From: Nikolaos (adamon@sage.edu)
Date: Fri Mar 29 1996 - 13:46:43 EST
Carl W. Conrad gives proper historical and legal intepretation.
Furhtermore, there is a theological reasoning,
since the relationship between a husband and a wife is
in a mystical (MYSTHRIO) form the representation of the relationship between
Christ and Church.
As a result it is a UNIQUE relationship.
For the shake of economy after a death of one partner is allowed
one to remarry. This is an exeption, not a rule.
Therefore pristhood in its presbyter and bishop functions
are exclusive for very selected and strictly defined people.
1) MALE since they represent Christ.
It does not mean that women are not worth of the service,
it means that a human is not worht of it, it is given to human
as a grace.
2) 'of one wife' that means that the presbuter of the bishop
cannot have know (had sex) with a second person in a life time.
3) the wife also should be of one man too.
This means that if I have a wife whose first husband died
I cannot become a priest, and much more a bishop.
As far as the intepretation goes on, anyone can say whatever wants.
There is not female priesthood as there is not male motherhood.
There are few things that change in time, and few things that don't.
As the sun rises only from the east and not from the west,
there is no space of intepretation in "our" times is such serious matters.
There is place for interpretation when things are not clear,
and there is not definate church tradition.
As far as this issue goes, the case is simple and clear both in the
biblical text and in church's history. This is one point.
If we want to do or beleive otherwise, this is a different issue,
and it is up to us, so we may do it inspite of what it is in the bible
anyway.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:40 EDT