Gen. 29:9 ...Rachel came with her fathers sheep, for she kept them (keep = to have, take care of)
Jud. 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged (ruled) Israel at that time (prophesy = foretell; speak when divinely inspired > prophesy is a direct word from God, needing no interpreter)
Other Women Rulers = Athaliah - II K.11:3 , Queen Of Sheba = I K.10:1 , Queen Candace = Acts 8:27
Phil. 4:2 Euodias, and Syntyche - both women 3 ...I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers ... (with = among, in the company of / in = within, with, using) Some would have you believe they only labored in the kitchen! You don’t use the gospel of Christ to bake a cake!
Ro. 16:1-6, 12 = Phebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, all women who labored in the gospel
1 I commend (praise, recommend, give approval) unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant (minister, person devoted to any service) of the church which is at Cenchrea. *In this case Phebe was surely devoted to the service of the Lord.
2 That ye receive (accept, welcome) her in the Lord, and that ye assist (help) her in whatsoever (anything) business (work, duty) she hath need of you; for she hath been a succorrer of many and of myself also.
3 Greet Priscilla, and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus * Notice the word helpers is plural = surely he didn't mean they were cooks or slaves! > They also held church in their house.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. (expound = explain, teach)
Gal. 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (one = the same, joined together, united) When God looks at us, he sees us as vessels, freed from sin, filled with His spirit, called to do His will. He is no respecter of persons. Your gender, skin color or background doesn’t limit God & doesn’t disqualify you to be used by Him.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Gen. 3:16 ... thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee (have authority over)
I Cor.11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Eph. 5:22 Wives, submit (yield) yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord
Col. 3:18 Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord
Tit. 2:3-5 *Women are to be… discreet, chaste, keepers at home, obedient to their own husbands ...
(Notice we've read three scriptures that say ' to your own husbands ' > we are not under rule of other men) If the husband is not a born again believer, then she is under the rule of God alone.
I Tim. 2:11 Let the woman (Strongs = wife) learn in silence (absolute quiet, no noise) with all subjection.
12 But I suffer (allow) not a woman to teach, nor to usurp
(Strong’s = dominate) authority over the man, but to be in silence.
I Cor.14: 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. (Gen. 3:16)
35 And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
*Teachers of the law were called scribes (‘nomikos', meaning = lawyer) scribes were = students of the law, doctors of the law - called Rabbi - much of their time was spent teaching, and in judicial functions, their duties being threefold >
1. To study and interpret the law
2. Instruct the Hebrew youth
3. Decide questions of the law. So it makes sense that women were not allowed to hold this position, but that is not to say they cannot labor in the gospel, as we have already learned from Paul’s writings. In the assemblies, it was permitted that any man ask questions, to object, altercate, attempt to refute, etc., but this liberty was not allowed to women. She was not to question or dispute, for she was to be under subjection in matters other than spiritual influence from God. As for keeping silent, if we take this in the literal sense then women are not allowed to pray or worship in church for that would not be silence or absolute quiet!
Jn.14:23 If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (Does this mean only a man?)
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Does that mean sons only? Of course not)
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Mt. 20:26 ... whosoever (anyone) will be great (important) among you, let him be your minister.
Jn 20:17 * Mary was the first person Jesus sent to publish the ' good news' > ... go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God. (What do we preach and teach today? That Christ has risen and is alive! That is the gospel; Christ crucified and risen.)
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. (Evidently the women did not keep silent in this assembly, nor did they pray in a separate room.)
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues ...
Acts 12:12-13 ... he came to the house of Mary ...... where many were gathered together praying.
Nu.12:2 ... hath he not spoken also by us? (Miriam and Aaron)
Micah 6:4 ... I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Joel 2:28 ... your sons and daughters shall prophesy. (prophesy = (Greek -propheteia) signifies "the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God" (Webster’s) foretell, preach, teach.)
I Cor. 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered .... *Clearly a woman has the same right as a man to pray & prophesy (preach). The woman is under protection of her husband & the man is under the protection of God. A man should present himself to God - recognizable as a Man & a woman should present herself to God as the weaker vessel, under the covering of her husband. This being said they are both under the same subjection to God. This does not mean that man has rule & authority over his wife...that would mean that he usurped God’s authority over her.
*When any person, male or female, is called of God for any type ministry, they obey God and are used by God spiritually, not carnally. Therefore, they are not taking by force, authority over anyone, but are merely vessels for God to use as he will, so let God use whom he will use.
(IVP Bible Com.) ‘Letter of recommendation for a minister’ > Jewish travelers normally carried letters of recommendation attesting that they should be received; they were generally bearers of such letters themselves. The New Testament usually applies the term (diakonos) to "ministers" of God's word, like Paul and his colleagues; Paul may have this meaning in view here (although ancient Judaism did not allow women to teach the law publicly to men).
Rom. 16:2 …… she hath been a succorer of many
Succorer = (Greek = rostatis, prostatidos, hee) >properly, a woman set over others, a female guardian, protectress, patroness, (roisteemi:) > in the transitive tenses to set or place before; to set over, to be over, to superintend, preside over, to be a protector or guardian; to give aid.
Adam Clark > (1 Cor.11:5 ..every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head) This was a Jewish ordinance; women were not permitted to teach in the assemblies, or even to ask questions. The rabbis taught that "a woman should know nothing but womanly concerns. “ This was their condition till the time of the Gospel, when, according to the prediction of Joel, the Spirit of God was to be poured out on the women as well as the men, that they might prophesy, i.e. teach. And that they did prophesy or teach is evident from what Paul says in
1 Cor 11:5, where he lays down rules to regulate this part of their conduct while ministering in the church. And does not what the apostle says here (v. 34) contradict that statement, and show that the words in 1Cor. 11 should be understood in another sense? For, here it is expressly said that they should keep silence in the church; for it was not permitted to a woman to speak. Both places seem perfectly consistent. It is evident from the context that the apostle refers here to asking questions and what we call dictating in the assemblies. It was permitted to any man to ask questions, to object, altercate, attempt to refute, etc., in the synagogue; but this liberty was not allowed to any woman. Paul confirms this in reference also to the Christian church; he orders them to keep silence; and, if they wished to learn anything, let them inquire of their husbands at home; because it was perfectly indecorous for women to be contending with men in public assemblies, on points of doctrine, cases of conscience, etc. But this by no means intimated that when a woman received any particular influence from God to enable her to teach, that she was not to obey that influence; on the contrary, she was to obey it, and the apostle lays down directions in 1Cor. 11 for regulating her personal appearance when thus employed. All that the apostle opposes here is their questioning, finding fault, disputing, etc, in the Christian church, as the Jewish men were permitted to do in their synagogues; together with the attempts to usurp any authority over the man, by setting up their judgment in opposition to them; for the apostle has in view, especially, acts of disobedience, arrogance, etc., of which no woman would be guilty who was under the influence of the Spirit of God.
1 Cor. 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
Commentaries refer to > Gen 3:16 …. thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1 Tim 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1. We can take this literally as written – women must be absolutely quiet, not making a sound - no praying, singing, testifying etc. not learning (so this would mean they were not permitted to hear either )
or……..
2. these scriptures refer to business meetings
or ……
3. Women were not allowed to hold the office of a scribe
or …..
4. Paul didn’t allow them to speak in the synagogues, only in church meetings in private homes
or ….
5. Women were not to debate, question issues, or forcefully dictate in the synagogue. They were to be under subjection to their husbands, not holding office or having any type authority without permission – thereby obeying their gifts and callings without being out of order. In this way they would not be usurping (taking by force) authority oven the man.
* We must take into account that things were different in Paul’s day; the feasts & holy days were still celebrated & certain customs were upheld that are no longer observed. We now worship & serve God spiritually, not in rituals & customs.
*Why are some people so against a woman being used by God?
Does it make them feel inferior?
Do they believe a woman can’t be used of God?
Do they believe women have a different anointing?
*All the gifts and callings of God work by the same spirit, so – if a woman can use the gift of the word of wisdom, interpretation, healing, and miracles – what makes expounding the word by that same spirit so different? If she has been given gifts & callings... talents to be used for God’s glory whatever they might be, why say one ministry is all right and another isn’t? If women can’t obey what God has called them to do, then don’t allow her to do anything!
Comments