Addressing the Theological and Spiritual Issues of the Broad Messianic Movement
Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee discusses the inconvenient and uncomfortable topic of male and female celibacy. Many young people across the Messianic spectrum, even into their thirties and forties, are unmarried. How are they to be rightfully valued as members of the Body of Messiah, and the equals of those who are married?
This is then followed by a review of important stories and issues from the past day or so, largely witnessed on social media.
Can you tell me anything about the laws of niddah?
To many people in today’s broad Messianic movement, the issues involving the place of husbands and wives in the family, as well as men and women in the local assembly, is a done deal. Husbands lead the family, and wives abide by their husbands’ decisions. Men lead the congregation, and women are there to help facilitate congregational functions. Any position about men and women in the Body of Messiah which might invoke terms such as co-equal, shared responsibility, and mutual submission are often viewed as compromise with the prevailing culture at best, or capitulation to liberal theology at worst.
Anyone who receives a broad-based theological education today, will quickly find that there are a number of issues upon which scholars, congregational leaders, and laypersons not only disagree about—but will starkly divide over. One of the biggest, divisive issues in contemporary evangelical Protestant theology, involves women in ministry. There are denominations which support females serving alongside of males as co-leaders of the assembly, ordained as pastors, and there are other denominations which strongly oppose females serving in such a capacity. When it comes to marital relationships, there are those who believe that a husband leads the family while the wife follows behind him, and there are others who support partnership marriages where husband and wife are co-leaders of the family.
I am very concerned about the wide number of Messianic men and women I see in their twenties and thirties (and even forties) who are unmarried. What are they going to do if they are unable to find a spouse?
Can you explain to me what a “concubine” is in the Bible?
Can you explain to me what levirate marriage is?
Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee discusses the highly controversial sexual ethics of the Apostle Paul from 1 Corinthians 7. What important lessons and points are there, which contemporary Messianic people often overlook?
Does acceptance of an egalitarian ideology for men and women as co-leaders, inevitably lead to an acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage?
I have heard liberal Bible scholars teach that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 allows for homosexuality. Is this at all true?
