Voices: Truth is the loneliest number

At the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting next week, Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, plans to introduce an amendment to the SBC’s constitution he calls the “Truth and Unity” amendment.

The amendment would require cooperative churches to “not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, such as preaching to the assembled congregation.”

Adding this prohibition to Article III Section 1 of the constitution would equate a church either led by a woman or that allows a woman to preach to a church that ignores sexual abuse (1.4), affirms racial discrimination (1.5), or affirms homosexual behavior (1.1). On several occasions, Mohler has equated this proposal to the 1990s amendment on homosexuality.

The preamble of the Baptist Faith and Message (1925, 1963, 2000) emphasizes “confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.” That is, Baptists are committed to the Scripture as the sole authority for our faith as we are guided by the Holy Spirit speaking to our conscience.

Questions of practice

Historically, churches could have variance on minor doctrinal issues of the confession as long as they affirmed the major doctrinal statements, such as the divinity of Christ.

Does the convention really want to equate a church led by a godly female pastor with a church that covers up the sexual abuse of a leader, simply because the convention and the church differ on their interpretation of the whole of Scripture?

Is this a first-order doctrinal issue that requires a break in fellowship? Mohler seems to feel it is, since he also plans to request suspension of an SBC rule that normally requires a year’s delay between a motion and its debate on the floor.

While Mohler says this proposed amendment is narrower and clearer than the failed Law Amendment, churches must consider how broadly “functions” can be interpreted.

On his May 15 The Briefing podcast, Mohler answered a listener’s question about her church. She said the pastor and staff answer follow-up questions about the pastor’s sermon on a podcast. Since one of the staff is female, Mohler said she was “assuming the role of a pastor” and that this was wrong.

Are female staff members not able to share thoughts about a sermon with a dispersed congregation (via a podcast)? Are they not Spirit-filled?

How should we understand Phoebe being selected by Paul to carry his letter to the Romans (16:1-2)? When Paul selected others to carry his letters, they were expected to represent him and answer questions that might arise on Paul’s behalf (such as Timothy in 1 Cor 4:16-19; 16:10-11; Titus in 2 Cor 7:6-7, 13-15; 12:18-19). How is this female staff member different?

For a deeper discussion of Phoebe, see my prior Baptist Standard articles.

Questions of interpretation

Can women never proclaim the truths of God or interpret Scripture for men? It seems strange, then, that King Josiah, when he learned of the curses in the Book of the Law, begged the priest Hilkiah to inquire of the LORD about their lack of obedience to the Book of the Law.

So Hilkiah and several of the king’s high officials went to Huldah, a married female prophet, who interpreted the Scripture for their specific context (2 Ki 22:8-20; 2 Chr 34:14-28).

Why did Jesus appear to women and not men and ask them to be the first testifiers to the gospel of the risen Lord?

Yes, we must consider Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12, but they must be read in light of the whole of Scripture, including Paul’s use of Phoebe, declaration of Priscilla as coworker (Romans 16:3), and expectation that women in Corinth prophesy (1 Corinthians 11:5).

If this amendment is approved, then will the Southern Baptist Convention rename the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering? She preached to the assembled congregation in China.

What does it say about the ministry of Billy Graham, who called his daughter Anne Graham Lotz “the best preacher in the family” on several occasions. Would Second Baptist Church in Houston be liable for exclusion from the convention because it had Lotz preach for Mother’s Day in 2021?

Truth or unity?

Since the start of church history, there has been a debate on whether the church should emphasize truth or unity.

While Paul believed in truth as found in Christ, he primarily emphasized love and unity against those who sought purity of faith. His opponents sought Gentile circumcision and obedience to the law as evidence of true faithfulness to God.

Paul said the New Man, Christ Jesus, has made the two one (Ephesians 2:15), a oneness that also includes slave and free, male and female (Galatians 3:28).

For almost 50 years, Southern Baptists have been known for fighting over truth. Is it not time to listen to Jesus? “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

While truth indeed is important, without love, truth is the loneliest number you’ll ever know (to paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13 and Harry Nilsson).

Jay Givens is professor of theological studies and director of the Online Christian Studies Program at Wayland Baptist University. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.