Although I am on “leave of absence” from official ministry duties, I’m not taking a break from editing Daylights. My next deadline is July 1st, so I am trying to catch little bits of time here and there to get it done.
I enjoy being an editor. Really, I do. But when I am in the process of cutting articles to make them fit in the allotted space, my frustration level rises. Here’s the problem: I am editing the writing of pastors (and pastors’ wives) and pastors are often incredibly long winded. 
Only about 300 words fits in a Daylights article, and that’s not a lot of space to make a point.
Sometimes there are extraneous thoughts to cut out, but other times I am presented with a tightly-written article that seems like it will be butchered by my efforts to make it fit in the 300 word slot. I almost always go ahead and butcher the articles. Occaisonally I send articles back to the authors for revision, but only when they have told me that they prefer to do their own cutting. I suppose my butchering can’t be that bad, or my boss (Dave Bovenmyer) would tell me about it. But I often wish I had more space to showcase the awesome writing of the pastors in our association of churches.
Currently I am working on cutting an amazing article about 1st Timothy 2:12 by John Hopler. It’s about 430 words long, so I am in the difficult process of cutting well over 100 words. But it should get some light in it’s original form, so I will display it here for a few lucky people to read a great treatment of a challenging subject
(And if you have any suggestions of how to cut it, let me know)
AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH
by John Hopler
“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” 1 Timothy 2:12
A wise, godly man was once asked, “What do you think about churches ordaining women to be pastors?” He responded, “Whatever the Bible says is what I believe.” He understood that a fair reading of the Bible would lead the reader to one-and only one-conclusion: Only men are to be ordained pastors.
Paul in his instructions to Timothy couldn’t make it any clearer: Women are not to be in an authority position over men in the church. Nor are women to teach in such a way that they place themselves in an authority position over men.
Ones argue, “But this makes women second-rate citizens in the church.” My response is that nowhere in the Scripture is a person’s position a basis for his or her value. Our value is in Christ, and in Christ alone. We are all seated in the heavenly places with Christ-male and female. But during our short stay on earth, God has a role for men to play and a role for women to play.
A parallel situation exists with God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. The Father and the Son are equally God. Yet God is the head of Christ. Jesus has played a distinct role by becoming a man, suffering on the cross, and He is now seated at God’s right hand. Although both are God in essence, there is a role distinction between these two Persons of the Godhead.
But ones argue, “What if a woman is more `gifted’ than other men?” My response is that `gifting’ is never to be used to contradict God’s will. It is God’s will to set up an order in the family to communicate a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33). And the church is meant to be a picture of the family as well as a congregation of families. Consider this question: If a woman were a pastor, would not her husband as part of the church be required to submit to his wife’s authority as “his pastor”? Yet, Ephesians 5:22 is clear that the wife is to submit to her husband.
God has made it very simple. Men are to be sacrificial servant-leaders in the home and in the church. Women as co-heirs with Christ are to model followership in the home and in the church. That is what Paul allowed. We would do well to heed his instructions. (For more information on this topic, read the GCLI article on “Women in Leadership” by John Piper and Wayne Grudem.” or contact me at john.hopler@gcachurches.org)
John Hopler,
Great Commission Churches,
Columbus, Ohio
