Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

394 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

lays out transparently our notion of women spirituality and ministry. Essentially, we argue that with the coming of our Lord and the trans formation and union with Christ of all who believe, the traditional societal roles of class, gender, and race have been superseded. Now in Christ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[a] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3.28. In the body of Christ now “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3.11). As the key foundational texts on the nature of difference in culture and gender, these texts are read as exegetical lens to think critically over the controversial texts in the NT which seem to restrict the roles of women in ministry, most specifically 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Cor. 14. Rather than retrace the argument already made in the essay, let me summarize by saying the issue for me has been less of the role of women in ministry as the freedom of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 is clear that the Holy Spirit. Excuse me while I insert the verses 4-11: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. This last verse, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” is decisive for me in this issue. The Holy Spirit is free, able to apportion to any individual any endowment, gift, calling, or dispensation he desires, based solely on his sovereign grace and election. None of the gifts or offices are restricted per se to any person of any gender, meaning in my reading that the Spirit may confer on any believer any gifting or charismata he chooses. Women are heirs together of God’s grace, able to receive and therefore exercise whatever gift the Spirit provides. The issue is not whether women are categorically restricted because of gender from certain callings; the plain readings of the text put the ability to use a gift in the Spirit’s election, not in the believer’s gender.