As we approach the General ConIerence Session this summer.

the subiect oI ordination oI

women has once again become a hot topic in Adventist circles as it appears that the subiect will
once again be on the agenda.
The Adventist Church has chosen at least twice in the past to not ordain their women pastors - Ior
good cause. not Ior good reason. Much oI the impetus has been the women`s liberation
movement that was prominent in North America. especially during the 80s and 90s. As a church
which has claimed to take the Bible as our rule oI belieI and practice. this was not a good basis
Ior change. Because we did not take the time to thoroughly and careIully study the subiect Irom
Scripture. God. I believe. kept the change Irom occurring in our church. But. because it was
reiected in the past Ior good cause. does not mean that it should not be adopted. Ior the right
reasons. should we take the time to do our homework in the Bible and show good Biblical basis
Ior doing so.
In this short paper. I have no interest in countering the sociological and biological arguments
which are oIten given Ior opposing the ordination oI women. Those who would claim things like
the intellectual inIeriority oI women and hormones and gender determined inability to lead and
minister do much more damage to their own credibility and the veracity oI their arguments than I
could ever hope to accomplish.
I would like to look careIully at what the Bible teaches on the subiect and oIIer my reasons why I
believe God would be in Iavor oI ordaining women iI we would iust be open enough to his
leading to give him a vote at the upcoming General ConIerence Session.
A Basic Biblical Paradigm for Understanding
When God called Abram out oI Ur oI the Chaldees and led him to Canaan and promised him that
he would be the Iather oI a huge number oI nations. he wasn't iust reIerring to the Jews and all oI
the Arab nations. We begin to discover the extent oI this Iatherhood when we come to Mt.
Sinai with the Israelites aIter their 400 year captivity in Egypt. God's intention Ior Israel was that
they would become 'God`s own possession among all peoples . . . a holy nation. a kingdom oI
priests." (Exodus 19:5-6) God told Moses to speak these words to all 'oI the children oI Israel.¨
One either has to argue that God was only intending the males to be considered 'the children oI
Israel. and that his intent was that only the males in Israel would be his own possession and part
oI his holy nation or you must accept that both males and Iemales were to be a holy nation and a
kingdom oI priests.
God carried Israel out oI Egypt on eagles wings (Exodus 19:4) Ior a purpose. He didn't set Israel
aside as special because they were better than anyone else; neither were they to serve iust
themselves; but they were to be his means oI taking the Good News oI the Kingdom oI Light to
the rest oI the world. Every Israelite. rich and poor. prominent and hardly known. male and
Iemale. servant and Ireeman was to be actively involved in the priestly ministry oI taking the
Gospel to the nations.
In Exodus and Leviticus we discover the tribe oI Levi set aside. perpetually. to be trainers
constantly preparing each new generation to minister eIIectively. God designed that every
Israelite would be spoken oI as "ministers oI our God" (Isaiah 61:6) and that they would bring
those Irom all nations and tongues who accepted citizenship in the Kingdom oI Light and that
they too would be chosen and trained to be priests and Levites. (Isaiah 66:18-21) It was to be an
ever widening circle oI people called to relationship with God. trained in ministry. and sent out
to tell others. The Gospel. to use Jesus' words in Matthew 28:18-22 "was to go to the whole
world - to every nation. tribe. tongue and people" until the whole world knew about and his love
Ior humanity. The day would come. God desired. that "every pot in Jerusalem and Judah would
be sacred to the Lord oI Hosts" and that anyone coming to Jerusalem to sacriIice could "choose
any pot in the country and use it to make his sacriIices." (Zechariah 14:20-21)
UnIortunately. Israel began to imagine that they were chosen because they were somebody; that
they were somehow better than everyone else and that their value lay in their specialness to God
rather than in God's ability to use them. Instead oI becoming a nation oI priests taking the Gospel
to the world. they became exclusive and hoarded the Good News to themselves. The Levite
males. who had indeed been chosen by God Ior the special task oI leading the rest oI the people.
men and women alike. into ministry became clannish and cliquey. The males in Israel began
to imagine that they were more privileged than the women and instead oI leading them into
intimate relationship with God and ministry and honoring them as equals. they subiugated them
and relegated them to secondary position in the spiritual liIe oI the community and nation.
When the New Testament Church was driven out oI Judaism aIter Pentecost. God once again
tried to restore his dream Ior his people.
Jesus. when he was here on earth picked 12 males as the Iirst servant leaders oI his church.
Those who would argue that Jesus only called males would be correct. But. he chose them not
because they were the only ones qualiIied by God. but because they were the only ones culturally
acceptable to lead his people Irom a narrow. mistaken view oI God`s will to what he had
designed Ior his people.
Peter. one oI his inner circle. understood God`s intent Ior their leadership when he tells us that
Jesus told them that his Iollowers were: 'a chosen race. a royal priesthood. a holy nation. God's
own people. that you may declare the wonderIul deeds oI him who called you out oI darkness
into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had
not received mercy but now you have received mercy.¨ 1 Peter 2:9-10
One cannot pick through this passage and apply some attributes to both men and women - a
chosen race. a holy nation. God`s own people who are called to declare God`s wonderIul deeds.
God`s people who have received mercy - and iust one to men. Again. one either has to say that
only men are a chosen race. a holy nation. a royal priesthood and God`s own people who have
received mercy. or one is Iorced to acknowledge that it applies to both genders.
It is even clearer earlier in the chapter where Peter says. 'Come to him. to that living stone.
reiected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves
built into a spiritual house. to be a holy priesthood. to oIIer spiritual sacriIices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.¨ 1 Peter 2:4-6
Again. either the call to come to Jesus as one oI his chosen and precious ones and to allow him to
build us into a spiritual house so that we can oIIer spiritual sacriIices acceptable to God through
Jesus as holy priests all apply only to men. or they all apply to both men and women.
The great New Testament theologian. Paul. was one oI the most gender progressive people in
New Testament times. At a time when women. iI they made it through the door oI the synagogue
at all. were Iorced to sit in a separate part oI the building behind a screen in silence. he
encouraged women to sit with their husbands in the main part oI the room. (1 Corinthians 14:33-
35) He did encourage them to remain silent while they were in the building and to not push Ior
leadership so that they did not 'upset the apple cart¨and destroy his eIIorts to lead people to
where God wished them to be.
His clearest statement on the subiect oI the spiritual equality oI men and women is Iound in
Galatians 3:27-29 - For as many oI you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is
neither Jew nor Greek. there is neither slave nor Iree. there is neither male nor Iemale; Ior you are
all one in Christ Jesus. And iI you are Christ's. then you are Abraham's oIIspring. heirs according
to promise.
John. in the Revelation. picks up on this theme in two places when he writes: 'To him who loves
us and has Ireed us Irom our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom. priests to his God and
Father. to him be glory and dominion Ior ever and ever. Amen. Behold. he is coming with the
clouds. and every eye will see him. every one who pierced him; and all tribes oI the earth will
wail on account oI him. Even so. Amen.¨ Rev 1:5-7
Again in Revelation 5:9-10 he writes. "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals. Ior
thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men Ior God Irom every tribe and tongue and
people and nation. and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God. and they shall reign on
earth."
As in the previous verses. either Jesus Ireed only males Irom their sins by ransoming them Irom
everywhere on earth by his blood and made them a kingdom. priests to his God and Iather
destined to reign on earth. or it applies to all no matter their gender.
Once again. rather than using their position as servant leaders to lead all oI God`s people into
their priestly ministry (called during the ReIormation the 'priesthood oI all believers¨). the male
leadership oI the church instead took the opportunity to make priestly ministry an exclusively
male domain and to use it to exercise that power to subiugate women.
In the process. one oI the most basic New Testament selI-understandings was lost and God and
his church on earth misrepresented.
Now. that we have laid a basic theological baseline Ior the Bible`s purpose Ior both men and
women in ministry. what about those texts that seem to state or imply something diIIerent?
An Examination of Some of the Most Prominent Arguments Against the Ordination of
Women
Recently a nationally known television personality in Adventist circles spoke at some length on
this subiect in a public Iorum. His remarks were televised. have traveled Iar and wide on the
internet. and have reopened discussion oI this important subiect.
It would be very easy to view his remarks as nothing more than an emotional polemic designed to
galvanize his base to support his particular position at the upcoming meetings and to dismiss
them out oI hand. His arguments. though. bear careIul and thoughtIul scrutiny because they are
the maior arguments put Iorth by the Jewish spiritual and national leadership in Old Testament
times and by the New Testament Church`s leadership in the dark and middle ages and even today
when it is argued that women should not be ordained to gospel ministry.
One thing we do not wish to do is to 'muzzle Paul!¨ At the same time. we need to use good
hermeneutics as we seek to determine iust what he meant in certain places and instances. As
Peter said so eloquently. ' . . . our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom
given him. speaking . . . as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to
understand . . .¨ 2 Peter 3:15-16
Using the conservative Historical-grammatical method. it is Iair to try to determine what oI
Paul`s statements are personal and cultural and what are based on sound theology. Even when he
is talking about clearly held belieIs we need to ask which are his opinion and which are a clear
'thus says the Lord.¨
The statements most oIten used to combat the notion oI ordaining women are as Iollows:
Colossians 3:18-20 - Wives. be subiect to your husbands. as is Iitting in the Lord.
This passage sounds pretty clear-cut. In the Iamily. wives are to subiect themselves to
their husbands. In the original Greek it is even clearer - wives obey your husbands!
What those who like this verse rarely do is to quote the parallel passage in Ephesians
5:21-33 where Paul says. 'Be subiect to one another out oI reverence Ior Christ.¨
Ephesians 5:21 (In Iairness. the speaker reIerred to above did. albeit very much out oI
context.) The identical word is used in both passages. Paul goes on to describe what he
intends in Ephesians 5:33 when he says that each one should love his wiIe as he does
himselI and the wiIe should respect her husband. The meaning oI the subiection Paul
admonishes wives to have Ior their husband is not blind obedience. but respect. Men are
challenged to give up themselves (their pride. power and desire to control) Ior their wives
as Jesus gave up himselI Ior the church. Love always gives up it`s desire to dominate and
serves. Paul clariIies his meaning when he says that husbands are to spiritually lead their
wives to God by giving up themselves and becoming servants in love to lead them to a
relationship with God.
This is Iar Irom the power and pride oI position that evidences many who wish to use this
passage to exert their predominance over women.
1 Corinthians 11:1-16 - Be imitators oI me. as I am oI Christ. I commend you because you
remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you. But
I want you to understand that the head oI every man is Christ. the head oI a woman is her
husband. and the head oI Christ is God. Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered
dishonors his head. but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors
her head - it is the same as iI her head were shaven. For iI a woman will not veil herselI. then she
should cut oII her hair; but iI it is disgraceIul Ior a woman to be shorn or shaven. let her wear a
veil. For a man ought not to cover his head. since he is the image and glory oI God; but woman
is the glory oI man. (For man was not made Irom woman. but woman Irom man. Neither was
man created Ior woman. but woman Ior man.) That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her
head. because oI the angels. (Nevertheless. in the Lord woman is not independent oI man nor
man oI woman; Ior as woman was made Irom man. so man is now born oI woman. And all
things are Irom God.) Judge Ior yourselves; is it proper Ior a woman to pray to God with her
head uncovered? Does not nature itselI teach you that Ior a man to wear long hair is degrading to
him. but iI a woman has long hair. it is her pride? For her hair is given to her Ior a covering. II
any one is disposed to be contentious. we recognize no other practice. nor do the churches oI
God.
This passage. using sound hermeneutics. must be considered as a whole.
First oI all. Paul says that what he has delivered to them on this subiect is part oI. literally.
the Jewish traditionary laws (Greek - 'paradosis¨) that Paul was still keeping at the time.
( a giving over which is done by word oI mouth or in writing. i.e.. tradition by instruction.
narrative. precept. etc.. again. oI the body oI precepts. which in the opinion oI the later
Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to
subsequent generations. which precepts. both illustrating and expanding the written law.
as they did. were to be obeyed with equal reverence. Note: Thayers Greek Lexicon)
Paul is laying no claim in this passage that his ideas are Irom God. but were Jewish
tradition handed down in their culture.
Next. we must realize that Paul`s issue in this passage is hair - the hair oI the Christian.
Anything he says about the relationship between men and women is by way oI illustration
- based on tradition and Paul`s opinion based on those traditions.
AIter stating his opinion that the head oI every woman is her husband. he goes on to state
that any woman who prays or prophesies without her head covered. might as well have
her head shaved. In Iact. he goes on to say that iI she is not going to wear a veil she
might as well shave her head.
Most in today`s world. even very conservative circles. would say that what Paul says here
about hair was cultural. based on his times. and not normative Ior the Christian. It is
thereIore disingenuous to make his aside illustrations a standard Ior ordination.
Titus 2:2-6 - Bid the older men be temperate. serious. sensible. sound in Iaith. in love. and in
steadIastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior. not to be slanderers or
slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good. and so train the young women to love their
husbands and children. to be sensible. chaste. domestic. kind. and submissive to their husbands.
that the word oI God may not be discredited. Likewise urge the younger men to control
themselves.
First oI all. it should be obvious Irom this passage that the issue is not whether women
should or should not be ordained. Rather Paul is admonishing all concerned to live lives
that will not discredit God or the church in the eyes oI the world. In a culture where men
ruled the women that were their legal chattel. Paul is concerned that women not use their
Ireedom as Iollowers oI Jesus to bring discredit on the church - so they should be
respectIul oI their husbands.
1 Peter 3:1-6 - Likewise you wives. be submissive to your husbands. so that some. though they
do not obey the word. may be won without a word by the behavior oI their wives. when they see
your reverent and chaste behavior. Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding oI hair.
decoration oI gold. and wearing oI Iine clothing. but let it be the hidden person oI the heart with
the imperishable iewel oI a gentle and quiet spirit. which in God's sight is very precious. So once
the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their
husbands. as Sarah obeyed Abraham. calling him lord. And you are now her children iI you do
right and let nothing terriIy you.
Even a careless reading reveals that this passage is not about ordination oI women or even
the place oI women in the larger scheme oI things. It is about winning souls Ior Jesus.
Peter is writing to women whose husbands were not Christ Iollowers and he suggests that
maybe through their respectIul behavior they can win them to Jesus. It is a voluntary
submission or respect to someone who is not a Iollower oI God Ior a purpose. not because
God or even the church demands it. Sarah chose to relate to Abraham and to win him to a
relationship with God. Peter says. and so can you too iI you are willing. (This is an
interesting insight into who originally. way back in Ur oI the Chaldees Iirst became
acquainted with God in Abraham`s Iamily. Sarahs` choice to respect Abraham won him
to God iust like any other wiIe has the opportunity to win her unbelieving husband.) To
take this passage out oI context Ior any other purpose is a very careless approach to the
study oI scripture.
1 Timothy 2:11-15 - Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to
teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was Iormed Iirst. then Eve;
and Adam was not deceived. but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet
woman will be saved through bearing children. iI she continues in Iaith and love and holiness.
with modesty.
This passage may be one oI the most rationalized passages in all oI scripture. Most
commentators dance through these texts like Fred Astaire. Let`s iust let Paul say what he
says and ask ourselves iI this is what the larger context oI the rest oI the Bible teaches or
iI this is another oI those hard to understand Pauline sayings that were based on his
opinion.
Gentlemen who might be reading this passage. Here is your assignment. Go in and tell
your wiIe that the only way she can be saved is by having plenty oI babies Ior you. Oh.
and tell her that she has to learn obediently in total silence and never teach anything to
any man. Eve and all her Iemale descendants are the source oI all the bad that has
happened in this world so this is her lot in liIe and she should get used to it! It is God`s
will.
You can`t take one part oI this passage very literally when it comes to womankind and
rationalize away the rest. It is all or nothing and most careIul students oI the Bible would
not wish to take this passage in it`s entirety too literally as God`s ideas.
Many sincere. well meaning Christians down through the centuries have used the Bible to iustiIy
their desire to be the boss. The strongest human drive is the drive to control others. It is
convenient to be able to Iind a Bible verse that iustiIies it. UnIortunately. the Bible when a
person iust reads it with an open mind does not teach that women should not be ordained. On the
contrary. it was God`s original intent that his people restore the equality that was in the Garden oI
Eden beIore the Fall. He set in place leaders who he hoped would make it happen. but who
instead chose to use their position to subiugate women and to rationalize their actions and
attitudes using God`s Word.
Maybe it`s time we Iinished the work God gave his Church and honor the Iemale side. the heart.
oI the priesthood oI all believers.
The Practical Issues of Ordination in 2010
First oI all. a matter oI hermeneutics. Those who wish to take a very literal view oI many oI the
passages they cite in opposition to the ordination oI women paint themselves into some very
interesting corners.
II you are going to take the Bible as literally as they wish. then you have to take it all that
literally. I have noted a number oI women who hold strongly to the no-ordination-Ior-women
position in church and they do not have their heads covered and oIten I notice there hair has been
cut. (1 Corinthians 11:10. 13-15) Also. in a number oI churches where the leadership have very
strong Ieelings on this issue. one can hear women ask questions in Sabbath School classes or in
the aisles oI the church. read the Mission Story. oIIer prayer and call Ior the oIIering - all oI
which are proscribed by Paul the Apostle. (1 Corinthians 14:33-36; 1 Timothy 2:12) In my
short liIe I have observed a number oI very conservatively dressed women at some oI our selI-
supporting institutions with braided hair. (1 Timothy 2:9)
In most cases oI which I am aware. all oI these instances have been rationalized away as
pertaining to the culture oI Paul`s day or iust as expressions oI Paul`s personal opinion. Yet.
when it comes to other issues. iust as plainly spoken in Paul`s writings. when it is in the best
interests oI the speaker then they become hard theological Iacts that must be obeyed or we are
compromising. One cannot have the argument both ways.
A number oI years ago. the Adventist Church Iaced a diIIicult conundrum. The Church had a
two-tiered system oI setting aside individuals Ior pastoral ministry. A person went through a
period when they were 'licensed (eventually called commissioned).¨ sort oI a time oI
proIessional probation. then when they were iudged to be ready. were 'ordained.¨ The church
claimed the same tax privileges Ior each oI them. The IRS ruled that iI individuals were entitled
to the same tax beneIits. they had to be allowed to perIorm the same duties. In short order.
commissioned or licensed pastors were allowed by the church to perIorm anything an ordained
person was.
This created a second awkward situation. We had commissioned women in many areas oI
church service clear back to the late 1800s. Suddenly. by IRS ruling. these commissioned
employees were qualiIied to do anything ordained ministers could do.
This created the theological equivalent oI the Keystone Cops as church administrators scrambled
to Iigure out what to do and those on the Iundamentalist side oI Adventism sprang to Iind some
way oI holding on to their two-tier - male and Iemale - distinctions in the church. Soon we were
leIt in a position that made a mockery oI ordination Ior everyone involved. As a very well
known speaker said very accurately. recently. 'They call it commissioned but it`s really the same
thing as being ordained as pastors. You can call it commissioned but in every other way it`s the
same as ordination with all the rights. privileges. It`s like Abraham Lincoln used to say. You
can call a dog`s tail a leg. but it`s still a tail.¨ They are 'the same thing. And in every other way -
their authority. they`re baptizing. they`re leading out in communion services. they`re IulIilling all
the sacred oIIices . . . '
Nowadays. because oI the widely and IorceIully held diversity oI opinion on the subiect. the
Church has continued to 'ordain¨ men to ministry and to 'commission women.¨ Both
commissioned and ordained individuals can IulIill the same responsibilities. perIorm
the same Iunctions. lead and direct the same activities. programs and departments and
take advantage oI the same tax and employee beneIits. The semantic hairsplitting that leads to the
distinction between the two diIIerent classiIications is demeaning to both genders; it degrades the
whole idea oI ordination; and it creates an artiIicial distinction. not based on scripture.
At some point we will either have to say that the ordination oI Iemale clergy is truly a moral issue
and reIuse to bow to government pressure and penalize all oI our commissioned individuals by
not allowing them the legitimate tax advantages our ordained clergy enioy. or we should realize
that the issue is primarily a cultural one and set aside our personal preiudices and vote to ordain
women.
Another issue that we need to come to terms with is whether it is possible to maintain a
monolithic system oI belieIs on all things large and small in a world church. At some point we
need to decide what the basics are that deIine a Seventh-day Adventist and what oI our Iaith and
practice is cultural or based on principal or tradition or iust plain methodology - how we have
always done things.
There are parts oI the world where ordaining women may never be practical - culturally it will
probably always be anathema. There are other areas where the maiority oI the church may
consider it culturally and theologically acceptable - where the maiority Ieel that there is
legitimate reason to ordain women. II it is one oI those basic areas that deIine who we are. then
we should not budge and compromise. II on the other hand it is not. then we should be willing to
allow others to see things diIIerently than we do and not attempt to impose our will on them. As
Augustine said. 'In essentials unity. in non-essentials diversity. in all things love.¨