Woman deacons?

[Pilgrim]

Francis Nigel Lee has several articles on the role of women in the church.

Here are a couple that I saw on his website. Did I miss any?

Women and Church Eldership

Biblical Ministries for Women, an article that specifically deals with deaconesses.

 

[reformedman]

Try this on for size...

Phoebe, God bless her, was a true deacon in character, as we all should be, but that does not mean she should be installed into the office of deacon.

Was she a deaconesse?

 

[fredtgreco]

Was she a deaconesse?

No she was not, regardless of unbiblical attempts to make her so.

 

[Kevin]

No she was not, regardless of unbiblical attempts to make her so.

With all due respect, is this not what we are discussing? I don't think anyone on the board is making a case that they believe to be "unbiblical". I certainly am not.
If I was convinced that my confession was in error on this point I would follow scripture rather than the standards. I hope that everyone in this thread would do the same. The point of contention is how we interpret the passages in question, not do we obey the word of God or ignore it.

I honestly am convinced that the scripture allows for deaconesses. I don't believe that you must do this, in fact I was ordained a deacon in the PCA and I worked AGAINST allowing deaconesses in that context. Not as a matter of principle or conviction, but because the standards (of the PCA) clearly disalow it and those who were working for it did so as part of a larger campaign for women elders. (TN Valley pres in the 90's for those who remember the Cedar Springs issue)

Let us debate the issue by all means, but I don't think any one (here at least) is making "unbiblical" efforts.