elder or pastor somespecial character which sets the person apart as a "priest." Before Paul's ordination, healready possessed the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17; 13:3). The same can be said ofthe seven deacons (Acts 6:3-6; cf. 1 Tim 4:14). Though Christ is the true High Priest(Heb 4:15; 7:24-25; 8:1), all believers in Him constitute a "holy priesthood," a "royalpriesthood," and are called to be "kings and priests unto God" (1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6).Thus ordination, per se, does not make anyone spiritual, holy or Spirit-filled. Why then isordination necessary?The Necessity of Ordination. The New Testament attaches special importance toordination. Paul wrote that the reason he left Titus in Crete was that Titus might "set inorder the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city" (Titus 1:5). Again inAsia Minor, Paul and Barnabas "ordained them elders in every church" (Acts 14:23).Evidently elders were to be ordained in all the New Testament churches. Writing to themany churches that were "scattered abroad," the apostle James urged the sick to "call forthe elders of the church" (James 1:1; 5:14). In his letter to "the strangers [convertedGentiles] scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," theapostle Peter wrote, "The elders which are among you I exhort" (1 Pet 1:1; 5:1).Page 22Apparently ordination of ministers was essential to the existence of the church. Thoughministers were to be ordained in every church and city, their ordination was to be donewith great caution and discretion. Paul counseled Timothy, himself an ordained minister,to "lay hands suddenly on no man" (1 Tim 5:22).