If you really think this part of history is taken out of context then you should "complain" to the Bible Societies, because they were circulating this information in connection with the 400th anniversary of the KJV as part of the original history of that translation. That was how it came to my attention.

Just show them that you have much better information about what happened.

The big distinction we make between various church offices.

Romans 16:1
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.

Paul claims to be a deacon as well. We approve of ordaining deacons. Here we have this sister who was a deacon.

In Acts we are told that deacons baptized according to a literal understanding of the Bible.

Why do we make the distinction the Bible does not?

As far as I can see the only comparison Paul makes is that those who function in the temple are to receive a compensation for their work. The Christians soon stopped gathering in the temple, but had their own convocations.

Only the Roman Catholic church continued with the offerings in their doctrine that the priest miraculously made a body of Jesus Christ of the wafer. And then he repeated the offering on the Old Testament.

Seventh-day Adventist have accepted that Jesus Christ is now our High Priest in the new Sanctuary service, and therefore there is no more a priest making an offering during the mass.

I have been through the system. I was asked to tell about our religion in a Roman Catholic Church. Before my lecture the priest performed a mass, but because I was not a Roman Catholic I could not have the wafer, also because I did not believe in the miracle that the wafer would become the real body of Christ in my mouth.

This shows us that we follow the Reformation. One of the reasons for the reformation was because the Roman Catholic church believed their priest fathers were miracle makers and followed the Old Testament system of male only priesthood.

Martin Luther claimed this was false, and he taught that any church member could perform any of the rites of the Church pastor, regardless of male or female, since we now are all members of the Royal Priesthood.

Are you a Protestant or a Roman Catholic today?

Thank you for the questions, Alchemy. Just ask again if I did not give an answer to your satisfaction.

Nowhere in the Bible does God forbid ordaining women elders and pastors. Jesus Himself ordained women to serve as leaders. His appointment means more than humans laying hands on someone (and humans refusing to lay hands on someone).

You are so right, MM, even if you search the Scripture for the literal meaning of the text, it isn't there.

Are there qualifications for deaconesses? Does the Bible specify? Or should we just ordain anyone who answers the call from the Nominating Committee?

You keep saying this but you have not even shown one scripture that supports this.

Nowhere in the Bible is ordination ever forbidden...of anyone. So we could turn your statement into one authorizing the ordination of ____________.

The problem with this need to find a prohibition is, God does not need to proscribe all of the "special cases" when it's much easier to set down qualifications for the called. People are unhappy with those qualifications, and look for loopholes, saying things like "Well, since God did not forbid this...."

What must God think to see His people looking for ways to sidestep His clear directions!

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Mountain Man said "Nowhere in the Bible does God forbid ordaining women elders and pastors."

1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.

***** STAFF EDIT *****

You said "Jesus Himself ordained women to serve as leaders".

***** STAFF EDIT *****

If Jesus ORDAINED a woman, prove it. Through scripture or any of the writings of the Lord's servant.