Where Have All The Men Gone?
As Ive been looking at various Christian news websites Ive been noticing more and more reports of controversies concerning women ministers, gay ministers and even lesbian ministers. As far as I'm concerned theres no point in even discussing homosexual ministers, its only rank unbelievers in the church that would even be debating something so wicked and unbiblical. But the idea of women in the ministry seems to be creeping in to even the more "conservative" churches and ministries on a large scale lately.
My wife and I were visiting a small, fairly conservative church (so I thought anyhow) not to long ago when the pastor dismissed Paul's prohibition of women teachers as something historically peculiar to the Corinthian church as the women there were being boisterous and unruly. Another church we visited several times had women leading all the music and congregational singing. I have been to countless Christian functions where women have lead the men in prayer. My children attended a function at another church in which they had women youth group leaders and nearly every church I have ever attended has had women running the Sunday school program or doing most of the teaching in it.
When it comes to homeschooling it is usually initiated by the mother, I cant even count how many times men have told me "Yeah, we homeschool. My wife wanted to try it." How many men are there who are teaching their children anything at all, let alone the basic truths of Scripture?
Where have all the men gone? Why aren't men leading these things? Isn't the Bible clear that men are supposed to be the leaders, both spiritually and otherwise?
When God created the human race He made man (Adam) first, gave him a calling and then gave him a wife to share in and help him in that calling (Gen. 2), Adam was to be lovingly leading his wife and family in the commission God had given him. When Paul prohibits women from teaching or exercising authority over men he brings it back to creation: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." -1 Tim. 2:11-15
This is no cultural or historically peculiar thing, it was woven into the very fabric of our creation.
Other passages, such as 1 Cor. 14:34-35 and Titus 2:3-5 are clear; men are to be leaders. But it seems that men have dis-engaged themselves from this God given role. But what would happen if the President or Congress disengaged themselves from their roles? (I know, we might be better off if some of them did so, but thats beside the point) Or how about the police force or military? Utter chaos would ensue, wouldn't it?
Isn't this exactly what we are seeing in our churches, families and society today? Men have disengaged themselves from their God given role of biblical leadership for years and now we are reaping the consequences; chaos in our churches and families that has now worked its way into almost every facet of society. And since men will not lead like men aught to be leading others are stepping up to the plate.
Labels: Fatherhood, Manhood
posted by jkb @ 7:17 AM
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