The theological ineptness of Karen Swallow Prior, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s new professor, knows no limits. In her attempt to defend female preachers, the self-professed feminist and animal rights activist claimed that Jesus broke the Sabbath, making it okay that women bend the Bible’s rules on preaching.
Yesterday’s controversy started when Danny Akin – who claims there is not liberal drift in the SBC and the seminary hasn’t changed their position on gender roles – tweeted a few examples that he apparently felt defended the idea of females preaching to men.
Akin drew from the life of “Mary Boardman” [sic], also known as Sarah Hall Boardman, who would become the wife of missionary, Adoniram Judson, after her husband died. After her first husband, George Boardman, died in Burma, Sarah continued the work and started several schools in the jungle and taught the natives while her husband’s replacement learned the language.
There is no historical indication that Sarah Judson preached to any gathered assembly of the church.
Likewise, Lottie Moon was a missionary to China who did, in fact, on occasion teach men. There is no historical indication that Lottie Moon preached to any gathered assembly of the church. It is also recorded fact that Moon felt uncomfortable doing so and eventually distanced herself from the practice altogether (a fact that egalitarians neglect to mention when they use her as an example).
Those familiar with the Conservative Resurgence will recall egalitarians using Lottie Moon as an exemplar on this issue just as Danny Akin is doing now.
To defend Akin, who came under attack by conservatives on the platform, Karen Swallow Prior jumped in to cite
Prior, who adds “Notorious KSP” in flattering imitation of the liberal pro-choice Supreme Court justice and feminist, Ruth Bader Ginsburg who is nicknamed “Notorious RBG,” to her Twitter profile, cites Luke 14 to demonstrate (in her opinion) that Jesus broke the Sabbath and so it’s okay for women to bend a few rules. This is the comment she approved below…
Interestingly, Prior seems to agree with the Pharisees that Jesus was a Sabbath-breaker.
Of course, Jesus did not violate the Sabbath in any way. Such a claim is damnable because the Sabbath is one of God’s Ten Commandments, which had to be completely fulfilled by Christ in order for him to become our perfect sacrifice.
The ones who misunderstood the Sabbath were the Pharisees who added legalistic standards not actually found in Scripture. There was no prohibition in Moses’ law against traveling or preparing grain to eat when done by necessity (Jesus clarified these exceptions in Luke 14:15).
The Sabbath was not a “lighter matter of the Law.” Jesus taught more about the Sabbath than any other commandment. He defended his lawful use of the day (other sins he was accused of, like drunkenness, he didn’t even respond to).
A president of a Southern Baptist seminary is defending women preachers (when no men are available, which is what will happen when women preach). A feminist professor at his institution thinks Jesus sinned.
This is real. If you’re in the SBC, it is time to abandon ship.
