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That is the case because slavery is illegal. In modern times, for the most part, slavery shows up in illegal prostitution rings, which is not the same thing that we see in the OT or the Grecco-Roman world. Neither the Old Testament or New Testament said that slavery was a sin. Philemon had a slave, but loved the brethren.
In the Old Testament, they weren't supposed to force a run-away slave to go back. Onesimus apparently went away willingly. He should not have run away.
Cultural context. We know what that means. It is not hard. I think there are some things about women we must consider in a cultural context when reading about how women have been excluded when this is not God's doing but the hard hearted nature of men.
You said..........
"If he says that a bishop or elder should be blameless married to one wife it is because it was assumed he would be a male since it would have been unheard of to allow a woman to be a bishop. It is not a specific ban on women. It is assumed due to the culture of that day. Yes I do see a cultural context. The treatment of women and slaves are two examples that should be considered in a cultural context."
Again, you are saying that "Culture" dictates the meaning of God's Word.
So by that "Philosophic" position, homosexuality is today OK with God as the culture today has accepted it as normal.
Then by that same thinking.....abortion is now OK with God because society has accepted it as birth control.
I say NO!
God said...........
"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach".
A Pastor must be a "Married MAN" according to God.....not culture or society.
I allow others to have their interpretations even if they vilify me for mine. I believe the authorial intent is on being blameless. That if he is married he should be married to only one wife, as that was something they were still asking about at that time. Many thought is was ok to have more than one wife becuase of the OT and Jesus had addressed this and said one. Therefore an elder who was married should be married to one wife to be "BLAMELESS" in this matter. If he had children they should be in control, otherwise he would not be considered blamless, not because he had not children but because they were out of control.
Many other things he lists that are examples of what it means to be blameless as a bishop.
Paul is on record of being very verbose about the beneifits of being single so that you can attend to undistracted devotion to the Lord therefore how much more would that apply to a minister? 1 Cor 7 It is not a command to be single. Neither is this verse a command to be married. Paul would have said that if you have the gift remain single UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE A BISHOP but that would not make sense if being single allows you to be undistracted from the world.
It is obvious that he means IF you are married, one wife.
If you have children they should be in control.
Fortunately we have moved on from these erroneous interpretations and are not demanding pastors to be married and have children.
Neither are we banning women from ministry.
I have no problem with a woman pastor. I don't believe this verse banns women from being pastors. I don't think that was his point.
His point was what it meant to be blameless. It is not immoral to be a woman. So we can rule that out as what he was meaning by blameless.