Originally posted by WisdomSeeker:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Baptist Believer:
The word used to describe Phoebe as a deacon (literally "servant") in the church is the same word that is translated "deacon" in the other passages you mention. The translator is the one who is making the distinction, not scripture itself.
If you won't take my word for it, ask Dr. Bob.
Then you're saying that the Bible is wrong. </font>[/QUOTE]***
ABSOLUTELY NOT! ***
Why would the word not be translated correctly in one place and correctly in others?
That’s because translators are not inerrant. Translators make judgment calls all the time when they come across words with multiple meanings. The English word “deacon” is a
transliteration of a Greek word meaning “servant”. Apparently the translator(s) of your English translation of scripture made a judgment call to render the word “deacon” in one context and “servant” in another – probably in light of
their opinion regarding women in ministry. I doubt it was malicious, but to some extent, every translation bears a measure of the biases of the translators.
Why would the office of deacon have the qualification of "Being the husband of one wife" if that were a lie?
Some of us understand that the passage directed to “the women, likewise…” (or often translated “the wives, likewise”) in 1 Timothy 3:11 should be understood as ‘requirements’ for female deacons.
And why on earth would a person have to know Hebrew to understand the Bible?
Actually, it’s Greek in this instance…
The idea that there is information out there that isn't available to anyone who doesn't have a Masters in theology or the Hebrew Language....Ugh! That just chaps my hide!
Actually, the information is out there if you look for it. There are language helps written for people who do not know the original languages and there is a wealth of information out there by scholars who can help you with some of the more difficult issues and passages.
Ask Dr. Bob?...that's another thing that chaps my hide...I trust Dr. Bob...but I really hate having to rely on someone elses education, on faith that they are right.
The reason I suggested Dr. Bob is that he does not agree with me (as far as I know) in regard to my interpretation of some of the key scriptures regarding women in ministry, but he is scrupulously honest about what the text actually says.

That makes him an excellent resource for you because you can test what I say by the testimony and assistance of a trusted Christian brother.
I would much rather come to this understanding because of my own discovery.
Yep. I thoroughly understand that desire. Unfortunately for our pride

God has fitted us together as the body of Christ. Each one of us has gifts, talents and opportunities. Some of us have had the privilege of going to seminary and earning degrees in theology. While we don’t always agree, we can help other members of the body of Christ (who are pursuing other equally important ministries) understand the scriptures.
Is there a such thing as an original language traslated to English Bible? I thought that was what I had!
That’s what you probably have, but translation is not simply a one-to-one, word-by-word process. Hebrew thought and syntax is radically different from Western languages and Greek (even the common, fractured Greek of the New Testament) is much more complex than English and therefore loses quite a bit of meaning in the translation.
…being limited to find things out on my own, just really makes me furious.
I understand.

Just remember that you aren’t as limited as you might think.
The best thing to do is take a big dose of humility and study up on issues yourself. Ask people you trust to help you make sense of issues. And pay attention to people who have ideas that may be radically different than your own. If there are a number of people saying a similar thing, they may know something you need to investigate.
I’ve found that I learn much more when I hear all the different sides of an issue and then study for myself to discover what I believe to be true.
My views of women in ministry came from about six years of discussion where I listened to everyone who had something to say on the issue. Frankly, most of the people I heard who were in favor of women in ministry made appeals to “fairness”, emotion or the century we were living in.

I was not impressed. But I couldn’t go along with the “conservative” party line on women in ministry because all the ‘pieces’ did not fit. Obviously, Phoebe was a deacon, Junia appeared to be an apostle and Priscilla/Prisca taught Apollos with her husband Aquilla. Furthermore, women were instructed to have their heads covered when they prophesied, yet Paul seemed to say that he did not permit a woman to speak.
I struggled with the issue and came to a tentative conclusion about how to reconcile the issue in my mind, but in 1991 I came across a book by E. Earle Ellis called “Pauline Theology: Ministry and Society” that helped me put everything together in a much more consistent way. After reading his chapter entitled “Paul and the Eschatological Women”, I finally put all the pieces together in a way that made sense with the rest of the New Testament.