The latest tempest
Check out this news report, complete with accompanying video coverage.
It seems that a Baptist Church in Watertown, NY has “fired” a Sunday School teacher who has been serving for 54+ years. Why? Well, the controversy is stemming from the slant that it’s because she’s a woman. It seems that the “firing” letter quoted 1 Timothy 2:11-14. The press has now gotten ahold of this, and the general tenor of the coverage, as well as the reaction (as can be seen at digg.com), is to paint this as just another way that “fundamentalists” are “misinterpreting” a “book of fiction” in order to “subjugate” women.
Frankly, what offends me the most, theologically speaking, is the misinformed position that is at the heart of giving the pastor in question the 8th Commandment benefit of the doubt. If he truly had her removed from teaching SS because of what’s stated in 1 Tim 2:11-14, then I would have to say that he is wrong — but not for the reasons that are being given in all of the controversial coverage & reaction.
If the “wronged” woman was teaching children in SS, then she was working under the authority of the parents - i.e., a 4th Commandment thing. This is all well and good. There’s nothing wrong with women teaching children — it doesn’t run afoul of the authority issue explained by St. Paul. (We’ll just set aside, for the time being, the fact that SS as it is currently “done” in most Lutheran Churches is doing our children a grave disservice, as this Methodistic innovation actually undermines good, solid, Lutheran catechesis…)
If, however, she was teaching adults (and more specifically, adult males), then it is a problem, as that type of teaching is part of the authority vested in the pastoral office - i.e., (IIRC) a 1st Commandment thing. This, then, is in direct opposition to that outlined by St. Paul.
Vocation is a powerful doctrine, and it’s one that is woefully misunderstood because it’s been woefully under-taught. A proper understanding of vocation would yield many “controversies” (such as this one) moot.
I’d be willing to wager that the vast majority of folks who are offended by this “injustice” are in such a state for all the wrong reasons. And that’s a terrible thing in and of itself…
-ghp
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