Biblical Ministries for Women (Part 3)
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| Portrait of John Calvin, French School - Wikimedia |
8. Calvin’s restoration of the office of
Deaconess
Originally, a usually-married
male officer had cared for the poor entrusted to his care. Yet in the Middle Ages, there was a
corruption of this office of Deacon into the unbiblical mediaeval ‘office’ of
Archdeacon. There, a celibate male
priest was enjoined to perform sacerdotal functions. As a result,
even the auxiliary office of Deaconess was phased out.
At the great Protestant
Reformation, however, Calvin wisely revived the New Testament auxiliary office
of Deaconess -- while also divesting even the three male special offices of
Preacher-Elder-Deacon of their mediaeval perversions. Thus Calvin commented that the “mercy”
offices of Rom. 12:7-13 are referring
also to the “widows and other
ministers [alias servants] who were appointed to take care of the sick, according to the custom of the
Ancient Church.” Elsewhere (Institutes
IV:3:9), Calvin further declared that this same passage Rom. 12:7-15 includes
also references to “those who had devoted themselves to the care of the
poor and the sick. Such were the
widows of whom he [Paul] makes mention in the Epistle to Timothy (I Tim.
5:10). For there was no public office which women could discharge,
save that of elevating themselves to the service of the poor.”
In his Commentary on First
Timothy (5:9), Calvin referred to “widows” who “must be sixty” before
“being supported at public expense” as working Deaconesses. Indeed, he added that “it was
intolerable that they should declare themselves to the service of the Church,
if there still remained any likelihood of their being remarried.... They, on their side, should be employed in
ministering to the poor -- as far as their health allowed.”
For these Deaconesses’
“communities were not intended for leisure or lazy inactivity, but to help the
poor and sick until the women were worn out and could honourably rest in
retirement. Thus, to have them prepared
to perform such an office, he [Paul] wants them to have had long experience of
the duties belonging to it, such as: labour and diligence in bringing up
children; hospitality; helping the poor; and other works of charity....
“No woman should be accepted,
whose age would ever lead her to desire marriage.... It was not at all necessary that women who
were still young should be admitted into the order of widows. Experience had shown that it was a
dangerous and harmful practice.”
Indeed, in his Institutes (IV:13:19),
while discussing I Tim. 5:9-15, Calvin stated that “Deaconesses were
appointed...to perform the public ministry of the Church towards the
poor.... They...vowed celibacy...only so
that they might be free from encumbrance in executing their office.” See section 10 below.
9. Appointment to special office only where
gifted (and where those gifts were developed)
All Christians have some or
other Spiritual gifts, and all Christians occupy some or other Spiritual
office. Spiritual offices may be either non-ecclesiastical or
ecclesiastical. Non-ecclesiastical
Spiritual offices include those of
Magistrate, Police (wo)man, Husband, Wife, Schoolteacher, Schoolchild,
Political Party Secretary, Bowls Club Chairperson, etc. Ecclesiastical offices include those of Believer, Deacon, Elder, Preacher, Deaconess,
Theological Professor (Doctor or Teacher), etc.
The mere possession of the
relevant gift of the Spirit (such as that of governing) does not in itself
imply that the thus-gifted one thereby automatically functions as an officer --
or even that he or she has a right to be installed in that office. Just as not all single persons who desire to
marry, ever get married; and just as not all married couples who desire to have
children, ever actually become parents -- so too not all who desire church
office, ever actually fill it.
Thus in Ex. 4:24-50, Zipporah's ability to circumcise, and even her actual administration of that
Sacrament -- although exercised with the unbiblical approval of her negligent
Preacher-Husband Moses -- did not and could not constitute her permanent
appointment to the office of Minister of the Word and Sacrament. Cf, F.N. Lee's Have You Been Neglecting Your Baby?
Similarly, the mere possession
of the Spiritual gifts of judgment and
of prophecy -- no more at all implies
appointment to the Eldership or to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments,
than the possession of all the qualifications to be an Apostle implies that
Joseph Barsabas Justus had an inalienable right to be appointed to the
Apostleship in Acts 1:16-26. Thus,
Deborah “the prophesying woman” or ’ishshaah nebiy’aah -- was
indeed gifted remarkably. She also “administered Israel” or shooftaah
’eth-Yisjaa’eel in Judg. 4:4 cf. 5:lff.
Also Philip had “four
prophesying virgin daughters” or thugateres tessares parthenoi
prophteuousai, in Acts 21:9. But
such giftednesses in themselves did not constitute their ordination to the
Ministry of the Word and Sacraments.
Nor were they ever ordainable to such an office.
On the other hand, nobody
should ever be appointed to church office until he or she first reveals his or
her personal possession and development of the requisite gifts. Husbands who wish they were Wives, or male
Elders who wish they were female Deaconesses, or female Deaconesses who try to
function as if they were male Preachers, not only frustrate the Church in
general and themselves in particular.
They also inevitably end up neglecting or ignoring the very work they
were actually called to execute. I Cor.
7:7-24.
To be continued.
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