This evening, after singing "I have decided to follow Jesus", our assembly went straight into the Word. Bro Dale led a nearly 2 hour extensive group discussion about the role of women in Christian ministry and leadership. He covered the Old and New Testament passages that clearly showed a woman's role, giving specific examples of women who were greatly used of God throughout the Bible. He also addressed the two verses in the NT that are most commonly used to prohibit a woman from speaking in a Gospel meeting assembly or from exercising her spiritual gifting among the saints (apostleship, prophesy, evangelist, pastor & teacher). Below is his outline and a link (end of outline) that addresses the two limiting verses in great detail.

Thank God, everyone in attendance gave testimony to having a clear understanding of what the Bible teaches along this line. The case for women's freedom to minister in Christ was made, and this is a settled issue among us (in all actuality, this issue has been settled for us since we incorporated the biblical eldership form of government and began having open forum meetings). Sisters, you are free in the Lord! Let no man from henceforth take your freedom.

Liberating the Ladies

Introduction

So let this statement forever settle the whole controversy about women leaders in the church:

According to Paul, under no condition and under no circumstance may a woman speak in a church meeting. She must never, ever, under any situation, say a word in the church. She must without exception keep absolutely, totally, and completely silent.

Unless . . .

she has her head covered!

Are you clear now?

Noted Women:
    William and Catherene Booth – Foundrs of the Salvation Army
    Phoebe Palmer – Mother of the Holiness Movement
    E Faith Stewart – Church of God Missionary and Pastor

1 of 5 ministers listed in the 1931 Golden Jubilee Book was a woman
    -None now among the group that we came out of
    -Most, if not all, of those brethren who are strongly against women in the ministry are also those who believe in strong pastoral authority

The unscriptural Hierarchical system has led to the bias against women in leadership       
    -We see the same thing in Roman Catholicism and many Protestant Churches
    -The salaried position of a Pastor has caused women to be pushed back from leadership
    -The entire religious hierarchal system is in err, which has led to the present situation that many have found themselves in. with regard to woman leaders There are no quick fixes other to abandon the whole system, which we have done.

Most Baptists denominations will not allow for a woman to be a Pastor, but will allow for them to be sent to the dangerous foreign mission fields, while the men pastors stay home in safety and collect a weekly pay check. Something is clearly wrong with this picture!

I owe a whole lot to Frank Viola and have used much of his writings on this subject for this lesson. His comments are in Gray

Headship & Usurping Authority

First, let us clearly state that we believe in the headship principle that Paul spoke of in 1 Cor 11. Specifically, we believe that God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of every man and the man is the head of the woman. We also believe that it is unscriptural for a woman to usurp authority over a man, just as it for a man to usurp authority over Christ, and so forth. In fact, we believe it is equally unscriptural for a man to usurp his own authority over another man. We are taught that elders are to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2-3.   

Ministry

Secondly, we recognize that each of us has a servant ministry, and that is ministry is not to be restricted to a public gathering. Neither do we believe in separate classes of clergy versus laity. Jesus taught us in Matthew 25:42 – 45 that being a minister is not a position in the body of Christ, but rather it is a responsibility that each of us share.  

Jesus said:  

“For I was hungry and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger and you took me not in: naked and you covered me not: sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen: I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me”. 

None of these ministering tasks mentioned above are restricted to just men. In fact, it would seem that a woman might be best suited for some of these ministering tasks. How many men could properly size up and fit clothes to clothe the naked or cook a complete meal for a needy family?

When we view a minister as just a person who publicly proclaims the Word of God at a gathering, we err from the scriptures. 

Conditions for Women in NT

Lets take a trip back to ancient Israel and look at how women were viewed before Jesus came. The Jews had a very dim view of women. Jewish women were not allowed to receive an education. Hence, they were largely uneducated. Their only training was in how to raise children and keep house.

Women were also largely excluded from worshiping God in a public manner. In Herod’s temple, there was a special court that stood on the very outside. It was called the court of the Gentiles. The Gentiles could go into that court, but they were limited to that area alone. Five steps above the Gentiles court was the women’s court (right above the “dogs”). The women were limited to that one area. Fifteen steps above that was the Jewish men’s court. Thus men were given far more privileges to worship God than were women.

Divorce and remarriage double standard- A woman had no voice in her marriage. Her father decided whom she would marry, when she would marry, and why she would marry. A woman couldn’t divorce her husband under any condition. Only a man could initiate a divorce.

Jewish 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. Consequently, most women stayed out of the streets.

Jewish Man’s Prayer

Women were regarded as inferior to men. They were regarded as property just like cattle and slaves. Jewish males prayed a daily prayer of thanksgiving. This prayer shows how poorly the Jews looked upon women. It goes like this:

Praise be to God. He has not created me a Gentile.

Praise be to God. He has not created me a woman.

Praise be to God. He has not created me an ignorant man.

This was mans view of a woman in first-century Israel. It was not much better in other cultures. In fact, ever since the Fall of humanity, women have been regarded as second-class citizens, inferior to men. But something happened that changed all that.

Jesus came.

God’s View of a Woman

In Jesus Christ we find Gods view of a woman. Not mans view. Not the American view. Not the European view. Not the Asian view. Not the African view. Not the South American view. Not even the Chilean view. But Gods view.

Jesus Christ is God made flesh. As such, He embodies all of Gods opinions. In His earthly life, Jesus was the visible expression of God Himself. By His actions and His words, we discover Gods view of a woman. And that view was utterly contrary to the prevailing view of His day.

Consider this. When God decided to make His entrance upon this planet, He visited a woman. He chose a woman to bring forth the Eternal Son, the Messiah, the Anointed One for whom Israel had waited thousands of years.

The life of God was first placed in the womb of a woman before it got to you and to me. And God was not ashamed.

Sisters in Christ, this is your Lords view of a woman. Take your high place.

But that’s not all. As Jesus ministered, He ripped down all social conventions that were pitted against women. On one occasion, He rose to the defense of a woman caught in adultery. He became her attorney and saved her life. And God was not ashamed.

Jesus was noted for palling around with sinners. He supped with prostitutes and tax collectors. We are told in John Chapter 4 that He met a woman, and He did something that shocked the disciples. He talked to her in public. And He was not ashamed.

Not only was she a woman, but she was a divorcee. But not only was she a divorcee, she was an adulteress actively living in adultery. Yet not only was she a woman, a divorcee, an adulteress living in adultery, she was worse than a Gentile. She was a Samaritan half-breed. (A Samaritan was a person with whom Jews were never to talk.)

Your Lord talked to this divorced, adulterous, Samaritan woman in public, and He forgave her of her sins. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

But that’s not all. Jesus Christ had a custom of using women in His parables and making them heroes. He talked about the woman who searched and found her lost coin. He spoke of the woman who was unrelentless in the presence of the unjust judge who honored her for her persistence. He spoke of the widow who dropped all the money she had into the temple treasury and praised her for doing so. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

Once Jesus was dining with a self-righteous Pharisee. And in walked a woman. But this was not just any woman. She was a woman of the streets, a prostitute. Upon seeing the Lord, she dropped down to her knees and did something unsettling. In the presence of Pharisees, this woman unbound her hair and poured costly perfume upon the feet of our Lord. This unclean woman touched Jesus Christ in public. She wept, washed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. This scandalous and improper act mortified the self-righteous Pharisees. At that moment, these religious leaders lost all respect for Jesus and doubted that He was a true prophet. But your Lord was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

But that’s not all. Your Lord allowed an unclean woman to touch the hem of His garment, and He was not ashamed. In fact, He praised her for it. He also gave a Canaanite woman who was viewed as a dog in the eyes of Israel one of the highest compliments He ever gave anyone. He also healed her daughter, and He was not ashamed.

In the Lords last hours on this earth, He stayed in a small village called Bethany. It was there that He would spend His last days before He gave His life on Calvary. In Bethany, two women whom Jesus loved had their home: Mary and Martha. They were His friends, and they received Him. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

“The Women”

When Luke writes his Gospel, he refers to the twelve disciples with the shorthand phrase the Twelve. The Twelve lived with the Lord for three-and-a-half years. And they followed Him everywhere.

Note the following passages:

And THE WOMEN also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how His body was laid. (Luke 23:55)

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with THE WOMEN and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren. (Acts 1:14)

But Jesus also had a group of female disciples. Luke also used a shorthand phrase to refer to them. He simply called them the Women. Interestingly, Luke used this phrase the same way that he used the Twelve. They were the Lords disciples also the female counterpart to the Twelve. The Women followed the Lord wherever He went, and they tended to His needs. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

But there’s more. The greatest disciples of Jesus Christ were not the Twelve. They were the Women. The reason? Because they were more faithful.

When Jesus Christ was taken to die, the Twelve fled. They checked out. They said, "See ya!" But the Women stayed with Him. They didn’t leave. They followed Him up to Calvary to do what they had been doing all along, comforting Him, taking care of Him, tending to His needs. And they watched Him undergo a bloody, gory crucifixion that lasted six long hours.

To watch a man die a hideous and horrible death is something that goes against every fiber that lives inside of a woman. Yet they would not leave Him. They stayed the entire time. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

Following His death, it was the Women who first visited His burial. Even after His death, they were still following Him. They were still taking care of Him.

And when He rose again from the dead, the first faces He met the first eyes that were laid upon Him were the eyes of women. And it was to them that He gave the privilege of announcing His resurrection, even though their testimony wouldn’t hold up in court. And He was not ashamed.

Sisters, take your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

On the day of Pentecost, the Women were present in the upper room waiting for Him to return, along with the Twelve.

Unlike His male disciples, the Women never left Him. They followed Him to the end. Their passion for and dedication to Jesus outshined that of the men. And God was not ashamed.

Summary of the Women

Throughout the Lords life, it was the Women who tended to His physical needs. It was the Women who looked after Him. It was the Women who supported Him financially during His earthly ministry (Luke 8:1-3). It was the Women who cared for Him up until the bitter end as well as the glorious climax. Not the men. The Women were simply indispensable to Him. And He was not ashamed.

But beyond all these wonderful things that the Lord did in showing us how beautiful women are in His eyes, He did something else. He chose you, a woman to depict that which He came to earth to die for, His very Bride. And He is not ashamed.

Sisters, rise to your high place. This is Gods view of a woman.

Brothers, honor your sisters in the Kingdom of God. For God honors them. When our Lord pulled Eve out of Adam, He didn’t take her out of his feet below him. Nor did He take her out from his head above him. He took her out of his side. His “side kick”. His equal.

Sisters, you are fellow heirs in the Kingdom of God. You are fellow priests in the church of God. You are honored. You are cherished. You are valuable. You are needed.

You are His friends, His followers, His daughters, yea, His own kin.

So sisters, take your high place . . . this is Gods view of you.

Examples of Women

Paul himself had labored with many women who were involved in Christian ministry. Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple who Paul acknowledged as: 

•Expounders of the way of God (Act 18:26)

•Helpers in Christ Jesus who were elders in their “house church” and who had “laid down their own necks” on his behalf. (Rom 16:3-5 & 1Cor 16:19). From Paul’s remarks, we can hardly imagine Priscilla being a casual silent observer.

Paul also acknowledged a woman who was possibly gifted as an apostle. Rom 16:7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. While there are differing opinions on this scripture, one thing is for certain; Junia was known among the apostles and even had been jailed at some point. It is doubtful that she was jailed for being publicly silent! 

Paul also makes honorable mention of sister Phebe in Rom 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant (deaconess) of the church which is at Cenchrea.  Here we clearly see that Paul had no prohibition against women being involved in servant ministering, as Phebe was a deaconess whose duties included ministering, caring for the poor, having charge of and distributing the money collected for the use of the church. This same word (diakonos) is translated as minister 20 times, servant 8 times, and deacon 3 times in the New Testament (KJV). It is evident that sister Phebe was more than just a silent observer. 

We read of other women in the New Testament who were involved in servant ministry and who prophesied. For instance Act 2:17-18 records that “it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”  To prophesy means to speak forth by divine inspirations and to utter forth and declare a thing which can only be known by divine revelation. By definition it means to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, and comfort others. 

Are we in the last days and is this prophesy being fulfilled? Certainly. We see this prophesy being fulfilled in Act 21:8-9. “And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.”  We also see it being fulfilled in Anna, the prophetess in Luke 2:36. Paul speaks of the gift of prophesy several places in the New Testament, but it is never restricted to men only. In fact, Paul noted in Gal 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

The sisters among us have been an encouragement and an inspiration. We have learned and benefited from their lessons and thoughts. Many of the restrictions that are put upon women ministers of our day have been a result of an unscriptural governing system where a single individual is placed at the head of a local congregation. As some men have had difficulty looking to a woman as a sole leader, they have subsequently imposed restrictions on sisters that are not biblical. In an eldership model, no single person is the local head and everyone is free to operate within their God-given calling and gifting.

The Two Limiting Verses

Next, we are aware of Paul’s teaching in 1Timothy 2:11 and 1 Corinthians 14 where he gave instructions for women to “learn in silence” and “keep silence in the churches”. We believe this to be Paul’s instruction to address a specific problem at a specific time and place. We do not believe that Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian and Ephesian believers was intended to be universally kept as Paul had earlier stated in 1Cor 11:4-5, “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”  Here we see that Paul did not have a universal prohibition against women prophesying publicly, he simply instructed them to have a head coverning when they prophesied. In both of these cases, Paul was addressing a young and inexperienced body of believers whose women were even newer to the conduct of Christian meetings. 

1 Corinthians 14:34‑35:

Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in the church (NASB).

1 Timothy 2:11-14

Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and become a transgressor (NRSV).

Please click here for a great write-up from Frank Viola addressing these two scripture passages. This is the best explanation that we have ever read regarding these two scriptures. A must read!!

With regard to public speaking:

Just because you can, does not mean that you are called.