Women are not equal in the church: Michelle Lesley P/5

Read Part One HERE

In this blog I continue to focus on popular blogger Michelle Lesley.

She has made the following statement with regards Galatians 3:28

Michelle Lesley

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Michelle Lesley: "Anyone can come to Christ in repentance and faith - Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, all are welcome. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. No one is more important than anybody else. We are all equally saved, equally loved, equally forgiven of our sin, equally precious in God's eyes. But equality in salvation does not translate to equality in church roles. A king and a pauper might have worshipped side by side in the Galatian church, but when it came to the role of giving, the church would not have expected the same offering from the pauper as from the king. This didn't make the king more important than the pauper, it just gave him a different area of responsibility because of who he was. Likewise, men and women are equally saved and forgiven in God's eyes, but still fulfill different roles in the body of Christ of who they are."

My Comment

Michelle Lesley is correct when she states that anyone can come to Christ in repentance and faith for we are all equally precious in God's eyes.But her next statements are not correct as far as Scripture is concerned.

Let's first of all look at her example of a king and a pauper. It is true, that as for financial giving the king will be able to give more than the pauper. However as far as the spiritual gift of financial giving is concerned, the requirement does not state that it has to be a large amount to be acceptable, it simply states that it is to be done generously and a pauper can give as generously as a king and might even do so sacrificially while  a king  might just give generously even though he may well give much more than the pauper. The story of the widow who gave what she could is such an example. She was praised by Jesus for, though she only gave two small copper coins, she gave more than any other for they gave out of their wealth and she gave out of her poverty (Mark 12:41-44).

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is the One who gives gifts as He determines as we know from

Romans 12:4-8
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, then do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

P.S. Please note that no gender is mentioned in Romans 12:4-8 in the original text so it is best to use "you" when speaking of a particular gift.

And in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all people. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the messaged of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one just as He determines."

And in Ephesians 4:11
It was He (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers...."

We learn from the above passages that the Holy Spirit does not have a special list of gifts for Jews, a special list of gifts for Greeks, a special list of gifts for slaves, a special list of gifts for free, a special list of gifts for males or a special list of gifts for females. He, apparently is "blind" as far as nationality, position in life, or gender is concerned.
Therefore, believers are to function in the church in accordance with their spiritual gifts, regardless what their nationality, status in life or gender may be. That may mean that a pauper may be the pastor of a church and a king may be serving as an usher. Or it may mean that a cleaning lady is an elder and her employer serves as a greeter.

P.S. I will continue to focus on blogger Michelle Lesley when I will discuss her next example related to Galatians 3:28.

 

Read Part Six HERE