When in Washington, I visited with this fabulous ex-jw named Chris I think...sure wonder how he's doing now.
He turned me on to some fascinating insights about the so-called 'elder arrangement'.
1) For instance, although the presence of 'older ones' taking the lead 'among you' is alluded to, this is not the same thing as being 'apponted' by someone thousands of miles away. You were an 'older one', visibly 'taking the lead' among the group. Hardly any comparison to the 'elder appointment' arrangement of today.
2) Alos, remember that 'all' the Chrsitians then were going to be 'judging the angels', and that apparently did not exclude the women. According to the Watchtower (and some other religions) only a very select few would be 'judging the angels', so back then, 'special wisdom' was given them, insights, and Holy Spirit. Their judging one another and confessing to one another was a whole different ball of wax than today.
3) And finally, those first-century Christians had 'gifts' of tongues and prophecy and special insight (such as regarding Annanias and Sapphira) so their qualifications to 'judge' one another are totally different than today.
Remember when Jesus was asked by his disciples about the time of the end? He replied "there will be famines" and he also said they would be busy 'eating and drinking'. Say whaaa? Eating and drinking in a famine.. Then he said "There will be wars and rumors of wars." followed by "They will be crying peace peace." Say Waaa?
Jesus was not contradicting himself---he was making a point, which he finally made when he said that his arrival would be as a thief in the night. All the way up untill the time of the end, life will go right on and that was as it should be.
Now, as for Paul, Paul had spent years and years serving the Christians--Jew and Greek--and was pretty darn frustrated with them by now. They were quarreling and arguing and totally not getting along...just one big huge spread out day care center. Regarding their leaders Paul finally said, frustrated, that "here are the qualities you need" and then sets out a list of qulaitites for a human being THAT DOES NOT EXIST. There is no such person as that, all perfect and wonderful. THAT WAS PAUL's point. Paul himself was considered an apostle, but he admited he himself did not match these qualities.
Just as when Jesus made his remarks about the 'last days', Paul made the point of no one being over another, male or female. he did make the comment of giving double honor to 'those taking the lead', (not excluding women here) and nearly every culture has that tradition.
And to support this, think of the fact that 'women were to guide the other women'. Nowhere does it say than 'elders' had ANY authority over women. Religions fabricate this. And as for Husbands being the head of Wives, that is within a voluntary marriage arrangement; not 'men' over 'women', (men and women are not a voluntary condition as a rule) and one has nothing to do with the other. Religions fabricate this.
IF indeed elders were men, then elders would only guide other elders, and that makes absolutely no sense. And besides which, 'elders' were to be married men. Watchtower says, if they are married, they are to have only one wife. No, it doesn't say that. It says "Married, with children", not the qualifier 'if they are married , if they have children'.
Just like Jesus when he said they would be eating and drinking and famine, and so on.
Paul was making a point, and he made it SO well, it can be discerned even today 2000 years or so later.
