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Three Reasons a Biblical View of Gender is Important
In today’s cultural landscape, LGBT and gender issues have taken center stage in public discourse. Stories from the not-so-distant past have included headlines about gender-neutral bathrooms, transgender athletes, and reports of professionals—such as doctors—facing repercussions for upholding a traditional understanding of gender. Although there has been some reprieve in the cultural moment, the cultural pressures still mandate that we examine how we think about gender and its role in society. While many in the culture dismiss the Bible’s views as antiquated, outdated, or merely a relic of a bygone, patriarchal era, it remains critical to remember that the Bible presents a comprehensive and divinely inspired perspective on the nature and purpose of gender. In other words, the Bible reveals what God thinks about gender. The Secular Influence on the Church From a secular worldview, gender is often seen as a mere social construct—a label with no intrinsic value beyond what…
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Who Can Perform Baptisms in the Church?
Who can perform the baptisms for church? Does it have to be an official pastor? Can a woman perform the baptism? These are important questions which have significant impact in the daily life of the church. The impetus of this article was reading a provocative article entitled, “The (In)significance of the Baptizer in the Early Church: The Importance of Baptism and Unimportance of the One who Baptized.” As the title suggests, the author argued that the evidence of the early church downplays those who baptize in the church. I think there is wisdom in not making the baptizer more than he ought to be. However, at the same time, it is inherently a theological issue that we ought to think through. Does it matter who baptizes in the church? I offer my reasoning in three simple points. First, Matthew 28:18-20 does not limit those who baptize to a special class.…
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She will be Saved through Childbearing – 1 Tim 2:15
One of the most perplexing verses in the New Testament is 1 Timothy 2:15, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (ESV). Although this is a difficult text to understand, the application of this text is important for our understanding of the roles of men and women. There are a variety of questions that arise from this text about the nature of salvation and even how childbearing fits into the equation. We address the most important of these questions as follows. Who is the “she”? The immediate context of 1 Tim 2:11-12 demonstrates Paul is speaking about the role of women in general. Women are to “learn quietly,” and to refrain from teaching or exercising authority over men. As support for this command, Paul refers to the history of Adam and Eve. As part of the argument, Paul notes Eve’s…