This has been a debate for a long time and will probably go back and forth till the end of time. I wish to share my view of it and I ask you to please read it with an open mind... I have studied both ends of the argument for and against female Pastorship. I think to have a view one must know both sides for and against that view that way when the subject comes up they can argue their point better cause they will know what they are talking about. First off I wanna say that I believe every word in the Bible is true not always literal but fully true. Some Scripture is to be taken literally and some isn't some which we can tell by using our brains which is literal and which isn't and then other parts take discernment and prayer. The first verse I wanna look at is this "women should remain silent in churchs. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says" 1 Corinthians 14:34 NIV. So what is Paul saying here?? Is it as literal as it may seem?? Well I think first off Church needs to be defined. In Paul's day Church was not a building it was wherever two or more Christians were gathered. I personally believe Church is also not just a building but it is wherever Jesus believers are. "For where two or three gather in My Name, there I am with them" Matthew 18:20 NIV. Now surely Paul didn't mean that two Christian females couldn't even say hi to each other and act mute all the time did he?? GOD gave women voice boxes just as much as He did men and Paul knew that. So of course this verse is not literal or it would mean the only time a woman could speak was when she was alone or talking to a non-believer. With all the Prophetesses in the Bible and Jesus even telling the women at the tomb to go tell about His resurrection this verse can't be literal that wouldn't even make sense if it were cause then Jesus would contradict His own Word by asking the women to go tell He has risen and Jesus wouldn't do that. So what does this verse mean?? Well I personally am a visual learner so when I read verses in the Bible I try to picture them in my head so as to get a clear understanding of whats happening. Now back in the time of Jesus and further back women had their place in the Synagog. The women in the Synagog where to be a in place separate from the men and the gentiles and to be hidden they were not to be seen. Woman at that time were more treated like objects then human beings. Women had no say in anything. A woman's father decided when she would marry, to whom she would marry and why she would marry. A woman was not permitted to divorce their husbands for any reason at all only men were allowed to divorce their wives. Women were not allowed to receive an education their only training was in how to raise children and keep house. Women were to be seen as little as possible in public in fact young men were warned about talking to women in public so much so that it was a shame in ancient Israel for a man to talk to a woman in public. The men had a prayer each day they would say "Praise be to GOD Who has not made me a non-Jew. Praise be to GOD who has not made me an ignorant person. Praise be to GOD Who has not made me a woman." In that time women were thought to be inferior to men. I just want you to have a clear picture of the time period and even in Paul's day women were still being treated like that. Except for one thing and that was for the first time women were allowed to be where the men were in the Church and it was all new to them. Do you remember your first time in Church?? All the questions you had?? Well the women were the same and they didn't know all the rules they were never taught and Church was quickly becoming chaotic. Something had to be done. So Paul said the verse in 1 Corinthians and what he was basically saying was he understood they had questions but to ask their husbands later so they could still learn. This still goes today if you have a question ask the Pastor afterwards or whomever you think could help. Doesn't that make a whole lot more sense then to ask women to be mute their whole lives?? Ok time to tackle a verse that is most often quoted when arguing that women can't be Pastors. "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet" 1 Timothy 2:12 NIV. What is the Bible saying here?? Is this as literal as it seems?? Well the Greek translates it as husband first off not man. A woman is to submit to her husband. "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord" Ephesians 5:22 NIV. Now notice it doesn't say for a woman to submit to every man but a wife to her husband and to Christ first. Now the 1 Timothy verse can't work out literally and I'll tell you why. Well a woman is typing this blog. There will be men out there that will read this. What if a man just happens to learn something I typed on this blog then what?? Do I put a disclaimer somewhere saying "if your a man please don't learn anything from this blog cause since I'm a woman I'm not to teach men." Don't you think that's a bit silly?? Do I pray and hope that no man ever learns anything from my blog?? Do I just stop blogging which I enjoy just to make sure I don't teach men anything?? Do I watch my words around men so they will not learn anything from what I say by accident?? Do I just play stupid and pretend I have no brains at all?? When one witnesses to a non-believer they are teaching that person new information so does this mean women can only witness to a women?? What if a man comes up to her with questions honestly seeking GOD?? Should she just ignore him?? Tell him that she can't help him cause she's a woman and so can't teach men?? Good luck convincing him on freedom in Christ after that. When Jesus told the disciples to go and spread the Gospel He did not say "men go preach the Gospel and women and go sit at home and shut up" no He never said that. He said to males and females to preach the Gospel. " And Jesus came and said to them, 'all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples if all nations, baptizing them in Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" Matthew 28:18-20 ESV. No mention there at all of men only. And so at what age do boys become men?? Because its different for everyone. I have a brother who is 17 but has sever autism and has the mind of a 5 year old is he a man or not?? Besides him there are no other believers in my family. Should I not teach my brother about the faith simply because I'm female?? That's stupid. There are also male and female leaders at Celebrate Recovery a Christ centered recovery group and male and females give lessons which means women have taught men. Now what are they cursed for that?? Should the women apologize for teaching?? Is it somehow different cause they are leaders and not official Pastors?? But the Word says women can't teach men. There is no mention of Pastor in 1 Timothy just says women can't teach men. If women take 1 Timothy literally then she must pretend to have no brains at all and act stupid all the time so as to make sure no man ever learns anything. There are pretty smart women out there to some have become scientists and lawyers and all kinds of things. Should women be told to not use the gifts GOD gave them and pretend to be stupid just to make sure she never teaches men anything?? I can't believe that's what GOD wants for women. Why would He give them brains if He doesn't want women to use them?? Because if a woman pretends to be something she isn't she's lying isn't she?? Now suddenly we want women to break a commandment just so we can take one passage of the Bible literally?? We're asking women to sin just so we will be happy in taking one verse in the Bible literally. Do you feel comfortable asking someone to sin just so you can be happy and take one verse in the Bible literally?? Surely the Holy Spirit would convict the woman the whole time she's lying to cause that what the Holy Spirit does when we sin He convicts us. So now in asking women to take this passage literally not only are we asking them to live in sin but to ignore the Holy Spirit's conviction as well. That's not a good idea. We will be judged on what we have done in our bodies good or bad at the end of time. So are you saying you'd rather a woman be judged by GOD for not following conviction just because you wanna interpret a verse literally?? GOD's gonna wanna ask you about that to. What will you tell Him?? Now can you see how stupid it is to interpret 1 Timothy literally?? Man in the 1 Timothy verse must mean husband as interpreted in the Greek or we have to deal with all the above. So a woman can't teach her husband now that makes more sense. In the home the husband is to lead and after Christ is the final authority and has the last say. That does not give him permission to be controlling and that does not mean a woman can't have an opinion and is to be walked all over like a doormat. Men and women are equal lets keep that in mind but in the home the man after Christ is the authority. Men are called to lead but not control. Besides I've seen what happens when a woman tries to lead the home. Whatever she wanted he gave without question. She wanted a new car he got her a new car. She wanted another kid she got another kid. She wanted a bigger house he gave her a bigger house. Well time went on and well he got fed up and to make a long story short they got divorced. Ya know I did think of him as a weak man for not leading the home as he should. I think if a man can't figure out how to lead then he shouldn't get married or have a family. But notice that its only in the family?? A man can't simply just take charge wherever he pleases. Women have freedoms and rights just like men do. Also I wish to point out that just because the Bible never says a certain woman was a Pastor doesn't mean it never happened. The Bible is silent on a alot of things. Silence can imply a whole lot. The Bible also doesn't say that Paul or the twelve disciples were baptized in water yet its assumed that they were. In Exodus 18 Jethro visits his son-in-law Moses and sees what Moses is doing and that's its just to much for him to handle and judicial system is born. Interestingly the qualifications to be a judge in Israel are similar to the overseer qualifications in the New Testament. In Deuteronomy 16:18 the judge system is reaffirmed and the people are given a task to appoint judges. Interestingly there is no mention of gender at all. Also there was Huldah the prophetess and representatives of both the King and Priests came to inquire of her implying that the King and the Priests had submit to the authority of her words. Again would GOD have her in that position if it were bad?? Colossians 4:14 shows Nympha as a hostess of a house Church. One is lead to assume from this verse that she is a Pastor. "Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task" 1 Timothy 3:1 NIV. Overseer means Pastor and interestingly nothing about gender at all it says whoever. The Bible also teaches that GOD does not play favorites. Unlike the Christian t-shirt I saw that said "Jesus loves you but I'm His favorite." Galations 3:28 and Acts 10:34 agree that GOD does not have favorites. So it really doesn't make sense to favor men for preaching over women as it makes men seem like GOD's favorite when GOD doesn't play favorites. If a woman can't preach then she also can't witness as witnessing is a form of preaching. This also means no more female teachers in Sunday school as they are preaching to children. This also means no more female teachers in youth ministry as they are preaching to both male and female teenagers. Women preachers are also a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and another sign of Christ's return which is talked about in Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17-18. The Bible also declares that women will prophesy in 1 Corinthians 11:5. The word prophet means public expounder. The word prophesy means to speak forth or flow forth. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:3 "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto MEN to edification, and exhortation and comfort." The dictionary says prophesy is to speak under divine inspiration to preach. Therefore we learn from the original translation, from the Bible interpretation, and from the dictionary, that to prophesy means more than to tell the future, but it is to speak publicly about the past, present, or future. It is to preach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Why would GOD call women to that if its wrong?? GOD called and used women preachers in the Old Testament. DEBORAH - Judges 4:4-5. Deborah was a Judge for both civil and criminal cases. She did the work of an evangelist, prophetess, Judge, and a preacher. God gave her authority over the mighty (Judges 5:13). MIRIAM - Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:1; Micah 6:4. She was a Prophetess and a Song Leader in Israel. Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz's mother - Isaiah 8:3. She was a prophetess. God called and used women preachers in the New Testament. The first message of the Resurrection of Christ was spoken by women to a group of men. Anna - Luke 2:36-38. She must have prophesied in church, because she did not depart from the temple. Phillip had 4 daughters who prophesied. Acts 21:9. Priscilla assisted Paul in his revival meeting and even taught Apollos in the way of the Lord more perfectly. Paul commended Phoebe to the Church at Rome and requested that they assist her in her business. She was one of Paul's assistants in the work of the Lord and delivered the Book of Romans to the people from the hand of Paul. 1 Corinthians 14: 34-35 does not say anything about women preachers. If Paul intended this verse as a general rule to bar all women from speaking in church, then they cannot teach Sunday School, testify, pray, prophesy, sing, or even get saved, and this would contradict the rest of the Bible (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:16-18). "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13 ESV. Notice it says all things not just some things. It doesn't say can do all things but women all things but be a Pastor. It doesn't say that it says all things. And Jesus Himself said that with GOD all things are possible not And Jesus Himself said that with GOD all things are possible not just some things. That means if GOD wants a woman to be a Pastor then He'll make that happen cause with Him anything is possible not just some things. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3:28 NIV. That doesn't mean we stop being male or female but that both are equal in GOD's eyes. "She speaks wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" Proverbs 31:26 NIV. This is the Proverbs 31 woman the woman all women should aspire to be. GOD gave her that wisdom and instruction for a reason He didn't give it to her to play dumb. 1 Corinthians 12:7-14 says nothing at all about gender it doesn't say some gifts are just for men and some are just for women. "So GOD created mankind in His own image, in the image of GOD He created them; male and female He created them" Genesis 1:27 NIV. Another reminder that men and women are equal and created in the image of GOD. Neither one is inferior to the other... I also have some links on this subject http://newlife.id.au/equality-and-ge...-in-context-4/ , http://carm.org/1-tim-212-13-and-wom...ors-and-elders ,
http://www.mainstreambaptists.org/mob/woman_pastor.htm and http://www.ttc.edu.sg/csca/CS/2002-A...m%20Harvey.pdf please look if you want... This is my two cents worth. GOD bless you.
http://www.mainstreambaptists.org/mob/woman_pastor.htm and http://www.ttc.edu.sg/csca/CS/2002-A...m%20Harvey.pdf please look if you want... This is my two cents worth. GOD bless you.
