Here are various pieces of writing which we think you’ll find helpful as you think through the issue of women’s ordination and other related topics. Enjoy!
Shorter articles
Did Martin Luther have anything to say on the issue of women pastors? Read this article to find out.
An evaluation of the 2000 CTICR statement on women’s ordination
In this article the author examines the CTICR statement which concluded that ‘on balance, Scripture permits women’s ordination’, and asks what exactly we are to make of it.
In the year 2001 a group of Lutheran pastors and lay-people set out to produce a series of brochures which explored the various issues in the women’s ordination debate. These are here reproduced in pdf format.
Medium length
Response to the arguments for womens ordination
Do you ever get utterly confused and overwhelmed by the amount of arguments back and forth on the issue of women’s ordination? Read this summary and analysis of the debate where each argument is tested against the Scriptures and sound reason.
When talking about pastors and ordination one will sometimes hear ‘the office of the keys’ referred to. This article gives the basic teaching on this important aspect of what it is to be a pastor.
Apostolic succession and women’s ordination
This article touches on a very specific aspect of the discussion of women’s ordination which sometimes arises, namely what the relationship is between Jesus male’ apostles and the pastors of his church.
Longer articles
The Metaphor of Marriage in the Bible
This article explores how the Bible uses the metaphor of marriage to speak of God’s relationship with his people and applies this to the issues of the ordination of women, “same-sex marriage” and domestic violence.
Is the ordination of women church divisive?
Nobody wants to divide the church. However the reality is that many fear the issue of the ordination of women could do just that in our LCA. This article explores some aspects of this question.
The orders of creation and the order of the Church
The Scriptures teach us that God has created this world in an orderly way and part of that order is to do with the relationship beteween men and women in family life. This article explores how this reality may or may not relate to the question of the ordination of men and women.
The royal priesthood and the ministry of the word
The Scriptures teach that every Christian is a member of the ‘royal priesthood’ by virture of their baptism, but that there is also an office of the ministry to which only men are called. So what then is the relationship between the royal priesthood and the ministry of the word?
This important article addresses two fundamental teachings that sit behind much of the discussion on whether women may be ordained. These two are that there is such a thing as an office of ministry, and that the rite of ordination places a person into that office.
At first we might not think there is any connection between the teaching of the Trinity and the ordination of women. This article argues that there is in fact an important connection and that the implications of ordaining women may be far wider than we realize.
Scripture and the exclusion of women from the pastorate
1 Corinthians 14:33b-38 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 prohibit the ordination of women
These three articles are some of the best works produced in our own church which make the comprehensive Biblical case for the ordination of men only. They look at the relevant texts in detail and consider historical and contextual issues also.