Does God’s Word teach women are not to preach the Gospel of Christ? Uncategorized by admin - January 13, 20140 I know there is a Scripture that says something like women can’t be preachers? what does that actually mean? Do you mean a Scripture which is used to teach that women are not to preach The Gospel? What about this: Luke 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; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. When Anna “spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”, isn’t that preaching The Gospel of Christ? Sure sounds like it to me. And this: Judg 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Before one can properly be a ‘judge’ of God’s People, they must become familiar with God’s Judgments within His Law. So Deborah handing out ‘judgments’ shows she was on that foundation, knowing much of The Law, for our Lord had called her. It was His doing. And this: II Ki 22:14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. 15 And she said unto them, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, 16 ‘Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: And this: Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: To ‘prophesy’ means to speak God’s Word as a prophet, prophetess, or to teach God’s Word (See also Acts 21:9-12). Some of those to be delivered up to synagogues and councils during the tribulation, to give a ‘testimony’ for Christ, will include women (Matt.24; Rev.2:9-10). And our Lord Jesus’ Message to the Church at Thyatira: Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. The fact of the matter of our Lord’s anger against that Church of Thyatira was not that they suffered a ‘woman’ to teach. But that they suffered a false one to teach them abominations and idol worship, a woman who only “calleth herself a prophetess, to teach…”. She was a false prophetess. And this Message by our Lord is to those specific Churches of today who also do these abominations such as Thyatira. If that one of Thyatira had been a true prophetess called of God, what should she have been teaching instead? Just like Anna of Luke 2, The Gospel Message of Salvation through Christ Jesus. John 1 says Christ is The Word, so that means all of It is to be taught still today; not only the four Gospel Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Paul’s Message of Rebuke: The following verses are ‘mistaught’ by many against women teaching Christ’s Gospel Message. 1 Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Paul just laid out some of the ‘order’ to be kept in the Church in the previous verses. His Message here is about using common sense in the Church, according to the spiritual gifts God has given to each, God dividing His gifts to each as He sees fit. So the matter still is about how God does the choosing, not man. 1 Cor 14:34 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 saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. Paul begins a new subject on the matter of keeping order in the Church. He’s recalling an old matter of women keeping silence in the synagogues. Verse 35 is where most stop, and then teach that women aren’t supposed to teach The Gospel of Christ. But Paul’s ‘punchline’ to all this is in the very next verse: 1 Cor.14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? Then Paul lays the rebuke on thickly. He’s saying to the men who held to that old tradition, “What? came the word of God out from you men only?” We know that God uses whomever He wishes, and has used women as prophetesses in the past also, as the examples I gave from the Old Testament and New Testament also reveal. The ‘college’ Huldah the prophetess dwelt at was probably none other than the school of the prophets in Jerusalem. Then Paul adds, “…or came it unto you only?”, meaning did God send His Word Jesus Christ to you men only? Of course not, God’s Word of Salvation, which includes both Old and New Testaments, is for all those who believe on Jesus as God’s Savior, regardless of gender, or race. 1 Cor.14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. One of the ‘traps’ of flesh thinking is how man likes to set himself up to be something he is most often not. A true teacher, preacher, prophet, or prophetess of God’s Word is called or chosen by our Heavenly Father, not by us, nor by any man, nor system of man. So God does call some women in His service also, to teach His Word. If one is truly called, then the ‘gift’ from God will soon be revealed. Likewise, with one who thinks “himself to be a prophet”, but is not specifically called by God, their false ‘fruit’ will reveal itself also. Success in a ‘calling’ always comes from our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ (see about Paul’s calling in Acts 9 and Galatians 1). The reason why so many heed false prophets today, is because they have little knowledge in The Word to begin with, and we are in a time with God placing a veil over the eyes of the understanding of many (see Romans 9 through 11; Isaiah 6). And then what about these verses which Paul also wrote?: 1 Tim 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. The woman, or wife, is not to dominate over the husband, not in authority, not in teaching God’s Word. And that applies if her husband is ‘in Christ’. If the husband is ‘obviously’ not following The Lord, then don’t be foolish, use common sense in following The Word. Order is God’s way, not rebellion. Verse 13 is more specific that Paul is talking about the relationship between husband and wife, not woman prophesying vs. the Church elders. So this Message by Paul is about how God setup the flesh order of the wife being subject to her husband in Christ (Gen.3:16). So if God called a woman to teach His Gospel, then who are we to override what God has ordained?