Saturday, July 31, 2021
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
What Does the Bible Say about Women Pastors?
There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than the issue of women serving as pastors. As a result, it is very important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as pastors and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not an issue of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.
The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13–14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, which definitely includes preaching to them, teaching them publicly, and exercising spiritual authority over them.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Why wasn't Jesus named Immanuel?
In the prophecy of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14,
the prophet Isaiah declares, “The Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel.” This prophecy had an initial fulfillment during Isaiah’s day,
but it ultimately refers to the birth of Jesus, as we see in Matthew 1:22–23:
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they
will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” This does not mean, however, that the Messiah’s actual given name would be Immanuel.
There are many “names” given to Jesus in the Old and New Testaments, and
Immanuel is one of them. Isaiah elsewhere prophesied of the Messiah,
“He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus was never called by any of those “names” by the people He met in
Galilee or Judea, but they are accurate descriptions of who He is and
what He does. The angel said that Jesus “will be called the Son of the
Most High” (Luke 1:32) and “the Son of God” (verse 35), but neither of those was His given name.
The prophet Jeremiah writes of “a King who will reign wisely” (Jeremiah 23:5),
and he gives us the name of the coming Messiah: “And this is the name
by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:6, ESV).
Jesus was never called “The Lord Our Righteousness” as a name, but we
can call Him that! He brings the righteousness of God to us. He is God
in the flesh, and the One who makes us righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
George Herman Ruth was named George, of course. But we can call him
other things, and we’re talking about the same person: “Babe,” “the
Bambino,” “the Sultan of Swat,” or “the Colossus of Clout.” The names
for Babe Ruth multiplied due to his personal history and his signature
talent on the ballfield. In a similar way, we can call Jesus by His
given name, but we can also call Him “Immanuel.” Or “Wonderful,”
“Counselor,” “Prince of Peace,” or “The Lord Our Righteousness.” The
names of Jesus Christ multiply due to His divine nature and miraculous
work.
To say that Jesus would be called “Immanuel” means Jesus is God, that He
dwelt among us in His incarnation, and that He is always with us. Jesus
was God in the flesh. Jesus was God making His dwelling among us (John 1:1, 14). God keeps His promises. The virgin Mary
bore a son. Two thousand years ago, in Bethlehem, we see that baby born
and lowered into the hay for a resting place. That baby, as incredible
as it seems, is God. That Baby is God with us. Jesus, as our Immanuel,
is omnipotence, omniscience, perfection, and the love that never
fails—with us.
No, Joseph did not name Jesus “Immanuel,” but Jesus’ nature makes Him
truly Immanuel, “God with us.” Isaiah told us to watch for Immanuel, the
virgin-born Son of God. He will save us; He will reconcile people to
God and restore creation to its original beauty. We know Him as Jesus,
but we can also call Him “God with us,” because that’s exactly who He
is.