Gender Confusion is Hallmark of Woman Ordination Advocates
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

Marva Dawn, writes in the May issue of the ELCA "Lutheran," "My April column sought to unmask one type of Bible misreading concerning homosexuality. It's important to consider a second type of misreading that typically comes from the other side. Often I hear comments, such as 'Paul was wrong about slaves and women and he's wrong about homosexuals too.'"

Marva Dawn is frequently asked to speak at LCMS events and "Voices Visions" wanted her to teach at Concordia College Minnesota. She has preached in LCMS congregations such as St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor.

Even the casual reader quickly learns that rampant feminism in the ELCA fixates on women clergy and homosexuality. Both these issues spring from the same source, gender confusion.

Dawn conveniently believes that the Bible doesn't address the issue of homosexuality; therefore we just can't be sure what happened in Sodom and Gomorra etc.

Dawn believes that churches in the mid-1900's saw that texts such as Galatians 3:28 and Genesis 1:27 indicate equality between men and women thus supporting women pastors.

According to Dawn, these two passages are Biblical support for the equality of men and women and thus support woman ordination.

Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

This is the typical interpretation used by the ELCA for women clergy and also supported by those in the LCMS who suffer from the same gender confusion as Marva Dawn.

If the Bible were a lot thinner book, Dawn would have a much stronger argument. However, Gal. 3:28 is talking about those who are saved, not those who hold an office. There is no question that men and women are made in God's image in Gen. 1:27 but God also said to the woman in Genesis 3:16, "and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

If Dawn is correct about Gen. 1:27 promoting woman ordination, we would have to interpret that a woman who held the pastoral office is also ruled by her husband according to Genesis 3:16.

Paul must be talking about salvation and not the pastoral office in Gal. 3:28 or else he is contradicting himself when writes as follows:

1 Corinthians 14:34: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."

1 Timothy 2:11: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

1 Timothy 3:2: "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach"

Not only are women not to have authority over men in the church, according to God's word, a husband must have authority over his wife in the church. Therefore, if there was a married woman pastor she would have to listen to her husband in the church and he would be the real pastor.

1 Peter 3:1: "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

Ephesians 5:22: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

1 Peter 3:7: "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

Men must be pastors because Adam listened to Eve. It is part of the curse after the fall. Romans 5:12 doesn't blame Eve for the fall into sin, but Adam, because he listed to Eve. She was deceived, but Adam knew exactly what he was doing and he was waiting to see if Eve would drop dead after she took a bite. After all, he had another rib on the other side and he knew where wives came from.

Characteristic of those promoting women pastors, Dawn simply ignores the passages that disagree with her interpretation. Her scholarship is little more than propaganda.

Under the guise of defending equality between the sexes, she discriminates against the Bible.


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

May 1, 2002