A Deeper Look into the Theology of Ordination

[CGMedley]

At the Annual Council meetings there were three positions on Theology of Ordination presented. 

 

Here' are links to the transcribed notes of each presentation.

 

 

Position #1

http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/theology-of-ordination-position-no.-1

 

Position #2

http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/theology-of-ordination-position-no.-2

 

Position #3

http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/theology-of-ordination-position-no.-3

[Lauralea]

The ceremonial law in relation to Gentile converts in the third position does seem to have possible parallels with the present time.

[Tom Wetmore]

Please elaborate.

[Lauralea]

Sorry I didn't see your request earlier Tom.

After much dispute, Peter said 

"So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."

 I worked at a supporting ministry in California for years and we had very prominent Adventist educators from the Far East come and show the work that is being done by women there, showing us the pictures of the actual churches being raised up. As I have heard of the thousands of baptisms done, I am reminded of when the early Gentile believers were baptized because God had given them the spirit as well as the believing Jews. While the ceremony of baptism differs from that of ordination, I believe the principle applies.

.I also concur with Mark Finley in his saying that even if his viewpoint is not accepted, he will go forward in unity with the church body in the work of proclaiming the Gospel.

 

When meeting those who had accepted the gospel in a different culture the Jerusalem Council distinguished between the ceremonial law and those truths necessary for salvation. I do not see what is happening in North America alone to be the issue here. Even if one believes the churches and conferences here who ordained women were premature, what of the work being done by women in China, if this is of the Lord, how can we stand against it, and what must we do to prepare for the eventual hope that the church in China may have more of a role in the world church? While maintaining church order, how will we accept these believers into the world church body with open arms? So is not permitting women's ordination a necessary part of the law of Moses like not eating things that were strangled ( because they had not been drained of blood) or is it a prohibition that is part of the ceremonial law that is not essential. Woman was first in transgression and was created for man, I do not agitate the issue, but as Mark Finley repeated 3 times with power at the General Conference in Atlanta in 2010, his last major speech as a vice president of the General Conference, "In Christ there is no male or female." As Deborah and Ellen White stood in the gap as prophets, sometimes God raises up women as well as men to fill unusual roles. Not usurping authority is different than being called to necessary service in extraordinary circumstances as in China.