a response to John MacArthur
I didn't want to write this blog. I have been scared of the conflict that surrounds this topic. Issues such as Women in Ministry seem to be discussions that spark hatred towards one another, which is deeply saddening. With that being said, there are many people around me that have been angered, confused, and hurt by the comments made by John MacArthur last week. I am so glad that people are beginning to take their stance on the issue because this discussion has been avoided by Christian leaders for far too long. It's time to talk about it. It's time to let go of the fear. This is my response.
I first heard the audio recording of MacArthur's comments about Beth Moore while scrolling through Facebook. I listened to the highly influential leader joke around with the panel and ramble off destructive comments about Beth Moore and women in leadership within the Church. As emotions of anger and frustration rose within me, I couldn't help but think of all of the women that are currently dedicating their lives to preaching the Gospel, and also the women that have dreams of working in ministry. To be frank, the comments by MacArthur were disgusting and belittling. Beth Moore deserves an apology. Women deserve an apology. However, there is more to this discussion than merely venting about MacArthur's arrogance. It's time that every Christian dives into what the Bible actually says about the issue. It's time people know WHY they believe what they believe.
I used to hold complementarian beliefs (the belief that men and women have different roles in the church, indicating that women should not teach over men). A lot of close friends of mine thought I was a complete jerk and a radical sexist for believing this. I didn't mean any harm by my beliefs; I felt that I simply believed what the Bible said. After all, the Bible seems to be pretty clear on the issue at first glance. Passages like 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 literally say that women are to be silent within worship services, and they should not exercise authority over men. I wasn't afraid to accept these words at face value because I just wanted to believe the Truth. I wanted to accept the Truth of the Word, no matter if it was politically correct. I still have that same heart. Now, I hold more egalitarian beliefs (the belief that women are empowered to preach, teach, prophecy, and lead at the same capacity and in the same positions as men). What's funny is that the people that called me a jerk and a sexist for being a complementarian didn't change my mind; they just hurt my feelings. It was actually the Bible that changed my mind. A few months ago, I spent several hours studying the context of Corinth and their church during the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, and I spent several hours studying the context of Ephesus and their church during the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy. I also studied the earliest Greek manuscripts of both passages that discussed gender roles in the Church. Then, I took a deep look into the life of Deborah in the Old Testament, and I considered Paul's empowerment and high regard for Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junias throughout his ministry. It turns out that this discussion is much more complicated than it seems. Paul was probably more progressive than people like MacArthur give him credit for. I'm not going to write out my exegetical discoveries of these passages, just because there are people much smarter than me that have already done that (look up guys like Craig Keener and Nijay Gupta if you want incredible commentaries on these passages). After a careful and open-minded study, I can say that I believe that women are empowered, worthy, and called to lead in the Church. Am I 100% certain that my interpretation of scripture is correct? No. And I think that is okay. My encouragement for anyone who is reading this is to simply do some deep biblical study on these tough passages and come to a conclusion for yourself. It's important to know why you believe what you believe. It's also important to realize that there are some mysteries in the Bible that no one will know with absolute certainty.
Here is my strongest take on this issue: if you think that you are 1000% certain that your opinion is correct on this particular issue, and you believe there is absolutely no argument for another reasonable interpretation, then you simply haven't done sound research. Open-minded study on the contextual implications of Pauline passages like 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 will force you to question both sides of the argument. The life of Deborah should lead you to ask questions. The life of Priscilla should lead you to ask questions. The significance of women in Jesus' ministry should lead you to ask questions. Furthermore, if you hold such a strong opinion on this subject that you begin to disregard or demean the reasoning of those who disagree with you, there may be some underlying issues of arrogance in your heart. The reality is, there are only a few things in scripture that every Christian should be 100% on the same page about. These closed-handed beliefs include: the death and resurrection of Christ, the Bible is inspired by God, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, there is only one true God, salvation is through Christ alone, etc. To be completely frank, Women in Ministry is NOT a closed-handed, undisputed issue. There are questions that we can have ideas and opinions about, but there is so much pride in saying that you are 100% correct without any room for being wrong. If you have held one belief your entire life, and never considered the other's interpretations, you should consider the validity of the other side. Obviously, it's not arrogant or wrong to have an opinion about a subject. Opinions are inevitable. However, if you hold a belief on an open-handed issue in which you refuse to consider the validity of another opinion based on scripture, there is a heart issue that needs to be dealt with between you and Jesus. Believe me, I'm speaking through personal experience. If you were to ask me about this issue or an issue like predestination two years ago, I would boldly and arrogantly proclaim my interpretive and intellectual accuracy. The more I read the Bible, I realize how little I know about the Bible.
“Whether you are egalitarian or complementarian, you can only be about 80% sure you are right.”
- Tish Harrison Warren
My prayer is that the Church would wake up and realize that every true follower of Christ genuinely wants to believe the truth, no matter the interpretation. People love to be correct. We love our own opinions. The more we love our own thoughts, we slowly lose our ability to think about the validity of other people's thoughts. We think we are smart and we often lack humility. My problem with John MacArthur is not the fact that he doesn't believe women belong in leadership in ministry, even though I strongly disagree with his interpretation of scripture. My problem with MacArthur was his demeaning, hateful, and destructive presentation of his opinion. My problem with MacArthur is that he fails to see and understand that Beth Moore is absolutely in love with Jesus, and is doing her best to serve and obey her Father faithfully. MacArthur did what so many of us do. He failed to assume the best about his sister. He not only bashed his sister, but he bashed the Bride. We have to do better.
Beth Moore, thank you for pouring your heart and soul into your ministry. Thank you for loving the people in front of you so well. Thank you for preaching the Word with passion and sincerity. Thank you for being a role model and a fantastic leader to so many men and women. The Church needs you.
John MacArthur, I pray that you can see and understand why your comments were so hurtful to so many of your Sisters in Christ. I also pray that the Holy Spirit would prompt and lead those that have been hurt to forgive you radically. I forgive you.
To the woman who is wrestling with your God-given purpose and calling:
The Lord has qualified you
The Lord has equipped you
The Lord has empowered you
The Lord has filled you with his active and strong Spirit
The Lord deeply desires to use you
Lastly, I firmly believe that God can use you to preach, teach, prophecy, evangelize, and be an apostle of Jesus Christ
There is no longer man nor woman. We are One in Christ Jesus.
