In Reply to: Re: My take... posted by Farmer on April 20, 2010 at 06:24:36:
Farmer:
You did quite a bit of work trying to answer what I consider to be a very difficult question.
Thanks! I did too--I'll be sharirng a meal Saturday with my friend--please pray for us.
In TF, the GAL 3:26-28 verses were quoted to "babes" in order, usually, establish the ungodly and unscriptural "usurped" dominance of female "leaders", from the Berg famuly females and Karen Zerby on down, over everyone else in the cult.
Their "foundation" was an inverted pyramid, with Berg at the inverted "top"--complete spiritual insability was inherent. Nothing else was possible, and all the doctrines were earthly, sensual, and devilish--then implementation of the Davidito doctrine made true Isa 3:12: "[As for] my people, children [are] their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy paths", which worsened(s) as the cult continued(s) to exist.
My research turned up the same results as yours; pretty much.
A "true saying" here in the Vineyard fellowship is that one aspect of the Kingdom of God is that it is both "now" AND "not yet". Sexism will not exist at ALL in the Kingdome to come; it DOES exist now, and eceptuion is STILL a problem, as Scripture warns us.
One treatment of the "not suffering a woman to teach", and for women to keep silence in the churc was that the church remains VERY jewish for a long time, in the first century, and that the Middlde Eastern customs very much resembled the Sharia Law Europeans, and now increasingly Americans, are becoming more familiar with. Head coverings, WERE a public religious issue; among other things (blood, things strangled, circumcision, etc.). Coming together publicall DID involve having EVERYONE having "psalms, doctrines, revelations", etc. having things done "decently and in order was essential.
Many epistles wee written as answers to partuicular questions posed by the people to whom they were written--they were circumsatantially absed, and were NOT necessarily exhaustive declarations of doctrine--some were, like most of Romans.
Men OR women blurting out things was OUT OF ORDER and didn't promote edification; the PRIMARY purpose of publc meetings, especially in synagogues, where "becoming al things" to the unsaved Jews was VERY important--you didn't dare stumble them so that you COULD win them to Christ!
Paul, and the OTHER APOSTLES including, by the early church Faathers' writings, AND Scripture (wriiten BY the primary Apostles, but MOSTLY by Paul, an "extra Apostle"), spent time in marketplacces, and even pagan meeting places, but ESPECIALLY JEWISH SYNAGOGUES, TEACHING AND REASONING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.
God is Spirit; Jesus said. He was male, on earth; obviously--he did not procreate; despite the false claims of recent books and movies. He called God the Father, and the gender He used in refering to the Holy Spirit was definitely male.
Yet, he referred to God as the "nursing Father". Also see Numbers 11:12 and Acts 13:18.
Also Being made in the "image of God" is BOTH male AND female; obviously.
TF perverted the biblcal view of the Holy Spirit, in order to seduce believers towards other "doctrines of devils"; making Him a slutty female instead of a Holy God.
The resurrected Jesus said, to doubting Thomas, "Spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have." He also said that "they who are accounted worthy to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven neither marry, nor are they given in marriage, but are as the angels."
So, the spiritual body we'll inherit very likely has very little to do with gender, or sex, at all.
That will take care of the conflict; no doubt!
:-)
OT2