Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/77

Contributor - Will Kroon

Title - What is Really The Issue With Ordination of Women?

Topic - The Church in the World

The ordination of women issue keeps coming back to us again and again. That can hardly be avoided because there are so many women entering our seminaries. They have been challenged by God's call, they have accepted that call, they have been approved and encouraged by local consistories and now they are in seminary preparing themselves to carry out their call.

Thus far our denomination has opposed the ordination of women except in the offices of elders and deacons. It has also come mighty close in approving ordination of women pastors for this issue was defeated by only one vote at one of the Classes. But what is really the unmentioned factor that determines so much of our discussions?

THE MISSING ELEMENT

For a good number of years I have closely followed the major reports prepared by various denominations who dealt with that issue. I have often wondered why denominations disapprove ordination of women while their theological reports say that there is really no valid biblical reason for opposing it. At least this is what I gathered from the reports from Roman Catholics, Christian Reformed, Reformed Lutheran and many others. On the one hand they say it is permissible to ordain but on the other hand they say that it is the wrong thing to do. Why is this so? What is the missing element?

Without restating all the biblical texts again (that are used to support or to oppose the ordination of women) we need to be aware that there are situations mentioned in the Scriptures where women were granted permission to speak, but there are also situations where their speaking was prohibited. And it is only natural that the Christians today turn to those texts they think apply to their situation. However, this has not solved the problem. There is still a missing element that is often overlooked at least not mentioned by name. The real element in our discussion that is overlooked is the biblical gift of wisdom. As you may know the wisdom literature stands at the centre of the Scriptures. Futhermore the examples of biblical wisdom are interwoven all through the Bible. Basically, Christian wisdom is a spiritual gift to apply God - given rules to a particular situation. This kind of wisdom was used by Paul to allow women to speak in one situation while he forbade them to do the same in others.

WISDOM AND GOD'S RULES

God has given us rules to live by. All these rules need to be interpreted by love and wisdom. When parents make rules for their children they apply the same rule in various ways as the child is maturing. At one time God's people received rules not to inter-marry with foreigners. Why was this rule not reinforced with Moses or in the case of Ruth? Why was it strictly reinforced after the exile? The answer is that spiritual wisdom demanded it at that time while this was not necessary in the case of Moses. Another God - given rule deals with putting to death a woman caught in adultery. Why did Christ not enforce that rule when such a woman was brought to Him? Homosexuals need to be put to death according to a biblical rule but why does no congregation in our area enforce this rule?

I firmly believe that God wants us to be his ambassadors here on earth. One of the requirements of an ambassador is to know the rules of the Power he represents. But the second requirement of an ambassador is to use wisdom to apply the rules to a given situation. When the Apostle Paul noticed that in Corinth the women were hindering the cause he represented, he used his God-given wisdom to stop them from speaking while at other situations he did not have to make that rule. Many denominations oppose the ordination of women for practical reasons. The Roman Catholic

Church is an example. She is very hesitant in dealing with this matter, for such a step will undermine her whole theological structure. In other words practical wisdom is often the real determining factor for opposing ordination of women, although she may not give this as a reason.

CONCLUSIONS

1. More attention should be given to the spiritual gift of wisdom and to the wisdom literature in our Bible. The use of this gift will help us to determine what God's will is in a certain situation.

2. Where as God gave women the spiritual gifts for service and allowed them to speak, teach, prophecy and give leadership during New Testament times the Church should oppose prohibiting the use of these gifts for all situations and all places. She should leave room for situations where wisdom permits ordination.

3. Since the New Testament gives us also examples where women were restricted in using their spiritual gifts in public worship one section of the Church must not look down on another section where it believes it is God's will to oppose ordination.

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