Less About the Fence, More About the Playground

by Kristi Meyer

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, NIV84).

 

I recently read a blog post that painted the following picture: a city is building a new playground. It’s going to be a beautiful playground full of slides and swings and monkey bars, but unfortunately the only park space available is near a busy intersection. Before the playground opens, the city installs a large fence around it—a fence intended to let the children play safely.

Once the playground opens, it becomes clear that the fence is indeed doing its job. Children are having fun on the playground within the fence’s confines, and there’s no worry from parents that their children will run out into the busy intersection.

But one day a new family comes to the playground, a family that wants to make sure their daughter knows why the fence is there. They tell her that the fence is the only reason she’s able to play on the playground at all, remind her to always keep her eyes on the fence, and admonish her to never try to climb it.

What’s going to happen? That child is going to play, yes, but her playing is always going to be shaped and influenced by the fence. She might even stay farther away from the fence than she normally would just to make sure her parents know she isn’t trying to climb it. She’s not really thinking about the playground in the same way the other children are. She’s thinking about the fence.

Don’t teach authoritatively, don’t act in a way that violates headship—these are important topics to contemplate. But when they are overemphasized, when they become the main point of the conversation, it’s easy to lose sight of our unique callings and instead feel overly restricted.

I’m sure you see the point of this analogy. When it comes to women and the church, it sometimes feels like all we talk about is the fence. Don’t teach authoritatively, don’t act in a way that violates headship—these are important topics to contemplate. But when they are overemphasized, when they become the main point of the conversation, it’s easy to lose sight of our unique callings and instead feel overly restricted. We’ve talked previously about focusing more on what we as women can do rather than what we can’t do. How else can we keep the spotlight on the playground rather than on the fence?

Can vs. Should

As I mentioned earlier this week, my conversations on women and the church originally began with the question “What can a woman do in the church?” Or, to make it more personal, I always tried to ask, “Can I do this?” when determining if I could serve in a certain way at my congregation. I never asked with malicious motives; I wasn’t trying to push the boundaries beyond what God says in his Word. But I was trying to determine if the places my local congregation didn’t permit me to serve—for example, ushering or facilitating Bible study at a home-based growth group—were really places I couldn’t serve or were instead unnecessary restrictions.

It’s taken awhile, but I’ve finally come to the point where my question has changed. Instead of asking “Can I do this?” I’m now much more likely to ask “Should I do this?” There are times when the answer to those two questions is the same, but there are also times when the answer is different. Previously, I thought this mismatch was bad and unnecessarily restrictive to me as a female. I thought that if I could do something, I should be able to do it, especially if that meant completing a job that was currently incomplete or fulfilling a need that was currently unfilled.

There are other things to think about than whether or not I as a female should be able to do something at church. There are other factors to weigh besides just a job left incomplete or a need left unfilled.

Over the course of many conversations, much prayer, and quite a bit of study and growth, I’ve come to a place where I understand that “Can I do this?” isn’t always the right question to ask. There are other things to think about than whether or not I as a female should be able to do something at church. There are other factors to weigh besides just a job left incomplete or a need left unfilled.

Building Up the Body of Christ

This week’s earlier devotion discussed one of the most important considerations: permissible vs. beneficial, especially as related to the body of Christ. You might be serving in the most helpful way, taking care of something that isn’t on anyone else’s radar, or making the church a better place by your contribution. But if you’re creating pangs of conscience for a fellow believer, if you cause other congregations to question your actions, if you inadvertently make the conversation more about you than about the ministry you are carrying out, then the good you are doing may be coming at a cost.

Another consideration circles back to the role for which we as women were created: the role of ezer, of helper. What follows is a stereotype, but like any stereotype, it is somewhat rooted in truth. When a need is identified, women are more likely than men to step up and fill that need. This will often be done without much fanfare, with very little need for recognition. We as women see something that needs to get done and we can take care of it, so we do. It’s as simple as that.

But in the church, this can turn into taking opportunities away from males to serve or giving them opportunities to abdicate their leadership. I am not saying that any of this is being done intentionally or with sinister motives. However, we are all sinful creatures, and original sin gives us all the propensity—at varying levels—to step out of our God-given roles.

As a female who likes to take care of things, stepping back sometimes feels like I’m selling out. Something isn’t being done? And I’m capable of doing it without violating headship? Why wouldn’t I do it? Again, I’ve come to learn that there are other ways to help accomplish the task, ways that allow me to serve as a helper, ways that let me build up the body of Christ and encourage men in their unique calling. Sometimes these ways are harder in the short run but much more beneficial—for a wider audience than just me—in the long run.

Exercising Leadership

We’ve talked about the difference between leadership and authority several times this summer, but I want to emphasize that difference again because it is such an important concept. Everything I’ve mentioned above—framing questions in terms of “can vs. should” and giving those around me the opportunity to fulfill their God-given callings—does not mean women can’t lead in the church.

No, there are still ways that those of us who have been gifted with leadership can use that gift in the church—not by trying to take charge, but by partnering with fellow members of the body of Christ in service to one another and in service to our neighbors.

No, there are still ways that those of us who have been gifted with leadership can use that gift in the church—not by trying to take charge, but by partnering with fellow members of the body of Christ in service to one another and in service to our neighbors. For me personally, this means working with my pastor to execute the worship plans he’s created, crafting communication pieces that convey decisions made by the church council and the board of elders, and taking point on a host of other supportive tasks.

What does this look like for you in your congregation? If you don’t know, I’d encourage you to have a conversation with your pastor to try and answer that question. This might be intimidating. It might be scary. It might seem like a topic that is best left by the wayside because your pastor has so many other things to deal with. But instead, I pray that such a conversation will be valuable, both for you and for him.

God created the fence before sin entered the world; therefore the fence is perfect. Our sinful nature can cause us to chafe at the existence of the fence, but that’s not the fault of the fence nor of the One who put the fence in place. And as often as we talk about the fence, it’s not there to restrict our time on the playground. It’s there to keep us safe and to establish good order, to enable us to play on the playground at all, and to help us make the most of our time on the playground.

As women, as congregations, as a synod, let’s keep our eyes more on the playground and less on the fence. We can then enjoy the playground in freedom—freedom that the fence itself gives.

For Further Reflection

1. In changing the question from “Can I do this?” to “Should I do this?”, how can you come to peace with situations where the answers to those two questions are “yes” and “no,” respectively?
2. What are some specific ways you can encourage the males in your congregation, especially as they seek to fulfill their responsibility of living out their unique calling of head?
3. How does the conversation change when you are told, “No, the Bible says you can’t do this,” when there is actually no such prohibition in Scripture? How must the conversation change at this point in order to remain faithful to God’s teaching on Christian freedom?

Closing Prayer

Lord God, we thank you for perfectly creating unique callings for men and women. Guide us as we continue to wrestle with how to live out those callings in a sin-darkened world. Remind us that we are a part of the body of Christ, and motivate us to always build up and edify that body with our words and actions. You have created countless opportunities for us to serve you; show us how we can best embrace these opportunities in all that we do. Amen.

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Adiaphora: The Beginning of the Conversation

by Kristi Meyer

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, NIV84).

 

Several years ago, over the course of a few months, one of my pastors and I had a number of conversations on the unique callings of men and women. These conversations were productive and fruitful, helped me refine my thinking on the subject and bring it more into line with what God says in his Word, and formed much of the basis for this summer’s devotional series.

What stands out the most, though, isn’t the particular topics we discussed nor the places where we agreed or disagreed. No, I mainly remember our differing approaches to the question of “What can a woman do in the church?” I wanted to talk about whether a woman could usher, serve on a board, read a Scripture lesson—in short, I wanted to answer the question!

On the other hand, it seemed like all my pastor wanted to talk about was how the practices of our local congregation might be received, both by our members and by other nearby WELS congregations. I was so frustrated with him at the time because it felt like he was completely ignoring the question. But now…now I understand his motivation and reason for approaching the question the way that he did; now I understand the importance of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.

It is first important to note what Paul is not saying in these verses. The quotation marks around “Everything is permissible” indicate that he was likely quoting a mantra that had sprung up in the Corinthian congregation. We dare not take Paul’s words as permitting anything that is explicitly forbidden elsewhere in the Bible. In particular, as we discussed last week, the prohibition on women teaching authoritatively found in 1 Timothy 2:11-14 still applies.

With this background in mind, we can turn to Paul’s approach for dealing with those matters that God neither explicitly commands nor forbids: matters of adiaphora. In these matters, we are each free to come to our own conclusions, and we are certainly free to come to a conclusion different than that of a fellow Christian. Paul doesn’t stop there, though, and neither can we.

Can women do more in the WELS than they are currently permitted to do? Perhaps, and that’s a question that will be tackled more thoroughly in this week’s second devotion.

We need to consider Paul’s additions to the Corinthians’ mantra: not everything is beneficial; not everything is constructive. Can women do more in the WELS than they are currently permitted to do? Perhaps, and that’s a question that will be tackled more thoroughly in this week’s second devotion. But it is equally important to ask the related question: if women are permitted to do more, would that be beneficial and constructive? These questions aren’t at odds; instead, they’re two sides of the same coin.

In verse 24, Paul gives even more guidance for shaping the conversation. We shouldn’t only think about what is beneficial or constructive for ourselves. In addition, when approaching matters of adiaphora, we should seek the good of others and build up the body of Christ. That might mean giving up some of our freedoms because acting in a certain way will harm the faith of a fellow believer—something incredibly difficult to do, but also an outstanding display of Christian love.

One final caution: we must exercise care not to attribute words to Paul that he did not intend to write. Acting out of Christian love for our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith is key. But if a fellow brother or sister issues a prohibition where God has not, if they incorrectly claim a woman is not permitted to do something even though there is no such command in Scripture, then we are compelled to respectfully disagree. Even more than that, we are free to engage in the very activity that is being prohibited—not out of spite or malice, but again out of love: love that strives neither to abuse nor to restrict our Christian freedom.

“Can a woman do…?” Sometimes “yes”; sometimes “no”; more often than not “maybe.” That’s not always the best question to ask, however, and it’s certainly never the only question to ask.

“Can a woman do…?” Sometimes “yes”; sometimes “no”; more often than not “maybe.” That’s not always the best question to ask, however, and it’s certainly never the only question to ask. It’s the beginning of the conversation, not the end—a conversation that continues later this week.

For Further Reflection

Meditate on or write about how you can balance Christian freedom with the desire to build up fellow believers in their faith. What might cause your thinking to change from “I can do this…” to “Out of Christian love, I shouldn’t do this…”?

Closing Prayer

Lord God, you call us to exercise our Christian freedom in a way that is both pleasing to you and edifying to the body of Christ. Give us wisdom as we deal with matters of adiaphora, peace when we need to set aside our own desires to seek the good of others, and a desire to glorify you in all things—both in what we do and in what we choose to forego. Amen.

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“I Do Not Permit…” Is Only the Beginning

by Kristi Meyer

A woman should learn in a quiet manner with full submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Instead, she is to continue in a quiet manner. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but it was the woman who was deceived and became a transgressor (1 Timothy 2:11-14, EHV).

 

I love math. My dad is a civil engineer and my mom is an accountant, so math has always been part of my life. I remember going on family vacations and begging my dad to give me another math problem during a long day of driving. When considering my future career, I knew I wanted to teach math—but after a semester of student teaching, I decided the high school classroom wasn’t the place for me. Instead, I went to graduate school in hopes of being able to teach math at the college level.

After five years of grad school, I finished up my Ph.D. and accepted a call back to Wisconsin Lutheran College (my alma mater) to serve as a mathematics professor. I’ve taught there for 15 years and have also chaired the mathematics department for the past several years. It’s been a wonderful journey, and I am blessed to be in a confessional Lutheran environment—an environment where I can both teach mathematical content and act as a Christian role model for my students.

I don’t blame you if you’re a bit confused at this point. This is supposed to be a devotion on the unique callings of men and women, and here I am talking about math. What’s the connection?

It’s a thought that never crossed my mind when I was considering my career choice, but it has in recent years: as a female college professor teaching male students, as a female serving as department chair, am I violating 1 Timothy 2:11-14?

I think many of us would immediately answer “No, of course not!” Why not, though? How can we be so sure? And since both Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran College have female professors—professors teaching males whom we recognize as being of legal age—then what does Paul prohibit in today’s section of Scripture?

Authority Is…

It’s important to consider the context of Paul’s words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2. Biblical section headings are not inspired, but they often provide us with valuable information and reminders on the section of Scripture being read. The EHV heading for this chapter is “Instructions About Worship”—a section heading that helps us see that Paul is writing these words to Timothy in the context of worship and of the church. Therefore, we should take care not to extend Paul’s words farther than he intended.

Paul is writing these words to Timothy in the context of worship and of the church. Therefore, we should take care not to extend Paul’s words farther than he intended.

We also need to return to the original language when considering exactly what Paul meant by prohibiting a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. The Greek word that Paul uses in verse 12—the word translated as “teach”—is a form of the verb didasko. This verb is also related to the noun didaskolos: “teacher.” In the New Testament, didaskolos and didasko are most often used to refer to Jesus: to his role as teacher and to his teaching ministry. The kind of teaching encompassed by these words is the kind of teaching done by someone who has been called by God to teach with authority; it is the teaching that instructs disciples in the truths of God’s Word.

In the church today, we can clearly see authoritative teaching in the role of pastor. A pastor is a shepherd, a spiritual leader, one entrusted by God to instruct those God has placed under his care. And although it is not teaching, we can also see authority exercised in other ways in the church: for example, in carrying out church discipline or in extending pastor, teacher, or staff minister calls. These functions, then, are rightly entrusted to the men of our congregations in accordance with the biblical principle of headship.

Authority Is Not…

As discussed in a previous week, however, it is extremely important not to conflate authority with leadership. Some earlier papers written by WELS pastors—papers generally, although not entirely, written before the mid-1980s—use “leadership” and “authority” synonymously. Some positions of leadership are also imbued with authority, but other positions are not. Therefore, it is possible for women to hold positions of leadership without assuming authority over men or violating the principle of headship.

It certainly would be easier to say “Women cannot serve as principals of WELS grade schools” or “Women cannot serve as WELS college professors” and be done with the matter. But such a blanket prohibition is both an unjustifiable reading of Paul’s words and an unnecessary restriction on women, particularly women who have been blessed with gifts of leadership.

Not every leadership position is the same, and care must be exercised to determine whether a woman holding a leadership position is also in a position of inappropriately overruling male headship. At the same time, Christian love must be exercised in situations where congregations view leadership roles differently.

If the WELS congregation down the road or in the next town has a female principal—and there are WELS congregations that do—we ought not immediately assume they are ignoring or reinterpreting the unique callings of men and women.

If the WELS congregation down the road or in the next town has a female principal—and there are WELS congregations that do—we ought not immediately assume they are ignoring or reinterpreting the unique callings of men and women. Similarly, that WELS congregation has a responsibility to attempt to lovingly explain—as best as they can—why their structure does not in fact violate headship. Conversations are key—conversations with those directly involved that attempt to take everyone’s words and actions in the kindest possible way.

Authority in the World

In the secular world, there are once again multiple biblical principles at play. We are no longer always blessed to be working together with fellow believers; we often deal with unbelievers, with a society that does not conform to God’s will for men and women. We are called to spread the gospel, to carry out the Great Commission, and to be lights in a sin-darkened world when interacting with those around us. And while these Great-Commission actions are not in conflict with our unique callings, they will no doubt shape and inform how we live out our unique callings.

Special care needs to be taken, then, not to make blanket allowances for nor blanket prohibitions against women serving in leadership positions. Not every Christian will be led to act the same way in every situation. It is entirely possible that two Christians will make different decisions—both made for godly reasons, both correct decisions for their situations, both decisions that are in keeping with God’s Word.

Special care needs to be taken, then, not to make blanket allowances for nor blanket prohibitions against women serving in leadership positions. Not every Christian will be led to act the same way in every situation.

As in the church, Christian love is paramount in worldly situations where the actions of believers differ. We must take care not to bind consciences by making rules where God has not, and we must be careful not to act in ways that could give the appearance of disregard for God’s timeless commands. Rather than judging a woman who is comfortable serving in a secular position of leadership, give thanks that she is able to lead those under her with Christian care and concern. Rather than judging a woman who is not comfortable serving in a secular position of leadership, give thanks that she is able to serve those above her joyfully and wholeheartedly.

We live in a world where women have never had more freedom or opportunities, and moving from that world to a church where I cannot vote or serve on a board is difficult and constraining at times. As a modern woman—one who is most definitely opinionated and chafes under virtually any restrictions imposed on me—it is tempting to dismiss Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:11-14 as merely cultural and no longer applicable today. A proper understanding of this text does not permit such an interpretation.

But when we talk about what it means to exercise authority, we must do more than simply quote 1 Timothy 2:11-14. We must differentiate between biblical principles and applications. We must remember that the unique callings of men and women were established by God to bestow blessings on his people. We must emphasize that the role of helper is not a mark of inferiority and is not primarily intended to limit how women can serve in the church. And we must always use the gifts God has given us to the best of our ability. When Christian men and women live within the unique callings God established, we are freed to serve him by working together in the church as the body of Christ and freed to bring glory to his name.

For Further Reflection

1. In your congregation, what other positions besides those mentioned above would constitute having authority or teaching authoritatively? What about these positions causes them to be imbued with authority?
2. In your congregation, what leadership positions exist that are not imbued with authority? Does your congregation make it clear that women can serve in these positions? If not, how could that be better communicated?
3. What is your own particular comfort level with assuming leadership positions in a secular society? How can you use this comfort level to faithfully serve those around you and bring glory to God?

Closing Prayer

Lord God, we thank you for those called to teach and instruct us. Bless them as they shepherd your flock, and help us to support and encourage them in whatever ways we can. Help us also to be mindful of our role in your kingdom: to spread the gospel and witness the reason for the hope that we have to a world so desperately in need of a Savior. Amen.

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Exercising Authority – Cultural or Timeless?

by Kristi Meyer

A woman should learn in a quiet manner with full submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Instead, she is to continue in a quiet manner. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but it was the woman who was deceived and became a transgressor (1 Timothy 2:11-14, EHV).

 

One of my pastors is growing his hair out. I don’t mean he’s going from a buzz cut to something slightly longer. I mean it’s been about three years since he’s had a haircut, and his hair is now well past his shoulders. As far as I know, no one has reported him to the district president for violating 1 Corinthians 11:14. In contrast, we still hold to Paul’s prohibition found in 1 Timothy 2:11-14: a prohibition on women exercising authority in the church. Why? What’s the difference?

Throughout this devotional series, we’ve talked about the importance of distinguishing principle from application, and 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2 are no exception. Separating principle from application can be difficult. To do so, we need to consider hermeneutics: the science and art of biblical interpretation. In particular, we need to view Scripture through two lenses. Scripture is history, written at a particular time and in a particular place. And Scripture is literature, written using artistic structure and rhetorical techniques.

Looking at the context of a Scripture passage—both the wide and the narrow context, both the verses and chapters surrounding the passage and all of Scripture as a whole—is particularly important in viewing Scripture as literature. In 1 Timothy 2, we see Paul refer back to what is sometimes known as the “order of creation”: Adam was created first, then Eve. As we’ve seen previously, this does not mean that Adam was of greater worth or value or importance than Eve.

Instead, the “order of creation” encompasses the sense of order and organization that God put into his perfect creation: the relationships that exist among all objects, animals, and people, including the relationship between Adam and Eve. And although the fall into sin tarnished these relationships, we cannot set these relationships aside simply because we live in a fallen and imperfect world.

Instead, the “order of creation” encompasses the sense of order and organization that God put into his perfect creation: the relationships that exist among all objects, animals, and people, including the relationship between Adam and Eve.

As mentioned earlier in the summer, it is too strong to say that sin came into the world mainly because Adam and Eve stepped outside of their unique callings. However, Eve did listen to the serpent instead of submitting to the authority of Adam, and Adam did fail to exercise his headship role in his relationship with Eve. The ultimate evil came into the world when—not necessarily because, but when—Adam and Eve stepped out of their God-given callings as male and female.

With this context in mind, we can more easily see Paul’s line of thought in these verses from 1 Timothy 2. He is reminding Timothy that the men and women of his church should take care not to follow Adam and Eve’s example. Rather, they should strive to live out their unique callings—callings that are intended to bring blessings both to individual believers and to the church. Since Paul bases his prohibition of women exercising authority on the order of creation—an order that continues to exist today, albeit imperfectly—we also still hold to this prohibition.

A question remains, however; the question that we asked the very first week: What roles can a woman fulfill in the church without violating Paul’s prohibition on exercising authority? We have now moved into the realm of applications—applications that require us to view Scripture as history, to consider the time period in which Paul was writing. As has been our practice throughout this devotional series, we’ll consider these applications in more depth later this week.

A question remains, however; the question that we asked the very first week: What roles can a woman fulfill in the church without violating Paul’s prohibition on exercising authority?

For now, we do well to remember that the principle at play still holds. God has established unique callings for men and women—callings that reflect the order instilled in a perfect creation, callings intended to bring us blessings, callings that we strive to live out joyfully in our lives—callings that are intended to begin the conversation on applications, not stifle the conversation or shut it down.

For Further Reflection

When a baseball game is played, everybody is in their appropriate place: pitcher, catcher, umpire, etc. There are also certain “things” that are in their appropriate places: the pitcher has the ball, the hitter has a bat, the field has foul lines marked and base bags placed. If these placements are disrupted—for example, if the center fielder is standing behind home plate—order is lost and chaos ensues. Meditate on or write about how this analogy demonstrates the relationships that exist within and are encompassed by the phrase “order of creation.”

Closing Prayer

Lord God, you established unique callings for men and women at the very dawn of time. Although these unique callings have been fragmented and fractured by sin, we thank you that they still reflect the perfect relationships you originally created. Give us guidance and wisdom as we seek to faithfully serve your church to the fullest of our ability in a way that respects your order of creation. Amen.

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