February 11, 2001

Monica,

I want to share some thoughts about finding truth in the truth. One thing I am leading up to here is that you might have to wrestle with the topic of a woman teaching men.

The Bible is the word of God. In fact, in a very real sense, the Bible is Jesus. [John 1:1-14] Yet, that word is presented through earthen vessels. God deliberately permitted a lot of human input mixed with the divine revelation. I believe God made an elaborate screen in his word so that we would have to depend on the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth even in the Bible.

For examples, most of Job is the words of four would-be counselors, talking out of their own understanding. They definitely are not speaking God's thoughts for Job. In fact, God has Job pray for the three that are supposed to have been his friends. The fourth counselor was a young fellow who thought he knew everything. We are not even told how God deals with that one. The point is you cannot make doctrine from every word out of those "counselors" mouths in the book of Job.

Likewise, Solomon says many wonderful truths straight from God and then comes off with statements such as to say everything is meaningless. Obviously everything is not meaningless to God.

When you read the Psalms, you can get bogged down with David’s moaning about revenge on his enemies and cursing his enemies. Then Jesus comes along and says to forgive and bless your enemies.

The final example I want to use is Paul. Much of the New Testament was written through him. There is profound truth--I believe the truth in the Pauline epistles even goes beyond Paul’s understanding of what he wrote. However, there is a lot of Paul in there also. For instance, he tells all young Christian woman to marry and they must not be unequally yoked (i.e. marry a Christian man). Then he advises all Christian men to stay single. If everyone took his advise, the numbers would not work out very well.

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

But not so fast, Paul said I do not permit. He doesn’t say God does not permit. This is one pastor writing a letter to another pastor, giving him personal advise. Does that mean ignore it and let woman teach men? Well, there needs to be caution here. Adam was not deceived by the devil even though he was in the garden longer than Eve was. Adam sinned knowingly after his helper was deceived. But it is not a blanket command that no woman should ever be permitted to teach any men. God is God; if he calls a woman to teach, she should teach.

How do we rightly divide the word then? It’s the same theme. We have to be guided in the present tense by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said,

John 16:13-15 (NIV)

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

I have recently been enjoying the teaching of Gloria Copeland and Joyce Meyers. I couldn’t do that in the past. I could not submit my mind to the teaching of a woman.

Well, Woman, God bless you as you continue to grow in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in fellowship with God.

Love,

Dad