Are Women Called To Preach
ARE WOMEN CALLED TO PREACH?
1. MALE AND FEMALE – DIFFERENT ROLES FROM THE BEGINNING
a. God created humanity male and female with different and distinctive roles.
Gen. 1:26,27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
b. God gave man the headship over the woman regarding the stewardship over the earth by making the woman his helper.
Gen. 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
c. God gave man the place of headship regarding the stewardship of the family.
Eph. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
ICor. 11:3,8,9 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. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
d. God gave man the leadership regarding the custody and stewardship of his Word.
Gen. 3:9-13 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
2. A LOOK AT THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOOD
There were no female priests in the Old Testament.
Ex. 40:12-15 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 14. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: 15. And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
3. THE WOMAN’S ROLE IN THE CHURCH
a. Women are to teach children and other women.
Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
b. Women are forbidden to teach men in the church.
ITim. 2:11-14 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. 13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notice, women are forbidden to teach and usurp authority for two reasons:
1. Man was created first. The word first (protos) here not only means first in order but first in rank and influence. v. 13
2. The woman was deceived. v. 14
The transgression left the woman more susceptible to deception, especially when she leaves from under the authority of her husband. She is more easily deceived to embrace and to teach false doctrine. That is why she is not to usurp authority over the
man by teaching in the church. She is commanded to v. 11 “learn in silence with all subjection.”
ICor 14:34,35 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. 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.
c. Women are not to lead in prayer.
ITim. 2:8-10 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10. But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
4. ARE THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL CHURCHES UP TO THE PRESENT TIME?
a. These instructions are commandments of the Lord.
ICor 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
b. These instructions were written so that we would know how to conduct ourselves in the church.
ITim 3:15 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
c. These instructions point back to the original order of creation before there was any geographical customs or cultures.
ITim 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
Cf Gen. 2:22 Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
d. These instructions are for Christians everywhere.
ICor. 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
e. These instructions are to be kept until the Coming of the Lord.
ITim 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: