Jolivet, Ira J.

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LeavenVolume 13Issue 1 1 Timothy Article 91-1-2005The "Women's Issue" and the Letter and Spirit ofthe LawIra J. JolivetIra.Jolivet@pepperdine.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leavenPart of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought,Theology and Philosophy of Religion CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven byan authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Kevin.Miller3@pepperdine.edu.Recommended CitationJolivet, Ira J. (2005) "The "Women's Issue" and the Letter and Spirit of the Law," Leaven: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 9.Available at: http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol13/iss1/9The "Women's Issue" and theLetter and Spirit of the LawIRA J. JOLIVETIn1981, while I was working on my undergraduate degree in biblical studies at the Institute for ChristianStudies in Austin, Texas, a minister from the Christian church came to speak with us, and he pre-dicted that Churches of Christ would be struggling with the women :s issue in 20 years. I became ratherindignant at the suggestion, protesting that we would never engage in such a struggle because, unlike the .Christian church, we obeyed such commands as those found in 1 Tim 2:11-15 in which Paul states:Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over aman; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the womanwas deceived and became atransgressor, Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continuein faith and love and holiness, with modesty.The Christian minister, of course, was right, and I was wrong. Many of our congregations have beenstruggling with the roles of women in worship and other areas of church life for some time now. Some haveseemingly defied the scriptures by allowing women to pray or actively participate in the public assembly.Others have adamantly resisted these kinds of changes, seeing themselves as holding the line against heresyand apostasy. Still others have-for the sake of unity or in the naive hope that the issue will simply go awayif they ignore it-refused to evendiscuss the role of women in the church.But nearly everyone recognizes that the issue presents one of the greatest challenges to Churches ofChrist today. The challenge arises because people. want to be obedient to the will of God as expressed in hisWord, but they also sense that talented and bright women-feeling frustration because they are treated asequals everywhere but in the church-are seeking out fellowships where their voices are not marginalizedand where they can cultivate and make use of their unique spiritual gifts. Indeed, the future of the Church ofChrist may very well depend on how we deal with the issue of women's roles in the church.Our church scholars have on many occasions attempted to shed light on the issue but have not, as far asI ain aware, produced any consensus-building exegetical resolutions. The reason for this is that the problemthat the issue generates is one of hermeneutics, or how we interpret Scripture, rather than exegesis. Morespecifically, we have great difficulties dealing with the women's issue and other doctrinal matters becauseour guiding hermeneutical principle of focusing on the commands, examples, and necessary inferences ofthe New Testament has caused us to strive to follow the letter of the law rather than its intent or spirit.And as Paul states in 2 Cor 3:6: "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." The resolution, therefore,lies in interpreting the New Testament the way Jesus and Paul interpreted their authoritative Scriptures, theHebrew Bible-that is, according to the intent or spirit of the law rather than according to the letter.ROOTS OF DILEMMAThe roots of our hermeneutical dilemma may be seen in two excerpts from one of the foundational doc-uments of the Restoration Movement, Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address. The first excerpt readsas follows:1Jolivet: The "Women's Issue" and the Letter and Spirit of the LawPublished by Pepperdine Digital Commons, 2005FIRST TIMOTHY LEAVEN 47Thus have we briefly endeavored to shew our brethren, what evidently appears to us to be the heinousnature and dreadful consequences of the truly latitudinarian principle and practice, which is the bitter root ofalmost all our divisions; namely, the imposing of our private opinions upon each other, as articles of faith erduty; introducing them into the public profession and practice of the church, and acting upon them, as if theywere the express law of Christ, by judging and rejecting our brethren that differ with us in those things; or,at least, by so retaining them in our-public profession and practice, that our brethren cannot join with us, orwe with them, without becoming actually partakers in those things, which they, or we, cannot, in conscienceapprove; and which the word of God no where expressly enjoins us. To cease from all such things, by sim-ply returning to the original standard of Christianity-the profession and practice of the primitive church, asexpressly exhibited upon the sacred page of New Testament scripture, is the only possible way, that we canperceive, to get rid of those evils. And we humbly think that a uniform agreement in that for the preservationof charity would be infinitely preferableto our contentions and divisions: nay, that such a uniformity is thevery thing that the Lord requires, if the New Testament be a perfect model-a sufficient formula for the wor-ship discipline and government of the Christian church. Let us do, as we are there expressly told they did, sayas they said: that IS, profess and practise as therein expressly enjoined by precept and precedent, in every pos-sible instance, after their approved example; and in so doing we shall realize, and exhibit, all that unity anduniformity, that the primitive church possessed, or that the law of Christ requires.Here we see that Campbell attributed divisions in Christianity to the imposition by some church leadersof private opinions, or, interpretations, as matters of faith and duty upon other Christians. Here we also seethat Campbell himself sought to bring about unity through adherence to the "law of Christ" which consistsof those things that are "expressly enjoined by precept and precedent and by approved example" in the NewTestament which he views as a "perfect model, a sufficient formula for the worship, discipline, and govern-ment" of the church.What Campbell means by the key term expressly here may be understood in light of the second excerptin which he elaborates further on the causes of divisions within Christianity.We say, let them profess what they will, their difference in religious profession and practice originates intheir departure from what is expressly revealed and enjoined; and not in their strict and faithful conformityto it-which is the thing we humbly advise for putting an end to those differences. But you may say, do theynot already all agree in the letter, though differing so far in the sentiment? However this may be, have theyall agreed to make the letter their rule; or rather to make it-the subject matter of their profession and practice?Surely no; or else they would all profess and practise the same thing. Is it not as evident as the shining light,that the scriptures exhibit but one and the self same subject matter of profession and practice; at all times,and in all places;-and, that therefore, to say as it declares, and do as it prescribes, in all its holy precepts, itsapproved and imitable examples, would unite the Christian church in a holy sameness of profession and prac-tice, throughout the whole world?Here it is clear that Campbell equates speaking as the New Testament declares and doing as it prescribesin precepts and by example with adhering to the letter of the law. It is also obvious that he sincerely believedthat the way to achieve Christian unity was to adhere strictly to this letter of the law.As Campbell's spiritual descendants, we in the Churches of Christ have inherited his well-intentionedgoal of achieving Christian unity. Unfortunately, we have also inherited his likewise well-intentioned buthighly problematic view of the New Testament as a legal document that must be followed to the letter.This view is problematic because it is the exact opposite of the way the New Testament figures and writers,including the apostle Paul and Jesus himself, interpreted their authoritative scriptures.For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something externaland physical. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is.a mat-PAUL'S VIEW OF LAWIn Rom 2:28-29, for example, Paul writes:2Leaven, Vol. 13 [2005], Iss. 1, Art. 9http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol13/iss1/948 LEAVEN First Quarter 2005ter of the heart-it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from othersbut from God.And in Rom 7:6 he goes on to write, "But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which heldus captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit." In both ofthese passages, Paul was sending loud and clear signals to his audience at Rome-who were certainly morerhetorically sensitive than modem readers of Romans-that he was arguing for following the spirit of thelaw rather than the letter;In fact, when the whole argument of Romans is seen in this light, it becomes clear that Paul's purpose inwriting to the church at Rome was to heal the divisions which had arisen because the Jewish converts whocontinued to follow the letter of the Torah's dietary and sacred calendar laws were judging and boasting overthe Gentile members who did not do likewise. Paul sums up his argument succinctly in Rom 14:17-18 whenhe writes: "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the HolySpirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval."The conclusion would have been obvious to Paul's audience: God's subjects in his new kingdom followthe Spirit and not the letter of the Torah.JESUS' VIEW OF LAWJesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount lead to the. same conclusion. For in Matt 5:31-32 he states:It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce." But Isay to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes herto commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.Those to whom Jesus spoke knew that he was interpreting Deut 24: 1-4 which reads:Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because hefinds something objectionable about her, and so he writes her a certificate of divorce, putsit in her hand, and sends her out of his house; she then leaves his house and goes off tobecome another man's wife. Then suppose the second man dislikes her, writes her a bill ofdivorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house (or the second man who' marriedher dies); her first husband, who sent her away, is not-permitted to take her again to be hiswife after she has been defiled; for that would be abhorrent to the Lord, and you shall notbring guilt on the land that the Lord your God is givingyou as a possession.In this letter of the law on divorce and remarriage, we see that the woman had no rights whatsoever. Shewas also completely vulnerable. Furthermore, the man bore no responsibility for guilt. Jesus' interpretationrectifies this situation. The husband cannot divorce his wife for any frivolous reason, and if he does, he bearsresponsibility for causing her to sin. Jesus has found the true intent of God behind the letter of the law. Andthat intent is true justice.As we see in Amos 5:21-24, God's intent has always been justice:I hate, I despise your festivals,and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,I will not accept them;and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animalsI will not look upon.Take away from me the noise of your songs;I will not listen to the melody of your harps.3Jolivet: The "Women's Issue" and the Letter and Spirit of the LawPublished by Pepperdine Digital Commons, 2005FIRST TIMOTHY LEAVEN 49But let justice roll down like waters,and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.In this passage, we see that the Israelites were following the letter of the law when it came to sacrificeand other cultic rituals. But God speaking through the prophet rebuked them and revealed that what he reallyrequires from his people is that they treat others, especially the oppressed, justly.God's intent was shown to be consistent over time when centuries later Jesus addressed those whostrove to follow the letter of the law meticulously with these words:Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglectedthe weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced withoutneglecting the others. (Matt 23:23)In these words of Jesus, we see once again that justice is the intent of God behind the letter of the law.Since Jesus spoke these words, people like Thomas Campbell have attempted to interpret the NewTestament as a new letter of the law. But God has worked in human history to show us that his intent has notchanged.We see this with the issue of slavery in America. For centuries enslaved African-American Christiansprayed to God for deliverance from the oppression of one of the most brutal institutions ever devised byhumans. While these Christians were praying, other Christians were justifying owning, buying, and sellingtheir brothers and sisters in Christ by appealing to passages such as Eph 6:5-8 in which Paul states:Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; notonly while being watched, and in order to' please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God fromthe heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatevergood we do, we will receive again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. -Slave-owning Christians used this and similar passages to condone slavery as ordained by God and toperpetuate it in America. Eventually, God answered the prayers of his enslaved people and delivered them .from bondage. In so doing, he also revealed that the letter of the law is sometimes at odds with his intent,which is always consistent with true justice for the oppressed.Today we are treating women unjustly in our churches by following the letter rather than the intent ofthe law. We do this primarily by denying that they have a voice or any significant spiritual gifts. The injus-tice that we inflict upon them begins when we teach our young girls that their opinions do not really matter.We teach them this lesson explicitly when we command them to be silent in the church. We teach them thisimplicitly when we encourage young boys to participate in every aspect of the worship service as soon asthey are baptized while girls who obey the gospel are basically encouraged to go back to their seats and sitquietly and submissively as men tell them what to think.- For the most part, those who learned from Thomas Campbell to adhere meticulously to the commandsand examples of the New Testament sided with those who used the letter of the law to perpetuate slaveryand therefore failed to live up to the true intent of God to treat the oppressed justly. With the women'sissue, God is giving us another chance to understand and comply with his eternal intent, which perhaps heexpressed through Paul's words in Gal 3:28: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave orfree, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."IRA JOLIVETDr. Jolivet teaches New Testament at Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, and preaches for the WoodlandHills Church of Christ, Woodland Hills, California.I·I'tIiiI'IIIII.!II4Leaven, Vol. 13 [2005], Iss. 1, Art. 9http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol13/iss1/9

The  Women\u27s Issue  and the Letter and Spirit of the Law

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The Women\u27s Issue and the Letter and Spirit of the Law

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