Woman Bishops Again.

The Church of England, last November, 2012, had a vote on the ordination of woman bishops. The decision, (by a narrow margin), was that the church would NOT ordain woman as bishops. So, that’s the end of the matter then.

Actually no, it’s not. Like many of the issues precious to the liberal left, this can not be left alone. Taking their cue from other liberal institutions, (like the EU, who are known for their ability to ignore democratic votes and demand that referenda be rerun until they get the vote that they want) the Church of England are having another go at obtaining the vote they want, regardless of popular opinion, and more importantly, regardless of Scripture teaching and two thousand years of church history.

But how will they change the minds of those theological ‘dinosaurs’ who still want to obey Biblical truth? Through persuasive theological argument? Calling a week of prayer and fasting, a time of denominational self-examination and repentance?

Not at all. Bring in a management consultancy! Run a team-building, bonding exercise. Use some psychological manipulation…

So that’s what they have done. Tactics have included getting the protagonists into mixed groups, to explain to each other about their feelings when the vote was taken last November. A theatre group acted out a ‘big brother house’ scenario involving all the parties, showing their alleged interaction…

Meanwhile the Biblical truth surrounding the issue hasn’t changed.

1st Timothy 2:11-13. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve

1st Corinthians 14:33-35 As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

That seems pretty clear to me. What does the Church of England not understand about such clear teaching? The issue of course is headship, a doctrine no longer preached in the visible church lest it offend the feminists. But it is a Biblical truth.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Of course, if the institutional leadership of a denomination is already rotten, there’s not much hope for the clergy and members, and the new ‘evangelical’ Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby supports female bishops and wants to see the enabling legislation passed as soon as possible.
That says it all.