With Women Ordination, Are we opposing God?

J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the US, calls Sabbleback Church recent ordination of women “disappointing.”

Greear urges his denomination to “stand on the bedrock of God’s Word — whether the issue is the role of pastor or any other issue.”

Women ordination in the SBC is prohibited, based on the denomination’s reading of Scripture. Popular Bible teacher Beth Moore left the denomination, citing the denomination’s limitations on the role of women in ministry as one of the reasons.

Saddleback Church ordains its first three female pastors: Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty, and Katie Edwards, on Thursday, May 6, 2021. This even though their denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, restricts the pastorate to men. (source)

With Saddleback’s recent ordination of three women at a Thursday night service, for the SBC–“Houston, we have a problem!”

On his website, Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is calling on his denomination to take a firm stance on the issue of the ordination of women.

“The Southern Baptist Convention must not be unclear about our theological convictions and the ground of our cooperation. We cannot afford to be. Attempts to deny the issue will not work. Right now, Southern Baptists will decide if we will redefine the doctrine of the Southern Baptist Convention. I do not believe that Southern Baptists will allow this to happen. I do not believe that Southern Baptists will retreat from the truth. (source)

If the prohibition of the ordination of women is against the denomination’s theological beliefs and conviction, then, yes, a stance must and should be taken, to sustain its identity (see the denomination’s Baptist Faith & Message, Article VI) .

Owen Strachan, a theology professor at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, goes so far as saying,

“Churches that affirm women pastors are opposing the Word of God, and opposing the Word of God means opposing God himself.”

Mr. Strachan is certainly entitled to his own opinions and convictions, but to say that the ordination of women as pastors is opposing God himself is to charge denominations and local churches, who affirm the practice of women ordination, as opposing God himself.

This is quite a charge!

Mr. Strachan and his denomination need to know that they do not have the final say on how to read God’s Word on the matter of the ordination of women.

Are we talking about opposing the doctrine of the Trinity here?

Memorial Day 2021: Honoring the Fallen

Here in the US, on Monday, May 31, 2021, is Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in fulfilling their military duties, to guarantee our freedoms and protect our national interests.

Yes, freedom is not free.

And as we remember and honor the fallen, we would be remiss if we did not reflect on the ultimate sacrifice paid to guarantee and seal our freedom.

“For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).

Forgiveness

“To err is human, to forgive is divine,” from a poem by English poet Alexander Pope.

To forgive is to release. It’s freedom.

Human beings sin.

It’s a fallen human being condition.

We sin. We have. And we will continue to do so.

To truly forgive–to release others from the hurt and pain they have caused by their sin, their infraction–is truly divine.

Forgiveness is external.

When truly experienced, forgiveness is a sweet thing, a beautiful thing.

It’s liberating.

Let’s model forgiveness.

Resurrection Power

“¹⁸ I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people. ¹⁹ And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength ²⁰ God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world.” -Ephesians 1:18-20 NCV