A Woman of Chayil: Far Above Rubies by Jane Carole Anderson

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Drake

You seemed to suggest that there is no male female slave or free since Christ dealt with it. I am saying that only in Christ do we experience the effectiveness of His death. Society, culture, human institutions such as slavery or democracy for that matter are outside of Christ.

Don't confuse the two.

And I would say to you that you should not misconstrue what aron is saying.

It is true that the real experience of no male or female, slave or free, is in Christ. But what does that mean to you? Are you in Christ? Then there is no male or female. No slave nor free.

Obviously this means that our interaction is without reference to the realities of our physical and legal status in the human world. Not that we cease to be any of these things. Clearly only the women bear children — whether or not they are in Christ. And depending on the times and laws of the times, slaves are still slaves.

But though human culture is "outside of Christ," if we are alive, we are part of human culture. And how we live and behave among the Christian community should affect the broader human culture around us.

But sometimes we come to the point where we realize that those who are on the inside are not truly living in the "no male or female" or "submit to one another" way. And every time that these kinds of things are identified, the first thing that happens is that the majority close ranks and defend the status quo. It doesn't necessarily relate to whether they benefit from the status quo, though it often does.

Awareness (I think) has pointed out elsewhere that the Southern Baptists at least somewhat began as a stand of solidarity against the move to prohibit slavery in the American South. While I would not be surprised to find bigoted people and positions with that group today (and in most groups for tat matter) I would not find a single person of significance that would support slavery in any form.

But in between there was a lot of reading of the same old verses in the same old way with the goal of keeping things the same. But over time the error in understanding was made manifest. At first they continued to kick and scream. People who would never join the Klan still liked their politics. But that has heavily changed. (Not that the Klan is now gone, but is losing its influence.)

The same may be true here. You like a particular verse. Or a particular position that is based on a general understanding of verses. And you cannot see beyond the knee-jerk reaction that there is no reason to even think about the possibility that the other side might be right on this. Just close ranks and fight. Spew the rhetoric without engaging you brain for more than seeing what you have been told is there to see. Not a chance that you might discover it really doesn't say what you think.

One takes courage to actually think for yourself after reading for yourself. The other takes nothing but turning on the tape machine. Don't confuse playing tapes for thinking.