LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 317

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

317

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Similarly, the single person who lives respectfully and honorably in relationship with the other sex as “brother or sister” also
reflects the goodness of individuality and community. Our Lord
commends the chaste single life as a blessing “for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:10–12) and He Himself models it.
St. Paul also both commends and models single chastity (see 1 Cor
7:8, 32–35) as a means to free an individual to please the Lord
without distraction. Consider the difference between these biblical
perspectives toward singleness and the prevalent perspectives of
a sinful world. Singleness in our society is frequently viewed as
an opportunity to live “for myself” without responsibility toward
others (sexual or otherwise) or as a mark of personal failure for not
having attracted someone. God’s Word views singleness as an opportunity and calling for service to Him and His world.
What is clear is that individuals, whether male or female, married or single, are called to exercise their individual spiritual gifts
in a way that pleases God and benefits others (1 Cor 12:7, 27; 1 Pet
4:10). Similarly, they are freed and empowered by God’s grace to
exercise their individual responsibilities in daily life in church, employment, and society in ways that benefit the whole (Eph 6:1–9;
Col 3:22–4:1; 1 Pet 2:13–22).
All this is indeed true of every individual Christian and must not
be minimized, but neither should we ignore specific responsibilities God has given us as male and female. Older men and women
should be treated as fathers and mothers, respectively. Younger
men and women should treat one another as brothers and sisters—
all of which is done in sexual purity (1 Tim 5:1–2). Christian individuals will approach their everyday life with an understanding
that God’s Word addresses what human experience recognizes as
typical masculine and feminine traits. So men will take seriously
the biblical counsel not to neglect prayer and to discipline their tendency toward anger and competitiveness. Women will not ignore
the warning to avoid dress and conduct that are immodest or irreverent (1 Tim 2:8–10).64 Notice that, in such ways, sexual identity remains intact, but it is disciplined by Christian morality and
responsibility.
Disrespect toward individual identity
When individuality in the context of community is not rightly
understood or practiced, one or the other suffers. A single-minded
pursuit of community—ecclesial, marital, societal, or otherwise—
will minimize the individual person and his or her needs, gifts, and
abilities. In the name of marriage, frequently the wife’s individuality has been stifled as her needs are ignored and her potential
gifts to marriage, family, and wider society are scorned or unappreciated. The same is true in the church, where institutional concerns can overwhelm and undermine individual needs and gifts.
In particular, our Synod, in keeping with Scripture and historical
church practice, rightly does not ordain women to the office of the
ministry. At the same time, some within our Synod have wrongly
ignored, minimized, and devalued the gifts and talents of women.
Women who have lectured on various topics such as abortion,
teaching techniques, or theological issues have sometimes been
vilified as violating “the order of creation” and refusing to accept
their “proper place.” The rights and responsibilities of women—
as full members of the priesthood of believers—to serve God in
various earthly vocations, not just the family, have been ignored
or implicitly denied. There is a legitimate frustration that women’s
theological questions, concerns, and insights have sometimes been
treated disrespectfully or as illegitimate. Right practice with respect
to ordination to the pastoral office does not legitimize or excuse
wrong or abusive practices elsewhere.

The Bible’s clear direction regarding responsible male leadership in the home and male ordination to pastoral ministry may not
be assumed to mean that only men can exercise any kind of leadership or authority in home, church, or society. Some view this as an
inconsistency, but it is not. In Baptism every believer is called to
service in his or her vocations within the various spheres of life.
The body of Christ requires that its individual members exercise
the wide variety of their gifts, whether that individual is male or
female (1 Cor 12:7). Therefore our church has affirmed the calling
of women teachers, deaconesses, professors, and missionaries. We
have endorsed such organizations as the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and the Women’s Leadership Institute. We have affirmed the freedom of congregations to grant women’s suffrage and
have opened to women various lay leadership positions in congregations, districts, and Synod. We have recognized and encouraged
the leadership of women in business, government, the professions,
and other sectors of society.65
Such leadership of women is not inconsistent with Scriptural
teaching. On the contrary, it exists in the very context of our
church’s life and teaching which upholds and promulgates the
divinely ordered responsibility of pastors and husbands. When
women serve in this way they are enhancing the work of the priesthood of all believers, serving as members of the body of Christ, and
not usurping pastoral authority or violating the “order of creation.”
Scripture provides numerous examples of such service, for instance
Priscilla’s instruction of Apollos (Acts 18:26) or the teaching Timothy received from his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 1:5).
This also helps to address the circumstance of single women in
the church.66 Paul’s advice to wives which urges them to endorse
and encourage their husband’s spiritual responsibility obviously
does not apply to unmarried women (1 Cor 14:35). However, single
women are encouraged to seek spiritual counsel from their pastor
or those who assist him in ministry. Moreover, a single woman,
like a single man, is reminded by the Word of God that she has a
special opportunity for service to Christ (see 1 Cor 7:32–35). The
church ought not place unbiblical restrictions on those whom God
has uniquely enabled to provide “undivided devotion to the Lord”
(1 Cor 7:35). Even as Paul joyfully commended numerous women
for their work in the Lord among the Christians of Rome (see Rom
16:3–16), so today the God-given individual gifts and talents of
women are a blessing for the church to celebrate and utilize.
The breakdown of community in the name of individualism
The gifts of the Holy Spirit given to individuals, both male and
female, are intended for service to God and His church. The tapestry of a Christian marriage provides living witness to the intention
of God for men and women to complement one another in service
to Him and His people. As a couple lives in chaste, life-long fidelity and love, exercising their individual gifts and responsibilities in
complementary ways, forgiving one another and maintaining the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, a tapestry of the beautiful marriage of Christ with His Church is portrayed (see Eph 4:3;
5:21ff.). Thus, a Christian marriage becomes a living witness and
testimony to the love of Christ and His bride, the church.
Sadly, unrestrained individualism is a very real danger to God’s
beautiful tapestry of marriage. Statistics become dated as soon as
they are published, but three aspects of current North American
marital life are inarguable: (1) the high rate of divorce; (2) the prevalence of sexual relationships outside of marriage (with consequent
results: widespread abortion and increasing numbers of children
growing up in single-parent households); 67 and (3) the ongoing
attempt to redefine marriage as any legal romantic bond between
two persons (e.g., “same-sex marriage”). Each of these indicators

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 317

4/15/10 2:40 PM