It has been said that culture flows downstream from the church. More specifically, culture flows downstream from the pulpit.

This truth can be seen in the recent dustup over television stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.

For those of you who do not know, Chip and Joanna Gaines are local and national celebrities because of the show Fixer Upper, and because of their empire known as Magnolia. I have never seen Fixer Upper, but I have been to Magnolia. The cookies are worth the high price of $4 a piece. I’ve never tried the cupcakes, but I’m told they are splendid.

The problem for Chip and Joanna has come about because of a new show they are producing called Back to the Frontier.

The New Show

The new show features three couples who pretend to go back in time, and live in the 1880s. The problem with this scenario is that it involves a sodomite couple, who are pretending to be married, and who paid a woman to bear (sell) twin boys to them. My intent here, is not in discussing the couple. You can read more about them here and here. It is much worse than it sounds.

Also, please watch CrossPolitic’s presentation on the entire ordeal here. The guys at CP not only explain what is going on, but also show how wicked the entire show is. It is not as though Chip and Joanna were just providing money to produce the show. They are actively supporting and promoting sodomite marriage. The stated goal of the sodomite couple is to normalize sodomite marriage. This shows that they know it is not normal. It’s evil. In propping up this couple, Chip and Joanna are complicit in this normalization.

Yet, I think what is even more disturbing than all this, is the role their pastor is playing (or not playing). Chip and Joanna attend the church, Antioch Waco. And here is where the real problem begins.

The Pastor Bears the Responsibility

Now you do need to know, that the pastor of Antioch Waco, Jimmy Siebert, has come out against gay marriage, and has expressed that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is a bare minimum of what should have happend. Yet, there is more. He should not have just stated the positive of what they believe, but he also should have called both Chip and Joanna (and all who hold to sodomite marriage) to repentance.

This is what a true shepherd does. He should not just state what marriage is, but for those who are under his spiritual care who are supporting sodomite marriage, he should deal with them in such a way that either leads to their repentance or their excommunication from the church.

But to say nothing… is to neglect the calling of a shepherd.

I admit, church discipline may be going on behind the scenes. Yet, at some point, it has to be public since the sin was public. You cannot ignore the fact that other sheep are watching and need to see discipline in the lives of those who publicly sin.

The greater problem in all this is the fact that the pastor undermines his own stance on marriage every time he allows a woman to preach in the pulpit.

Women in the Pulpit Undermine Marriage

Gabriel Rench shares a video clip of the pastor of Antioch Waco introducing a woman to the congregation who “has a word for us today.” I strongly recommend that you watch it.

What you are seeing is the foundational problem that the pastor has embraced, of allowing women to preach, that results in the acceptance of sodomite marriage. How so?

It is so because the pastor is tacitly approving of role reversals when he allows a woman to preach.

Now hear me out on this. We know that Paul makes it clear that women are not to teach, preach, or have authority in the church (preaching by its very nature is authoritative, so when you allow a woman to do so, you are in effect, effectively saying the roles of men and women matter not).

Here is the reason: when a lawfully ordained man stands before the congregation and declares the word of God, he does so as the representative of Christ to the congregation. He is standing in the place of Christ,  speaking to the Bride of Christ. Preaching to the congregation is in the context of a husband/wife relationship. Christ speaks to His Bride through the pastor.

I’m not saying that the pastor is the husband, but he represents the Husband, and when he preaches faithfully, the congregations hears HIM, meaning Christ. We understand this in part from Romans 10:14… How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Now, notice that I have placed a strikethrough on the word “of”? This is because “of” is not in the original text, meaning that when a man preaches faithfully, we hear Christ!

In describing this relationship that Christ has with His Bride, Paul tells us that Christ sanctifies His Bride with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:26-27).

The main way that Christ washes His bride with the word is through the reading of the word, and the preaching of the word.

Now, notice something else about this passage in Ephesians: Paul is writing specifically about marriage, and writing to husbands. Yet, in the middle of his instruction, he shifts from earthly husbands to THE Husband, and THE Bride. This is THE Marriage that is the example to all marriages. It is THE Marriage planned before the foundations of the world.

Therefore, when Christ established the church, His plan was/is to use men to stand in His stead for Him, because the man represents Christ, the Bridegroom, as he preaches to The Bride.

Christ has already made it clear that the leaders of the church are to be men. Putting women in the role or place of a man is actually an abomination. The roles of men and women were clearly understood throughout the history of God’s people until the last 150 years.

Christ had this principle codified in the giving of the Law. (Understand that Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity. While He did not yet have His human body, He was still the Mediator between God and Man even under the Old Covenant. So the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, was given by the Second Person of the Trinity. It is His Law, just as much as it is the Father’s Law).

And one specific law given made it clear that men were to serve in the roles of men, and women in their roles. To cross the roles is an abomination before God.

⁵ “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God (Deuteronomy 22:5).

Clothing, throughout history, has indicated the role a person had. Yes, feminism has worked hard to erase this fact, but again, throughout history this truth was understood. What you wore, indicated who you were and what you did.

Therefore a woman was not to wear men’s clothing, i.e., take on the role of a man, to serve as man, to act as a man. Notice how sinful this is: for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

As you can see, the reversal of roles in society is not looked on by God with pleasure. It’s the opposite. It is an abomination.

Why is this so?

Because it goes against the God-ordained order of the image of God, male and female. Men are to keep, guard, provide, and take dominion. Women are to help their husbands, and bear and nurture children. Affirming these truths does not matter if we do not live them out.  Therefore, when we violate the simple order God has given to us, it is an abomination to Him because it is a sin against HIS image. We are violating the very honor God has given to us in making us in His image.

His image is precious to Him.

And since it is precious to Him, we should treat it as precious as well, and seek to maintain the roles He has given to us, feminism be damned… and is damned.

Women in the Pulpit

Hopefully, you can see how wrong it is for a woman to preach. When a woman tries to preach, she has already proven herself unfaithful from the get go. We all know Paul’s admonition against women teaching and having authority. Feminists bend over backwards attempting to negate Paul’s statement: And I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to be silence (1 Timothy 2:12).

In fact, just before that verse, Paul wrotes: Let a woman learn in silence in all submission.

So, we know the moment that a woman stands up to preach, she is already in rebellion against God.

Therefore, we don’t hear from Christ, but from her. She shares a message with us, but she doesn’t preach. And it is actually worse than that. She is turning the husband/wife relationship that Jesus has with His Bride into an abomination. She is trying to stand in the place of the husband. She, like Eve in the Garden, is attempting to wield the sword against Satan and failing miserably. Her presence in the pulpit sends confusion, not clarity. It sends a message that the created order between men and women means nothing at all.

And this IS a creational issue. When Paul defends his position, he roots the issue in creation, not culture, not Jewish understanding, but creation.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression (1 Timothy 2:13-14).

In view of all this, you can see, that even if the pastor says publicly that marriage is between a man and a woman, every time he allows a woman to preach in the pulpit, or preach anywhere, he undermines the very message he is claims to maintain. He is promoting what God’s word calls an abomination.

This is considered being correct on orthodoxy, but incorrect on orthopraxy. He is not practicing what he preaches. And he does allow women to preach.

Remember the video clip from Gabriel Rench on X  above? You can see the video of the Pastor Jimmy Siebert of Antioch Waco introducing a woman to preach in the church. If Siebert is serious about shepherding the flock God has given him, he needs to repent of this practice. It is a sin against the image of God, and against God Himself.

And how should we respond? We should never submit to listening to a woman attempt to preach. It is an abomination before Christ. It completely undermines Christ and His shepherds. It warps the Husband/Wife relationship of Christ and His Bride.

The Pastor Did Respond

To be fair, Siebert did respond to all the hubbub concerning this. It’s typical.

The problem with this response? There was NO CALL FOR REPENTANCE… he was just rehearsing the “compassion and clarity” trope that so many winsome, soft preachers fall back on. He does say that marriage is between one man and one woman. This is the very least he could do. But John the Baptist is nowhere to be found. There was no call to repentance and performing works worthy of repentance, just soft spoken platitudes of mercy and compassion. (Where is the compassion for the two motherless boys being parented by two gay men?) It was a feminized appeal to make everyone feel comforted, instead of a true call to the gospel.

Let me reemphasize my point: Saying one thing, marriage is between a man and a woman, is making lip service to the truth. Siebert is merely saying what he has to say. But in allowing a woman to preach in his church, he is showing us what he really believes. He really believes that men and women are interchangeable… especially in that which is most important: the preaching of God’s word, and holy matrimony.

It should be no shock to us that Chip and Joanna are confused. Hopefully, in light of the truths I’ve put forth here, Pastor Siebert will repent and be the shepherd he is called to be. He must stand strong on these issues.

Money Quote

As for Chip and Joanna, I think this a great explanation of their fall. See full article here

The Gaines aren’t the first Christian icons to slip from their built-on-solid-rock foundations. Jen Hatmaker, Joshua Harris, and even renowned theologian Richard B. Hays (whose son co-authored a 2023 pro-gay book with him before his death) all traveled the same downward slope allowing relationships to shape their theology. They arrived at a place where, on issues of gay relationships, they believe themselves more loving than God.