General Revelation in the city of Watertown 

Brothers+

Watertown’s First Baptist Church

http://www.newswatch50.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=85784A1C-7A96-45F3-B35F-D0097390E8B5

The First Baptist Church in Watertown, New York,  came
to national prominence because it fired an 81 year old
lady from her role as teacher in Sunday School.  In
the letter of dismissal on Church stationary the
Baptist authority  quoted I Timothy 2:11 and 12 as a
reason.

The new pastor at First Baptist has risen to
prominence in the community and has won election to a
seat on city council.  Interestingly,  from a
political point of view, the chairman of the city
council is a lady.  When a male citizen of Watertown
was questioned whether the church’s decision would
affect the pastor’s political future, the man
commented to the effect that 500 years ago the action
would not have been questioned but “in this day and
time” he finds the pastor’s attitude “disturbing.”

From a theological point of view the case is
interesting.

For Christians who take Scripture as prime authority,
the hermeneutical question is pertinent in all ages of
the church.  Was Paul addressing specific situations
or laying out a general principle for the whole church
(I Cor 14:34)?  Be careful of your answer lest you
bring Scripture into conflict with Scriptures (a
hermeneutical no-no), and St. Paul in conflict with
himself.  A certain man in the New Testament had
daughters who were prophets and note that the same
Paul who wrote I Timothy 2:11 and 12 also reminisces
on the “unfeigned faith” in Timothy engendered by his
grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (II Timothy
1:5) and this was a result of the fact that “from a
babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are
able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.  Every scripture inspired of
God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  (II
Timothy 3:14-16).   This same Paul in other epistles 
refers to women who prominent in the Church and refers
to churches in their households.  

The conversation on Faith and Life has been
circumspect in regard to women’s roles, and rightly
so. Basic hermeneutical principles militate against
proof-texting.  Obviously it would have been incumbent
on the Baptist Magisteral Authority to look at least
to the entirety of both of St Paul’s letters to
Timothy and the entire Pauline corpus before jumping
to a conclusion.
 
The question of the extent of General Revelation in
the city of Watertown has to be considered.  Has that
which may be discerned concerning the nature and will
of God raised to a higher level in the general
populace than in the understanding of Special
Revelation given to the teaching authority of the
First Baptist Church in Watertown?

Church and State questions loom ominously in the
background.  Could civil suits at present and future
legal statues concerning discrimination be part of the
picture?

In the newpaper article linked above, Mrs. Lambert
indicated she would not contest the firing and
expressed that she might not leave her church. 
However, in a CNN interview that aired this morning,
she indicated she would be going to another church and
continue teaching.  She also commented that it was
“church politics” that was behind the dismissal.

These and many other questions deserve re-examination.
 I’m not talking about re-examining qualifications for
Presbyter, as I do believe that one is settled.  But
when it comes to other roles. . . . .

Charles+