“Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
~ Hebrews 5:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you think that a gal can be a pastor in a Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals? Do you think that a gal can be an elder in a Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals? Your grandpaa does not think that a gal should be a pastor in a Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals. Your grandpaa does not think that a gal should be an elder in Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals. Your grandpaa is okay with a gal teaching guys. Your grandpaa is okay with a gal giving a devotional to guys. Your grandmaa is a really good teacher. When your grandmaa is speaking, guys, gals and kids listen to her. Your grandpaa bases his reasoning on what is found in the Bible on why he does not think that a gal should be a pastor or an elder in a Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals. Your grandpaa believes that the Bible is the only living book that has ever been written or compiled. Each individual book that is in the Bible – all sixty-six books, was scribed by a guy as God – as God the Spirit, breathed words on the guy to scribe in the book. None of the sixty-six books that were scribed that became included in the canon of books in the Bible Book was scribed by a gal. Esther and Ruth are two books in the canon of books in the Bible Book that were scribed by guys as God – as God the Spirit, breathed words on them to scribe that has a gal who ‘played’ a critical role among God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Another factor that substantiates to your grandpaa his bias towards only guys being mouthpieces for God – as God the Father, on planet Earth to expound Biblical truths that are found throughout the living book that was given the name Bible, is that God – as God the Son – Jesus, during His final years on planet Earth, randomly chose twelve guys from varied backgrounds to disciple/mentor. Jesus – as He trekked between the Galilee, Samaria and Judea land areas, did have gal followers; but none of these gals were ever singled out by Jesus to have a significant role in the future proclamation of the Good News. The Hebrews Book author – in Hebrews 5, also validates to your grandpaa his claim that gals were not who God – as God the Father, chose to be agents of His on planet Earth to represent Him inside designated structures where He alone is honored, praised and worshipped. God – as God the Spirit, breathed words on the Hebrews Book author to write the words that are now found in verse 1, “Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The Old Testament high priests were always guys. There is no reported time in any book in the Bible where a gal is led to make a sacrifice to God – as God the Father.
There is an argument that evolving societal and cultural changes have been and are driving changes of the norms and mores that existed when the sixty-six books of the Bible were scribed by guys as God – as God the Spirit, breathed words on them to scribe. Your grandpaa knows that the impact and/or the influence of outreach efforts for centuries in countries and within people groups of guys and gals throughout planet Earth by gals who are fulfilling a missionary call and vocation, that gals have been and continue to be instrumental in sowing/communicating the Good News throughout planet Earth. Your grandpaa wonders what God – as God the Father, is going to do come judgment day with the guys who abdicated the privilege and eternal blessings that would have been theirs if they had responded by stepping forward to sow/communicate the Good News throughout planet Earth. Your grandpaa knows from his experiences of having spent twelve years in Bolivia and seven and a half years in Guatemala what it is like to be with guys, gals and kids who know very little about being a Christ-follower. It makes sense to your grandpaa that it should be a guy who leads out as an ambassador of God – as God the Father, to always to be the one to share the ‘meat’ of the Good News. It makes sense to your grandpaa that it should be a guy who deals with other guys who are ignorant regarding the relevancy of the Good News. It makes sense to your grandpaa that it should be a guy who comes alongside another guy who has strayed from the truth absolutes in the Good News. Your grandpaa does not find any Biblical mandate anywhere in the Bible Book that says a guy has to mentor a gal; this can be done by a mature gal who has a clear understanding of the truth absolutes in the Good News. Your grandpaa does find Biblical directives that say a guy and gal – after they have become husband and wife, are no longer two different or separate entities but have become one entity, person or unit. The implication can be made that once a gal is married that she will have shared influence in and through whatever her guy life partner does or says. Your grandpaa also believes that when a gal becomes a Christ-follower, that she will be led by God – as God the Spirit, to communicate her faith.
Your grandpaa is concerned that a fundamental Biblical principle has become tweaked over time in order to satisfy the innate, carnal cravings of guys and gals to speak into who they want as their spiritual leader versus letting guys who are already proven spiritual leaders make that call for them. When Paul defined the process of selecting elders in letters that he sent to Timothy and Titus, Paul advocated the procedure of new elders being selected by already positioned elders; Paul did not advocate the election of elders by a church family that includes all the guys and gals. Your grandpaa witnessed in the Christ-follower communities of guys and gals in Bolivia and in Guatemala destructive competition and unhealthy egos surfacing when guys and gals have chosen guys to be their leaders who are still ‘milk drinking’ Christ-followers. This is why the Bible education programs that your grandpaa helped to start are explicitly focused on guys being the ones to receive teaching from different teachers on what is in the Bible.
Hebrews 5 (666)