(1st Cor. 14:34-38; 1 Tim. 2:11-15)
“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 sayeth the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? Came the word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only? If a man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant?? – 1st Corinthians 14:34-38.
And in I Timothy 2:11-14. Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, the Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in transgression
The foregoing is a clear and unambiguous commandment of God. How many churches today keep this law of God? Rather than obey this simple injunction, many pastors who are very desirous of placing women financiers above men (husbands) in the church, have deliberately conjured and stired up unwarranted contentions and controversy over it. Some plead perplexity, basing their fact on; that the Bible records a number of women prophetesses both in the OT and the NT. Others point to the roles played by women in the early church, and argue that the injunction was intended to apply only to theCorinthianApostolicChurch. They therefore ignore this doctrinal ordinance Christ handed down through Apostle Paul to the Church Universal.
This piece does not pretend to be a defence of the seeming discomfort Apostle Paul’s teaching in his epistle (1st Cor. 14:34-38 and I Timothy 2:11-14) may inflict on women chauvinists, who should now regard the Word of God in Isa. 3;16-24; and leaders of some local churches that have ignored or rejected this ordinance of God for whatever reason, including, perhaps, the fear of offending this class of woman, should note and regard the declarations in II Chro. 19:7; Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col. 3:25 as well as Isa. 5:20.
In some of today’s churches, especially the Pentecostals (Bible Churches) there seems to be too much dilating of the imports of the scriptures, often, beyond the spiritual horizon of faith in Christ (Christianity) in its true sense. It does appear, further, that in the effort to over-simplify the liturgy, or even as a result of discarding it, some rather oblique and very convenient carnal applications of the scriptures, have been introduced in worship, and this has resulted in strange and unexpected disregard for some ordinance of God regarding worship, expounded by the Apostle to whom the mysteries of the church were revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ (1st Cor. 11 through Chapter 14).
Christianity whether defined as a religion or as a way of life, or even as a fellowship of believers, derives its existence and relevance from the Bible – the Holy Scriptures – which has the salvation of fallen man as its main theme with such prerequisites and conditions as repentance from sin, faith and obedience in total submission to the will of God. And all this revealed to man in the Bible. Therefore Christianity in its true sense – that is, one that could take hold of the faith and control the conduct of mankind – must have certainty and authority. And neither of these can be obtained without accepting the ordinances of God which reveal His eternal and divine expectations from the believer. These are the very things that make Christianity purposeful. A rejection of any of these would amount to a rejection of the entire concept of Christianity.
Again, one of the many simultaneous spiritual changes that instantaneously occur in a new convert at the point of truly accepting Christ, is the cultivation of a high degree of spiritual consciousness of the presence of the Holy Ghost within, which makes the nascent believer to hold the Word of God (the logos) as being inseparable from the deityship of God (see John 1:1,14).
This raises the question of whether the Christian can infallibly understand any sentence or even passage of the Scriptures in its true sense, without Holy Spirit assistance. If the answer is “No” (and this is right), then it follows that man without Holy Spirit assistance is not capable of distinguishing, infallibly too, such thoughts that are miraculously suggested or ordered; from those which come to him in the ordinary operations of his carnal mind.
Lack of Holy Spirit inspiration on matters of the Scriptures, exposes a believer to a serious spiritual weakness by the devil’s intellectual red herring inflicted upon his discerning faculty, which darkens his perception and true understanding, to reject, and at best, doubt God’s ordinances, words and actions on the basis of mundane thought patterns that raise arguments which lead the victim into some form of pathetic fallacy or even into unconscious apostasy. Such a believer’s weakness in this regard, can not be a valid plea, even though God’s new covenant of grace has adequate provisions for the forgiveness of sins on condition of true repentance.
Conversely, a believer endowed with Holy Spirit inspiration will appreciate with ease the uniqueness of Apostle Paul’s ministry, evidenced by his epistles which bear witness to God’s revelations on the mysteries of the “ecclesia”; instructions on Christian doctrines; position, work and the destiny of the church.
The character of Apostle Paul in relation to his evangelical work; his teaching on this subject based on God’s order of the creation of the human family; the effect of the three fold curses on the serpent, the woman and the man in the Garden of Eden; and their connection with the closing verses of the Apostle’s spirit inspired ordinances on Christian worship which begins in 1 Cor. 11 through chapter 14, form the exegetic expositions in this article in didactic defence of the apostle’s teaching as an ordinance of God, and not so much of Apostle Paul’s intellectual or spiritual prowess, which are no doubt sublime.
In I Cor. 14:34 Apostle Paul, as in I Tim. 2:11 boldly states that women should keep silent in the church with all subjection to the presence of men (husband) being under command to do so by God’s law.
Some translators connect the last phrase of I Cor. 14:33 “as in all the churches of the saints” with v 34. where this is done, and all I believe if is right to do so, the passage reads: “As in all the churches of the saints your women keep silence” with such a presentation, the injunction for women to keep silence is shown to be not merely a regional restriction to the Corinthian church because of some local circumstances, but a reflection of the general injunction to the Church Universal. That the injunction is general may also be inferred from I Tim. 2:11, 12 without singling out any particular church, Paul admonishes “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the men but to be in silence”.
Some Bible students and scholars are hard put at understanding this prohibition in terms of the modern concepts of the place of women in Bible history for examples Deborah – a prophetess judge in Israel around 1195 – 1155 BC under theocratic system; connected with Barak in the liberation of Israel from Jabin the Canaanite King whose army was commanded by Sisera (Judges 4:1-24). She judged not as a princess with any civil authority conferred upon her, but as a prophetess, correcting abuses and redressing grievances.
Another prophetess mentioned in the Bible is Hulder who aided Hilkiah the priest in the reforms of Josiah, King of Judah (II Chro. 34:22 and II Kings 22:14) a contemporary of Jeremiah, Habakuk and Zephmiah during the reign of Josiah B.C. 626 – BC 608. Other prophetesses mentioned in the scriptures include Miriam, sister to Moses and Aaron (Ex 15:20.21) C 1440 BC; Noadiah (Neh 6:4), a Levite who with Meremoth, Eleazaar and others weighed the silver, gold and vessels brought back from Babylon (Ezra 8:3) about BC 457. She is said to have joined Tobiah and Samballat in opposition to Nehenmiah (Neh 6:14) around B.C. 445; Anna (Heb– Channah; Gr. Hannah) An aged prophetess of 106 years old at the time of Jesus’ birth she was greatly moved as she heard Simeon speaking at the presentation of baby Jesus. Some commentators hold that she lived in one of the rooms adjacent to the temple with other widows whom she taught along with others who came to the temple premises; four daughters of Evangelist Philip. (Acts 21:8,9).
In spite of the foregoing, Apostle Paul – lawyer, a Pharisee, who was learned in the Prophets and the Laws encompassing the OT Pentateuch, historical books, the Prophets and the Laws in the Scriptures still declares in I Cor. 14:34 and I Tim 2:11, 12, that it is God’s law that women keep silence and not to teach or preach in the churches, being commanded “to be under obedience”.
To be continued next week
WOMEN PRECAHING IN CHURCH 2
Continued from Last Week
The law (Heb. Torah, hatorah (Deut 1:5; 4:8,44; 17:18,19; 27:3,8 – meaning; teaching, instruction and Greek – nomos-) a term employed about 200 times in the Bible and signifying the revealed will of God with reference to human conduct. It includes all the Divine commands and precepts for regulating man’s moral life within and without.
The law referred to in this epistle falls under the category of The Law of Grace which includes the doctrines and precepts of grace addressed to the redeemed child of God in this age or dispensation of the New Covenant of grace and the administration of the Holy Ghost in the church. The paradox of the believer not being under law must not be taken to mean that the believer is without law. It must be seen, in the context of the fact that grace has imparted to him all the merits that he could ever need (John 1:16; Rom 5:1; 8:1; Col 2:9,10).Being “in-lawed” to Christ (I Cor. 9:20, 21), means that as one redeemed by grace, he has the duty or rather gracious privilege of obeying all that has been revealed in the Bible and doing all that is pleasing to God; and fully discharging that which He has instructed on the basis of a manifestation of spontaneous gratitude for His salvation in grace.
The will of God is another category of law involved in the issue under discussion here. This includes the revealed will of God in any situation embedded in His requirements of His people, individually or collectively as in the church. This becomes law to the believer, because it embraces all God’s revealed pleasure for His people at any time.
These belie the excuse often made by those who choose to disobey this ordinance of God, that the Christian is not under the law. Apostle Paul’s reference to “as also says the law” in verse 34 of I Cor. 14, is no reference to any provision of the Mosaic law which was a temporary divine administration in effect only, until Christ came and died. The Mosaic law had the definite ministry of imparting to sin the character of transgression (Rom, 5:13, Gal 13:19) for disobedience of God’s revealed will.
In I Timothy 2:13, Apostle Paul emphatically declares “I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over man, but to be in silence” this is a strong confirmation of verse 34 of 1st Cor. 14. “suffer not” means “Permit not” and “nor to usurp authority over man” means rising over the man or exerting some ecclesiastical eminence or authority over the man, such as teaching or preaching in the presence of men (husbands) in the CHURCH. This is a fall out from the original sin in Eden where under the Divine judgment and retribution, the woman forfeited her creation equality with man on account of her part in the fall of man and loss of his estate of glory (Gen 3:6,16). By the role of the woman in the original sin, she had broken her divinely appointed relationship with the man (husband). Instead of being a help “meet” for him, she had become a seducer to sin. (disobedience) consequently her status of equality with man was forfeited. The man is now to rule over her (women) (Eph. 5:22-24; I Timothy 2:11,12; Titus 2:5; I Peter 3:1, 5,6). And because she allowed herself to be deceived by Satan, she fall into transgression (disobedience) and this gene remains in her and her offsprings of her kind.
There is no where in the Scriptures teaching any reversal of this position of subordination of the woman to man.Calvarydid not abrogate it. God in his transcendental love under the New Covenant has not removed it. He is immutable, hence He gave the directive to Paul, who despite the glorious declarations of Gal. 3:26-28 did not intend any alteration of God’s decree in the nature of things.
As it is, the Covenant of Grace has not altered God’s assigned position to the woman in the church under the administration of the Holy Ghost. The pastors and bishops and elders who unilaterally disobey this law of God must now realize the challenge for supremacy they pose to the Omnipotent God – a jealous God – in whose law there can be no variableness, for this is the obvious implication of allowing a woman to stand before God’s people in the church to teach and preach. It is a negation of God’s retributive justice! The effect and application of God’s gracious laws have no limitations of geographical barriers, time in history and race.
And for those who arrogantly over value and over stress their spiritual endowments to disregard God’s laws and injunctions Apostle Paul says in I Cor. 14:37 and 38.
“If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual,
Let him acknowledge that the things which I write to
you are the commandments of the Lord
“But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.”
In this passage, Apostle Paul is confirming that he did not write by his own authority, or in his own name. He wrote by the authority of, and in the name of the Lord. Verse 37 clearly indicates this. And, he is saying that by accepting these counsels and obeying them, the believer would be showing his willingness to be led by the Lord. And to those who make the claim of receiving the gifts of the spirit, but still refuse to recognize that these ordinances come from the Lord, he says, would just be betraying the fact that whatever gifts they claim to posses are not Divine.
True faith will always demonstrate its genuiness by a careful regard for the commands of God; therefore, any profession of faith that disregards the Divine Commands, rejects the authority of the Scriptures, and pays no attention to the great emphasis the Scriptures place on reverence to God (which is a by-product of love and fear of God) and order of the Christian Church, such disregard, is the manifestation of, not only self deceipt, but the work of the familiar spirit or anti-Christ traits.
To be ignorant (verse 38): With the Greek word “agnoeo” meaning “not to acknowledge” “not to recognize” rendered “ignorant”, in this verse, the apostle is emphasizing that anyone who chooses not to recognize that he was divinely inspired, and therefore rejects the fact that the instructions are God’s commands, does so at his own peril and lends himself to the consequences of disobedience. Paul had given enough evidence of his God-given commission, and does not need to say anything more in this regard. Such must answer to God.
Willful “ignorance” of the commands of God will not excuse anyone, but will result in ultimate ruin. The Holy Spirit will not continue endlessly to plead with one who stubbornly clings to his own erroneous ideas and ways of living, even after the one had been shown the right way (see Gen. 6:3; Hosea 4:17) such stubborn, willful “ignorance” of God’s plan, and rejection of Divine ordinances or deliberate wrong or oblique interpretation of God’s Words, are the characteristic attitude of a certain class of persons in the last days, and serve as a sign of the nearness of the end. (See II Peter 3:3,5). It is dangerous to reject light from God in order to continue to gratify the desires of carnal mind, which is most of the time at enmity against God (see Rom. 8:6-8; Gal. 5:16,17; I John 2:15,16)such persons are not recognized by God because they do not love Him, but are in continuous rebellion against Him. The Scripture (1 Cor. 8:3) says “if any man love God, the same is known to Him”.
Without any intention to go into any form of negative absolutism, it must however, be pointed out that churches with pastors who prefer to adopt any pattern of behaviour (including permitting women to teach and preach in the church) that are in utter disregard, opposition and therefore disobedient to those Christian principles and doctrines contained in the Scriptures, must realize that they would be introducing strange principles and doctrines against God’s ordinances. The fate of Nadab and Abihu, Sons of Aaron who introduced “strange fire” in Jewish worship (Lev. 10:1,2) is very instructive here. God’s longsuffering, forbearance and mercy which characterize His dealings with the believer in our present dispensation of grace and the administration of the Holy Ghost in the church, should not be taken for granted, nor for weakness or even as approval. The scriptures being the truth, cannot be broken. Women – prophetesses, evangelists, choristers, etc. can undertake any functions In The Church during worship, BUT NOT TO TEACH or PREACH. This is God’s law
Finally, it must be emphasized that to dispute the Word of God – the logos – is to dispute with its Divine author – God, to reject it, is to reject God. Such who do so must realize that God has no care for sin when Calvaryis rejected. Sir Walter Scot vividly summarizes all about the Bible in the following sublime lines.
“Within this wonderous volume lies
The mystery of mysteries
Happiest they of human race,
To whom their God has given grace,
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch, to find the way;
And better had they ne’er been born
Who read to doubt, or read to scorn”
