But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3
Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 1 Corinthians 11:9
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 1 Timothy 2:12
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach. 1 Timothy 3:2
While I have been encouraged by many of President Trump's actions in the first few weeks of his second term in office, this encouragement does not in any way invalidate my opposition to the legitimacy of his candidacy for POTUS for those who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
My vehement opposition to pragmatism is one of the hills upon which I resolutely plant my flag and am fully prepared to defend til my dying breath. I submit you should, too, if you are serious about positing fidelity to the Word of God in all areas of life.
For those not familiar with pragmatism, pragmatism is the philosophy that posits that truth is measured by what works. For example, if you start a church and it grows, it becomes prima facie evidence that God is at work. Measuring what is true by the outcome is a pure fallacy and proof that the advocate does not understand we live in a fallen world in which the Scriptures explicitly indicate that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:14) and often appears as an Angel of Light.
The results of a given circumstance do not define truth; truth is only determined by someone or something with access to all knowledge. The Church has long held that only our Creator God has such knowledge, which is why the Church has vigorously defended the doctrine of sola Scriptura. I strongly recommend that those interested in a fuller treatment of the dangers of pragmatism read Tim Challies' helpful and very insightful blog.
So, while I laud many of the Trump administration's early actions, these early results in no way eradicate my principled opposition to his overall fitfulness for the presidency. I may stand before Christ and be informed I was in error regarding my position, so I do not take my position in a haughty fashion but only do so with fear and trembling as I attempt to do so in all other matters.
One troubling action I just became aware of was President Trump’s decision to appoint Paula White-Cain as the head of the White House Faith Office, an office appointed by the Executive Branch to work with religious groups to promote one of America’s most cherished rights: Religious Liberty.
President Trump announced this during the annual National Prayer Breakfast earlier this year.
TRUMP: This week, I'm also creating the White House Faith office led by Pastor Paula White, who is so amazing. (Taken from the World and Everything In It’s website)
While it is beyond the scope of a blog article to deal with any biblical doctrine comprehensively, especially one as controversial as the role of women in ministry, I posit the Bible is abundantly clear that women are not authorized to serve as Pastors.
One need only perform a very casual perusal of Holy Scripture to understand the Bible’s clear and unambiguous teachings on the qualifications of a Pastor, Elder, or Bishop. These are interchangeable terms used to describe the person God authorizes to lead His people as per the instructions in the New Testament.
Every passage that deals with ministerial leadership in the Church reveals this office can only be held by a person with XY chromosomes. Thus, this requirement is a sine qua non that Paula White-Cain, or any person with XX chromosomes for that matter, does not retain God’s blessing or authority to serve in a pastoral capacity.
What I find even more troubling is when men, especially men, who claim to speak for God as Pastors, propagate this clear rejection of the Holy Scriptures.
Take Pastor Samuel Rodriguez Jr., interviewed by a reporter from The World and Everything In It, regarding their coverage of President Trump’s appointment of White-Cain.
Pastor Samuel Rodriguez Jr. worked as a faith liaison for Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. He’s now president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
RODRIGUEZ: Pastor Paula was the leader. She convenes the troops, she gathers the team, she's the quarterback, we're on the field, and we execute accordingly… and she and she has brought in others outside the evangelical world, including rabbis and Catholic bishop.
You talk about giving away the farm; when you have supposed males serving in prominent leadership roles capitulating to the gender revolution, is there any wonder the professing Church is losing relevance?
So, even as the Bible speaks clearly and abundantly about who can serve as leaders in the Church and the home because our culture has embraced an egalitarian understanding, the Church allows herself to be transformed by the culture instead of stepping into her God-appointed role of transforming the culture. This, my friend, is classic tail wagging the dog.
My opposition to Paula White-Cain’s qualifications to serve does not even take into account her theology or doctrinal position or skills or lack thereof. She is prima facie unqualified to serve as a pastor of a local church, and she should not then be able to use those bonafides to serve as the White House Faith liaison working with local churches.
No male pastor who takes the Word of God seriously should be seen enthusiastically championing a female who publicly assumes the role of Pastor in a local church.
Not surprisingly, you are not hearing much in the way of dissent from many in the Church. Probably outside of men like Pastor John McArthur or Pastor Voddie Baucham, you will not, and for that fact, I am most saddened and disappointed.
While I lament, the Holy Scriptures remind me that God will always have a faithful remnant who will not bend the knee. I am determined to be part of that faithful remnant as long as I have cognition and air circulating in my lungs.
I am encouraged that the Church still has faithful warriors who will not shrink back, like Justin Peters, who was interviewed by The World and Everything In It. Read what Brother Peter’s had to say on the matter:
Justin Peters, a Montana-based evangelist. Raised Southern Baptist, he’s now a traveling preacher who has created a curriculum to rebut the Word of Faith movement.
PETERS: And she tells people to sow money into her ministry, sow seed so they can reap a harvest. She's using scripture to exploit the poor, the sick, the desperate, and the widows for her own personal financial gain.
Peters voted for Trump in each of the past three presidential elections. He says he aligns with White politically but disputes her theology.
PETERS: My first and foremost concern is the purity of the gospel to a watching world. I would gladly undergo persecution from the government as long as the gospel of Jesus Christ is not distorted.
I stand resolutely with Justin Peters. Not because I am misogynistic or want to suppress women. God forbid such a crass attitude, yet I know some will still make such a repugnant accusation.
My reply to such a crass and baseless accusation is simple and straightforward: I seek to be faithful and subordinate to the Word of God in all matters. As Voddie Baucham is fond of saying, I am just the mailman delivering the mail.
When we brazenly disobey and disregard how God seeks to order His creation, no good will come of it, and no good can come of it. Paula White-Cain is no Pastor. She has XX chromosomes; thus, she is not biologically eligible to serve in that role.
What allows you to believe you know better than the Creator if you dissent or demure?
As usual, let me know what you think. Until then, keep your hands to the plow and seek to serve for Audience of One.
With fear & trembling,
Ricky V. Kyles Sr. DEd.Min
Information used in this blog was taken from The World and Everything In It podcast on February 20, 2025
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