Author: icbc

Introduction

There has been an old-age debate on the issue of whether or not women are supposed to teach, preach or prophesy in the church. To some people, women are supposed to be absolute silence in the Christian churches, whereas some believe that both men and women have equal opportunity to be active in the churches. This edition of our Newsletter discusses the place of prophetesses in the New Testament.

Women Prophesying

Women in the New Testament were not expected to be altogether silent in all the churches. They had the opportunity to exercise their spiritual gifts as did their male counterparts. Paul acknowledges that women publicly pray and prophesy in Christian gatherings. This is supported by the quote below;

“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. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his Head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head; for that is even the same as if she were shaved. For if the woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn. But if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled” (1Co 11:3-6).

The above passage of the Bible clarifies the position of Paul on the inclusion of women in the Christian churches. In the first place, Paul accepts that both men and women have the potential and the freedom to pray or prophesy in the public worship of the church (1Co 14:23). Public prayer or prophecy is supposed to be uttered audibly and understood for the congregation to be edified (1Co 14:16-17). If women were not permitted to speak in the church (1Co 14:34), how could they be encouraged to cover their heads when praying or prophesying? (1Co 11:3-13)? Again, how could women pray or prophesy to edify other believers (1Co 14:3-6) as stated above? It is possible that Paul was addressing a specific issue in this particular church in order to bring sanity to their congregations. This is buttressed by his statement about a  long hair of some men in the church (1Co 11:14). If nature teaches that long hair of men is a shame to them, then Jesus Christ or Samuel (1Sam 1:11), Samson (Jdg 13 and 16) and the other Nazarites (Num 6:5) are not good examples of faith. This means that Paul was referring to some cultural settings within which the church was situated but he was not prescribing a universal law for all the churches.

Paul, the author of the said epistle, does not intend to silent all women in the churches throughout all generations in every congregation. It is understood from the book of Acts 21:8-10 that the daughters of Philip, the Evangelist, were prophetesses. If they were not to prophesy in the churches what then made them prophetesses?. The prophecies of all godly people are meant to edify both men and women (1Co 14:26, Eph 4:11-12). Paul also writes that when the believers come together, every one of them has a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, or a revelation to edify the church (1Co 14:26). The author does not exclude women from these congregation, therefore, the “everyone” is inclusive of the believing women. Women, therefore, had a voice in the Christian churches.

It could not be accepted that these prophetesses were prophesying only to the women, or they told their prophecies to some men, who then told the church what the Spirit had for them. The author´s mention of prophet Agabus in the tenth verse of Acts 21, directly after mentioning the prophetesses, presupposes similar roles played by the prophets and the prophetesses.

Conclusion

God has endowed both men and women with various gifts, for the purpose of edifying the church. All people, both males, and females should, therefore, be given the opportunity to exercise their gifts without unacceptable restrictions.

 Prayer: May God grant the leadership of the church the wisdom needed to manage the gifts and abilities of the members in ways that are approved by Him. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Introduction

In this edition of our newsletter, roles played by women in the New Testament and their relationships with their male counterparts are discussed. Scriptures that seem to be controversial are discussed as scriptures are allowed to interpret themselves.

Do not Suffer Women to Teach

Paul instructed Timothy that he should let the woman learn in silence with all subjection and that he should not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but must be made to be in silence (1Tim 2:11-12). This instruction from Paul to Timothy means that women were not silent in the beginning and that prior to this instruction, it could be assumed that women were teaching or preaching. What prompted Paul’s injunction could be attributed to a number of the following possibilities;

• Women had been ministering without taking others into consideration, lacking self-control.
• Because women were not educated, it was probable that they were disrupting services by asking some inappropriate questions.

Some of the women in the church may have been bringing in some elements of pagan worship, disrupting services with their loud voices, for it is said that the only way women were allowed to take part in pagan religions was to wail or make high-pitched cries known as “ululation. It is said that in pagan religions, the men ministered and offered sacrifices but the women gave the necessary sound effects” ( Cunningham and David 2000, 197).

Based on the above views on the church of Corinth, Paul´s command to put the women in silence cannot, therefore, be universal and all time. He only intended to restore orderliness in the church of God. It should also be said that learning in silence in all subjection, is not applicable to only women. All new converts must learn from the leadership of the church or from mature believers with subjection until they become mature to instruct others in Christ (2Pet 2:2, 2Tim 2:2). When one desires the sincere milk of the word of God, he or she then is required to teach others also. People are not expected to remain students or learners forever (Heb 5:12, Heb 6:1).

Distinguished Women in the New Testament

Again, one ought to understand that Priscilla was a mature believer in Christ according to the book of Acts 18:24-28, because, she and her husband (Acts 18:2), Aquila was able to instruct Apollo in a more better way concerning the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. The scripture does not say that only Aquila instructed the man (Apollo), but it reads that they, which refers to both Priscilla and her husband. In Rom 16:1-6, Paul mentions that Priscilla and Aquila are his helpers in Ministry and that they laid down their necks for the life of Paul. Above all Priscilla and Aquila had a church of Christ in their residence. It is, therefore, presupposed that both of them were leading the services of that church. If a woman should not teach men the way of God, then it could be said that Priscilla erred in co-instructing Apollos in the best way to handle to the word of God.

Furthermore, there were some other women such as Phoebe and Mary, whose names were mentioned by Paul as being industrious in the work of the ministry of Christ Jesus (Rom 16:1-6). Some might say that they were honorable in the churches as deaconesses but not as teachers or preachers. If it could be accepted that they were mere deaconesses, then it means that women were not silent in the churches. Even if they were to teach or instruct only other women, the implication is that they were mature in Christ to teach others just like the men. There is also a possibility that some of these women were leading groups that consisted of some men in the church.

According to Paul, some women labored in the gospel with him and commended that the churches must render to them every support they might be in need of (Php 4:3). These women, like the apostles, had received the spirit of God and were so zealous about the great commission or the call to propagate the gospel of Christ Jesus. This scripture suggests that even in the early days of the apostle’s visit, some women at the church of Philippi had been received as co-workers of the apostles for the spread of the gospel of Christ Jesus. Who then accuse the women who have been called of God to teach or preach His word? In our time, some men or males in the church need to be silent and must be instructed not to teach. This is so because Paul expects only qualified persons to handle the word of truth (2Tim 2:2). It was for this reason that Paul instructed Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God so that he could divide the word of God rightly (2Tim 2:15). Therefore, it is not about males or females, but those who would study to distinguish themselves to be able to teach rightly.

Conclusion

It could be said that God had never left women behind in His divine plan. They had always been the co-workers of the men. Those women who distinguished themselves as competent and noble were used of God in His kingdom business.

Prayer: Our Lord God, may you open our understanding to the need to embrace women and work with them as you desire. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Reference

Cunningham Loren and David L. Hamilton 2000. Why not Women? A Fresh Look on Women in Missions, Ministry and Leadership. Seattle, YWAM Publishing.