Comment on Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference by Henry C Hills.

I understand your perplexity, it is nothing new. I had no intention of getting into this Women Ordination type discussion again. But since you asked, I will share my study. The Scripture does say quite a bit about the role of women as does the Spirit of prophecy and the SDA pioneers:

As for a bishop to be the husband of one wife it was not uncommon for men in Bible times to have multiple wives. But if a woman was called to be a bishop, she should be the wife of one husband.

“We object to that narrow-souled theology which will not allow the old ladies to have dreams because the prophecy says, ‘your old men shall dream dreams;’ and that will not allow young women to have visions because the prophecy says ‘your young men shall see visions.’ These stingy critics seem to forget that ‘man’ and ‘men’ in the Scriptures, generally mean both men and women. The Book says that it is ‘appointed unto men once to die.’ Don’t women die?” (James White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 25, 1862; Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 24).

What does the Bible say from Genesis to Revelation?

1) Genesis 3:16 “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall RULE over thee.”

2) Genesis 1:16-18 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to RULE the day, and the lesser light to RULE the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to RULE over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.”

[In the event that anyone missed it; in both texts RULE is the same word. Man RULES his woman as the sun, moon, & stars RULE.]

Did Jesus fulfill the role of becoming the head of the Church?

Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he [Christ] is the Saviour of the body.”

[The man that is the head of his wife, Another man is not the head of my wife, And no man is the head of the church since that is now Christ’s role.]

What is the answer to Jesus prayer in Matthew 6:10 “Thy will be done in earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”?

Did Jesus reveal how it is in Heaven?

Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by His angel unto his servant John:”

THIS IS THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST OF WHAT WILL BE ALLOWED IN HEAVEN:

Revelation 1:5-6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” [Amen means SO LET IT BE.]

From reading that passage should we assume that there will be no women redeemed in Heaven. But in Heaven God’s people will be KINGS and PRIESTS.

” And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God KINGS AND PRIESTS: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9)

Should I understand those passages to say that only men will be redeemed?

To let the redeemed (men and women) be kings and priests in Heaven, but not on earth is to reject Christ’s prayer “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” To argue that the redeemed are not men and women is to keep women out of heaven. To argue that priests is not a good translation of ἱερεύς is to deny the fact that ἱερεύς is only translated as priests ever time (31) that it occurs in the New Testament.

We are advised in the Spirit of prophecy:

“Do not carry your creed to the Bible, and read the Scriptures in the light of that creed. If you find that your opinions are opposed to a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” or to any command or prohibition He has given, give heed to the Word of God rather than to the sayings of men. Let every controversy or dispute be settled by “It is written.” {RH, August 13, 1959 par. 2}

“Distinguish Bible principles from principles of human manufacture, who, with sharp discernment could separate the strangely perverted, human imaginations, which have been working for years, from things of divine origin.” {1888 1556.1}

Paul prohibits women from speaking in public (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) as well as stating that a man is to be a bishop and the husband of one wife. Is it rightly dividing the word to allow women to speak in Church against Paul’s counsel and to be dogmatic about adhering to his counsel regarding the bishop having to be a man? That lack of consistency is confusion, it is not of God.

“Elder Haskell talked in the afternoon and his labors were well received. I had in the evening, it was stated, the largest congregation that had ever assembled at Arbuckle. The house was full. Many came from five to ten and twelve miles. The Lord gave me special power in speaking. The congregation listened as if spellbound. Not one left the house although I talked above one hour. Before I commenced talking, Elder Haskell had a bit of paper that was handed in quoting a certain text prohibiting women speaking in public. He took up the matter in a brief manner and very clearly expressed the meaning of the apostle’s words. I understand it was a Campbellite who wrote the objection and it had been well circulated before it reached the desk; but Elder Haskell made it all plain before the people” (Ellen White to James White, April 1 [Letter 17a], 1880; Manuscript Releases vol. 10, p. 70).

But is it God’s will that His church on earth should refuse to allow what He allows in Heaven?

But the shaking must come before Christ Comes. And this issue is an excellent issue to bring the shaking about because it divides those who rightly divide the word of truth from those who do not, while both groups believe that they have it right. And since both camps are basing their belief on how they read the Scripture it comes down to faith verses presumption. Holy Spirit discernment vs man’s creed. And for this to have reached the level of dispute that it has between conferences and the GC is IMHO an indication that God is in it.

The time has come for us to lay aside anything that is not ordained of God and to be a pure and holy people (church) ready to meet Christ at His coming.

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