Searching the Scriptures - Samuel Pipim

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egard to what the community of believers thinks"--and it serves as a check on those whotend to believe that they alone are guided by the Holy Spirit."God has not passed His people by and chosen one solitary man here and another there asthe only ones worthy to be entrusted with His truth. He does not give one man new lightcontrary to the established faith of the body. In every reform men have arisen making thisclaim. . . . Let none be self-confident, as though God had given them special light abovetheir brethren. Christ is represented as dwelling in His people. Believers are representedas 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being thechief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holytemple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Godthrough the Spirit' [Eph 2:20-22]" ( Testimonies for the Church , 5:291-292).Studying the inspired Word "with all the saints" should not be understood as questioningthe value of, and even the obligation for, personal Bible study, or as suggesting thatindividuals should surrender their judgment to others. Neither is it the same as taking anopinion poll regarding a theological position and then tallying the results. Nor is it thesame as waiting until other individuals, churches, or Divisions "are ready" to adopt a"lockstep" theological position on an issue such as women's ordination. StudyingScripture "with all the saints" is none of these. Rather, it is a genuine, equal participationof church members toward a common understanding of Scripture. Evidently such acommon understanding is possible, since on the basis of Scripture, Seventh-dayAdventists have come to hold a body of beliefs--our fundamental beliefs--as reflecting atrue understanding of Scripture.By studying the Bible in partnership with other members of the church, the believerrecognizes that in the church God has entrusted different gifts to different members forthe edification of the entire body (1 Cor 12). In this context the spiritual gifts--notably,the gifts of teaching, knowledge, wisdom, and discernment of spirits--and the role oftheologians, elders and pastors (those who are "apt to teach") become particularlysignificant. In a worldwide church such as ours, these gifts are essential to our corporateunderstanding of the Bible.Furthermore, the Spirit's design that believers study His word "with all the saints"delivers us from the tyranny of being tied to our own thoughtsPage 42and our naive cultural conceits. It enables us to recognize that the Holy Spirit is not activeonly in a few regions of the world, nor at the study of only a few scholars and churchmembers, but that He is also leading other believers (experts and no-scholars, withoutregard to gender, race or social status) to a clear understanding of God's will in Hiswritten Word. It is as Christians study the Bible together and share the Word with eachother, not as solitary individuals nor as groups of individuals from particular regions ofthe world, that they are given understanding most fully.
4. The Spirit's Guidance at a Church Council. Just as there is safety and certainty "inthe multitude of counselors" (Prov 11:14; 15:22), so also in the collective decision of theworldwide church at a council meeting there is safety. The Spirit's guidance at theJerusalem Council (Acts 15) may be instructive for the Seventh-day Adventist church asit seeks a solution regarding women's ordination. [3]First, the problem confronting the apostolic church was not merely a sociological issue,shaped by culture or geography, to be resolved pragmatically by compromises andconcessions. Rather, it was a theological issue--one which concerned doctrine andpractice ("Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, youcannot be saved. . . . The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law ofMoses," vv. 1, 5 NIV). Because it was a theological issue it became a church-wide issue.Consequently, it could not be settled by each different region of the church according tothe cultural "readiness" of the various churches, nor according to the sociologicalstructures (be they "democratic" or "non-democratic") in the respective regions where thechurch had a presence.Second, to resolve the "sharp dispute and debate" occasioned by the theological issue (v.2) a council was convened, attended by delegates from the different regions of the church(vv. 2-6). Before a final decision was made, they had a free and open discussion of theissue, with theological input from both Gentile and Jewish Christians (vv. 7-12). Couldthis suggest that theological issues confronting the church must be given impartialhearing in the various publications of the church today?Third, the decision was not based on pragmatic considerations; instead, after Peter, Paul,and Barnabas called attention to God's work among Jews and Gentiles, James appealed toScripture as the basis for the theological solution (vv. 15-21). [4] We should note that headopted a harmonistic approach toward interpreting Scripture ("The words of theprophets are in agreement with this, as it is written" [v. 15]). In other words, the solutionwas based on a sound exegesis (interpretation) of the available scriptural passages thathad a bearing on the issue. The apostolic church appears to have recognized anunderlying harmony in the inspired writings of the Old Testament.Fourth, the scriptural solution to the theological problem not only resulted in unity andharmony between the Jewish and Gentile Christians (vv. 22-35,Page 43they were "with one accord" [v. 25 KJV]), but it also met the approval of the Holy Spirit("It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. . ." [v. 28 NIV]). Their decision wasapproved by the Holy Spirit because it was in harmony with His expressed will asrevealed and recorded in inspired Scripture.Finally, the theological decision they made at that council was not to be accepted orrejected according to the needs or circumstances of the different churches. The council'sprohibitions were binding on all the churches: they are said to be "necessary," not
Page 1 and 2: Searching the ScripturesWomen's Ord
Page 3 and 4: the U.S.A., Canada, and Europe. His
Page 5 and 6: Author's PrefaceThe Berean believer
Page 7 and 8: in truth. This is why the Christian
Page 9 and 10: Samuel Koranteng-PipimBerrien Sprin
Page 11 and 12: husband (see Matt 1:16; John 4:16;
Page 13 and 14: ministry, women may be ordained to
Page 15 and 16: 20:21 RSV), He was mandating them t
Page 17 and 18: The Importance of Ordination. What
Page 19 and 20: the hand," or "elect" or "appoint."
Page 21 and 22: Chapter 3 - Crucial Issues forWomen
Page 23 and 24: The issue of women's ordination is,
Page 25 and 26: women to do a certain kind of teach
Page 27 and 28: The woman is to understand that "th
Page 29 and 30: The book of 1 Peter brings all the
Page 31 and 32: Chapter 4 - Biblical Authority andI
Page 33 and 34: 3. Scripture, Its Own Interpreter.
Page 35: Through prayer one acknowledges dep
Page 39 and 40: [4] The four categories of requirem
Page 41 and 42: elationship for which men and women
Page 43 and 44: Eve with the suggestion that she co
Page 45 and 46: home and church. In other words, th
Page 47 and 48: them fill. By faithfully doing thei
Page 49 and 50: Page 54'firstborn,' it never entere
Page 51 and 52: Examples and Teaching," in John Pip
Page 53 and 54: for the corresponding term presbute
Page 55 and 56: Gnosticism, witchcraft, worship of
Page 57 and 58: practice. It is also worth noting t
Page 59 and 60: Furthermore, to suggest that Paul's
Page 61 and 62: the Bible is not silent on the issu
Page 63 and 64: support to the idea that we may und
Page 65 and 66: myself also," the Greek term prosta
Page 67 and 68: Feminists within Christianity who m
Page 69 and 70: e subject to them in everything. Bu
Page 71 and 72: esponsibility for the restlessness
Page 73 and 74: or pastor is not a limitation upon
Page 75 and 76: These noble examples of unique lead
Page 77 and 78: Richard M. Davidson, "The Authority
Page 79 and 80: [13] For a discussion of the phrase
Page 81 and 82: Holy Spirit's leading of women who
Page 83 and 84: female as an apostle. It explains w
Page 85 and 86: Of the many lines of ministry, wome
Page 87 and 88:
truth but also because He has calle
Page 89 and 90:
Worship was exciting. Lay speakers
Page 91 and 92:
himself]--and so had nothing to be
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