| Women in the Bible |
| Lesson Four: by turtle Women and Men are often at odds in the roles in the church. I seem to be a little more traditional in my values as women roles in the church and maybe for good reason. Mother and Father’s roles have been different for centuries. Only in the past three to four decades have we seen role reversals. Most of this is caused by changes in our own society. Does this however mean church society changes. This is one of the major debates going on today in the Christian world and yet it seems only in a few places is it really a problem. We often forget we have women in ministry for years. If we look at the foreign and home mission fields even in our own churches we see women taking vital roles in ministries as fulltime ministers. Yet when they become part of the mainstream of any denomination we often see men taking over those pulpits. Yet this is not entirely true. For many churches have made decision to allow women in the pulpit. Now some will say you are a women why would you have a problem with women in the pulpit. Through out the Bible women have had a role and so have the men in public worship and leadership, even though society did not hinder women to work. Now church roles I personally believe are different then the working world. Yet even I admit there are some men that claim to preach and should not preach and thus maybe the women should be the one preaching. Yet what if there is a qualified male minister to preach. Okay I am going to stop there with this running around about preaching, for we know women did prophesy as well as men. The point I want to bring out is male leadership roles verses women leadership roles. If women can preach equally well, should they be in charge of the church they minister in. Some will argue yes and some no. My question is what does the Bible teach on the subject. We might should look first at Miriam. She was a prophetess, she was in leadership as well as her brothers Moses and Aaron. The three ruling class. Numbers 12:1-16 KJV (1) And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (2) And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (3) (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) (4) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. (5) And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. (6) And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. (7) My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. (8) With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (9) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. (10) And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. (11) And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. (12) Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. (13) And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. (14) And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. (15) And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. (16) And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran. God makes it clear to Miriam, Moses and Aaron who is in charge. The one God appoints is in charge. Now many might want to ask why would God only punish Miriam and not Aaron. I think this might literally have to do with heart here. God must of been looking where you and I can not see. For Aaron went unpunished, but Miriam paid the price for sin. Some might say God put her in her place. Micah 6:4 KJV (4) For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. God did not elect just one leader over the Israelites but three. And of course with the story in Numbers one can understand who was the one in charge or in head leadership, it was Moses. It is a proven fact that three heads are better then one, but you still need a lead head. It is like in a household you can not have but one head leader though both men and women are capable of leading the entire household. God made it simple, He put men in charge. And truth I think it was for women’s protection. See men are not to Lord over their roles in either the church or in the home. Ephesians 5:21-33 KJV (21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (22) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (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. (24) Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (30) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (32) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (33) Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Verse 21 says to submit to one another. What does submit mean, one might ask. Giving authority to one another. So both man and wife submit to each other. Remember this portion is speaking of the family as well as about the church. And the truth is when one thinks one is better or above another that is where the church has a problem. Of course we still need a head or a leader to be in charge. The family unit between wife and husband should be the same as the church and Christ relationship is. See we need to practice what our positions are in the body of Christ. And the best way is through the family unit. Christ is in charge of the bride(church). Husbands are in head leadership in the home with Christ being in charge of both husband and wife. Now remember wives and husband are suppose to submit to each other. So simply put neither is to lord over each other because they are both equal in the eyes of God. Now in verse 33 it makes it clear men are to love their wives and women are to reverence their husbands. That does not mean women need to be a door mat or a bottle washer and maid necessarily. Yet men need to know their wives respect them and wives need to know their husband love them. We are to respect Christ authority over the church and us as individuals. It is putting things in proper order. Now God is in full leadership, but He is not a task master. In fact He often allows us to run further then maybe we should be allowed to, but God in his infinite wisdom knows what is best and allows us to go in every direction, til we reach that middle ground of awesome respect. A good husband will show his leadership, when necessary, but will allow his wife to be free in the regards of respecting her decisions in the things she does well in the home and outside the home. He will allow her to make dozens of mistake as well as just simply love her. If a man abuses a women because she does not do as he says he as overstepped his bounds as a husband. Marriage is about respecting each other and accepting each other as you are with all your shortcomings as well as your successes. And wives we often nag maybe a bit much. Sometimes for good reason, but often we need to allow our men that same freedom and respect they give us. It called learning to work well with the person we married. The church needs to learn to work under the leadership of God with the pastor second in command and all other leaders below. All working in unity with each other. You need head leadership to keep division from happening. Of course people still have a mind of there own and often struggle with unity even within the church world. Nevertheless I have to take the Biblical stand of women in the church, yet I do recognize sometimes there is no men leadership and so women must step up to the plate. If we look at the story of Lydia. Acts 16:13-15 KJV (13) And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. (14) And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. (15) And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. Women in leadership over a women’s prayer group, yet Paul came and spoke to the people. Now what I hope to do next week is continue this discourse about women in leadership roles in the church as well as men leadership roles. And I think if you will hold on you will see that women do teach men, but we must remember both men and women must come to an equal respect of each other ministry roles. We also must remember sometimes male ministers are not available to lead a church and when that happens a women must step up and lead, for we do need godly people leading the church. |
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