Doctrine matters. What a person believes shapes who he or she becomes. At the same time, discerning doctrinal truth—that is, knowing God’s loving will for humanity in all matters of life—is a communal matter. It requires marshalling the knowledge, wisdom, and input of the entire community so that those God has called as leaders can understand specifically how best to connect Scriptural application with peoples’ lives.
At the same time, it is good for everyone in the church to understand the process by which Imago’s pastors and leaders go about crafting the doctrinal positions that guide the church through difficult cultural and theological questions. Doctrinal Forums, then, allow Imago Dei leadership to open up its process to the wider community. They also allow every person in the church to voice questions and opinions. Above all, the forums let everyone in the church practice listening, learning, praying—disciplines that help put preservation of unity in Christ above personal opinion or gut reaction.
Several Doctrinal Position Papers follow.
ELDERS AND OVERSEERS
The terms "elders" and "overseers" are interchangeable and designate the primary spiritual leaders of the church (Titus 1:5, 7; Acts 20: 17, 28). The term "elder" emphasizes maturity and "overseer" emphasizes the leadership responsibility. Ideally the local church has a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14). Elders are equal in authority, but not equal in influence. Their authority is to be expressed in loving leadership and not lording over the flock (1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:17). God has designated men as elder/overseers (see "Women in Ministry" document).
Elders have final responsibility before God for prayer ministry (James 5:14), ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) including teaching and guarding the church's doctrine (Acts 20:27-31; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:9), the administration of the church (1 Timothy 3:5), and shepherding the flock (1 Peter 5:2).
Elders are responsible for the whole flock, but they are not the only ones who shepherd. The gift of pastor (Ephesians 4:11) involves shepherding, but is different from the office of elder/overseer. We use the term "pastor" for some of our leaders, whether men or women, who direct ministries. They shepherd part of the flock under the elders' authority. Elders are "pastors" (1 Peter 5:1-2), but we distinguish their office by the term "elder" or "overseer". We use the term "deacon" for the office held by men and women who serve under the elders to meet practical needs in the church.
Elders must be blameless in character (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), able to teach Scripture (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:17), and answer those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). An elder must be the "husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2; 3:12). We understand that this qualification does not exclude an unmarried person, someone remarried after the death of a spouse, nor necessarily one who has divorced and remarried. The phrase describes a reputation as a "faithful" husband or a "one-wife kind of man" (see Divorce and Remarriage document).
Elders are public leaders, and so valid accusation of blame should only be accepted by two or three witnesses and result in public rebuke (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
In Scripture elders were selected by the original church planter (Acts 14:23) or by other elders (Titus 1:5), with recognition from the congregation for its leaders (Acts 6:3; 15:22-23). Scripture does not describe how elders should organize themselves, so this is determined by church size, cultural context and specific needs of the body.
DEACONS
The important role/office of deacons is highly honored by God (1 Timothy 3:13). Deacons are under the leadership of the elders. Deacons serve and build the church spiritually by carrying out essential practical ministry designated by the elders. They free up church leaders to be devoted to the ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4). They serve by meeting practical needs so the Word can spread unhindered (Acts 6:7). They conduct ministry that does not emphasize teaching or shepherding.
The word deacon is a general term. The Bible uses diakeno (serve), diakonia (service) and diakonos (servant) to describe the ministry of all believers (Ephesians 4:12). The term "deacon" also has a specialized meaning as a recognized position or office in church ministry (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13). Deacons may have originated with the seven who were chosen by the apostles and the church to care for the widows (Acts 6:1-6). The name implies that they do specially designated service necessary for the church's effectiveness, though Scripture gives no job description.
The spiritual and character qualifications for deacons are almost identical with elders. The requirements of teaching ability (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9) and "not a new convert" (1 Timothy 3:6) are not included for deacons. They must be first tested in ministry and show themselves faithful and effective (1 Timothy 3:10). Like the elders, deacons must be the "husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2; 3:12). We understand that this qualification does not exclude an unmarried person, those remarried after the death of a spouse, nor necessarily those who have divorced and remarried. The phrase describes someone with a reputation as a "faithful" spouse or a "one-wife kind of man."
1 Timothy 3:11 mentions "women/wives". The term may refer to the wives of deacons, but the adjective "their" (wives) is missing. There was no Greek word for deaconess and so a term like "woman" or the masculine "deacon" (Romans 16:1) had to be used. It seems unlikely that there were qualifications for the wife of a deacon when there were none for an elder's wife. The service nature of the position does not require the authoritative teaching of the church or the leading of the whole church, which are restricted to elder/overseers. Thus, deacons may be either women or men who meet the Scriptural qualifications.
Each generation of the church may have a different emphasis on the specific ministries of deacons. The elders of each church must decide where they are most needed. The position of Imago Dei is to commission deacons to lead teams of serving believers whose function is not primarily pastoring or teaching, e.g. leading a team to distribute money to the poor (benevolence), leading area set-up and teardown teams, leading security teams, leading a parking team, leading a hospitality team, leading an usher team, leading an emergency response team, leading a team of financial advisors, leading a building team.
WOMEN IN MINISTRY
We are thankful that the Imago Dei community has not allowed the role of women in the church to be a contentious issue. Our culture is fighting around us for power, rights and prominence. Unfortunately, the evangelical community is also fighting over the gender issue. Sometimes, both sides seem to be angry and power hungry to win the argument.
Two main views have emerged among evangelicals. Egalitarians believe that women can qualify for any position in the church. Complementarians (formerly, hierarchialists or traditionalists) believe that men and women are equal in worth, but that God has created role differences that limit women from some ministry positions. Neutrality is impossible since every practice reflects one or the other of the two views.
We are convinced that:
(1) The issue of women in ministry is significant and must be addressed.
(2) We will not allow this issue to degenerate into divisive behavior or speech.
(3) Both viewpoints have biblical and reasonable arguments.
(4) This issue is one of the debatable issues (Rom. 14) where believers must accept each other with their differing viewpoints.
Since this is a debatable issue, our church welcomes believers of both persuasions. We will not condemn either side. We are committed to respectful discussions that edify and oppose angry arguments that divide. We recommend the book Two Views: Women in Ministry for an irenic and balanced interaction. Two evangelical organizations have formed: Christians for Biblical Equality and The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Their websites are filled with excellent literature that is biblically based.
*Debatable issues are issues the evangelical church has debated and come to more than one reasonable biblical conclusion. On this debatable issue Imago Dei has come to a conviction (Romans 14:5), but does not require our members to agree. The elders do not hold this issue open for continual debate, but review our positions periodically.
Our Position
We want our policies to be based upon our theology, but like the church, our elders do not necessarily have a uniform understanding on this issue. So, we must all agree to promote unity (John 17: 23) with our differences and willingly follow our church guidelines.
We believe that both men and women are equally made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and equal partners in Christ (Gal. 3:28). As in the Trinity, there is equality of persons, but diversity in function. There is a relationship between the equal persons of the Trinity that includes leadership and submission. God the Father sends the Son and the Spirit (Isa. 48:16; John 5:23-36; 14:26; 15:26). The Son and the Spirit submit to the Father, but each is equally God. All believers must joyfully submit to the triune God. Imago Dei's position is sometimes called "soft complementarian." It is represented by Craig Blomberg's essay in Two Views: Women in Ministry.
History has clearly shown that men often use their leadership to oppress. Many Christian men have not sacrificially loved their wives. Great harm has been done to women in the name of church leadership. Our example is Christ who used His authority to lead with love and empower the Church.
In each age God has designated men to fulfill the primary role of spiritual leadership: Old Testament priests, the twelve apostles and elders/overseers in the church. 1 Timothy 2:12 can be understood as combining the two ideas of teaching and authority. Thus, Paul limited women only from the position of "authoritative teacher," that is, the role of elder/overseer.
The scattered biblical examples of women teaching or leading men are appropriate since they were not fulfilling the role of Old Testament priests, apostles or elders/overseers. Paul's appeal to creation (1 Tim. 2:12-15; 1 Cor. 11:2-4) and God's pattern of choosing men (priest, apostle, and elder), point to male leadership as trans-cultural. Christ's gifts are equally given to men and women to build up His Body (Eph. 4:12). A woman with the gift of pastor will find many expressions, but the role of elder is limited to men. The position of deacon is for qualified men or women (1 Tim. 3:11).
Christ's leadership of the Church models and prescribes the role of loving leadership for the husband. Wives are to submit voluntarily to their own husbands (Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1-6). Because of the fall, the husband's loving leadership has often been perverted into domination and the wife's willing submission into improper servitude or a power struggle. Women in general are not required to submit to men in general (1 Cor. 11:2-4)
Our Commitment
Those who hold our position have often overlooked or undervalued the wisdom and gifts of women. So we will seek to empower women in ministry and actively listen to their wisdom. We will be advised by our wives and by a council of godly women who regularly communicate with the elders. We will admonish husbands to lead their families with godliness and love their wives sacrificially. We will seek to protect our women from abusive husbands. We will seek to honor, value and respect our women as equal heirs of God's grace and gifted partners in the church's ministry. We will seek to use gender language that reflects the equal value of women and men.
Our Unity
To those convinced of a different view, we value our relationship with you. We welcome continuing dialogue within the Imago Dei community asking only that no one cause division but rather love those who differ. We desire to be a church where believers of both views work in harmony. We expect everyone to keep our bond of unity in peace and love. If anyone finds that they cannot do so, we request that another fellowship be sought where those views can better serve the community of Christ. We must all hold our viewpoints humbly and appreciate the biblical arguments of both egalitarians and complementarians. This issue gives us the opportunity to show the power of living in love while holding differing viewpoints.
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
Imago Dei Community seeks God’s help to build strong marriages and families. Marriage is God’s gift for believers and unbelievers (Genesis 2:24); but, in a broken world, marriages will fail and we must be ready to respond with grace and truth.
Marriage is a God-ordained, public covenant between a man and a woman that results in a “one flesh” relationship (Genesis 2:24; Proverbs 2:16-17; Ezekiel 16:8; Malachi 2:14). God’s design is that every marriage be faithfully permanent. God loves covenant keeping, and His strength is sufficient to enable husband and wife to be faithful. His redeeming grace gives us hope that even the most broken marriage can be restored.
Our position allows divorce and remarriage for either of two valid causes: sexual immorality (Matthew 5:31-32; 19:9) or desertion by an unbelieving spouse (I Corinthians 7:15). This has been called the Erasmian view, the traditional Protestant view, and is the most common view among evangelicals. Divorce and remarriage is a debatable issue and we respect believers who differ with us.
Note: In this position statement “sexual immorality” and “sexual unfaithfulness” are translations of the Greek word, porneia (Matt 5:32; 19:9). In a marriage context it refers to the sins of adultery, homosexual behavior, incest and bestiality.
The Mosaic Law brought the death penalty for certain sexual sins including: adultery, incest, homosexual behavior and bestiality. Capital punishment showed the seriousness of sexual sin and allowed the innocent surviving spouse to remarry. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), but He allowed it because of the hardness of people’s hearts (Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Matthew 19:8).
Jesus said, “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9; see also 5:32). The exception clause (“except for sexual immorality”) refers to adultery and probably covers all the cases of sexual sin that deserved capital punishment in the Old Testament. Matthew records Christ’s most detailed teaching on divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:27-32; 19:3-12). Mark 10:2-12 and Luke 16:18 do not include the exception clause, because they are a summary of Christ’s teaching.
The New Testament allows, but does not require divorce for sexual unfaithfulness. God’s grace encourages us to forgive and have hope that God’s transforming power can redeem even the most broken marriage. However, when there has been sexual unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage are allowed, and do not constitute adultery. The marriage bond includes a covenant and then uniting sexually in “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Biblically, a marriage is viewed as ending when one spouse dies (Romans 7:2). It can also end when two things occur: (1) the one flesh has been violated (sexual unfaithfulness) and (2) the legal covenant has been revoked (divorce); if only one of these two things has occurred, the marriage continues to exist.
If someone divorces without a valid cause, they are still married in God’s sight. If one of them remarries, their new sexual union is adultery against their former spouse, and the first marriage is ended. Their union forms a new marriage. The new couple should repent of adultery, receive God’s forgiveness, and seek to make their marriage faithfully permanent. The former spouse is now single and free to remarry (Matthew 19:3-12).
One further exception is the so-called “Pauline privilege” in I Corinthians 7:15 (the believer “is not under bondage in such cases”) . The “bound” condition is best understood as the marriage bond (I Corinthians 7:39). In a marriage of believer and unbeliever, the believer should seek to preserve the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:13-14; 1 Peter 3:1-2). However, if the unbelieving spouse deserts, the believer, after patient prayer, may divorce and remarry.
There are many destructive behaviors that can threaten the safety of family members and jeopardize the health of a marriage. Even when sexual addiction does not include physical adultery, it is still a form of evil destructive lust (Matthew 5:27-28) and worthy of church discipline. Abuse of spouse or children cannot be tolerated. It is not, in itself, automatically grounds for divorce, but such abuse is so serious that it can result in church discipline and excommunication for the unrepentant abuser Refusal to provide for one’s family (1 Timothy 5:8) is a form of denying the faith and desertion. In these and other destructive situations we will: (1) seek to remove family members from physical danger, (2) follow required legal reporting, (3) confront the abuser, (4) provide a care team to nurture the couple, and (5) bring church discipline and excommunication when appropriate. When excommunication occurs, the case will be treated as desertion by an unbeliever (Matthew 18:17).
Unmarried sexual cohabitation is an expression of sexual sin that seeks intimacy without commitment. The couple should either separate or make a marriage covenant in harmony with Scripture and state law (Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:1).
Qualifications for church leadership involve one’s current life style. No one is disqualified because they did not meet the requirements in the past. The “husband of one wife” qualification for elders and deacons (I Timothy 3:2; 3:12) requires a person to have a reputation of living faithfully with their current spouse. The qualification is an idiom meaning a “one wife kind of man” not someone who has never been divorced or never remarried. For a single person this would require a reputation of sexual purity. Taking the phrase literally results in the unlikely view that it excludes single men like Paul, and those who have remarried for any cause. (Kostenberger, God Marriage and Family, chp. 12; Strauch, Biblical Eldership, 189-193).
Unity
We welcome to Imago Dei those who differ with this position, but we ask that you do not allow your viewpoint to create division and that you speak in love about those who differ with you. Our differences will give us the opportunity to show unity and love within our diverse opinions.
For Further Study: The most helpful are listed first.
Andreas J. Kostenberger, God, Marriage, and Family, especially chap. 11-12.
John Stott, Involvement Vol. 2: Social And Sexual Relationships in the Modern World, ch. 6 D.A.
Carson, Matthew, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8 (see Matthew 19).
John Murray, Divorce, especially chap. 2.
Craig L Blomberg, “Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, and Celibacy.” Trinity Journal 11 (1990): 161-196
H. Wayne House, editor, Divorce and Remarriage: Four Christian Views.