Suffering of christians in other countries like Africa…

I don't understand.  If we consider what Jesus said in Lk 12:22-26, why do true christians starve to death everyday in other countries?  I understand that sometimes bad things are allowed to happen to us for God's purpose, but when I am asked by my children this question, how do I answer?

Sincerely,
Hungering For Truth

Dear Hungering For Truth,

Lk 12:22-26 never says that christians won’t suffer or die; it just says that God provides for us the way He sees fit and that we shouldn’t be anxious.  Even Christ once went forty days without food (Lk 4:2), but there was a purpose to that hunger.  Job was a man whose life epitomized suffering… but once again, there was a purpose (Job 2:3-7).  Many christians died for their faith in the first century (Rev 17:6).  Some christians die because they refuse to steal food, some die because they refuse to lie or cheat, and still others are murdered for confessing Christ.  It was that way then, and it is the same today in many parts of the world.  Not all christians are called to suffer to the point of blood (Heb 12:4), but if living a christian life brings about your death – heaven is very far better (Php. 1:21-23).  When we suffer as christians, we are blessed (1 Pet 3:13-14).  Tell your children that this world is not our home… we are just passing through.

Local churches must be incorporated to receive tax exempt status. They then must select officers to comply with the law.  My question is: can a woman be selected as an officer, specifically the office of treasurer and then engage in doing all of the tasks required of a treasurer to conduct the church business? Some say it's fine – if she only fulfils the responsibilities delegated to her by the trustees, in this case all men.  Others say no, it's a position of authority, and unscriptural, as men are to hold those offices.  I'd like a Bible answer, book(s), chapter(s), and verse(s), as this question is effecting the work of a new congregation that I am a part of.

Sincerely,
Officer Ignorant

Dear Officer Ignorant,

Everyone agrees that women can be servants in the church – the question isn’t whether women can serve; it is how they can serve.  Phoebe was a servant of the church (Rom 16:1) and was praised for her service.  Priscilla was also commended for her labor on behalf of the church (Rom 16:3).  The Bible clearly shows women working in the church and in a very positive way.

To answer your question, we need to look at what positions women are forbidden from taking in the church and what the leadership structure of the church looks like.  Let’s take a look at the leadership structure of a congregation first.

The early church was led by the apostles.  In the very beginnings of the church, the apostles were in charge of all the teaching (Acts 2:42) and daily affairs of the church (Acts 4:34-37).  Eventually, the work became so immense that the apostles began to delegate some of the responsibility to qualified men (Acts 6:1-4 shows the apostles appointing men to have authority over the daily distribution of bread to christian widows).  The system of the apostles being in charge and delegating some of their authority to others would eventually no longer work because the apostles were only twelve men.  How would the church function once they were gone?

The answer is ‘elders’.  The apostles eventually began to appoint elders in every congregation and then commended those elderships to lead in a godly way (Acts 14:23).  Not just anyone could become an elder – 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Tit 1:5-9 give the qualifications for elders.  One of those qualifications is that an elder must be a man.  Elders have ultimate oversight of a congregation.  Elders are in charge of everything that occurs within a local church (Heb 13:17).  However, just like the apostles before them, elders have a right to appoint deacons to help handle various tasks.  The elders are ultimately in charge, but deacons are given a certain level of authority over others as the elders see fit (1 Tim 3:13).  Deacons also are required to be men (1 Tim 3:12).  Elders and deacons are always men and they are the only ones allowed to have authority over others within a local congregation.

As we mentioned before, women are seen serving in many capacities in the church, but they are never seen in positions of authority.  Women are forbidden from having authority over men in the church… they are also forbidden from publicly teaching men (1 Tim 2:12).  Women cannot be preachers or have positions within the church that allow them to have dominion (the word ‘dominion’ means ‘act on their own authority over’).  Women are encouraged to teach other women (Tit 2:3-5) but to take a less authoritative role than men within the church and family.

This is a very long answer to your question, but your question needed a lengthy answer.  If the role of treasurer is a position where this woman will be making decisions and governing men within the church, then she cannot be the treasurer.  However, if the treasurer doesn’t make any decisions that are usurping the authority of the men of the congregation, she can serve.  Once again, women can (and should) be servants in the church as long as:

1. They aren’t publicly preaching and teaching to men.
2. They aren’t in positions of dominion above men.

Paul explains the reason for this structure in 1 Tim 2:13.  Adam was created first, and Eve was created as his helper.   In both the family (Col 3:18-19) and the church (1 Cor 14:34), this principle is carried out.  Eve was no less valuable than Adam, but she was designed for a different role.

My wife feels God is God, not Jesus is God.  She prays to God, not Jesus ands needs clarity on 3-is-1 and 1-is-3.  She feels Jesus is God's Son, not God.  She feels He came out of Mary's womb, was a baby in need of food, water, etc., and wasn't God.  Are there different beliefs among christians on this?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

There are different views on this topic – but only one correct Bible answer.  The Father is God… and Jesus is God, too.  There are three parts to the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This is most easily seen in Matt 3:16-17.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  Each of them is eternal (they were all at the creation – Gen. 1:1, Gen. 1:2, Col 1:15-17).  John 1:1 specifically says that Jesus is Deity.  Jesus is different than the Father, but He is part of the Godhead.  Jesus even said that He had always existed (Jhn 8:58).  The apostles worshipped Jesus as God (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).  In Jesus, we can see all the fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9).  Jesus cried to the Father when He was on the cross because the Father was in heaven while Jesus was here suffering on earth (Mk 15:34).  The Scriptures clearly back up that Jesus is deity.

I have heard (I think) that when you ask God or Jesus to forgive your sins and if you really mean it from your heart, God will remember your sins no more.  The ‘sea of forgetfulness’ is what I think it is called.  If this is true, then will these sins come up on the Judgement Day, or will God not remember them anymore?

Sincerely,
Total Recall

Dear Total Recall,

When God forgives, He no longer holds those sins against you… they never get brought up again.  The verse you are referring to is Heb 8:12.  When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us (1 Jn 1:9).  It isn’t that God has amnesia; it is that He no longer holds those sins against us.  He counts us as righteous because we are faithful (Rom 4:5).  Jesus says that those who are in Christ will not be judged (Jhn 3:18).

My mother is very religious, and she and her husband (not my father) claim to live their lives according to the Bible, which is wonderful.  However, I have a couple of questions regarding her faith.  I am forty-eight-years-old, and my father just died last year (my parents have been divorced since I was around ten years old).  Two days before my father died, he told me that he was not my biological father.  I had no idea and was in absolute shock.  Because of the trauma of losing my father, I was not able to focus on what he had told me and not able to ask him questions.  When I asked my mother, after my father died, to tell me who my biological father was, she told me that it was not necessary that I know... THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER... and that she came to this decision by praying to God.  I can't believe that God would want me to suffer the way I am.  All I want is to know who it is... I don't want a father, and I don't want to disrupt anyone else's life.  I am having trouble believing that God really operates this way.  I am a nice person, and I believe in God, but I can't believe that He would want me to suffer like this.  My mother is Baptist.  Please let me know if you believe my mother is justified in her faith or if she is just hiding behind it.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Who To Trust?

Dear Who To Trust,

The issues involved with finding birthparents are very emotional and sometimes painful… as you are now experiencing.  We will not even pretend to handle all of the counseling issues involved with what you are dealing with; we will simply focus on answering your doctrinal question.

Whatever your mother’s intentions are (and we are sure they are sincere), praying about something doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to make the right decision.  Whether or not your parents would talk to you about your birthfather is an issue of wisdom, not doctrine.  If your mother believes that God spoke to her directly – she is wrong.  God doesn’t speak through visions and prophecy anymore (read “I Dreamed A Dream” for further details).

Just because your mother prayed for wisdom doesn’t mean that she did what was wise.  People make mistakes all the time, and this may, or may not, be an example of bad judgment.