Should Women Preach The Word Of God ?

[Gabbylittleangel]

What I saying was, that the ones that I have seen and met. Teach and preach also.

Amen Lewis. It is hard to prophesy without teaching and preaching. :

 

[jgredline]

Prophetess
4398 προφῆτις [prophetis /prof•ay•tis/] n f. From 4396; TDNT 6:781; TDNTA 952; GK 4739; Two occurrences; AV translates as “prophetess†twice. 1 a prophetess. 2 a woman to whom future events or things hidden from others are at times revealed, either by inspiration or by dreams and visions. 3 a female who declares or interprets oracles.

What I saying was, that the ones that I have seen and met. Teach and preach also.

Wait a second. Are you saying that you have met a prophet or prophetess?

 

[Lewis]

Well thats what they call themselves anyway. Now I have never met this one but she and others call her one. She is Jaunita Bynum, who comes on TV a lot.
And to be perfectly honest I don't know what to make of people like that.
But I have met a few who call themselves a prophetess here in Philly, at revivals. No big deal.

 

[destiny]

1 Corinthians 14:24-25
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

Romans 12:4-5
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Eph 4:11-12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

 

[jgredline]

Well thats what they call themselves anyway. Now I have never met this one but she and others call her one. She is Jaunita Bynum, who comes on TV a lot.
And to be perfectly honest I don't know what to make of people like that.
But I have met a few who call themselves a prophetess here in Philly, at revivals. No big deal.

Lewis
Jaunita is a false prophet http://craom.net/JuanitaBynum.htm
To be honest I can't think of one women who preaches that does not teach falsely of a regular basis. Not one. I realize that there are men who are much worse at preaching heresy, more so than women, but there are many men that teach the word properly.
There is much more about her but this discussion is about should women be pastors. For the record I do believe in the gift of prophecy and I believe that God does use certain people to prophecy / give a message to the church through tounges but this is differant than being a pastor / shepard / teacher in the context of church. A prophetess is not a pastor.

 

[destiny]

Well thats what they call themselves anyway. Now I have never met this one but she and others call her one. She is Jaunita Bynum, who comes on TV a lot.
And to be perfectly honest I don't know what to make of people like that.
But I have met a few who call themselves a prophetess here in Philly, at revivals. No big deal.

Lewis
Jaunita is a false prophet http://craom.net/JuanitaBynum.htm
To be honest I can't think of one women who preaches that does not teach falsely of a regular basis. Not one. I realize that there are men who are much worse at preaching heresy, more so than women, but there are many men that teach the word properly.
There is much more about her but this discussion is about should women be pastors. For the record I do believe in the gift of prophecy and I believe that God does use certain people to prophecy / give a message to the church through tounges but this is differant than being a pastor / shepard / teacher in the context of church. A prophetess is not a pastor.

Using televangelist as a gage for woman false prophets and teachers is a narrow view.
God has a people who are out there behind the scenes doing the work of the kingdom. Both men and woman.
If by way of television was the only way I had to judge woman or men ministers of the gospel, I would get very discouraged.

 

[jgredline]

Well thats what they call themselves anyway. Now I have never met this one but she and others call her one. She is Jaunita Bynum, who comes on TV a lot.
And to be perfectly honest I don't know what to make of people like that.
But I have met a few who call themselves a prophetess here in Philly, at revivals. No big deal.

Lewis
Jaunita is a false prophet http://craom.net/JuanitaBynum.htm
To be honest I can't think of one women who preaches that does not teach falsely of a regular basis. Not one. I realize that there are men who are much worse at preaching heresy, more so than women, but there are many men that teach the word properly.
There is much more about her but this discussion is about should women be pastors. For the record I do believe in the gift of prophecy and I believe that God does use certain people to prophecy / give a message to the church through tounges but this is differant than being a pastor / shepard / teacher in the context of church. A prophetess is not a pastor.

Using televangelist as a gage for woman false prophets and teachers is a narrow view.
God has a people who are out there behind the scenes doing the work of the kingdom. Both men and woman.
If by way of television was the only way I had to judge woman or men ministers of the gospel, I would get very discouraged.

Destiny
I agree with you 100%
I have not been the one to draw any women into this debate. I have mearly responded to the ones that were used as examples. I have said a couple of times already, '' lets stick to the scriptures and keep everything in contex''
As for women who do ministry work behinds the scene, I praise Holy God for that because they are doing the Lords work the way it was meant to be.

 

[Lewis]

Yes Destiny I don't get into her at all.

 

[lovely]

Hi everyone,

Okay Lewis, and Rob, I took a second look at those links. Lewis, your link actually agrees that women should not be in authoritative positions in the church...they are combating an extremely conservative method applied to those Scriptures...meaning that women shouldn't speak at all in the service.

Rob, I looked at the site you posted, and I think that he ignores some scripture, imo, and uses others to justify disobedience, rather than using them to show that extreme views, and methods, by men, and women, on this topic can not be justified, and are not even Biblical. I think he missed an opportunity to clarify the Word to combat abuse, and extreme views of inequality concerning women, and chose to swing things back too far the other way, and encourage disobedience instead. I think this is a common reactionary position to chauvinism, because women have been so mistreated in the past. God expects obedience no matter what, though. True healing, and success, can only come from the Truth of God, and never comes from fixing things ourselves with man's wisdom.

Anyway, thank you both for encouraging me to study again on this matter...that is a blessing, and I am encouraged that we are all looking to the Word for answers.

I have seen a range of methods on this topic, from an extremely conservative approach, to a more principal approach. I am always working on how to apply them to myself in daily living...that is why destiny's question about female mods struck me the way it did. I admit, I am still working my own methods out, which are simply methods, but the Scripture is clear to me in principal on this matter.

Okay, I also wanted to list a few women, past and present, who I believe have ministries that are within the parameters that God has set forth in the Word, and that I believe are not false teachers. I do not agree with everything each of them preach, but I respect that their ministries are fruitful within God's parameters. Some of them are familiar, and some aren't. Some of them have gone home, and some are very current...ranging from extremely conservative to a more liberal approach in their views. The topics that they speak on are different as well, and some are obviously working, or have worked, along side their husbands as missionarys, and authors. Click on a few. The more modern ones are toward the bottom.



Amy Carmichael http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty ... 13673.html


Isobel Kuhn http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/bulletin/bu0309.htm or http://www.homefirespub.com/second_mile ... _kuhn.html

Fanny Crosby http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty ... 13693.html

Corrie Ten Boom http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty ... 59770.html

Elisabeth Elliot http://www.elisabethelliot.org/

Nancy Wilson http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?actio ... 0my%20wife

Janice McBride http://www.janicemcbride.com/index.html

Nancy Campbell http://aboverubies.org/frameset.asp?w=1024


Terri Maxwell http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/product ... g.php/1100

Fanny Crosby http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty ... 13693.html

Catherine Marshall http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty ... 46663.html


Priscilla Shirer http://www.priscillaspeaks.com/index.jsp

Nancy Leigh Demoss http://www.reviveourhearts.com/aboutus/nancy.php

Jill Carattini http://www.rzim.org/publications/sliceb ... ersonid=79

Betsy Childs http://www.rzim.org/publications/sliceb ... ersonid=80

Alison Thomas http://www.rzim.org/publications/sliceb ... rsonid=101

 

[Oscar3]

I was listening on the radio a while back and it was a question and answer show with calvary chapel pastors and they said that women should not be pastors because they will be briniging sin into the church. I did a little research on this because at my old church they had women pastors. Well after looking into it I found out only liberal churches and sow a seed churches that tend to be ultra liberal allow women pastors. I could not find a single conservative church or denomination that allowed women pastors. Infact it has only really been that in the past 100 years women have been appointed as pastors. This is the reason I left my old church. I could not be at a church that skipped chapter 2 in the book of 1st timothy.
Blessings, oscar

 

[ikester7579]

Yes I think women should preach the Word of God, and I know that many here will not agree with me. And as I said in another thread I have seen the Holy Ghost use certain women to the max. God will use who He wants.

I agree. The word of God has to mesh, and when it does not it means we are misunderstanding something.

Example:

1) In one instance the word of God says that a woman cannot tell a man what to do. But, if you notice it is referring to marriage. It also says that man has authority over woman. But this is also in marriages. Name any other thing that is said where man has authority over woman when it does not deal with marriage?

2) If the word of God is totally against women preaching, why are their prophetesses in God's word?

lk 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

For if it were unapproved of by God, It would have been said either before, or after the word prophetess was used. God's word does not name something evil, if it were evil, and not make a reference to it being evil.

3) By their fruit ye shall know them. Can a ministry, lead by a woman, bare good fruit and be blessed when God disapproves? God is the tree, we are the branches. It is the branches that bare fruit, but the nutrients for that fruit first have to go through the tree (God). Seeing that God controls the fruit by being the tree, how can a branch bare fruit not approved by the tree?

Can God be a bad representation of Himself?

4) Can a ministry controlled by Satan bare the good fruit of God?

mt 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

lk 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

Satan's main goals are:
1) Kill.
2) Steal.
3) Destroy.

Name one category that saving souls would fit with the three choices? So if a woman lead ministry is baring the fruit of salvation, to what end would Satan gain to allow this?

The problem with what we perceive as truth...

As I mentioned above, when God's word does not mesh, we are misunderstanding something. But if we accept a truth by what we want to be truth. Then we also allow deception a way in. And doctrines that support it to be our truth provider. And there is a problem with this. On judgement day, we will stand before God and give an account for all of "our" own sins. And everything that we believed that was wrong, and we did not search it out for truth. We will be held accountable for.

For what excuse can we use when God asks: Why did you think that women cannot teach the word of God? Do we quote God's word to Him, as a means to justify what we want to be true? When He will say: Why do you think I had the word prophetess in my book, if being one was wrong? What answer could we give? For can we contradict the word directly from God?

Remember, for the believer, there is only one truth. It is what is written (inspired) by God. It has nothing to do with what we believe it to be. God's truth comes when we are ready to recieve it. It cannot be rushed, or forced. And when we do these things, we only find half truths and is the reason God's word is always a subject for debate. For if we are not willing to be humble and wait, what we seek will never be ours for the taking.

 

[Rob]

This subject must be a lot easier for the anti-Paul people lol. Anyhow Lovely, I respect the fact that you feel the way you do about this subject. I can't really say that I have ever been to any church where a woman was preaching but I've been to many where women have led Bible study or sunday school. Many women have been given a gift that allows them to share God's word in a special way and maybe they don't have to be a preacher to do that, I don't know. I'm going to have to pray for more guidance on this issue myself.

 

[ikester7579]

This subject must be a lot easier for the anti-Paul people lol. Anyhow Lovely, I respect the fact that you feel the way you do about this subject. I can't really say that I have ever been to any church where a woman was preaching but I've been to many where women have led Bible study or sunday school. Many women have been given a gift that allows them to share God's word in a special way and maybe they don't have to be a preacher to do that, I don't know. I'm going to have to pray for more guidance on this issue myself.

I used to be right where you are at on this subject. Seeing that you seek God instead of listening to others means you are seeking truth from the right place. For any person to be not wanting to be corrected on any issue concerning the word of God, shows an unwillness not to be humble, and not find truth. I know because I had to swallow this truth along with my pride.

The thing that makes me see more truth in the word of God is to ask myself these questions.

1) Is what I believe a preconcieved truth taught to me before I read it in the word of God? You see, when we open the word with an idea of what truth is. Then we will tend to make what we read to conform to that truth.

2) Does what we believe mesh and conform to other parts of the word of God, or are there contridictions? Contridictions in the word of God is actually a human excuse for not understanding it. And is the very reason we need to seek truth from the source and quit relying on what everyone tells us, and accepting majority opinion, where only God's opinion counts.

3) How do we know that we have found some truth concerning God's word? When you get closer and closer to not making things sound as if they contradict each other. There are always situation or conditions that change what is applied to how things work. We are all to willing to apply what we find to everything, when in certain situation, they would not apply. And that is what makes a contradiction.

For once it is understood that the contridiction is not written, but only exists in our minds because we do not understand. Then we have taken the first step towards finding truth.

Contradictions in God's word only exist in our minds. Truth revealed makes them disappear.

The question I would ask to someone who believes women should not preach is this:

What is the only difference between a prophet, and a prophetess?

 

[jgredline]

This subject must be a lot easier for the anti-Paul people lol. Anyhow Lovely, I respect the fact that you feel the way you do about this subject. I can't really say that I have ever been to any church where a woman was preaching but I've been to many where women have led Bible study or sunday school. Many women have been given a gift that allows them to share God's word in a special way and maybe they don't have to be a preacher to do that, I don't know. I'm going to have to pray for more guidance on this issue myself.

I used to be right where you are at on this subject. Seeing that you seek God instead of listening to others means you are seeking truth from the right place. For any person to be not wanting to be corrected on any issue concerning the word of God, shows an unwillness not to be humble, and not find truth. I know because I had to swallow this truth along with my pride.

The thing that makes me see more truth in the word of God is to ask myself these questions.

1) Is what I believe a preconcieved truth taught to me before I read it in the word of God? You see, when we open the word with an idea of what truth is. Then we will tend to make what we read to conform to that truth.

2) Does what we believe mesh and conform to other parts of the word of God, or are there contridictions? Contridictions in the word of God is actually a human excuse for not understanding it. And is the very reason we need to seek truth from the source and quit relying on what everyone tells us, and accepting majority opinion, where only God's opinion counts.

3) How do we know that we have found some truth concerning God's word? When you get closer and closer to not making things sound as if they contradict each other. There are always situation or conditions that change what is applied to how things work. We are all to willing to apply what we find to everything, when in certain situation, they would not apply. And that is what makes a contradiction.

For once it is understood that the contridiction is not written, but only exists in our minds because we do not understand. Then we have taken the first step towards finding truth.

Contradictions in God's word only exist in our minds. Truth revealed makes them disappear.

The question I would ask to someone who believes women should not preach is this:

What is the only difference between a prophet, and a prophetess?

A prophetess is not the same as a teacher / pastor
I took the liberty to look up these passages in contex and here are the definitions.
Look them up for yourself and remember to keep them in context.

Prophetess
4398 προφῆτις [prophetis /prof•ay•tis/] n f. From 4396; TDNT 6:781; TDNTA 952; GK 4739; Two occurrences; AV translates as “prophetess†twice. 1 a prophetess. 2 a woman to whom future events or things hidden from others are at times revealed, either by inspiration or by dreams and visions. 3 a female who declares or interprets oracles.



Teacher
1321 διδάσκω [didasko /did•as•ko/] v. A prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb dao (to learn); TDNT 2:135; TDNTA 161; GK 1438; 97 occurrences; AV translates as “teach†93 times, and “taught + 2258†four times. 1 to teach. 1A to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses. 1B to be a teacher. 1C to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one’s self as a teacher. 2 to teach one. 2A to impart instruction. 2B instill doctrine into one. 2C the thing taught or enjoined. 2D to explain or expound a thing. 2F to teach one something.


Pastor / Shepard
4166 ποιμήν [poimen /poy•mane/] n m. Of uncertain affinity; TDNT 6:485; TDNTA 901; GK 4478; 18 occurrences; AV translates as “shepherd†15 times, “Shepherd†twice, and “pastor†once. 1 a herdsman, esp. a shepherd. 1A in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow. 2 metaph. 2A the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church. 2A1 of the overseers of the Christian assemblies. 2A2 of kings and princes. Additional Information: The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were: 1) to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep; 2) to defend the sheep from attackers; 3) to heal the wounded and sick sheep; 4) to find and save lost or trapped sheep; 5) to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust. During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.



PASTOR
The word “pastors†appears once in the KJV New Testament, in Ephesians 4:11, where it means “a shepherd of souls,†“a Christian minister.†Tyndale and Coverdale used “shepherd†at this point; the Geneva Bible was the first to use “pastor,†which the majority of all subsequent versions have retained.
In the KJV Old Testament, “pastor†appears eight times, all in Jeremiah, as a translation of the Hebrew word which elsewhere is translated “shepherd†sixty-two times and “herdman†seven times. These eight passages are Jeremiah 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16; 22:22; 23:1–2, which all refer to those who care or should care, for the people.
Here, again, the Geneva Bible took the initiative. But the word “shepherd†also appears in twelve other passages of Jeremiah, and in ten of these the shepherds care for people rather than for animals. So there is no real basis for the Geneva Bible and the KJV to use “pastor†as if for a special, different group of people, and this is reflected in contemporary translations, which replace “pastors†with “shepherds†(although the NKJV uses “rulers†in Jeremiah 12:10; 22:22).
The KJV translation of Jeremiah 17:16, “I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee,†is based on a Hebrew word which can have two very different meanings, depending on the accent in the middle. Ràah is the participle of the verb “to shepherdâ€Â; ra’ah is a noun meaning “evil.†Both readings are possible; some scholars hold that the latter is more natural and fits the context better, and the RSV translated the verse as “I have not pressed thee to send evil.â€Â
However, the majority of the mocent translations retain the word “shepherdâ€Â; for example, “I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You†(NKJV; NASB, “from being a shepherd after Youâ€Â); “I have not run away from being your shepherd†(NIV; NRSV, “from being a shepherd in your serviceâ€Â).

I suggest you go back and read ''all'' my post

 

[Lewis]

I was lead to the Lord by a women. And this women said the sinners prayer with me, and then I repeated Romans 10: 9-10 with her. You can go anywhere here in Philly and see women passing out tracks, and sharing the Word of Christ and leading people to God's Kingdom. Are they not to do this ? Today there are more women in the church than men, and thats a fact. Women are more willing than men to receive God, and thats a fact also. I have heard this said by more than a few male pastors, and I know it to be true for myself. And you think God does not know this ? Yes He does, so why not use them. Everywhere I go I see more women in the church than men. I am not downplaying men, because I am a man. I am just stating facts. And men are more willing to go up against God than women, and thats a fact too. So where do we go from here ?

 

[Gabbylittleangel]

Some of you have brought women you say are annointed as an example but no biblical proof.

no biblical proof?
jg,
You must have missed my post.

 

[Gabbylittleangel]

Okay, I also wanted to list a few women, past and present, who I believe have ministries that are within the parameters that God has set forth in the Word, and that I believe are not false teachers.

Lovely
Thank you for the ladies faith hall of fame! Beautiful post, lots of research.
I pray that God will raise up more women like these to teach and preach the gospel! :smt061

 

[carrpxd]

Wow! It has always amazed me how God loving people can be so vehement on each side of an issue. I am the same. I love to see everybody wrestling through this...what a great debate. Now if we could just figure out where God is in all of this it would be great. I wonder what Jesus would think about one of the Mary's, or the other women gently instructing a fellow believer and brother in the Lord? Or if Jesus would be offending seeing one of the prophetesses mentioned in scripture using her gifts? Or Deborah the Judge....hmmmm. Or what about a mother instructing her son? At what age would she have to stop doing that?

 

[Rob]

I was lead to the Lord by a women. And this women said the sinners prayer with me, and then I repeated Romans 10: 9-10 with her. You can go anywhere here in Philly and see women passing out tracks, and sharing the Word of Christ and leading people to God's Kingdom. Are they not to do this ? Today there are more women in the church than men, and thats a fact. Women are more willing than men to receive God, and thats a fact also. I have heard this said by more than a few male pastors, and I know it to be true for myself. And you think God does not know this ? Yes He does, so why not use them. Everywhere I go I see more women in the church than men. I am not downplaying men, because I am a man. I am just stating facts. And men are more willing to go up against God than women, and thats a fact too. So where do we go from here ?

I really don't want to sound sexist in this post and if I come across that way then I ask you ladies to forgive me. You can tell by my previous posts that I am not that way and I actually agree with Lewis on this issue. This is just an issue that I thought about last night when I was getting ready for bed and I don't know any other way to bring it up.

Lewis, you are right when you say there have been many women who have brought people to God and there are probably a lot more women out there spreading the word then there are men. The problem I see with this is that women tend to be more vunerable to some of the dangers associated with this(that sounds so sexist, please forgive me ladies) What I mean is a woman is more likely to be raped, robbed, and left for dead while out trying to spread the word than a man is(I'm not saying it's not possible for a man to have the same thing happen, just more likely for it to happen to a woman) Keep in mind that when we are out spreading God's word we are sometimes putting ourselves in dangerous places. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that God can't protect us, I'm just saying it isn't safe for men or women but even less safe for a woman than a man.

Wow, every woman on this board is going to hate me now :

 

[Lewis]

I was lead to the Lord by a women. And this women said the sinners prayer with me, and then I repeated Romans 10: 9-10 with her. You can go anywhere here in Philly and see women passing out tracks, and sharing the Word of Christ and leading people to God's Kingdom. Are they not to do this ? Today there are more women in the church than men, and thats a fact. Women are more willing than men to receive God, and thats a fact also. I have heard this said by more than a few male pastors, and I know it to be true for myself. And you think God does not know this ? Yes He does, so why not use them. Everywhere I go I see more women in the church than men. I am not downplaying men, because I am a man. I am just stating facts. And men are more willing to go up against God than women, and thats a fact too. So where do we go from here ?

I just think that I needed to post this again. Because a women lead me to the Lord, so because it was a women was it less affective, or not affective at all ?
I mean did God honor my decision to answer His call ? Even though it was through a women ?