_Women In The Church_ Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice A Report of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod September 1985 Part III and Conclusion III. GUIDELINES FOR PRACTICE How does one address the wide range of practical questions that arise in dealing with the topic of women in the church today? Lutherans recognize that the "prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged" (FC Ep Rule and Norm 1). This article of faith remains true also with respect to the relationship between man and woman. God has revealed His will regarding such a relationship in His Word. To be sure, the political and social milieu of a culture influences the church and always will. Nevertheless, a specific sociological "mind- set" must never be allowed to be decisive for expressing theological judgments. At the same time, principles alone do not describe reality. Each situation combines many details in a unique way. Faithful, consistent application of Biblical principles requires that each distinctive situation be carefully assessed. We must be sure that we truly understand both the situation or problem with which we are dealing and the full range of Scriptural principles which should be brought to bear on it. This is especially true of the question of the service of women in the church. While it is impossible to deal with all the practical questions which arise in individual congregations, there are a number of inquiries which the Commission has received or which have been introduced in other contexts that can be addressed briefly in a study of this kind. The purpose of this section of the report is to suggest one approach for using the principles and theses enunciated in Part II and to illustrate that approach through succinct responses to the questions of 1) woman's ordination to the pastoral office; 2) woman suffrage; and 3) additional practical applications for situations which emerge from the contemporary life of the church. A. APPLYING SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES: AN APPROACH James Hurley has proposed three preliminary guidelines for addressing specific questions related to women in the church.[54] These suggested guidelines are by no means exhaustive, but they do provide a helpful frame of reference for approaching the pertinent issues. 1. In response to questions regarding the service of women in the church, we must first ask whether God's Word expressly permits it or whether it expressly prohibits the activity. In the foregoing study of the Pauline passages it is clear that some activities are permitted while others carry restrictions. 2. We must also ask whether an activity is consonant with the purpose of Scripture but prevented by a technicality of human definition. To what extent have cultural definitions-of "authority" or "subjection," for instance-influenced our understanding of the Biblical passages? Or conversely, does an activity which is permitted on the basis of a technicality of definition effectively undermine nevertheless, a Biblical norm? 3. The third guideline has to do with perceptions and the taking of offense (cf. 1 Corinthians 8; Romans 14; FC SD X). Is an action likely to be misunderstood or perceived in a way that it becomes a stumbling block for others? And, a perennial question in Lutheran theology at least, is this a situation in which an indifferent matter ceases to be a matter of indifference? Some practical questions about the service of women in the church may be resolved on the basis of a clear mandate of Scripture. Other questions cannot be given a specific answer but will need to be considered according to individual circumstances from the perspective of definitions and/or perceptions. Frequently, all three guidelines will be employed in seeking to determine which ecclesiastical functions are appropriate for women to perform. B. WOMEN AND THE PASTORAL OFFICE The ordination of women to the divinely instituted ministry of Word and sacraments is a question that can be addressed on the basis of the first guideline alone. For centuries Christendom hat consistently opposed the practice as contrary to the express teachings of Scripture. There are a number of issues which impinge on the question of women and the pastoral office which remain beyond the scope of the present report (e.g., the meaning of ordination itself[55]). However, the fundamental Scriptural principles (and corresponding theses) examined in this study demonstrate not only that the service of women in the pastoral office lacks Biblical foundation but, in point of fact, is expressly prohibited by the Scriptures. First, the occupation of the pastoral office by women violates the headship structure rooted in God's order of creation. Peter Brunner writes: . . . the combination of pastoral office and being woman objectively and fundamentally destroys the _kephale_- structure of the relationship between man and woman and therefore also rejects the "ordering into" and "subordination to" (_hypotage_) which is demanded by God's will. That which contradicts the spiritual and creaturely order with which God has invested being cannot be the good that God wills! God does not contradict Himself in creation and redemption. The apostolic command to silence, as we find it in 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2, cannot be explained away as the result of the peculiar theological speculation of its author; who was bound by the cultural history and special circumstances of his day. These instructions are based much more on certain hidden, but yet extraordinarily incisive, fundamental laws and commands that God Himself established. . . .[56] Second, women are not to be pastors nor perform the essential and unique functions of the pastoral office, since the pastoral office has oversight from God over the congregation, "the household of God" (1 Tim. 3:15). Properly speaking, of course, the only authority or power in the church is the Word of Christ, who is Head over all things (Eph. 1:22). However, as noted previously, there are those within the church who are entrusted with the office of the public ministry and are representatives of the Head of the church. In its 1981 report on "The Ministry" the Commission acknowledges that no specific "checklist" of functions of the office of the public ministry is provided in the Scriptures.[57] At the same time, it was pointed out that the functions of the pastoral office involve public supervision of the flock. The pastor exercises this supervision through the public proclamation of the Word and the administration of the sacraments.[58] This, in turn, suggests that there are certain specific functions which should not be carried out by the laity (who may hold auxiliary offices) but which are to be exercised by the pastor.[59] Among them are the following: 1) preaching in the services of the congregation 2) leading the formal public services of worthily 3) the public administration of the sacraments 4) the public administration of the office of the keys Since a "headship" over the congregation is exercised through these functions unique to the office of the public ministry, the functioning of women in this specific office is precluded. Just as the wife should not be the "head" of the house, so a woman should not be the "head" over the "household of God" (cf., 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 3:12). Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession states: "It is taught among us that nobody should publicly teach or preach or administer the sacraments in the church without a regular call" (_nisi rite vocatus_). Such a call is denied to women by a "command of the Lord." Although the Scriptures teach that women may not hold the pastoral office or perform its distinctive functions, the service of women to the Lord and His church in various other offices established to facilitate the proclamation of the Word has been long-standing in the history especially of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The self- denying service, gladly given by the many faithful women who have served over the years in such offices as deaconess, Christian day school teacher, and parish worker, has been of immeasurable importance. Of these coworkers, too, it must be said that they "can never be sufficiently thanked and repaid."[60] C. WOMAN SUFFRAGE Woman suffrage is an issue that must be decided largely on the basis of the second of the three guidelines noted above. One reason for this is that the matter of franchise is not discussed in the Scripture. A word which can be translated as "voting" (_cheirotoneo_-raising the hand) occurs in Acts 14:23 and 2 Cor. 8:19. However, when in the Corinthian passage the churches are described as choosing a representative to accompany Paul to Jerusalem, nothing is said about the method actually employed. In the Acts verse, the word appears to mean "appoint." No kind of franchise seems to be involved.[61] In summary, the Scriptural passages employed for guidance on this question have been those verses of 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 2 which deal with woman's subordination, woman's silence in the church, and woman's exercise of authority. As has been noted, Paul is not addressing himself here to anything like a contemporary "voters' assembly." He is giving instructions to Christians regarding the arrangement of and order in public worship.[62] Further, it has been shown that the prohibition in 1 Tim. 2:11-12 of woman's exercising authority is not a concept independent of "to teach." According to this text, the woman is prohibited from the teaching in the public worship assembly. To define "authority" simply as the power to make decisions is alien to the exegesis of the passage. There is no express Biblical ground for denying women the vote on issues which facilitate the work of the priesthood of all believers in the congregation. The definition of "suffrage" is also significant. A "democratic" society of men and women is ruled by a majority vote. However, it is not an exercise of the authority prohibited to women in the Scriptures. In fact, according to this understanding of the matter, it is actually the assembly that exercises authority as a result of suffrage, not the individual voter. Furthermore, in the church, which is ruled by love, the casting of a ballot should also have the added dimension of being an act of service. The Commission presented a study to the Denver Convention (1969) of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on the issue of woman suffrage. It states by way of conclusion: "We find nothing in Scripture which prohibits women from exercising the franchise in voters' assemblies. Those statements which direct women to keep silent in the church, and which prohibit them to teach and to exercise authority over men, we understand to mean that women ought not to hold the pastoral office."[63] Subsequent study of the matter has provided no basis for altering these conclusions. The Commission reaffirms them.[64] D. ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In applying the principles delineated above to concrete situations one must bear in mind that the New Testament presents no ceremonial law regulating the details of public worship. Also, in applying these principles, it is necessary to distinguish the one divinely instituted office of the public ministry of the Word and sacraments from all other offices which the church establishes in Christian freedom in response to various needs (Acts 6). Holy Scripture clearly excludes women from the office of the public ministry of Word and sacraments. For other offices we have no express "thus saith the Lord," and everything depends on the functions assigned to these offices. Differences in judgment can be expected here in decisions regarding the specific application of general principles. What follows, therefore, is to be understood not as "canon law" but as pastoral and collegial advice to be judged by the church in terms of its faithfulness to such clear Scripture as is relevant. 1. Should a woman participate in public worship in the capacity of reading the Scriptures for the day or in assisting with the formal liturgical service? All Christians have access to the Scriptures. They do not require the church as an institution or another person to read and interpret them on their behalf. The reading of the Scriptures belongs to the priesthood of all believers, men and women. Moreover, there is no ceremonial law in the New Testament regarding the reading of Scripture in the context of public worship. Nor is there explicit apostolic prohibition of such reading by women. Nevertheless, it is the opinion of the CTCR that the reading of the Scriptures is most properly the function of the pastoral office and should therefore not ordinarily be delegated to a lay person, woman or man. Pastors and congregations should therefore exercise great care in making decisions permitting the lay reading of the Scriptures or any other activity in the formal liturgical services which might be perceived as an assumption of the pastoral role or a disregard for the Scriptural principles concerning the service of women in the church (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:3-16; 14:33b-35). The third guideline listed above concerning the perceptions which certain actions may convey is also relevant and Should be taken into account in answering this question. 2. May a woman address a congregation on a particular subject in which she possesses an expertise (lectures or presentations on social and ethical issues, etc.) and therefore "teach" in the church? The answer to this question depends, in the first place, on the interpretation of Paul's statement in 1 Tim. 2:12 that woman may not teach. The passage does not expressly prohibit the instance envisioned in the above question. The sharing and teaching this question entails does not place the woman in the office of the pastor. She is not seeking to enforce her teaching with discipline and is not usurping the authority of any man. Paul did not forbid _all_ teaching by women. In terms of perceptions or the giving of offense, such a presentation by a guest speaker on any topic should be arranged in such a way that the impression is not given that it replaces the sermon. There are women in the church who, through their education and experience, have much to contribute on a wide range of significant concerns. They should be encouraged to serve in such capacities as gifts of God to His church. 3. Does the above response also apply to the regular adult Bible class of a congregation which includes men? Certainly there is a legitimate distinction between a special presentation to the congregation and the continued instruction offered by the adult Bible class instructor. However, there is also a distinction between "overseeing" the instruction carried on in an adult Bible class and the actual physical teaching of the class (just as there is a more general distinction between "office" and "function"). It is the responsibility of the called pastor to "oversee" the adult Bible class (as well as all of the formal educational programs of the congregation). He may, from time to time, have members of the church teach the class and such teachers could indeed be women with the gifts for such a service. Their participation would be within the bounds of the priesthood of all believers. At the same time, teaching an adult class may involve possible, but very real, confusion regarding the office of pastor for some in a congregation. No doubt the pastor would seek to allay any such misunderstanding by appropriate preparation of the class for the service of laypeople in this capacity. 4. May women hold office in a congregation, serve on committees of the congregation, chair committees of the congregation? Women may hold any office and serve on any committee of the congregation which enhances the work of the priesthood of all believers. Women also have the privilege to chair congregational committees, since a "chair" does not "have authority over men" any more than the committee _per se_ would have such authority in the New Testament sense. The only stricture would have to do with anyone whose official functions would involve public accountability for the function of the pastoral office (e.g., elders, and possibly the chairman of the congregation). The tasks of the elders in a congregation are often directly associated with the pastoral office and the public administration of the office of the keys. As stated in the introductory paragraph to this section, everything depends on the nature of functions assigned to various offices established by the church. The same general position outlined above applies to various district or synodical committees and commissions. Affairs of the church have never been assigned only to those holding the office of the public ministry. Women offer valuable contributions to the work of such committees, boards, and commissions. 5. What about the service of women in other worship contexts such as devotions conducted in the chapels of synodical colleges and other institutions? Here, especially in the tradition of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, much has to do with definition and perception. While it is clear from the Scriptures that women should not preach or lead the formal public worship services of the church, many of the church's educational institutions conduct what has been referred to as extended "family devotions" and have asked women to serve in worship leadership capacities. These "devotions" should be differentiated from the formal (and to a great extent, public) worship services. Institutions that hold public worship services under the responsibility of one who is called to be chaplain, campus pastor, dean of the chapel, etc., would seem to be out of the realm of "family devotions" in any acceptable meaning of the phrase. In such contexts, women should not preach or lead the services of worship. In those other worship opportunities which may be appropriately understood as "devotions," the chaplain or other "spiritual head" of the community should make responsible decisions regarding the service cf. women, keeping in mind all of the guidelines presented in this report. It is impossible to anticipate all of the exigencies of such situations in a general study such as that offered in this document. 6. May women serve as assistants in the distribution of the Lord's Supper? While some might argue that assisting the presiding minister in the distribution of the elements is not necessarily a distinctive function of the pastoral office, the commission strongly recommends that, to avoid confusion regarding the office of the public ministry and to avoid giving offense to the church, such assistance be limited to men.[65] 7. May young women serve in such capacities as acolytes or ushers in public worship services? Since such service does not involve the exercise of distinctive functions of the pastoral office, there should be no objection to young women serving in such capacities. Pastoral wisdom requires that those who make decisions in this area be sensitive to such considerations as the effects of change in congregational worship practices, the need for appropriate instruction regarding the principles of Christian worship, and the importance of respectful and modest behavior and attire for those young men and women who perform such acts of service. CONCLUSION In its 1977 report the synodical Task Force on Women alerted the membership of the church to the continuing need for utilizing the gifts of women in the service of the Christian community. This report stated: It is the responsibility of the individual men and women to work together as equal, redeemed Christians, putting the welfare of the Kingdom ahead of prejudices, customs, or mind-sets. Women and men must realize that each Christian has a calling and a ministry and that the service of each individual is important and valuable to the life of the church.[66] The present study has reviewed basic Biblical principles and directives which speak of women in the church today with this responsibility and concern in mind. The nature of the topic itself has drawn attention to questions of headship and subordination in the man/woman relationship as pertinent to the church's life as a worshipping and serving community. To consider these themes in this report is appropriate. Christian men and women will want to know what God's word teaches and humbly submit to His authority in such matters. However, they will be just as willing to receive the apostle's inspired teaching that "the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body" (1 Cor. 12:12 NIV). Every Christian individual possesses gifts which contribute to the function of the body, and they ought to be joyfully and thankfully received. Thus, the Christian community will affirm the unique and differing gifts of women, seeking ways to enlist them more fully in the church's life and work. But God did not call His church into being and give gifts to His people so that they would be concerned about how they might become the greatest in the Kingdom. Since the life of every Christian is to be characterized by obedience and submission on some level, any demand for "rights" and "power" is inappropriate. The Commission believes that a more precise understanding of the Biblical teaching about the service of women in the church will move further reflection on the topic to its appropriate level-how all members of the church can serve our Lord and one another within the order He has established. On this level there is no thought inferiority or superiority, of rule and domination, but only of our Savior's words: "truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:16-17) FOR FURTHER READING The Commission calls attention to the following selected reference works for background reading on the service of women in the church. Inclusion here does not imply endorsement by the Commission of the viewpoints expressed in them. Brunner, Peter. _The Ministry and the Ministry Of Women._ St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971. A study of the role of women with respect to the pastoral ministry. Brunner's conclusions are based on the headship structure mandated in the order of creation and whether in the specific office of pastor a woman can really stand in the place of Christ. Questions are included. Clark, Stephen B. _Man and Woman in Christ._ Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1980. One of the most significant studies to be published in recent years. Clark's book contains a thorough examination of the Scriptural teaching and deals with the controversial issues of application. His material on scriptural teachings will probably be more helpful than his discussion of the social roles of men and women. Evans, Mary J. _Woman in the Bible_. Downers Grove: Inter-varsity Press, 1983. An interpretation of Biblical data bearing on women in the home, in the church, and in society. The book is a good example of the most recent thinking on these topics. While it tends to support women in the office of the public ministry, readers will find the exegetical attention to specific Biblical texts helpful. Foh, Susan. _Women and the Word of God._ Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1979. This is a response to "Biblical Feminism" and its view of Scriptural authority. The specific issues of deculturization and hermeneutics are addressed. Contending that some temporary churches waste the gifts of women, the author focuses on those areas in which women may more fully participate in the life of the church. Hurley, James B. _Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective_. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981. A major study of those passages in Scripture which speak to, the role of women in the church. Hurley stresses the specific societal and historical settings of the passages but also discusses their relevance to the present. Ryrie, Charles C. _The Role of Women in the Church_ Chicago: Moody Press, 1970. A survey of the role of women in Christian history. Helpful reference book which indicates the views of Christian theologians throughout history and how the church reflected those views at various points in its past. Scanzoni, Letha and Nancy Hardesty. _All We're Meant To Be_. Waco: Word Books, 1974. A treatment by two "evangelical feminist" authors who seek to further the visibility of women in the churches by emphasizing the "revolutionary" character of Christ's ministry. Zerbst, Fritz. _The Office of Women in the Church._ St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1955. A sound treatment of the Scriptural principles regarding the role of women in the church. The book is especially helpful in examining and understanding the relationship between the orders of creation and redemption. Zerbst views the decision to ordain women as an undermining of the order of creation. _________________________________________________________________ NOTES: [1] A call for increased participation of women in the corporate life of the church led to the appointment in 1973 of the Task Force on Women (1973 Res. 2-49 and 4-47). This Task Force continued its work through 1977 and submitted to the Synod detailed reports on ways in which women may more fully participate in the life of the church. The 1977 convention adopted three recommendations of the Task Force. One of the recommendations was that the responsibility for studying the issues relating to women in the church be assigned to the CTCR (Res. 3-06). In 1981 and again in 1983 the Synod asked the CTCR to give priority to this study. In 1984 the President of the Synod appointed the Commission on Women and asked it to devote itself to six tasks: 1) review material prepared by the previous task force and evaluate the extent to which the recommendations have been implemented in the Synod; 2) gather additional data on the current involvement of women in various aspects of synodical and congregational life; 3) review current emphasis and dimensions of the women s movement in society as these affect the church; 4) consult with the CTCR and advise it as it prepares a theological study on the service of women in the church; 5) recommend appropriate service and ministry opportunities for women at all levels of church life; and 6) explore the possibility of creating a network of forums on women's activity in the church through the districts of the Synod. Although work of the Commission on Women including a Synodwide survey of the service of women has not yet been completed the CTCR has benefited from several consultations with the members of the Commission on Women. In the interest of sensitizing itself to the concerns of women in the Synod the CTCR has also shared preliminary drafts of this report with other groups and individuals of the Synod (Council of Presidents, seminary faculties, college presidents, the CTCR s Social Concerns Committee, and staff at the International Center). [2] The Commission included a discussion of male-female relationships within the context of marriage as a major part of its 1981 study on "Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective." Material from that study especially pertinent to the present report includes "Relational Purpose of Marriage" (pp. 13-17) and "Headship Within Marriage" (pp. 29-32). [3] The term for "prophetess" is used for the false prophetess Noadiah in Neh. 6:l4, and for Isaiah's wife in Isaiah 8:3. In the case of Isaiah's wife, the word likely means "the wife of a prophet." _Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible_, 1962 ed., s.v. "Prophetess." Cf. George Buchanan Gray, _A Critical and Exegetical Commentary of the Book of Isaiah_, 3d ed. (Edinburgh: T&T. Clark, 1949), p. 144. [4] Clarence Vos, _Woman in Old Testament Worship_ (Delft: Judels and Brinkman, 1968 pp. 164-67. [5] Mary J. Evans, _Woman in the Bible_ (Downers Grove: Inter- Varsity Press, 1983), p. 32. [6] See discussion on pages 10, 11. [7] This is clear not only from the negative fact that no call or commission is reported to have been given them, but from the sentence structure itself of Luke 8: l-3. Three groups are distinguished, "Jesus," "the twelve with him," and "some women." These women do not relate to Jesus and to His ministry in exactly the same way as do the Twelve. The women "served" them from "their own resources." The service of the women is explicitly that of material support. Also the plural "them" indicates that the Twelve were, with Jesus, recipients of the women's administrations. This, too, shows that they stood as a distinct group apart from the Twelve, and not in possession of the selfsame service. [8] Jesus' practice and teaching regarding women certainly differs from Rabbinic Judaism. He was not of the opinion that "there is no wisdom in women except with the distaff" (_The Talmud_, London: Soncino Press, 1938, Vol. 11, p. 311) or that a man should praise God "who hast not made me a heathen . . . A woman. . . a brutish man" (_Ibid._, Vol. 2, p. 264). However, the tendency in contemporary feminist literature to see Jesus' dealings with women as completely revolutionary is overdrawn. He went beyond the norms of Pharisaic or scribal interpretation of God's teaching that were wrong. His revolution had to do with the nature of true righteousness and of the spiritual relationship of men and women alike before God, not with the obliteration of the differentiation between man and woman. [9] Our discussion follows Stephen Clark, _Man and Woman in Christ_, (Servant Books: Ann Arbor; 1980), pp. 103-23; James Hurley, _Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective_ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), pp. 115-24; and Roger Gryson, _The Ministry of Women in the Early Church_ (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1976), pp. 3-5. [10] John refers to a woman of the church at Thyatira, Jezebel, as a prophetess (Rev. 2:20-24). Although he warns against her teachings, he does not say that a woman could not prophesy. [11] The _Didascalia Apostolorum_, written in the first half of the third century, is the earliest full source for the role of deaconess. Deaconesses performed a great variety of services in the care of women, including burial and baptism of the women, the catechizing of women, and the caring for sick women at home. However, like the deacons they were not heads of the community but served in a role auxiliary to that of the bishop and elders. [12] The term _diakonos_ can be used to refer to both men and women. The Greek definite article that occurs with the word determines the gender. [13] F. F. Bruce, _The Pauline Circle_ (Flemington Markets, New South Wales, Australia: The Paternoster Press, 1985), p. 88. [14] It is noteworthy that in Acts and Romans Priscilla is mentioned before her husband a possible indication that she was more prominent than her husband in the missionary work. F. Bruce, however, notes: "But in the secular society of the time, when one finds a wife named before her husband, the reason usually is that her social status was higher than his" (p. 45). [15] The characterization of St. Paul as an enemy of women is an unfounded prejudice. Actually, there is more evidence for his friendships with women than for Jesus'. The basis for the view that Paul was "anti-feminist" is the fact that most of the Scriptural passages speak of a differentiation between men and women are in the Pauline epistles. However, love and admiration for women is not less than that of Jesus. See Clark's discussion of the Testament approach to women in his _Man and Woman in Christ_, pp. 235-54. [16] The most pertinent passages of the New Testament concerning the positive roles women could and did perform in the primitive church have been summarized in the previous discussion. The purpose of this brief excursus is to present representative evidence reflects early Christian and patristic attitudes towards the participation of women church's worship and life, and to do this within the context of developments in heterodox and heretical Christian groups. [17] Mankind is also spoken of as created in the image of God in the broad sense; that is man and woman reflect from God a variety of attribute s such as self-consciousness, the capacity for self-transcendence, and rationality. [18] Martin Luther; _Luther's Works_, American Edition 1 (St. Louis: (Concordia Publishing House, 1958), pp. 62-63. [19] See Susan T. Foh, _Woman and the Word of Gad_ (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), pp. 51-52. [20] 1 Peter 3:7 speaks of the woman as "the weaker sex" (vessel). It is perhaps best to understand this primarily in the sense of physical weakness (cf. E. G. Selwyn, _The Epistle of St. Peter_ [London: Macmillan and Co. LTD, 1964], p. 187), though Martin Franzmann's caution is appropriate: "In common parlance this phrase has come to have a derogatory sense. But it is human male pride that made it depreciatory, not Peter. He uses it to commend woman to man's love and care. . ." Concordia Self Study Commentary (St. Louis Concordia Publishing House, 1979), p. 262. [21] Emil Brunner, _The Divine Imperative_, trans. Olive Wyan (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1947), pp. 208-33. [22] See, for example, _Luther's Works_, American Edition, vol. 13, p. 358, and vol. 41, p. 177. [23] Franz Pieper, _Christliche Dogmatik_, 3 vols. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1924), 1:629. See English edition, _Christian Dogmatics_, 4 vols. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950), 1:526. [24] Werner Elert, _Morphologie des Luthertums_, 2 vols. (Munich: C.H. Beck Publishing Co. 1953), 2:37-49. See Elert's _Das Christliche Ethos_ (Hamburg: Furche-Verlag, 1961) p. 37. [25] The peculiarly Pauline meaning of "teaching" and "exercising authority" is treated in later sections of this document. See pp. 34-37. [26] The creation of women from man's "rib" indicates the sameness of nature between man and woman. Karl Barth writes in his _Church Dogmatics_ (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1985), vol. 3, 1, p. 296: "She is not himself but something of and from himself. He is related to her as to another part or member of his own body . . . With her special existence she something which he himself ought to fulfill in this special part or member but cannot, so that it awaits fulfillment in her existence. So close is she to him." In a 1525 sermon Luther spoke of what this would mean for the faithful husband: "He should not consider her a rag on which to wipe his feet; and, indeed, she was not created from a foot but from a rib in the center of man's body, so that the man is to regard her not otherwise than his own body and flesh . . . you should . . . not love her as much as you love your own body. Nay, nay, your wife you should love as your own body . . ." Quoted in Ewald M. Plass, _This Is Luther_ (St. Concordia Publishing House, 1948), p. 257. [27] Fritz Zerbst offers the following definition in _The Office of Women in the Church_ (St. Louis Concordia Publishing House, 1955), p. 69: "_Hypotage_ means subjection, _hypotassein_: to put in subjection, and _hypotassesthai_: to subject oneself, or, in the passive, to be subjected to be under obedience. For the idealistic culture of personality this group of words connotes that which is limiting or restricting, even degrading humiliating. In its original sense, however, 'to be in subjection' means to be placed in an order,' to be under definite _tagmatta_ (arrangement of things in order, as in ranks, rows, or classes). This original sense it is which evidently and chiefly underlies the New Testament use of the term _hypotage_." The implications of this definition are explored on pages 30-32 of this report. [28] Michael F. Stitzinger, "Genesis 1-3 and the Male/Female Role Relationship," _Grace Theological Journal_ (Spring, 1981), pp. 30-33. [29] It has been argued that the word _ezer_ does not necessarily imply subordination in any way. Sixteen of the twenty-one uses of the word in the Old Testament refer to God as a superior helper to human beings. The remaining three refer to men helping other men. But _ezer_ must be seen in context. The phrase says that God created woman to be a help for man; that is to say, the purpose of her creation was to be a help to the man. There is apparently some kind of subordination indicated by the phrase. See Stitzinger, p. 31. [30] Clark, p. 28. [31] David P. Kuske, "The Order of Creation," _Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly_ (Winter, 1985), p. 31. [32] Stitzinger, p. 38. See also Susan T. Foh, "What Is the Woman's Desire?" _Westminister Theological Journal_ 37-38 (Fall 1974/Spring 1976), pp. 376-83. [33] Krister Stendahl, _The Bible and the Role of Women_ (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1966), p. 37. [34] David Tracy, "Christian Faith and Radical Equality," _Theology Today_ (January 1978), pp. 370-77. [35] Peter Brunner, _The Ministry and the Ministry of Women_ (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971). Similar to Brunner's position is that of George M. Knight in _The New Testament Teaching on the Role Relationship of Male and Female_ (Grand Rapids: Book House, 1977). [36] C.S. Lewis makes a similar point in his essay on "Priestesses in the Church?" when he writes, "The point is that unless 'equal' means 'interchangeable,' equality means nothing for the priesthood of women" (that is, for women in the pastoral office). _God in the Dock_, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970) p. 238. [37] Although it would be anachronistic to read present-day striving for equality into the words of Paul, it is obvious that a message such as his does remove the stigmata differences between Jew and Greek, slave and free, man and woman. As long as the gospel is a living power, differences in this world cannot become the basis for arrogance and oppression. [38] Martin Luther, _Luther's Works_, American Edition 30 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1967), p. 63. [39] The Formula of Concord, Article 11, notes that the relationship between male and female was created before the Fall. Sins associated with this relationship need to be redeemed, but the relationship itself, since it is created by God, does not stand in need of redemption. [40] See the 1981 report of the CTCR on "Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective," p. 256. [41] The Commission recognizes that much could be said about how the headship/subordination relationship works itself out in marriage. However, it here limits its discussion of this concept to the service of women in the church. [42] Brunner, p. 25. [43] Zerbst, p. 32. [44] Zerbst surmises that the people of Paul's day felt much more keenly than people of our day that the outward demeanor of a person is an expression of his inner life specifically of his religious convictions anal moral attitude (p. 40). [45] Leon Morris, _The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians_ (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, l958), p. 156;. See AC XXVIII, 53-56. [46] Clark makes a discerning distinction between oppressive- subordination care-subordination, and unity-subordination. The latter, summarized here, is described as a relationship that is carried on for the sake of unity or a higher cause." _Man and Woman in Christ_, pp. 39-45. [47] The term which Paul uses for "silence" in 1 Tim. 2:2, 11-12 also occurs in Acts 11:18, 21:14, and 22:24, where total silence is not implied. [48] Cf. George Stoeckhardt's discussion (originally published in 1897) in "Von dem Beruf der Lehrerinnen an christlichen Gemeindeschulen," _Concordia Theological Monthly 5_ (October1934), pp. 764-73. Stoeckhardt writes, "No, the apostle's words will hardly allow another interpretation than that he finds nothing objectionable in the public praying and prophesying in itself, if only it occurs with a covered head. But thereby he has not in the least limited or weakened what he writes in 1 Cor. 14 regarding the silence of women. Neither the praying nor the prophesying belongs to that speaking which he forbids for women directly in I Cor. 14:33-36. The women are not to teach in the assembly of the congregation. They are not to appear as teaching women, nor to instruct the men, nor to dispute publicly before and with men. This is, as we have recognized, the understanding of St. Paul in the latter passage quoted. Neither the praying nor the prophesying belongs in this category. Obviously the praying is not teaching or disputing" (p. 769). [49] Bo Giertz, "Twenty Three Theses on The Holy Scriptures, The Woman, and the Office of the Ministry," _The Springfielder_ (March 1970), p. 14. Priscilla, together with Aquila, took Apollos in and expounded (_exethento_) the way of God more accurately. Neither _didaskein_ or any other closely related word is used (Acts 18:26). [50] Hurley, pp. 200-201. [51] The role of the deception of the woman in the teaching of Paul is viewed by many as an effort to exculpate Adam from guilt and picture women as naturally more subject to deception or prone to temptation than man. Such conclusions are unwarranted. They attempt to explain on the basis of the sexes what can be explained only on the basis of the order of creation which God established. There is no intimation that woman bears the primary responsibility for the fall. The point is simply that the woman was deceived. Being deceived was her role in the fall. See Zerbst, pp. 54-56. [52] AC V and XIV speak of the "ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments" on behalf of the church. This office is distinguished from auxiliary offices, which have been created by the church to carry out certain functions of the divinely mandated office of the public ministry. See the CTCR's 1981 report on "The Ministry: Offices, Procedures, and Nomenclature," pp. 16-19. [53] An expanded discussion of the functions of the office of the public ministry follows below on pp. 41, 42. [54] Hurley. p 246. [55] "The Ministry," pp. 22-23. [56] Brunner; p. 35. Also, Zerbst, p. 121: "Whereas rule over the congregation is exercised through the proclamation of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments, the ordination of woman into this office is a practical invalidation of the proclamation concerning woman's subordination. The demands that the office be opened completely to women must be resisted, because they are essentially an attack upon the order of creation, which must be preserved." [57] "The Ministry," p. 15. [58] Ibid., pp. 13-14. As the Commission has stated in its document on "The Ministry," the office of the _public ministry_ and its functions are called "public" "not because the functions are always discharge in public, but because they are performed on behalf of the church" (p. 13). [59] In an emergency situation a congregation may request a lay leader to perform some functions of the office of the public ministry. The fact that in unusual circumstances one performs such functions does not mean that one holds the office. Luther's celebrated comment that if "no one were present . . . then a women must step up and preach to the others, otherwise not," is not a basis for saying that a woman may occupy the office of the public ministry. [60] Martin Luther; _Large Catechism_, I, 130. [61] Whether congregations establish and maintain a constitutionally organized voters' assembly is neither commanded nor forbidden by Scripture. For those congregations with a voting assembly, the words of Francis Pieper are pertinent: ". . the voting or balloting in the meetings of orthodox congregations has a different significance when it concerns Christian doctrine than when it concerns indifferent matters.) The only purpose of voting in matters or doctrine is to see whether all now understand the teaching of the divine Word and agree to it . . . In _adiaphora_ a vote is taken to ascertain what the majority regards as the best. The natural order is that in _adiaphora_ the minority yields to the majority and acquiesces, not because the majority has the right to rule, but for love's sake." Pieper, _Christian Dogmatics_, 3:430. Such votes have no ultimate authority. [62] See discussion on pp. 32, 33. [63] "Woman Suffrage in the Church," A Report of the CTCR, 1968, p. 3. [64] The historical fact that in the past the Synod restricted woman suffrage does not mean that the l969 report or the present one rests on a changed understanding of Scriptural authority or the principle of the subordination of women in the church. To a greater extent what is reflected is a changed understanding of the nature and function of the franchise as practiced in the contemporary congregation. See 1972 opinion of the CTCR on "Woman Suffrage," 1973 _Convention Workbook_, pp. 37-38. [65] Quoted from the CTCR's 1983 report on "Theology and Practice of the Lord's Supper," p. 30. [66] Report of the Task Force on Women, 1977 _Convention Workbook_, p. 54. ______________________________________________________________________ This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Mark A. French and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________________ file: /pub/resources/text/wittenberg/mosynod: women-02.txt