Church Scandals and How to Eliminate Them
It all began in Genesis 1:26, when God created human beings in His image and in His likeness.
Who does the Bible say God is? LOVE. “Dear friends, let us Love one another, for Love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and Knows God. ‘Whoever’ does Not Love, does Not KNOW God, for God IS Love.” 1 John 4:7,8.
Not only did God make human beings in His Image and in His Likeness, Equal, He gave BOTH the male and female Dominion in the Garden, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let THEM Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle and over ALL the Earth.” Let’s stop here for a moment. As a Bible teacher, it is important that I teach you that the word “man” in this verse is the Hebrew word, “Adam” and it means, “human being.” Many people assume that the word man always means “male” this is not true. It’s extremely important that you understand that the Old Testament was Originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. And over the years, human beings; translators have oftentimes taken liberties, and many of those liberties are bias, and slant the truth to say what “they” believe.
Therefore we see that not only Did God, who Is Love, make “human beings” (male and female) in His image, He also made them Equal in their Role, giving “Them” (both the male and the female) Rule, Dominion “over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle and over ALL the earth, but NEVER did He give them Rule over one another. If he had, He would have said it in this context, but as you can see he did not.
God Created Everything Good: “And God saw ALL that He had made, and said, it was Very Good.” Genesis 1:31. After God created the First human being (Adam, remember Adam in Hebrew means human being) He gave him a command, Genesis 2:16,17 says, “The Lord God commanded the man (human being) “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 But, from the tree of the knowledge of ‘evil’ you shall Not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.” And in the following verses we see that God created another human being, Also made in the image of God and in His likeness, and that human being is the Woman (later named Eve) And just as He said in Genesis 1:26, and “let THEM Rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over ALL the earth.” Other translations say, “and over every creeping thing that scurries along the ground.” Again, absolutely no word spoken that they would rule over one another.
The Serpent Enters:
Who is the Serpent? “Now the serpent was more crafty than any ‘beast’ of the field, which the Lord God had made.” Genesis 3:1. Notice, it does not say the serpent (who is Satan) was A beast, but that he was MORE crafty than any “beast” of the field, which God had made. We must understand that Satan was a created being, an angel of God, of which tried to gather other angels to create an army to take over God’s throne, of which God was Not going to permit, therefore we read in Revelation chapter 12 of a “War” that took place in the heavens, and because of this God’s Angel, and His other Angels, fought Satan and his cohorts and threw them down to the earth. Since Satan was not able to take dominion of God’s throne, he “crafted” another plan, “more crafty than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made,” and in his crafty scheme, his plan was to tempt both Adam (first human being made in the image of God) and the Woman (second human being made in the image of God,) of which he succeeded as both Adam and the Woman gave up their Authority, given by God, and because of their disobedience to God, handed their Rule, Dominion and Authority, to Satan, because they listened to his lies, instead of obeying God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan is the God of this world.
After Adam and the Woman gave in to the deceptive temptation of Satan, God spoke to the Serpent and said, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat All the days of your life; and I will put enmity (hatred) between you and the “woman” and between your seed (offspring) and her seed, (offspring) He (this is speaking of Mary’s Son, Jesus) shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heal.” Genesis 3:14, 15.
When there is hatred, there is war, and when you read/study Revelation chapter 12, you will learn a little more about this war, and how this war involved hatred toward, yes Mary, and her seed, her offspring which was and is Jesus, and Jesus, who is God’s Son, Did in fact “destroy the works of the devil” 1 John 3:8 in His work on the Cross “made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:15, (Isaiah 53:4,5) Satan although defeated by Jesus death, burial and Resurrection, is still here, as the ‘god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) and his war continues against all of humanity, especially God’s people and the followers of Jesus, and because of his hatred, he wars against Women in general. Where do I get this from? Not only did God address Satan and what he did by deceiving the man and woman, He also addressed Adam, and the Woman, Genesis 3:17, (paraphrase) because you have done this, because you ate of the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil, you and the woman no longer have dominion in he garden, you handed it over to Satan, and because of this, you will have to work and toil the ground that is now cursed. And to the woman, (verse 16) God told the woman, because of this, because of your sin, you will have pain in child bearing (Remember, before the Fall, God said He made everything Good, Very Good, but because of their sin by disobeying God, evil came into the earth, and things changed drastically, God didn’t bring the evil, It was never Gods plan for evil to be here, man chose the evil by listening to Satan and not God, in fact God warned them of the evil, that if they were to eat from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil” they would be opening the door to evil of whom the author is Satan)
your desire will be to control your husband, and he will Rule over you.” This evil war from Satan also included for men to dominate women, (patriarchy) which was NEVER God’s plan.
Many believe the words, “He will Rule over you” meant that it was God’s will, that she was somehow lesser of a human being, but she wasn’t, no one can change the Word of God, and God said, He made human beings in His image and in His likeness, He made BOTH male and female Equal, and Both were given Equal Authority over the Garden, but they chose to listen to Satan, and when they did, they gave up that Authority because they disobeyed God. Had God given Adam, the first human being, dominion over the woman, He would have said it in Genesis 1:26, but He didn’t, AND when God addressed Adam, after the sin was committed, He did NOT say a word that he was to rule over Eve, if that were so, He would have said it specifically to ‘him’ but He didn’t. God was informing Eve that because of her sin, and because evil is a Result of all sin, that evil sin nature would cause her husband to rule over her. Again, that was NEVER God’s plan.
JESUS RESTORED ALL THE GOOD:
Thank you Jesus! Because of what Jesus did on the cross, He Restored the “Good” we see this in Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with Power, who went about doing Good, and Healing All that are oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.” Jesus Destroyed with Works of the Devil, 1 John 3:8. He, Jesus, who is the “Head” of His church; the body of Christ, comprised of BOTH women and men, Restored our Authority over the Devil, Restored Equality between God’s sons and daughters, and restored the Love and Equality between a husband and wife, just as it was “before” the fall! He also bore our sicknesses and carried our pains, and by His wounds we “were” Healed. Redemption in the scriptures means “Redeemed from the “curse”” that means we have been Restored (delivered) back to the “Good, Very Good” because “before” the fall, there was NO sin, therefore that was NO sickness and disease (cause of sin) and there was NO dominion given to human beings over one another, ONLY over “the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, and every creature that creeps along the ground.”
GOD RESTORED THE GOOD! God restored Love and equality in marriage, and in all relationships, “The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 5:5. God made it possible again for husbands to “Love their wives as Christ Loved the church and Gave Himself for her” Ephesians 5:25, to lay his way down for her, to “treat her as he should so his prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7. God also made it possible for brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ to love their sisters in the Lord, treating them as equal and NOT as lesser of a human being. Jesus said, “Love One Another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.” John 13:34,35. God restored Equal respect and godly love between male and female, (the body of Christ) through His Son Jesus Christ, Romans 12:10, “Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other`More Honor than you want for yourself.” 1 John 4:20,21, says,“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar (the word hate in the Greek is Miseo: and it means to hate, persecute, love less, indifferent to) For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. AND HE HAS GIVEN US A COMMAND: WHOEVER LOVES GOD MUST ALSO LOVE HIS BROTHER AND SISTER.”
God also restored the Authority He gave to BOTH Adam (First human being) and the Woman (second human being) as both were made Equal in the image of God. He did this in the New Testament, “Behold I give unto you Power to tread on Serpents, and Scorpions and over ALL the Power of the Enemy, and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19.
JESUS GAVE GIFTS TO HIS CHURCH; THE BODY OF CHRIST, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE TO USE HIS AUTHORITY AND KEEP THE DEVIL OUT!
In Ephesians chapter 4 we see that Jesus Christ gave Gifts to His church. Who is His church? The Body of Christ. Who is the body of Christ? Is it just males?? No. In Acts chapter one, Jesus Commanded the people to wait in Jerusalem, for the Promise of the Father, “Do Not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak out. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4,5 And on that day, God who had originally prophesied through the Prophet Joel, that BOTH men and women would have His Spirit, His Power, His Authority to Speak for Him! Prophesying is NOT Silence, Prophesying is Speaking and Declaring the Oracles of God by the Holy Spirit in us and when you Silence anyone in the body of Christ, specifically His Daughters, you are Silencing the Holy Spirit, and you don’t want to do that!
THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST: Joel 2:28-32, John 14:15-26, John 16:5-16, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7
THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE:
Acts 2:1-4, When the day of Pentecost came, they were ALL TOGETHER (All who? Both sons and daughters of God) in one place. V2, Suddenly a sound like a rushing mighty wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. V3, They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. V4, ALL OF THEM (men and women, sons and daughters) where Filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.”
Acts 2:14, Then Peter stood up with the eleven, raised His voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews, and ALL of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. V15, These People are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! V16, No, this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel: V17, “In the last days, GOD SAYS, I will pour out My Spirit on ALL PEOPLE,. Your SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY…V18, Even on my servants, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I will Pour out My Spirit in those days, and THEY will Prophesy.”
We see clearly here that BOTH men and women; God’s people; the body of Christ are Called by Jesus Himself, to work together for a common goal, and when Jesus Gave Gifts to His church in Ephesians chapter 4, this was/is His plan that BOTH His Sons and Daughters would Prophesy, using their Gifts, as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, pastors and Teachers (to learn more about this see my blog: “All One In Christ Jesus,” where I teach in detail with confirming Bible verses and their proper meaning of how God uses His daughters to teach and preach the Gospel) and in doing so, Together with the Gifts of the Spirit in operation, we will keep Satan out of the church!
Since God never said that only males are the heads of HIS church, and since Jesus gave Gifts to BOTH his sons AND Daughters, as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, there will be no longer be Sexual Abuse! There will be No Silencing God’s Daughters, since we clearly see that God Poured out His Spirit on ALL People, and how Both His sons and Daughters are to Prophesy. Women and young girls and teens will NOT be taken advantage of, because His Daughters, who also have Gifts of the Holy Spirit, will be Present at ALL times and Available at ALL times. Satan will Not be permitted to rule over women through the religion of men. There will be NO patriarchy! Church will once again be the “Church” Jesus Christ ordained! “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.” Galatians 3:28. Because when Gods Daughters are fulfilling their role as a Pastor in a local church, there is Safety, Women and Children will feel safe, because they will know that there are Women within that local body that they can go to; that they can Trust.
I have been an Advocate for Women, their Equality, and their God Given Rights in the Church, marriage and the work place, for over 2 Decades. I have and continue to conduct my exegesis, according to the scriptures, to help fulfill what Jesus Called me to do, “Encourage My Daughters” (another blog coming soon).
I follow and study the scriptures in detail and follow the hard work of men and women Bible scholars all over the world. Here are some Helpful resources of which I have learned from and I know will help encourage and bless you:
Bob Edwards, “A God I’d Like to Meet” Why I’m an Advocate for Women’s Equality, and “5 Myths of Adam, What Really Happened in the Garden.” Both Bob and His Wife Helga are Advocates for Women’s Equality.
“5 Myths of Male Headship” by Kate Wallace Nunneley. (Follow: The Junia Project, on Facebook)
Some Reasons Why Patriarchy is practiced in Many churches/denominations:
John Calvin (Calvinism, Calvinist beliefs): Information by “Misogynistic Quotations from Church fathers and Reformers: by Marg Mowczko:
JOHN CALVIN
French Theologian, Pastor and Protestant Reformer, 1509–1564
Regarding the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to women rather than to men, Calvin wrote,
“I consider this was done by way of reproach, because they [the men] had been so tardy and sluggish to believe. And indeed, they deserve not only to have women for their teachers, but even oxen and asses. … Yet it pleased the Lord, by means of those weak and contemptible vessels, to give display of his power.”
Commentary on the Gospel of John (John 20) (Read it here.)
“On this account, all women are born that they may acknowledge themselves as inferior in consequence to the superiority of the male sex.”
Commentary on 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11) (Read it here.)
“. . . there is no absurdity in the same person commanding and likewise obeying when viewed in different relations. But this does not apply to the case of woman, who by nature (that is, by the ordinary law of God) is formed to obey; for γυναικοκρατία (the government of women) has always been regarded by all wise persons as a monstrous thing; and, therefore, so to speak, it will be a mingling of heaven and earth, if women usurp the right to teach. Accordingly, he bids them be ‘quiet,’ that is, keep within their own rank. (Il commande donc qu’elles demeurent en silence; c’est a dire, qu’elles se contiennent dedans leurs limites, et la condition de leur sexe).”
A different translation of the last line is, “He therefore commands them to remain in silence; that is, to keep within their limits and the condition of their sex.”
Commentary on Timothy, Titus and Philemon (1 Timothy 2:12) (Read it here.)
My article 1 Timothy 2:12 in a Nutshell is here.
“Now Moses shews that the woman was created afterwards, in order that she might be a kind of appendage to the man; and that she was joined to the man on the express condition, that she should be at hand to render obedience to him. (Genesis 2:21) Since, therefore, God did not create two chiefs of equal power, but added to the man an inferior aid, the apostle [Paul] justly reminds us of that order of creation in which the eternal and inviolable appointment of God is strikingly displayed.”
Commentary on Timothy, Titus and Philemon (1 Timothy 2:13) (Read it here.)
My article The Significance of the Created Order, in a Nutshell, is here.
JOHN KNOX
Scottish Clergyman and Protestant Reformer, 16th century
Knox was scathing when he wrote against the rule of female monarchs. Both England and Scotland were ruled by women when he wrote his polemic.
“Woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man …”
The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. (Read it here.)
“Nature I say, paints [women] further to be weak, frail, impatient, feeble and foolish: and experience has declared them to be inconstant, variable, cruel and lacking the spirit of counsel and regiment [or, leadership].”
The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. (Read it here.)
TESTIMONIALS OF WOMEN (and Young Women, Some minors) WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED SEXUALLY IN A LOCAL CHURCH: “Statement 1: An Open Letter to the Leadership and Members of Riverbend Community Church and the Concerned Public.” This article was sent to me just a few days prior of writing my new blog regarding scandals in the church and how to eliminate them.
It is my Prayer for the Church, the True Church of Jesus Christ to “cast the devil out” by Overcoming Evil with Good, and that Good is for Jesus Christ, who is the Head of His Church; the Body of Christ, to have His Will and Plan for the church as a whole. God’s Sons and Daughters working “Together” as He ordained, with Both Gifts in Operation, where there is NO Patriarchy, will bring Healing to the church, Caring for One another, just as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12. All of the Body of Christ working Together for a Healthy and Strong Body, His Body.
I also, from the depths of my heart, pray for all of those victims who have been taken advantage of through Patriarchy, then Many Women, young women and girls that have been treated as the lesser in order to gratify the sexual desires of men and the abuse that has run rampant and kept secret within many churches and religious organizations over the years. They cannot be numbered.
Jesus who is the One who “Heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds” says in Luke 8:17, “For ALL that is secret, will eventually be brought into the open, and Everything that is concealed, will be brought to the light, and made known to All.”
A Word from Husband, Pastor Rick Tidwell:
“Women! Have you ever been intimidated by men in the church or even at home? Maybe even abused? There is an answer to this ungodly dominance, all carried out in Jesus name, because of a distortion of scripture pulled out of its context and the whole Bible on the subject, namely that man is the head and this is interpreted to mean, man is in total control and is never to be questioned. Nonsense! At BFC we have women and men as EQUAL pastors, in voice, influence and authority. When women are in equal positions, abuse gets uncovered immediately, as all women and their children in the Church, have an advocate with authority to confide in. We recently heard of a mega-church that we know, personally, under investigation for this very crime, abuse of power over the weak, specifically minors and children. With Only men in positions of real authority, this atmosphere cultivates and covers up the abuse of women and children with no voice, power or oversight to challenge, prevent or stop the abuse. The issue is much deeper than one bad apple, group or size. The abuse is EVERYWHERE, in every church, where women are dominated and silenced. We invite you to join us in a safe Equal environment.”
