Glenn on Leadership

IF Jesus shed any less of His blood for women, they should then be given less of "a place at the table". If not, then full respect and honor- as honor and custom "is due".

Where Scripture speaks of spiritual gifts and callings, where does it differentiate between male and female? In other words, never is it stated that a woman CANNOT and WILL NOT be gifted by the Holy Spirit (His gifts, His will by the way... He doesn't bow to the church nor does the church have first nor final say re. what gifting and calling He does in the life of ANY believer... only in that the local church and individuals in it affirm a clear gift or disaffirm what may be a gift or calling a member "assumes" but in reality does not actually have). Quite the contrary. He gives gifts to all. I read the very same words, and in the Greek you come up with a very different picture than in the practice of some churches. OF course, Deborah, Priscilla, on and on are discounted by some.

"Neither male nor female, neither bond nor free"... I think one can think to a degree- that women are another "minority group" in some places. Most of what I have said re. racism relates at this very point. Again, the essential issues are character, gifting and calling. Character has more to do with the individual, be they male or female. Gifting and Calling has far more to do with God and His sovereignty. I have known just as many men to be "out of order" as women. I believe the real issues at the heart of the male/female controversy (where such exists in the churches) has more to do with what I have raised here than what Paul said about women re. headcovering, silence in the service, etc.. Sound exegesis of the key verses leave neither I nor other pastors in the churches any other view as far as I can see.

Of course, male and female are different on many levels. But I think partnership and not lordship, mutual respect and not dominance, individuals and married couples must base their lives on solid biblical interpretation and practice of the Word, not egotistical self-(there it is again)serving agendas looking for Bible proof-texts to prop them up in separate-but-equal kingdoms (homelands?).