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When women hold power in a church—whether officially or unofficially—two things tend to happen:
1. They strive to include anyone agreeable, regardless of error;
2. They strive to exclude anyone disagreeable, regardless of orthodoxy.
When women hold power in a church—whether officially or unofficially—two things tend to happen:
1. They strive to include anyone agreeable, regardless of error;
2. They strive to exclude anyone disagreeable, regardless of orthodoxy.
The reason for this is not due to some defect in women; on the contrary, it is exactly because God designed them to be the knitters-together of a society. Comity & harmony are women's forte & their ability to influence others toward such togetherness is both good & glorious...
...in its proper context. If you think of polite society at its best, of the way that it tempers the hard edges of men & establishes a structured space in which everyone can be included & feel confident of a place through observing the proper decorum, this is largely driven by...
...feminine virtues. However, without masculine rulership it easily turns grotesque and pathological, with subtle hierarchies and cliques, and unspoken rules that exclude anyone deemed offensive.
Women will always be tempted to remove discomfort.
Women will always be tempted to remove discomfort.
At its best, this impulse is out of a well-intentioned concern for the emotional well-being of others. At its worst, it is motivated by selfish emotional need.
Either way, however, biblical Christianity requires discomfort, because it requires discipline.
Scripture says..
Either way, however, biblical Christianity requires discomfort, because it requires discipline.
Scripture says..
"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
Temporary pain at the hands of “church fathers” yields the lasting peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Temporary pain at the hands of “church fathers” yields the lasting peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Men who faithfully imitate Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles, are therefore both proficient at ruffling feathers, and likely to do so. This directly rubs against the grain of women's instincts.
By contrast, however, false teachers are experts at being agreeable. This goes back to Eden, with the smooth-talking serpent, who shrewdly singled out Eve as the easier target for his silver tongue.
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