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We have just spent the last three weeks dealing with one of the most complex, controversial, and sensitive passages in the entire book of I Corinthians. The first half of chapter 11 addresses public worship, leadership gifts, and gender. At first read, it simply leads you to scratch your head (no pun intended).
We have spent most of our time these last three weeks addressing the macro issues of the passage and the universal principles taught. Separating the timeless principles from the cultural applications, relevant for a specific culture and timeframe, is no easy task (but is essential when interpreting Scripture).
For example, we are told in I Cor. 16:20 that we are to greet one another with a holy kiss. The timeless principle taught there is that when we come together as the body of Christ, we are to be hospitable, warm, and friendly. The application to the Greek culture in 50 A.D. was by a kiss (in some cultures this is still true). In 21st Century U.S., the cultural application most relevant is a friendly smile, a handshake, or possibly a hug.
In the same way, I Cor. 11 has a universal and timeless principle (male headship in the home and church – which meant ultimate accountability and was predominantly fleshed out as servant-leadership), and the cultural application of that principle was a head covering by women (or in some cases long hair). However, in our culture head coverings do not symbolize what they did in that culture, therefore, the cultural application is not the same (however, the principle of male headship still must be preserved).
What we addressed yesterday, however, is that while God has given ultimate accountability in the home to the husband and in the church with the elders, God has given men and women (as well as children) various gifts to serve and help lead the church. It is common for churches who believe in male headship to suggest that God only wants men leading the church or the husband leading the family. (Men certainly must step up and fulfill the role God has given them to be servant leaders, but that is a lesson for a different day). It is just as true, though, that when God gifts people in the church, his gifts are not gender specific.
In I Cor. 11, one of the gifts mentioned there was the gift of prophecy. This is an upfront, public, leadership type gift – and it is given to men and women. It is one of the equipping gifts taught in Ephesians 4:11.
This idea is similar to the fact that God equips wives and even children to help lead the family (not just the husband). Sometimes my wife or children have more faith than I do in an area, or they may have a greater passion than I do in an area, and they end up leading me. I love it. It doesn’t mean I am not fulfilling my role as the leader of the family (although I do need to make sure I am), but it does empower them to lead with me.
For example, my two girls have been on me for about two years for our family to recycle. I simply have not wanted to do it because it takes extra time. God created the earth and calls his people to take care of it and steward it. Recycling is a way of taking care of the environment, and because this is a stewardship issue, it is a spiritual and God-honoring practice. Last month we have now become a recycling family. It took me two years, and the reason we are doing it today is because God used my seven and eight year old girls to lead our family. I praise God for their leadership.
In the same spirit, God gifts women in our churches (and even children) to help lead the church. Under the guidance of male headship from the elders, God raises up men, women, and children to publicly lead the church based on the gifts he has given.
We spent some time yesterday in the message distinguishing between position (husband or elders) and gifts (prophecy, leadership, faith, administration, evangelist, etc.). Often, we blur the difference between position (which carries authority or ultimate accountability) and giftedness.
Many times women have been gifted by God’s Spirit, but because position and giftedness get blurred, women are held back from utilizing their gifts, particularly if they are leadership and upfront kind of gifts. What we noted yesterday is that women should not feel hindered or tentative to use their gifts as long as male headship is still acknowledged.
In light of the message, we had a couple women lead worship, a woman lead in the offering prayer, all the ushers were women, and I even had my wife come up and close my message in a corporate prayer. It was a tremendous blessing to see our women lead.
In this same spirit, we will hand over two corporate services in August to our teens, and they will lead the rest of us (adults). They understand they are under the headship of their parents, but that does not mean they can’t lead their parents and the rest of us in various ways corporately in our services. I believe God has gifted many of them not to be leaders of the church in the future, but leaders of the church today.
May God be praised as we seek to release the potential God has given his people to serve and lead his church.