The Clerical Collar: Wearing What Pertains to a Man

In today's culture wars, Deuteronomy 22:5 gets quoted often: "A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." Or, for my use here, the King James Version: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." I prefer the KJV here because there is far more that pertains to a man than mere clothing.

One thing that pertains to a man is God's calling to exercise authority in the church (and in the home, but that isn't my subject here): "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve" (I Timothy 2:12-13, see also 3:2 and Titus 1:6). Here it is stated negatively, not what should be done by a man, but what must not be done by a woman. In fact, leadership by women is described as a curse: "My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths" (Isaiah 3:12).

We know from the case of Deborah, for example, that there are times when a woman will be in leadership (Judges, chapters 4 and 5). But such a case is not normative. Rather, it exposes that a society is so degenerate that no men are qualified to lead. Notice what a wimp Deborah's general, Barak, is: "If you will go with me, then I will go [i. e., into battle with the Canaanite King Jabin, verse 2], but if you will not go with me, then I will not go" (Judges 4:8). Here the general of Israel's army, presumably its greatest military leader, is so timid that he will not go into battle unless this woman holds his hand the whole time! is it any wonder, then, that there are no men to lead Israel in her time of need? 

It can certainly be said that America is suffering from a lack of men capable of leadership. One often hears speakers lamenting the "feminization of men." I do not believe, however, that we are approaching the circumstances of Israel in Judges 4. Therefore, Deuteronomy 22:5 is still in force, and female clergy are wearing what pertains to men.

Ellen White and the Biblical View of Women's Ordination

In I Timothy 2:11-12, the Apostle Paul leaves this instruction for the church: "Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." In the light of that text, I have a question for Seventh-Day Adventists: On what grounds do you overturn this biblical requirement by giving such prominence to the teachings of Ellen White?

"Progressive" Female Clergy Campaign for Sacrifices to Moloch

A Protest in Support of Planned Parenthood

I am horrified by the recent revelation of several of these stories. I have already written about Episcopal clergy and liberal Presbyterian and United Church of Christ clergy who are campaigning for the right to exterminate unborn children, as described in the Old Testament. Abortion is a modern version of Moloch worship, a prosperity rite, in which people sacrificed their own children by fire. Yet here is another such story, adding United Methodist clergy. These clergypersons are carrying signs claiming to be "pro-faith," and so they are, but not the Christian faith; they represent the lowest form of paganism, child sacrifice!

Note that the clergy mentioned here are female, using, not biblical justifications (because there can be none), but vague gushings of "love" and "reproductive rights," while calling abortion opponents "radical religious right" who "attack women." Perhaps no one has ever told them that the majority of aborted babies is female. Abortion is not just an attack on women, but a massacre of them. Where is the love in that?

Planned Parenthood was founded by the infamous Margaret Sanger, a well-known advocate of eugenics for the improving of the human race. How was abortion designed to improve the race? By exterminating blacks, Southerners, the poor, and Christians. This is the "love" that these clergy are promoting. And when they talk about "reproductive rights," they really mean privileges for rich, "progressive" whites, like themselves. The poor and minorities are the targets of Planned Parenthood, not the beneficiaries.

The Judgeship of Deborah and Male Headship

"As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them."        - Isaiah 3:12 ASV

In Judges, chapter 4, we have the story of Deborah, the only female judge of Israel. In verse 4, she is described as a prophetess and judge, so she is both the political and religious leader of Israel (though I assume there was still a high priest). Believing as I do that both of these offices are parts of God's calling for men, not women (I Timothy 2:12), I was pondering this evening what the significance is of her holding these offices.

Note further in Judges 4:7, where she has delivered God's commandment to Barak, the chief general of Israel, to go out to battle against the oppressors of Israel. His response in the next verse is telling: "If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go." It is as if he said that he needs her to hold his hand, so he won't be afraid of the bogeyman. Deborah bluntly tells him in verse 9 that the glory for the victory will go to a woman. Even Sisera, the enemy general, turns out to be a wimp. Verse 20 reads, "And he said to her, 'Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'" He sends a woman out to guard him as he sleeps!

I think that we have here a disparaging view of the spiritual condition of Israel. Her men had been so feminized and spiritually-castrated that there was no man for God to call into leadership (humanly-speaking; I certainly would never say that God cannot graciously raise a man above his natural ability). Do we not see that condition developing in our own country? I see more and more female preachers on TV. My home state has a female governor. Our federal secretary of state is a woman. The previous speaker of the US House was a woman. Will we soon see our own Deborah?

I Timothy 2:11-14, The Bible versus Women Preachers

"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet [i.e., in church]. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor."

I have written before on the ordination of women. To put it briefly, I'm against it! And it's not an issue of the ability or worth of women in general, or of any particular woman, but rather a matter of God's social order. He calls, empowers, and gifts men to proclaim His word (see especially I Timothy 3 and Titus 1).

In the Saturday edition, my local paper, the Charlotte Observer, prints a special religion section, a common practice among daily papers. Yesterday, they printed an article (now no longer online) borrowed from their sister paper in Raleigh regarding the Rev. Sheryl Brady, pastor (but not "spiritual head", an indecipherable distinction) of The River, a predominately-black Pentecostal church in Raleigh, denomination unspecified. Her husband, Joby, is "bishop" of the congregation, but not pastor, also an indecipherable distinction.

Recently, the Rev. Ms. Brady has become a Youtube sensation, with a video of her performing a healing of a brain-damaged infant, who is now described, not as healed, but as "more responsive." Ms. Brady is described as a former singer on T. D. Jakes TV program, and now sporting a "shouting" preaching style.

The Scriptures do not leave us to give honor to just anyone who impresses us, whether by spirited shouting, singing (good or bad), or by making babies more responsive. Rather, we are commanded to "test everything" (I Thessalonians 5:21), and, more specifically, "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God," (I John 4:1), that is, against God's standards in the Bible. Since the Spirit will never call someone to do something that is forbidden in scripture, I deny that it is that Spirit who empowers Ms. Brady's ministry. The spirit behind Ms. Brady's ministry fails the test of Scripture. To my mind, that leaves only one other possible spirit giving power to her (see Revelation 13:2).

Revelation and the Ordination of Women

"I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols."
-Revelation 2:20

In its proper and most common sense, a prophet isn't someone who tells the future, but rather simply proclaims the Word of God. Under the New Testament, that means a preacher, proclaiming the Word of God and teaching the church. As the Head of His body, the Church (Eph. 5:23), Jesus didn't leave His sheep without shepherds. Rather, He established government within the church, according to which (Eph. 4:11-12), "...He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ..."

One of the requirements our Head laid out for a teacher is in I Timothy 2:11-12, "Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." So, not sexism, not patriarchy, not tradition, not the Pope, but the divine Head of the Church, has determined that a woman is not to teach in His Church. Notice how exactly the actions of Jezebel in Revelation 2:18-29 are the opposite of the expectations in I Timothy. Therefore, He has a controversy with this Jezebel (probably not her real name, but rather an analogy with the original Jezebel of I Kings 16:29ff) for usurping a place that isn't properly hers. This rebel in the pulpit leads her people to spiritual adultery (perhaps with the literal kind as a consequence), and Jesus holds the sinful toleration of her against the church of Thyatira. He warns of the judgment that will fall, not just on Jezebel, but on those who approve her ministry (verse 22). Think of the Christian Scientists, founded by Mary Baker Eddy, and the Seventh-Day Adventists, founded by Ellen White. Not every heretical group is founded by a woman, of course, but every church founded by a woman is heretical. "You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7:16).

While the controversy of Jesus is with the female pastors, notice His anger at those that tolerate them. He doesn't offer to allow the excuse of political correctness. He doesn't pat anyone on the back for modernity. He doesn't say that social pressure makes it OK. He judges them for rebelling against His government in the church.