Female Bible Readings
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Pray.
Go to church.
Work for reform, pertaining to your station.
Go to church.
Work for reform, pertaining to your station.
Just so you know, the PCA's BCO allows for anyone to read the scriptures (and I disagree):
The Public Reading of the Holy Scriptures
50-1. The public reading of the Holy Scriptures is performed by the minister as God’s servant. Through it God speaks most directly to the congregation, even more directly than through the sermon. The reading of the Scriptures by the minister is to be distinguished from the responsive reading of certain portions of Scripture by the minister and the congregation. In the former God addresses His people; in the latter God’s people give expression in the words of Scripture to their contrition, adoration, gratitude and other holy sentiments. The psalms of Scripture are especially appropriate for responsive reading.
50-2. The reading of the Holy Scriptures in the congregation is a part of the public worship of God and should be done by the minister or some other person.
50-3. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be read from a good translation, not a paraphrase, in the language of the people, that all may hear and understand.
50-4. How large a portion shall be read at once is left to the discretion of every minister; and he may, when he thinks it expedient, expound any part of what is read; always having regard to the time, that neither reading, singing, praying, preaching, nor any other ordinance, be disproportionate the one to the other; nor the whole rendered too short, or too tedious.
The Public Reading of the Holy Scriptures
50-1. The public reading of the Holy Scriptures is performed by the minister as God’s servant. Through it God speaks most directly to the congregation, even more directly than through the sermon. The reading of the Scriptures by the minister is to be distinguished from the responsive reading of certain portions of Scripture by the minister and the congregation. In the former God addresses His people; in the latter God’s people give expression in the words of Scripture to their contrition, adoration, gratitude and other holy sentiments. The psalms of Scripture are especially appropriate for responsive reading.
50-2. The reading of the Holy Scriptures in the congregation is a part of the public worship of God and should be done by the minister or some other person.
50-3. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be read from a good translation, not a paraphrase, in the language of the people, that all may hear and understand.
50-4. How large a portion shall be read at once is left to the discretion of every minister; and he may, when he thinks it expedient, expound any part of what is read; always having regard to the time, that neither reading, singing, praying, preaching, nor any other ordinance, be disproportionate the one to the other; nor the whole rendered too short, or too tedious.
This is not correct. The official position of the PCA (which is not followed in many churches) is that women are not to give the public reading of the Scriptures. This follows a General Assembly rebuke of a Presbytery (South Florida, I believe) for allowing a woman to read Scripture publicly. The GA cited the usual texts.
Can you point me to the official position of the PCA if its not here in the BCO?
Are you saying that in BCO Ch. 50 para. 2 "The reading of the Holy Scriptures in the congregation is a part of the public worship of God and should be done by the minister or some other person." means reading the scriptures other than in public? How are we supposed to understand this section?
You're right the individual churches don't follow this ruling. Many, many, let anyone: male, female, child, non-member read the scriptures publicly.
1997 and 1998 GAs, the reports of the Committee on Review of Presbytery Record.
Thanks, I'll check them out.
Still confused about BCO Ch. 50 para. 2 "The reading of the Holy Scriptures in the congregation is a part of the public worship of God and should be done by the minister or some other person."
It is someone other than the minister. It includes elders, deacons, licentiates and other men. It is a large category.
Some may use the language in the BCO to permit women to read, but that allows the BCO to trump the Bible, something which the BCO itself does ot permit.
SRoper
Puritan Board Graduate
Would this say anything about women leading responsive reading?
Not specifically (that was not the issue at hand), but I cannot see how that would be a different situation - both are the public, authoritative reading of Scripture.
SRoper
Puritan Board Graduate
So no one knows where to find these reports?
raekwon
Puritan Board Junior
(Sorry for the resurrection of an old thread, but I was actually thinking and talking about this yesterday.)
From the posts in this thread, it's plain that I'm of the minority opinion on this matter, but . . . how do we deduce (from Scripture) that a woman's reading of Scripture in corporate worship is to be disallowed? Is it to be considered "teaching", for some reason?
From the posts in this thread, it's plain that I'm of the minority opinion on this matter, but . . . how do we deduce (from Scripture) that a woman's reading of Scripture in corporate worship is to be disallowed? Is it to be considered "teaching", for some reason?
Andrew P.C.
Puritan Board Junior
My first question is, where is it taught in scripture that women are allowed to read scripture?
Secondly, The bible teaches you about God. Therefore, just reading it sparks the mind.
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Staphlobob
Puritan Board Sophomore
What a timely topic. Just today I was severly put the wringer because I don't believe women should publicly read. The denomination I'm presently in allows for anyone, regardless of calling or lack of ability. So my pov is, at least for the moment, strictly my pov and nothing more.
However, I do think Rev. Bruce's advise to be the best. If the only church you can find is at best "half decent", then stick with it and work for reform.
Staphlobob
Puritan Board Sophomore
For what it is worth to my good Presbyterian friends, most conservative orthodox continuing Anglican Churches do not allow female lay readers, because it is in effect......teaching.
Agreed. Good for them.
Croghanite
Puritan Board Sophomore
raekwon
Puritan Board Junior
Excellent article that I wholeheartedly agree with. I'm certainly what one would call a "complementarian".
Still -- and I may have missed it -- I'm not seeing how any of it has necessary bearing on gender qualifications for reading scripture (or praying, or singing before the church, etc) in corporate worship. One could make an argument from Paul's words in 1 Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet", but how far are we to take this "she is to remain quiet" command? Shall we tell them not to participate audibly in the corporate confession of sin or the corporate reciting of the Lord's Prayer? May she not sing with the rest of God's people?
The text seems to set "she is to remain quiet" against "teach(ing)" and "exercis(ing) authority over a man" -- in other words, she is not to speak, if what she has to say amount to teaching or exercising authority over the men of the church. Extending the meaning of "remaining quiet" beyond that seems a stretch to me.
Well . . . my question was first, so I guess I'll answer the question you answered my question with with yet another question: where is it taught in scripture that women are not allowed to read scripture? (See above for my initial response to the "Paul says women are to be silent" argument.)
Secondly . . . true enough, but I'm not at all convinced that reading -- even reading that "sparks the mind" -- is the same thing as "teaching". Using my above parenthetical about music . . . are we to disallow all women from singing scriptural truth before the church, because it might "spark someone's mind" about God? This just seems (to me) like an unbiblical extrapolation of the good and correct principle that only men are to be office-holders and teachers.
Look, guys . . . I'm sure these discussions have been had on this board time and time again, and I'm sure that people like me have been labeled (or at least thought) trouble-makers, immature, unlearned, etc etc. None of this is my intent and I hope that's plain.
Grace and Peace.
raekwon
Puritan Board Junior
Weaksauce, Andrew. Earlier in the same letter, Paul acknowledges that women may prophesy in the gathering of the church (he's talking about headcoverings there, which is a separate issue, but it should be recognized).
Just as in the 1 Tim passage I cited, the issue of women's "silence" seems to be set against the usurping of authority from God-appointed men (". . . they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission"). Does the mere act of a woman audibly and visibly speaking to the church gathered necessarily mean that she's being unsubmissive? I don't know. Surrounding context suggests that he's setting "silence" against confusion, disorderliness, and disruptiveness . . . not simple audibility and visibility.
(And again, I have to ask, shall we use this passage to force women to not sing or otherwise participate in the liturgy? It's easy to do if we ignore context.)
As for the Westminster Standards, women seem to be included in the "some other person" provision (unless that's not where you're aiming).
Romans922
Puritan Board Professor
You didn't answer the question, you tried to answer your own question. Specifically, the question was obviously not directed at you, unless you wanted to argue for the opposite position to that which you hold.
As for the Westminster Standards, I think you are thinking of the PCA BCO (which Fred has already covered that as being men only), the Standards say nothing of 'some other person'.
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