A gracEmail subscriber asks, "What does Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 when he says that women are to keep silent in the church?" * * * The passage you mention is only one of several specific "sit-down-and-shut-up" commands found in the same chapter. The chapter is part of an epistle addressed to a volatile group of Middle Easterners known for their unruly assemblies, whether "secular" (Acts 19:29-41) or "sacred" (1 Cor. 14). Three times within a few verses, Paul issues a restraining order of "Silence!" First, to the disorderly tongue-speaker who lacks an interpreter (v. 28), second, … [Read more...]
WOMEN PASTORS
A subscriber in the Southwest U.S. asks whether biblically a church should ordain women as pastors (or elders). Reverent scholarship is not all of one mind on this topic. Some scholars conclude that Paul denies women leadership position in the church, a decision which they believe to be binding in all times and places (1 Tim. 2:8-15). The Apostles were all men, they note, and every mention of elders, bishops or pastors in the New Testament is masculine. These scholars acknowledge that men and women are equal before God, that males and females are joint-heirs together of salvation, that they … [Read more...]
MUST WIVES ‘SUBMIT’ TO HUSBANDS?
"You made some comment that sounded like you might adopt the politically correct line these days," writes a subscriber. "Have you forsaken the biblical truth that women should submit to their husbands?" * * * If I was ever politically correct, I assure you it was an accident. As Christians, we "march to a different drummer," and it is not the beat of the latest worldly fad. As for whether wives ought to be submissive, why should they be exempt from what is clearly a general Christian command for every believer -- regardless of gender, age or station in the world? The word … [Read more...]
‘VEILS’ IN 1 CORINTHIANS 11:2-16
Someone asks, "I am currently studying 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and its command that women remain veiled at public worship but that men appear unveiled. Do you have any thoughts on that?" When I was growing up in North Alabama in the 1950's, many preachers in Churches of Christ taught that this text required the sisters to wear a "covering" on their head whenever they went to "church." If asked why, they would explain that it was a symbol of their submission to men, or at least to their husband (if they had one). Considerable study through the years since has led me to conclude that Paul's … [Read more...]
SHE FEELS THE CALL
A Christian sister writes: "I attend a United Methodist Church. We have raised our children and are now empty nesters. I continue to feel God's call to professional ministry. Why do I feel the call if it does not mean I am supposed to pursue it? I thank God for that call and hope to fulfill it as the Lord wishes. My gifts seem to always revolve around exhortation. My pastor is extremely busy as our church is growing dramatically and he doesn't have time for any personal mentoring. Any practical suggestions?" * * * I commend you for wanting to serve God with the gifts he has given to you. It … [Read more...]
LIFE’S SUMMATION
Those born since about 1960 will likely think it strange, but I frequently find myself browsing through the obituaries these days while reading the morning newspaper. That can take a while in my town, where the Houston Chronicle sometimes devotes three or four pages to this section. There are several reasons for my interest, none of them morbid in the least. I was born in 1944 and find it fascinating that half the people listed on any given day were my age or younger when they died. I am also curious to see if I know anyone listed. That doesn't happen often in a city this size but it does … [Read more...]
PASSING REMARKS
I normally don't read all of the daily newspaper but the obituaries fascinate me. The word "obituary" is the English-language version of the Latin word obituarius and means simply a report of death (obitus). This final earthly report provides grieving loved ones an opportunity to commemorate the deceased person and to state something they consider significant about his or her life. Obituaries also reveal how we look at death, from many fascinating angles. People might describe the loved one's transition from this life differently in various parts of the country or world, but these are some of … [Read more...]
CREMATION
A gracEmail reader in Atlanta asks whether cremation is inconsistent with any biblical or Christian principle. * * * Throughout recorded history, human beings have generally disposed of the physical remains of their dead either by burying them or by burning them. If oxidized by fire, corpses turn to ashes. If decomposed in the ground, they return to dust of the earth. Ancient Abraham acknowledged this common end of the earthly journey when he said, "I am but dust and ashes" (Gen. 18:27). Cremation, while not altogether unknown among the ancient Jews or the earliest Christians (1 Sam. … [Read more...]
SUICIDE
A gracEmail reader in Florida writes, "I've heard it said that a genuine Christian would never commit suicide and that it is a sin which God does not forgive. Any thoughts?" * * * Scripture tells us that God is the author of life, that each human life is precious, and that humans are not to kill each other in anger, for vengeance or for other personal reasons. Although I know of no biblical passage which says that suicide is a sin, it is undoubtedly a horrible tragedy and a source of horrendous grief to God. In the Bible, the unforgivable sin is not suicide but the persistent, intentional … [Read more...]
ONE OF GOD’S ‘LITTLE ONES’
He was one of God's "little ones," I would think. Self-conscious and timid to a fault, James could hardly bring himself to talk face to face. When he did, it was with utmost deference. But what a worker -- and in some of the most tedious, demanding, and low-paying jobs in the law firm. First as file clerk for litigation, responsible for accurately organizing and filing a daily flood of paper. Then as detail man for case closings, ear glued to telephone much of the day, verifying medical bills, case costs and other necessary minutiae. Rarely absent, never tardy, scarcely taking a break, he … [Read more...]
