I've been ill and have not been able to deal with the Plano statement as I originally desired. I can say that all the space they take about the mission of the church may tug on peoples' sympathies but it does not add to their argument. Their argument is the "same ol' same ol": appeal to a cultural interpretation of the New Testament instead of using the analogy of Scripture. The cultural interpretation allows the eisegesis of sentiment and turns the Scripture into a wax nose. It's a Pandora's box which is filled with anything that chronological snobbery can come up with.
Of course we are for the mission of the Church, but there will always be some aspect of our message which is offensive to the world. We cannot help that and must live with it - not try to change it. The plain teaching of Scripture on the offices of the Church is not a cultural matter that can be changed willy-nilly because someone is afraid someone else outside the Church may not like it. I'm sure we can find a lot of things in the Church the world does not like. Since when is women's ordination any more important of a thing to change in order to appease the world than anything else - like sexual perversion, for example?!
Besides, if we wanted the culture to think of the Church as "pro-women," there are whole swathes of Scripture and tons of historical precedents to demonstrate the truth. We do not have to change our offices for the sake of Church apologetic.
BTW, their disapproval of arguments against women's ordination based on passages pertaining to family life is well taken. However, there is much to be said for Biblical teaching on patriarchy in general. Oh, how we need theologians who have studied some Logic! This is one of the reasons why we need a revival of the traditional curriculum (Classical education) in our country. It's for the sake of developing Church leaders that know how to argue well. God help us.
Of course we are for the mission of the Church, but there will always be some aspect of our message which is offensive to the world. We cannot help that and must live with it - not try to change it. The plain teaching of Scripture on the offices of the Church is not a cultural matter that can be changed willy-nilly because someone is afraid someone else outside the Church may not like it. I'm sure we can find a lot of things in the Church the world does not like. Since when is women's ordination any more important of a thing to change in order to appease the world than anything else - like sexual perversion, for example?!
Besides, if we wanted the culture to think of the Church as "pro-women," there are whole swathes of Scripture and tons of historical precedents to demonstrate the truth. We do not have to change our offices for the sake of Church apologetic.
BTW, their disapproval of arguments against women's ordination based on passages pertaining to family life is well taken. However, there is much to be said for Biblical teaching on patriarchy in general. Oh, how we need theologians who have studied some Logic! This is one of the reasons why we need a revival of the traditional curriculum (Classical education) in our country. It's for the sake of developing Church leaders that know how to argue well. God help us.
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