Thoughts about Patriarchy

 I believe God is male.

I believe Adam, the first man, had a special position of responsibility toward and representation of the rest of humanity.

I believe women are made in God's image and have equal inherent value to that of men.

I believe men and women are together called to exercise dominion together. (Two togethers in that sentence on purpose.)

I believe God gave special responsibility, authority, and representation within their family to husbands/fathers.

I believe humans are created to submit.

I believe when someone in a position of submission does not submit, it is a responsibility of the authority to work to get things in proper order, by using instruction, persuasion, prayer, example, or discipline.

I believe when someone in authority is abusing that authority, they will answer to other authorities - ultimately, God.

I believe it can be right and good for a person in a position of submission to appeal the decisions of the authority in a respectful way. And that they can lovingly express concern over the sin of an authority.

I believe God sometimes patiently endures people not submitting to His instructions. He endures authorities leading wickedly. There will be judgment. There are also consequences.

I believe it is right to disobey the commands of any authority which directly contradict the revealed commands of God (or, when hierarchies are in place, of any higher authority).

I believe it is wrong to rebel against authorities who are sinful, abusive, or less than perfect (except in the specific circumstances of specific commands contradicting those of higher authorities). I believe it is wrong for those in submission to overthrow their authority, but not wrong necessarily to pray for it.

I believe in households on a mission together, headed by the father/husband.

I believe in mutual benefits and obligations of fathers/husbands (or landowners/tenants) in the hierarchical arrangements. The works of managing, overseeing, leading, representing, arbitrating are no small work.

I believe in generally observable differences in strengths and inclinations between men and women. And I believe the different things each offers are valuable.

Good men serve by leading.

I believe fathers and mothers both have responsibilities to spend time bringing up their children.

I believe a marriage starts a new household.

I believe people were created to live in households, and independence is a tragedy.

I believe it is possible to contribute to the mission(s) of redeemed humanity without being married or having children. And not all parents or married people do a good job contributing.

I believe men and women are more than their bodies.

I believe it is a significant clue to how we should live, that we have bodies.

I believe husbands and wives owe each other sex and have authority over each other's bodies in this area.

I believe wise men will often but not always solicit the input of their wives (hopefully they were discipled to choose wise wives), without abdicating the burden of their leadership.

I believe it is not sinful for a woman to work for another family's household or industry, though this may not be ideal.

I believe a husband has the authority to nullify his wife's vow.

I believe Jesus sets a good example of headship.

I believe there are limits to the analogy between the marriage relationship and that of Christ and His Church.

I believe there are some church activities wherein the expectations for men and women are different.

I believe Paul's practice of not permitting a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man in church activities is prescriptive for Jesus' Church in all ages.

I believe hierarchy in the family preceded the Fall.

I believe God can and does gift some women as prophets, as well as men.

I believe leadership and oversight can be exercised, and obedience can be due to, authorities who are not the head. For example: mothers and church elders.

I believe the only true head of any church is Jesus.

To God be all glory. 

Exhortation in Church Gatherings

"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;"

- 1 Thessalonians 4:1

One of my friends says that he, who has been in church all his life and saved for most of it, always tries to pay attention to gospel presentations during sermons, because it is so good to be reminded of these truths, to agree with them still, that we are great sinners undeserving of our Great Savior, who is nevertheless our Redeemer, Friend, and King. 

Many of my friends, and I am often among them in this, feel that when speaking happens at church gatherings, it is rarely that satisfying, thought-provoking, insightful teaching that we long for.  We are honestly bored, and also get this puffing feeling that others might need the simple and lowly instruction offered in these messages, but we are beyond that.  I still see this in myself even though it has been some years since I realized that not all speech in church ought to be intended to teach (1 Corinthians 14:26). 

In the New Testament, it is shown that there are multiple speaking giftings to be used for building up the Church.  Among them is teaching.  But there is also prophecy, exhortation, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, tongues and their interpretation.  In Hebrews, when we are commanded not to forsake assembling together, this comes as part of an admonition to consider one another to stir up love and good works, and that when we gather, we are to “exhort one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).  Paul tells Timothy to “Preach the word! …Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching,” and also to “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”  This seems to have been a model in at least some synagogues at the time as well, that after reading from Scripture, they offered a time where those present could offer exhortations to the congregation (Acts 13:15)

John the Baptist, the great prophet, “with many other exhortations, preached to the people.”  Judas and Silas, prophets in the book of Acts, “exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words." (Acts 15:32) Prophecy, though sometimes an otherwise unknown revelation including foretelling and rebuke, is sometimes associated with timely and relevant exhortation: "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." (1 Corinthians 14:3)

When we read Paul’s letters, he often says that the congregations that are recipients of his letters have already been instructed, and do not need a repetition of the lesson.  But he still speaks to the topic.  Why?  I think it is likely that Paul was exhorting them.  Peter explicitly says, "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding [you]," (2 Peter 1:12-13)

What is exhortation?  First the Greek, parakaleo, often translated, besides “exhort”, as “comfort”, “encourage”, and “beseech”.  The English dictionary defines “exhort” this way: “strongly encourage or urge someone to do something”. 

I know for me that I need reminded.  I benefit a lot from hearing people agree that doing the right thing is worthwhile.  "[B]ut exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13) So I want to receive exhortation, not being discontent because I hoped for a stimulating teaching, but rejoicing that I am in company with people who support me in good works, good words, and good attitudes. 

Jesus exemplified this in His letters to the churches, as dictated in Revelation (chapters 2-3). Not much of it is introduction of new doctrines or ways of doing things.  He is, rather, comforting them with encouragement about what they are doing well, and pleading for them to do what they know to do. 

To God be all glory.  

Falsely So Called

Hebrews says, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled..." In the United States, our legal system calls things "marriage" that the Bible most certainly would not. But if we only looked at that one verse from Hebrews, we could believe that the thing called marriage that isn't, is "honorable". We could pull in other teachings about marriage and how great it is and what it means spiritually, and encourage people to accomplish those great things and represent those great truths by practicing the thing falsely called marriage. If this stood for a few generations, most people would forget that it is a perversion of what the Bible calls marriage.

What if there are other Christian practices that this has happened to, in the forgotten past? How do we trust that what we understand to be the biblical and Christian practices of Church gatherings, pastoring, church leadership and decision-making, the Lord's Supper, baptism, speaking in tongues, laying on of hands, ordination, etc. are the things the Bible is discussing?

Like we can with marriage, we can compare other Scriptures to our practices, right? We can ask, "Did God say anything else about these practices? Did God address what we are doing, regardless of what it is called, in positive or negative ways?"

I believe it is possible for God to reveal corrections to us* if we are humbly seeking Him, and if He wants to at the moment. It seems like sometimes He doesn't want to, and I'm not quite clear why.

I want to have respect for generations of believers who have been inviting God's discernment, and to value their conclusions. I don't see any honest way to do this without acknowledging that there have been stretches of time where Christianity (the public institution, anyway) has promoted false understandings of things, and it has taken a long time to straighten some of them out. I have to acknowledge that different parts of the Church, distanced by geography (at least) have for long periods of time held different beliefs from one another.

How much weight should we put on our own experiences? If our experiences seem to line up with a teaching, and be fruitful for the Kingdom of God, does that indicate that these understandings and practices are the things God intends?

*Who ought "us" to be, though? Is it my job, without holding a position of authority in the Church, to discern these things? For myself? For the Church? For society? Is it my job to say anything to others if I believe I have discerned that our conventional practice is wrong?

To God be all glory.