Bible Discussion Thread

I would suggest that the Bible clearly lays out male leadership in the church. This is not degrading to women in the least. God created men/women equal in that both are made in God's image and of the same essence, but each has a different role. Just as the Trinity submits to Itself. Jesus Christ, Who is God, submits to God the Father. Does this mean Christ is any less God than the Father? No, it means that Christ has willingly submitted Himself to the Father because that is His role in the Trinity. I understand men/women to be models of that. The church has specific roles laid out. The men are to be the church leaders. Doesn't mean they are any more special; in fact, leaders are often held to a higher and more stringent standard than others.

As to requiring only a single marriage at any given time, this doesn't flow with what Paul later says about remarriage. Certainly it includes monogamy because this is how God intended for marriage to be. A man who has multiple wives is in sin and is restricted from leading a church.

Paul does say quite clearly that women are not to be leaders in the church and have authority over men in the church. That's simply how God set it up. Women can be deacons and give advice and serve very affectively, but the office of elder/bishop/pastor (all meaning the same thing) are purely restricted to Godly men who are capable of teaching.

And I would be careful calling God's plan "sexist". If you understand God's roles for men/women, men are servants to women, not lords who rule them. A man should always be placing his wife's happiness above his own and doing whatever he can to serve and minister to her. I find that to be somewhat of a "lacky" role when I as a man have to serve my wife as Christ has served the church. But it is an honor to model Christ's love for us through love for a spouse.