Biblical
&
Feminism
I really struggle to understand my own convictions of scripture on the role women can play in the church! This is my first attempt at describing just a small part of this vast, complicated and very controversial topic.
Let me go on from the vein of the statement I made in my last post, arising from 1 Peter 3 (vs. 1-6, which says:)
In that previous post I wrote/said,
Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
In that previous post I wrote/said,
My interest is both a little more and a little less than 'teaching.' Where I feel myself to be is in 1 Peter 3, when it talks about how a wife lives before her husband. It says that if he does not obey the Word, she can live in such a way as to cause remembrance and evoke the deep meaning of Christ's principles, without words. The definition of the word 'chaste' from 1 Peter 3's 'chaste deportment' means 'to inspire reverence.' She knows that God is sovereignly conducting a grand display of Himself, and she is excited to be a small instrument in His hands. I fully expect, by faith, by my knowledge of how God uses His grace, by my understanding from the Word how God is totally and always engaged in redeeming through the simple and common stuffs of life, to be used in powerful ways in the every day, every day. God always gives these perfect 'coincidences.' I don't have to conjure or dream. He is just amazing, and He gives me material all the time to help put on display, or add richness to His expressed will as the Word of God reveals.
Let me stop right here and confess I do not believe that I have attained this! Firstly I do not always walk in faith, of course. Secondly, I do not have the gentle and quiet spirit that God says is so very precious in His heart. I do want to try and understand what I am reading, and I certainly at least want to understand what it is that God wants me to do as I live everyday.
I am aware that the LORD does not want the words of scripture to be only said aloud as if cold and lifeless and dead, but fully alive and vibrant and three-dimensional. He wants to use people like you and I to make His Word pop. Three years ago I wrote a blog post from a Sunday school lesson on 2 Peter 1:3-9
The name of that blog entry, was Add.
It may be my all-time favorite Sunday school lesson. The smallest word in this entire passage? That small word was the one that my pastor zeroed - in - on: "Add." He said that the word "add" in the Greek is the same root used in the word "choreography." Ha. That fully resonated with me. Living for Christ is very similar to dance. A dancer's job is to translate and punctuate the tone of the instruments and the meaning of the words so that the audience is (entertained) and drawn to meditation. As I look to Christ and His power I too can "put on" or "dance" or be a vessel of orchestration by God, for a life that says who Christ IS - so that I "will be kept from being ineffective and unproductive in my knowledge (2 Pet 1:8)" of the Word of God.
What kind of earthly teacher is the one who taught the students best? Is it the one who left the principles of the course dead and cold or learned ways to make them alive? Is it the one who told you the answer, and made the judgment in the first moments of communication, or, is it the one who waited to bring others along to get them to dwell in the material?
So who is truly leading who in 1 peter 3; the husband or the wife? I find it very interesting the calling God has given to wives. Did He call them to audibly declare the Word of God as an authority? No. But He seemingly has not removed her opportunity to "teach" - has He?? I have to deeply wonder. He has given us women the most profound and most effective avenue by which to "preach" "teach" "correct" "rebuke" which is all the things the Word of God does as a believer is supposed to employ those scriptures: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." 2 Tim 3:16
Even reading this, I don't feel like "teaching" is the point. Teaching is not the goal to which one should aspire. Fruit, is the goal, in context. Bearing fruit by the power of the Spirit, to me, is very much a choreography, to which the lost and carnal are eventually drawn to love Jesus Christ. People are like leaches when they see how free His grace is. There is no lack in abundance of opportunities to minister. The model given to women in the context of marriage, is the model in which I want to serve Christ in the church as a general focal point.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
The name of that blog entry, was Add.
It may be my all-time favorite Sunday school lesson. The smallest word in this entire passage? That small word was the one that my pastor zeroed - in - on: "Add." He said that the word "add" in the Greek is the same root used in the word "choreography." Ha. That fully resonated with me. Living for Christ is very similar to dance. A dancer's job is to translate and punctuate the tone of the instruments and the meaning of the words so that the audience is (entertained) and drawn to meditation. As I look to Christ and His power I too can "put on" or "dance" or be a vessel of orchestration by God, for a life that says who Christ IS - so that I "will be kept from being ineffective and unproductive in my knowledge (2 Pet 1:8)" of the Word of God.
What kind of earthly teacher is the one who taught the students best? Is it the one who left the principles of the course dead and cold or learned ways to make them alive? Is it the one who told you the answer, and made the judgment in the first moments of communication, or, is it the one who waited to bring others along to get them to dwell in the material?
So who is truly leading who in 1 peter 3; the husband or the wife? I find it very interesting the calling God has given to wives. Did He call them to audibly declare the Word of God as an authority? No. But He seemingly has not removed her opportunity to "teach" - has He?? I have to deeply wonder. He has given us women the most profound and most effective avenue by which to "preach" "teach" "correct" "rebuke" which is all the things the Word of God does as a believer is supposed to employ those scriptures: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." 2 Tim 3:16
Even reading this, I don't feel like "teaching" is the point. Teaching is not the goal to which one should aspire. Fruit, is the goal, in context. Bearing fruit by the power of the Spirit, to me, is very much a choreography, to which the lost and carnal are eventually drawn to love Jesus Christ. People are like leaches when they see how free His grace is. There is no lack in abundance of opportunities to minister. The model given to women in the context of marriage, is the model in which I want to serve Christ in the church as a general focal point.
Well, this may be the end of "Biblical" "Feminism," for awhile. Perhaps in a few years I'll gain further clarity on this topic. As a celebration of this post, I'll leave a link to my favorite movie, whose themes are teaching, living, and fruit bearing... "The Dead Poets Society." I saw this movie when I was a teen. It was a tremendous instrument in the hands of God to quicken my heart to believe in Christ for salvation.
10 comments:
Apologies, I wanted to insert... a diverging post on this topic before going ahead with the "everyday miracles."
It's on the silly side, but it's out there now.
Michele
I also want to apologize for including some one-to-one conversation in a comment last month. There is a proper space for withholding one's testimony and I do not want to be proud of any evil at any time in any way. There is a level of "openness" I know I am comfortable with - because I see God's glory and little else seems important. I ought to remember that others may not have a similar mind. It is always wrong of course to share a personal conversation - there is no harmlessness to it as somehow I oddly thought at the time.
Michele
My character needs growing. I thank God it is joy to confess my sins.
Today's "Streams In The Desert" entry was beautiful.
"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." rom 8:37
"Our spiritual conflicts are among our most wonderful blessings, and the Adversary is used to train us for his own ultimate defeat."
(How true that God amazingly uses evil for good!)
"It is commonly thought that a protected and easy life is the best way to live. Yet the lives of all the noblest and strongest people prove exactly the opposite and that the endurance of hardship is the making of the person. It is the factor that distinguishes between merely existing and living a vigorous life."
Be blessed....
Michele,
The "My Utmost for His Highest" was
along the same lines this Morning.
(Jan. 14th) The Scripture Chambers
used was Isaiah 6:8. Chambers said
"Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude"
Praise God, He never leaves us
where we are, if we are willing to
go on!
God bless you, Michele.
Hi Peggie,
God bless you too! Thanks for sharing that meditation. I appreciate hearing other saints who've "been there" say "yes" when these things are new for me.
The meaning of "choreography."
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance, see chorea) and "γραφή" (writing). A choreographer is one who creates choreographies.
The term choreography first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s.[1] Prior to this, movie credits used various terms to mean choreography, such as "ensembles staged by"[2] and "dances staged by"[3].
choreography
Art of creating and arranging dances. The word is derived from the Greek for "dance" and "write," reflecting its early meaning as a written record of dances. By the 19th century the term was used mainly for the creation of dances, and the written record became known as dance notation.
The art of creating and arranging dances or ballets.
A work created by this art.
Something, such as a series of planned situations, likened to dance arrangements.
Source
Add (epichorēgeō) is defined at Blue Letter Bible:
1) to supply, furnish, present
2) to be supplied, ministered to, assisted
translated in other passages as "minister" 2 times, "minister nourishment" 1 time, "minister unto" 1 time.
Its root word (chorēgeō) means:
1) to be a chorus leader, lead a chorus
2) to furnish the chorus at one's own expense
3) to procure and supply all things necessary to fit out a chorus
4) to supply, furnish abundantly
The context of epichoregeo 2 Peter 1:
Verse 4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers [partner, associate, comrade, companion] of the divine [denotes general power and providence] nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound [to exist in abundance, to make to increase], they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I oftentimes wish I had a way to explain how it is that God ever transforms us by an ongoing faith into our new identity. This passage is about as close as I can get to saying, "We are transformed in our new godly nature by believing in the promises of Christ."
sorry, I know my comments are lumpy and bumpy but I'm trying to write while, you know, doing everything else today. More coming from 1 pet 3.
To me, this passage is amazing. I supplied some extra information in brackets in the passage below as in 2 Peter above.
1 Peter 3:1-2
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word [without speech, doctrine] be won by the conversation [manner of life, behavior, deportment] of the wives; while they behold [oversee, view attentively, watch] your chaste [exciting reverence] conversation [manner of life, behavior, deportment] coupled with fear.
Here are summary statements of what I read in 1 peter and 2 peter passages.
"Give abundant supply and furnishing to your knowledge of the LORD by being a partaker in His precious promises."
"A wife can adorn her inward person with the qualities of Christ which are incorruptible and precious in God's sight. She may win a husband to faith and obedience to God as he watches her manner of life."
Not a rock-solid case for choreography as it relates to dance. I admit I am neck-deep in attempting to understand worship and fellowship.
I've been reading recently that corporate worship of believers is meant for God but it also is meant to be edifying to believers. Likewise the edifying of believers through meetings and gathering of believers for fellowship, is edifying to the lost. This downward trend of where the attention is being placed can be slowly corrupting. The focus of our worship being upon God, alone, in corporate gathering can slowly shift onto men more than God.
On the other hand, I do understand that obeying Christ is our spiritual act of service. The greek root of "add" means, "to lead a chorus." Strictly a chorus? To lead worship, to lead in prayer, to lead others to thanksgiving, to lead others to faith, do not all Christians assist in their own part... to turn attention toward Christ?
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