What Does the Bible Say About: Women in Leadership?

in What does the Bible Say About… Women Leadership? The Bible as a Story • God called many women to be ________________ and _________________ in Israel. • Jesus always _______________ and _____________ women in his ministry. (Luke 8:43-48, 10:38-42; Matthew 15:21-28; 28:10) • The New Testament church was full of ____________________ women. July 11, 2021 The Question Behind the Question: • • • Read as an encyclopedia, the Bible seems to clearly ___________ female leadership. (1 Corinthians 14:32-35; 2 Timothy 2:12) As gender equality becomes more normal in our culture, this position has become an _______________ to many. This makes it especially important that we ask: is this __________ what the Bible says? The Bible as an Encyclopedia • The “encyclopedia passages” are not actually as _____________ as we think. (1 Corinthians 14:33-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15) • There are passages about ____________________ in the Bible (that are ____________________ by some translations). (Romans 16:1, 7; 1 Timothy 3:3-13) • The Bible does not actually have a _________________________ on women in leadership in the church. (1 Timothy 3:1-7) Conclusions: • The focus of the Bible is not on a __________________ to follow, but on a ___________ to live out. • The story of the Bible includes many gifted women called to _____________ and ___________ in many ways. • Our job as a church is to discern how to faithfully _____________ that story in our own _________________ Discussion Questions • What role did the women play in fulfilling the prophecy of Joel? • Why do you think God specifically included women the prophecy about Pentecost? 1. Getting Started: • What did you find most interesting about the sermon this week? The most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? • If the Bible was an encyclopedia, what topics would you want it to include? • Did you come to this sermon with a position on women in leadership? Where did that position come from? 3. Going Deeper • If the Bible is a story to live out rather than a rulebook to follow, how does that change the way we use the Bible? • Why do you think we try so hard to turn the Bible into a rulebook? • How can we faithfully live out the story that includes women like Deborah, Phoebe and Junia? 2. Into the Bible (Read Acts 2:1-4, 14-21) • • Who was present in the room when the Holy Spirit descended? (Check Acts 1:12-14 and Luke 8:1-3). Peter quotes from the Book of Joel. Who did Joel say was going to receive the Holy Spirit, according to verse 17-18?