Women in Ministry

[Christ's Free Servant]

So... what's your opinion on women in ministry in the last days?

Joel 2:28-29 says, "And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days."

What does it mean to prophesy? What is the spiritual gift of prophecy in the NT? Is it purely foretelling the future? Is it preaching?

What are some characteristics of true prophets of God?

Read Jeremiah 19:14-15; 23:19-20; 23:22; 25:30-38; 26:12-15, Ezekiel 6:1-7, & Micah 3:8-12. True prophets of God:

1. Listen to God

2. Teach God

[Ovedya]

To teach in the church and to prophesy in the church are two mutually exclusive terms and functions. Certainly women are permitted to prophesy in the church - to prophesy is to speak for God and to speak forth Christ. But with regard to teaching, that is, to define the doctrines of the church, women are forbidden to do so.

BTW: Was the aposlte Paul a Pharisee for forbidding women to teach in the church on two occasions?

[Can Do (Phil 4:13)]

IMHO women have ALWAYS been called to ministry. It's not just in the last days that we have been called. When Jesus walked the planet in bodily form there were (at times) women there tending to the needs of the disciples and Jesus. They were there to love, support and encourage those who followed the Lord. Mary and Martha both had ministries, just different ones. As mothers our first and foremost ministry is to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us...our kids!

God will always use those whom He has called and it doesn't matter if they be male or female.

YSIC

Faithie

[Keith]

1 Timothy 2:11-12 says,

[Guest Jacee]

Men and women who are born again and filled with Holy spirit can still move out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A man who would be this way would either love and cherish his wife, the good; or want to rule with an iron fist, the evil. Same for the woman; she can be respectful and loving, and submissive to his leading, the good; or she can want to be the man, to usurp his authority. None of this is the tree of life.

Jesus brought unity between races, and men and women. He said in the spirit there is neither male or female. We who are in Christ are in the spirit. But, do we act out of it?

What was happening in the church that Paul addressed, was women who were questioning the speaker. Interrupting. And Paul responds, let the women keep silent. If they want to know anything let them ask their husbands at home. He would not allow a woman to teach a man, or to confront them publicly, or to interrupt with questions.

Have we not seen this in meetings today? And it can be a man also interrupting. It all comes from pride, ego, or having head knowledge, but not heart.

I saw this in word studies. I wish I still had that particular study but lost it with having to redo a harddrive some years back. Before windows xp.

In the spirit we will know how to act. We will know when Holy spirit wants either man or woman to speak. In the spirit there is no self exaltation. It is Him who we want to please and to exalt.

[Guest tbird_energizerbunny]

1 Timothy 2:11-12 says, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.”

Look here:

1 Timothy 2:11-12 says, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.”

I, who is I? The whole book of Timothy is written by Paul. So the verse should read:

Paul does not permit a woman to teach or have authority . . .

[Ovedya]

Men and women who are born again and filled with Holy spirit can still move out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

[Christ's Free Servant]

To teach in the church and to prophesy in the church are two mutually exclusive terms and functions.  Certainly women are permitted to prophesy in the church - to prophesy is to speak for God and to speak forth Christ.  But with regard to teaching, that is, to define the doctrines of the church, women are forbidden to do so.

BTW:  Was the aposlte Paul a Pharisee for forbidding women to teach in the church on two occasions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ovedya,

I am going to address only your comments and questions, so my response will not be a complete statement on the role of women in the church.

First off, you asked the question if Paul was a Pharisee for forbidding women to teach in the church on two ocassions. I believe my reference to the possibility of being a Pharisee in the context in which I stated it had to do with not permitting women to prophesy in the church. It had to do with legalistic behavior on the part of church leaders that do not allow for what God allowed or even provided for in scripture. The Pharisees were so bound by law and tradition that they forgot about love and mercy. It was more important to them to follow the letter of the law than whether or not someone was ministered to. I think Jesus gave us an object lesson by that story in Luke about the woman who did for him what the men did not do. Remember that the scriptures teach that whatever we do for people we do it as though we are doing it for Christ. And, remember the story of Esther. By law she was not supposed to approach the king unless she was summoned by him, so in going to him she was disobeying the law, but she did so out of love and obedience to God and out of mercy for her people. And, God used her to save the Israelites.

I agree that women are to be submissive to men and that they are not to usurp authority over man, but they can prophesy and they can use their gifts in the church and I see nowhere in scripture that states that only certain gifts are for men and certain ones are for women. In fact, what I see in scripture is that the Holy Spirit makes no distinction between men and women in the distribution of Spiritual gifts. So, my appeal was to men that they release their women to prophesy. Nowhere did I suggest that women should rise up against man and usurp authority. But, I do believe that a woman can both teach and prophesy under the authority and permission of man. Case in point is Priscilla and Aquila.

"He (Apollos) began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately" (Acts 18:26 NEV). What do you suppose that means? I think it means that there was something missing in his doctrine, and so Priscilla and Aquila instructed him in the areas where his doctrine was weak. And, notice that Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together and most always her name proceeds his. I think she had a significant role in teaching men and in pastoring and prophesying, but under the authority of Paul and under the authority of her husband. If women were strictly forbidden to teach men in all circumstances, then Priscilla would have been acting in disobedience and would have not been commended for her actions by Paul.

Now, I have a question for you. You say women can prophesy in the church. How? In what way do most churches today provide for women to prophesy? I don't see it. If you study the true meaning of prophecy, I don't see much of this being done by women in the church. And, I don't really see much opportunity within most churches for the average layman to use this gift. Our churches are lopsided when we expect one man to do it all. We try to make our pastors be the whole body or at least be a good portion of the body, but that is not how the body is intended to operate. God has given messages to many of his people and the church needs to be open to hear from its men and women what God wants to say to the church through them.

[Work in Progress]

Men and women who are born again and filled with Holy spirit can still move out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

[Christ's Free Servant]

1 Timothy 2:11-12 says,