Patient Practical Patriarchy

Patient, Practical Patriarchy is not just an example of alliteration.
It’s what Jesus practiced.

Not all women or all people these days appreciate how practical Christianity has been throughout the ages, or how Jesus had genuine pragmatism in certain areas of His ministry. Importantly, pragmatism was not in His values, message, or beliefs, but in the implementation and communication. He was countercultural but very practical as well.

So, why didn’t Jesus have any female disciples among the Twelve?

Pragmatism. Twelve female disciples would have looked like a harem. It suggests something sexual and not fitting for the Son of God. Two female and ten male disciples introduces a sexual element among sinners that distracts from the message. Equality of 6 female and 6 males looks more like animals entering the ark than a group of disciples and again, introduces a sexual or reproductive element that Jesus could not have without compromising His message and mission.

Does that mean Jesus wanted to restrict evangelism and Bible teaching
to men only?

I don’t believe so. Here’s why: He spoke with the woman at a well who then told a whole town (not just women from whom she was estranged), affirmed Martha’s deep knowledge and faith, and in the ministry that followed His resurrection, He commissioned women to tell the male disciples. After His ascension, He blessed Priscilla’s teaching of a great teacher (Apollos), and had Paul entrust his theological masterpiece (The Letter to the Romans) to Phoebe while commending named women who worked hard in the Lord.

Not all women (or men) or adopt a patient approach, allowing pragmatics regarding culture to inform the women-in-ministry issue. I don’t claim I’m right to be patient and others are wrong for bucking the system. The truth is, I don’t know the perfect approach or if it’s one-size-fits-all.

Some women (and men) do not wait for a church to affirm their ministry through ordination and instead avail themselves of the online ordination route. Some women (and men) view ordination as the be-all-and-end-all. Some churches like Fern Creek Baptist will hire a woman as a Senior Pastor or like Saddleback Mountain, hire women for a variety of ministry roles that are considered pastoral. Thus, the SBC votes in our Prism of Manhood.

Questions for further thought:

How does affirming biblically minded women for leadership roles help communicate the Gospel in today’s age versus the cultural pragmatics of the Near East in Jesus’ lifetime?

How does denying women of faith and intellect opportunity to freely use their giftedness result in a negative perception of misogyny? How does this become an obstacle to the Gospel’s light penetrating every corner of a culture that is slipping into dark degeneracy?

As I have said before, this is more of a manhood problem than a womanhood problem. Did Jesus fear women in His midst out of sexual concerns? Does His lack of fear mean He was lacking discernment about the appearance of meeting alone, for example, with the woman at the well or Mary and Martha? What was Jesus’ rubric for ministry?

Jesus knew no sin. But He was practical because the same cannot be said for male pastors. Is fear arising from a man’s or woman’s sin predisposition enough justification to limit the Gospel? Is that what Jesus would do?

The Apostle Paul wrote, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” (Romans 16:17) What is the teaching and who is its audience? And moreover, what does free and forgiven in Christ look like? What does mercy look like?

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The “Prism of Manhood” series includes: