Women Go Against God And Preach
72Really??
When we study the Bible there are two important study tools to keep in mind:
Biblical "hermeneutics" -- the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible
Biblical "exegesis" --a systematic process by which a person arrives at a reasonable and coherent sense of the meaning and message of a biblical passage
"Intelligent reader, we must oppose all teachings and practices which are contrary
to God’s word" (biblequestions.org)
I think the difficulty with this subject comes in the application of the passage (hermeneutics). We ask ourselves-
- What does it say?
- What does it mean (originally)?
- What does it mean to us (application)?
Both views of whether a woman can minister in church (to men and women) can equally be supported from the Biblical text (exegesis) which extensive research has shown.
When this happens the best approach (advice I received from a dear brother) is to take the "broadest" view possible- not the most narrow. By doing this we support women in ministry in every capacity, without restriction and multiply those proclaiming God's Word. The difficulty with this conclusion is whether or not being able to prove the point has any real value to one who is unwilling to consider it.
Therefore, we stay divided on the issue. As a female minister I teach in context to the best of my ability as do other women I know. At the heart of this conflict I think lies the root of fear. The fear comes from men because of authority, and from women because of need. I am going out on a limb here, but I feel that there is a possibility we need to consider.
Keep in mind these are extreme generalities- But see if you can find any validity in these two situations:
Men-- if they are insecure and bound in fear-- are afraid to have someone in authority over them. They are no longer in control. Even the most well known male minister who seems confident can be fearful in their heart.
Women-- if they are insecure and bound in fear-- have a need to feel cared for and protected.
A man in the pulpit is much like a father figure. It is a comfort to a woman to have a father figure to guide her. A man is more inclined to respect, and accept another man as one who is advising him. Both of these are especially true if deep down they are insecure either in their life in general, or in their identity in Christ. They often may be the ones who are most vocally critical, angry, and condescending about an issue.
When a person is assured of their identity and are loved perfectly -- fear is removed. The need to control is no longer a driving force. Security is found in the presence of God--not our pastor. Guidance and advice can then be received from any wise counselor --both men and women.
Until we become perfected in God's love and truly understand our identity in him- we continue to base our lives on our human identity first-- in this case our gender. Are we replacing "God our Father" (our true authority) with the pastor as our "father figure"?
My hope is that some will consider the possibility of taking a broader view of God allowing women to be pastors, teachers, and ministers without restriction. Any reflective comments are welcome for or against!
Here is one Hub that wrote with some historical references
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Comments
You are so right neelove! Thanks for the comment. I am honored to support you!
bayareagreatthing -
Women can be pastors all they want but I draw the line when it comes to women being priests. Just a personal "quirk", ya might say. Also, I would find being a pastor (or a priest) SO boring and, as is often the case, not appreciated compared with being a Doctor of the Church, which women have been. Just a personal "quirk", ya might say.
Thanks Tina for your comments- as always any viewpoint is welcome! It is one of those areas that will continue being discussed especially as culture changes. as far as boring- I would say boring is not the word I would use. Challenging, fulfilling, rewarding...these are some of the adjectives that come to my mind :)
Thanks TI for stopping by!!
Hi thanks for reading my hubs, I am enjoying yours. You have some good material here. I am not only a motivational speaker, I run a bible school and associate pastor. On this topic (woman preaching) whoever gets the job done i say, In Christ there is neither male nor female.The only reason we were made different was to procreate.I think the church has been so hung up with all this dribble, and the world is dying in the process. We as believers, need to stop debating and start accepting and loving each other, then we can love those on the outside. Someone said that the reason God is using woman is because the men are to lazy and weak (lol). There are many males but oh so few MEN
Thanks svennyg! I appreciate your insight and agree- we need to quit picking things apart and just get on with loving others. Traditions are hard to overcome sadly. The next generation will probably be less stuck on this one.
I personally don't care for female pastors having authority over men I think is out of order. It's amazing how many Christians don't understand the distinction between congregation and leadership. The bible clearly states who should and should not be in leadership so why does everyone think they are different?
Women can teach, preach, prophesy etc. but are not to pastor.
Think about it, who was the first person to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ? Hiint, the words were; "He's alive!"
Nice hub from another Minister myself. I think we are equal, not above anyone else male nor female. When we were created out of Adam we became as Adam. There is a place bthat you can find about what the Catholic (yes we are all part of that from the beginning as we all use the same scriptures etc..) Ex Nun. Here is the site that she posted in one of her articles: http://www.womenpriests.org/index.asp
Tamararivella - I sincereley appreciate you sharing your feelings on the subject. I have one lingering question that I keep asking and no one seems to answer very well. What is meant when someone says "authority over me"? How does that play out in real life? Any thoughts?
LG- Thank you for sharing your link and stopping by!
Taken from http://www.biblequestions.org/archives/BQAR239.htm. Why do you oppose female ministers?
neelove says:
3 months ago
This is intresting women preaching has always been an issue. I discovered when I received salvation that the Holy Spirit was the true teacher and it was only through the Holy Spirit that I understood the things of the spirit and so I believe that we interpret things of the spirit through the spirit. I believe that the some take the words of the bible and read them without the direction of the Holy Spirit and this is what causes so much division and debate within the body of Christ. The spirited is not to be debated but received and followed so I believe that God calls whom ever he wants to speak for him.
I like your topics and thanks for supporting me sister!