(Tim, w/thanks to David) What's wrong with this picture?
Look more closely.
In a month and a half, Dr. Diane Langberg will be preaching at the Princeton Regional Conference on Reformed Theology co-sponsored by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and she'll be sharing the conference pulpit with Don and Al. This ought not to be, right? Who governs this national parachurch organization?
Among others, Bob, Lig, Al, John, C. J., Alistair, Mark, Phil, R. C., and Gene-- you know, men we all know as stalwarts in the battle for orthodoxy. So why are they approving and publicizing on their web site a conference where a woman will preach to men? A conference on "reformed theology," mind you.
"Well, Tim; where have you been all these years? This is old hat. Women have been plenary preachers at R. C.'s Ligonier conferences for years, now. Dot your i's and cross your t's, dude. Clean up your precision. Get a focus. When the Apostle Paul forbids women to "teach" men, he's only speaking of the Church. Neither the Ligonier conferences nor any number of other forums--say for instance, a seminary chapel service--are the church. They're something else. Chill out, brother...
"Think about it: You don't know what Dr. Langberg is doing at this conference. She could be addressing a session reserved for the women attendees. Do you know that's not the case? If you're not certain, you should have called the Alliance and asked them for more information before shooting off your mouth. Come on. You really think Al and Don are going to share the pulpit with a woman at a theology conference? You can't find men with stronger complementarian credentials! We're all in good hands, brother. This ship is unsinkable--we've got all the best names and tallest-steeple churches; and every one of these men knows how to tap the words 'providence' and 'sovereignty' on their PDAs with their eyes closed. The men of the Alliance have proved themselves stalwart at contending for the truth. Calm yourself!"
No, I won't. Our allegiance is to be to the doctrine of Scripture, paying particular attention to the gaps in the wall. Shepherds of God's flock are not to spend our time laying garlands on the tombs of dead men who themselves were faithful in contending for the faith in their day, and died for their work.
We are called by God to die today, ourselves, as we contend for the faith.
