# Women 'speakers'



## christianyouth (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, I was almost made an egalitarian by listening to Joni Erickson Tada. She spoke at the Ligonier Conference. It was very good. But I wonder if this was biblical. Was it?


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## Coram Deo (Mar 13, 2008)

I do not believe it to be biblical... So I did not watch it...

Women are not to be in authority over men and teaching even at a Conference is still having authority over men... 

The same would hold true for bible studies, prayer time, or other times in mixed gender situation..

And for Church.. Don't get me started... Woman are to be kept silent in the churches. If they have a question the scriptures exhort them to go home and ask their husbands... Not to stand up and share, or testimony time, praying or asking prayer request or ask questions during question and answer time... Let the woman keep silent is the command.




christianyouth said:


> Well, I was almost made an egalitarian by listening to Joni Erickson Tada. She spoke at the Ligonier Conference. It was very good. But I wonder if this was biblical. Was it?


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## DMcFadden (Mar 13, 2008)

christianyouth said:


> Well, I was almost made an egalitarian by listening to Joni Erickson Tada. She spoke at the Ligonier Conference. It was very good. But I wonder if this was biblical. Was it?



Interesting. Joni is certainly no egalitarian. Last time I checked, she had a pretty conservative view of male-female roles.


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## Ivan (Mar 13, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> christianyouth said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I was almost made an egalitarian by listening to Joni Erickson Tada. She spoke at the Ligonier Conference. It was very good. But I wonder if this was biblical. Was it?
> ...



Indeed, and she is pretty much Reformed too, as I understand.


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## Casey (Mar 13, 2008)

Without giving an opinion on the matter, I will say this: Conferences are entirely optional (like reading a book or magazine) and you make no vows to submit to the speakers, whereas hearing the Word preached on the Lord's Day and submission to your minister/elders in the Lord is not optional.


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## Anton Bruckner (Mar 13, 2008)

StaunchPresbyterian said:


> Without giving an opinion on the matter, I will say this: Conferences are entirely optional (like reading a book or magazine) and you make no vows to submit to the speakers, whereas hearing the Word preached on the Lord's Day and submission to your minister/elders in the Lord is not optional.


But isn't a conference/Seminar ( which primarily focuses on the truths of the Gospel) where believers are gathered to receive Gospel truths considered a formal Christian gathering albeit a non Lord's Day formal gathering?


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## N. Eshelman (Mar 13, 2008)

Could Joni exercise the keys of the kingdom while at the conference?


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## CDM (Mar 13, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> christianyouth said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I was almost made an egalitarian by listening to Joni Erickson Tada. She spoke at the Ligonier Conference. It was very good. But I wonder if this was biblical. Was it?
> ...



Yeah, as she lectures a bunch of men at a seminar...


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## Casey (Mar 13, 2008)

Slippery said:


> But isn't a conference/Seminar ( which primarily focuses on the truths of the Gospel) where believers are gathered to receive Gospel truths considered a formal Christian gathering albeit a non Lord's Day formal gathering?


It may be more formal than two Christian families getting together, but it's not an official stated service of Christ's church. I think it's important to keep that distinction. If your congregation invited a woman speaker for a woman's conference and a man happened to be in there and listen, would that be inherently wrong? It seems to me that conferences are of a different nature than the official preaching ministry of the church. No one has to go to them.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Mar 13, 2008)

StaunchPresbyterian said:


> Without giving an opinion on the matter, I will say this: Conferences are entirely optional (like reading a book or magazine) and you make no vows to submit to the speakers, whereas hearing the Word preached on the Lord's Day and submission to your minister/elders in the Lord is not optional.



I have listened to Joni speak on several occassions, yet have never viewed myself as "under her authority." 

Fact is, she has no authority. Occassionally some very good insight, but not ecclessiastical authority. And I'm fairly sure that if she thought that was her position, Dr. Sproul wouldn't have her there.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 13, 2008)

You hit the nail on the head Sterling. She had no _*ecclesiastical authority*_ over the men there. I think it is putting restrictions that do not exist in the text to say that women cannot pray in the presence of men or that women cannot speak on Christian things if men are present.


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## etexas (Mar 13, 2008)

Joni's father was a reformed pastor (REC), I agree with some of the others, she is very conservative, mostly when she speaks it is about her story and how for a while she was angry with God, and how she by the power of the Holy Spirit moved from this to a progression of love for the Lord. Call it semantics if you wish, I would view it as simply her encounter with the love of Christ. Therefore I would not view it as a doctrinal binding, in that Joni, from what I have heard from people who have listened to her speak in a non-church setting, does not impose either doctrine or dogma.


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## JBaldwin (Mar 13, 2008)

I have followed Joni's ministry for many years, and one thing I have NOT detected in her is an attempt to be rule over men. Rather, she displays a humble, submissive attitude and a vibrance and love for the Lord that is refreshing.


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## Pergamum (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, I agree church authority is what is at stake, not a woman uttering words in a mixed crowd.


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## Romans922 (Mar 14, 2008)

nleshelman said:


> Could Joni exercise the keys of the kingdom while at the conference?



HAHA, this made me laugh!


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## christianyouth (Mar 14, 2008)

JBaldwin said:


> I have followed Joni's ministry for many years, and one thing I have NOT detected in her is an attempt to be rule over men. Rather, she displays a humble, submissive attitude and a vibrance and love for the Lord that is refreshing.



I totally agree! I've been greatly edified by her ministry, and I'm glad that what she's doing is not unbiblical.


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## etexas (Mar 14, 2008)

christianyouth said:


> JBaldwin said:
> 
> 
> > I have followed Joni's ministry for many years, and one thing I have NOT detected in her is an attempt to be rule over men. Rather, she displays a humble, submissive attitude and a vibrance and love for the Lord that is refreshing.
> ...


Ditto! She has NEVER in her role tried to usurp the male pastor. Nor has she tried to stat a "Church of Joni" the Bible does not forbid a woman giving a testimony of Christ in a setting where there is no Doctrinal binding on her part.


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## JBaldwin (Mar 14, 2008)

etexas said:


> christianyouth said:
> 
> 
> > JBaldwin said:
> ...



Frankly, as I said before, I find her attitude refreshing. Though her book publishers and others try to push her into the limelight, she seems to back off from that. Compare that to some of the other women in ministry whose names are plastered all over the place, and they seem to enjoy the attention.


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