Where do you stand on the women issue with regards to functioning in the Body of Christ?
The church as the body of Christ is mainly a matter of life. In terms of life the role of the sisters is at least as
important as that of the brothers, probably more so. The body can only be healthy when each part functions
according to the operation and in the measure that has been given to it by the Head. But that does not mean that
the roles of the brothers and the sisters are the same in every respect. We are well aware that some have used
the teaching concerning authority in the scriptures to oppress and suppress women. We are absolutely not for that.
Nevertheless, we believe that if the body is healthy then some of the brothers will provide the leadership in the church.
In the answers to this and the previous question I have been speaking of the body in terms of its local expression in a local church, not
in terms of the universal Body of Christ. To us the universal church, the Body of Christ, is something divine and
mystical without any human organization or control. It is headed up and supplied by the Lord Himself through the
operation of the Spirit. But locally the Body is expressed as a local church which needs to have some amount of
leadership and administration. So the elders of the church need to do their best to care for and supply all the saints.
If they do well the whole church will be very much blessed by the Lord.
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