Scripture Does Not Change-Our Understanding Changes
Paul Burleson's journey from legalism to freedom for women in Christ.
Here is an excerpt:
"Shift two came as a result of studying the scriptures afresh. Laying aside culture, preconceptions, teachers and theological systems I'd learned, I began searching the text anew for myself. For starters, in 1 Timothy 2:12 I began to see the text is less clear than most complementarians see it and that lack of clarity was NOT there because of our culture imposed on it but because of Paul's language used in the text to address HIS culture. It was understanding his culture that came into play for me as I began to grasp what he was saying.To take that verse as an absolute universal principle for all women of all times and to impose a standard of silence and no authority over men flew into the face of so many other portions of the text of the New Testament. The Samaritan woman of John 4, Lydia of Acts 16, and Mary of Matthew 28 who seemed to speak the Word of God to all including men seemed contrary to 1 Timothy 2:12 being a principle for all time and places.
The ministry of Jesus seemed to do the same. He taught, commissioned and sent out women as well as men as indicated in the gospels. Add to that others like Phoebe who was a deacon, [there is no Greek word deaconess] Junia whom Paul said was outstanding among the apostles in Romans 16:7 [there are many more that could be given] and I saw there was something about 1 Timothy 2:12 that I needed to examine anew. So I did."
Image: The Samaritan woman at the well
2 comments:
Intriguing. Nothing new about that process of paradigm realignment (yes, those are carefully chosen words). I've heard it all before and never from folks that even remotely claim sola scriptura. Something is not quite "right".
Its like the ceiling fan with a wobbly clink. It makes a clinking sound because it is slightly off balance. Though it "works" ok it is still not "right" and needs to be balanced. The fan kit has balances to place but the trick is to find that place.
This needs much more examination to rid the ceiling fan of the wobbly clinking.
Rehash of old is nothing new.
I've never heard of lots of things that I later find out are incredibly common.
When we encounter something that doesn't seem quite right, perhaps it is our own perspective that is out of balance.
Sometimes we find that something that seems new to us is more authentic than what we've been familiar with.
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