This series was the product of a major change for our assembly. We used to be a female led, mono-pastorial “church” until we discovered that the passages we had always written off as “cultural” or “situational” were actually based upon the Old Testament. This caused yet a further conflict because we thought that we were free from every external standard in the Old Testament except the very strict and straight-forward understanding of the 10 commandments. Yet, firmly rooted and represented throughout the entire New Testament were example after example of Paul, James, Peter, John…etc. quoting or referencing the Old Testament as the very purpose and support for New Testament theology. This was a major revelation!

When Paul said,
” Let the woman learn in peace with all subjection and without contention.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

he gave his reason and it was not cultural,

“For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

So we see Paul, pointing back to the created order and the proclivity of the woman to be deceived in light of all the facts. This has a strong tendency to illicit anger and a plethora of backlash from the religious “left” – in fact it stirred up anger in my own heart. I studied these verses and dug into the Greek looking for loop holes I was certain I would find, but I came up empty handed and still angry. It was not until I submitted to the authority of scripture that God honored me with understanding – now what once seemed dirty, bigoted and ugly is now virtuous, honoring and beautiful.

In the end, we have come to realize that though the covenant has changed and the means of obtaining righteousness & justification have changed – God hasn’t! What IS right and what IS wrong – is so, because it is a reflection of His unchanging character. This makes the morality of the Old Testament still very applicable to the Christian under the New Covenant.

God has fulfilled His promise to write His unchanging Law upon the hearts of His children in the New Covenant and works in them to produce works and fruit which are well pleasing to Him. This fruit is well pleasing because it is produced THROUGH our vital union with Him in relational trust and not by any self-effort of the flesh.

I hope that these teaching will bless you and help illuminate the scriptures in a way which will lead to obedience and ultimately to joy and deep soul, satisfaction in pleasing Him.