Dear Readers-



As a fair warning to you, this article is biblically based, and is long. It also has nothing to do with dating. However, I feel that it presents some valid and interesting point that we as a society (Christian or not, female or male) need to examine. Happy reading!



-Tania



I was not shocked when I read the last Letters to the Editor, with the letters saying that, based on the Bible, women can not minister. I was, however, saddened, hoping that my peers would prove my guesses to their reaction wrong. Yes, I am a Christian. I am a woman. I love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my soul and I want to spread the happiness Ive found in Him to everyone. I believe men and women are complete equals, in the workplace, the family, school, and the church.



I did not call Jeremiah a chauvinist -- I simply said that he and I were not going to work romantically. We are still very close, and I love and respect him as my brother in Christ, and he does the same for me. We both hold very different viewpoints on a variety of topics and we continue to challenge each other, which results only in us getting spending more time with and getting closer to God. I understand from where he gets his ideas on womens ministry. Many people who simply read the Bible will agree with him. But some of the people who study it, however, also consider that the culture, the language and the time period have a different point-of-view.



The Bible is very much the word of God. I believe that just as much as any other Christian does. Paul says it perfectly in 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Please note that here, like most of the Bible, man refers to both male and female -- like the modern-day equivalent of the word guys).



The Bible is an interpretive work of art. Jesus himself spoke in parables. If the Bible was a simple, non-interpretive piece of literature, there would be no controversy about anything in the Christian church, because one would be able to look it up in the Word, read what it commands, and everyone would agree upon it. Unfortunately, that has not happened in the church yet, due to the numerous interpretations.



With that being said, the Bible has a great deal to say about women and the role they can play in life, in the family, and in the church. In 1 Corinthians 11:4-5, women prophesy and pray along with the men. In fact, 1 Corinthians 11 has a lot to say in the area of the relationship between men and women. I hope that you have a Bible handy, because its worth taking a look at.



According to the Zondervan NIV study Bible, under the notes that go along with 11:3-16, it says, The subject of this section is propriety in public worship. Clearly, Paul is concerned that the proper relationship between husbands and wives be reflected in public worship; however, much remains uncertain. As in the previous section, he only desires that all be done to the glory of God.



Now, in 1 Corinthians 11:6, Pauls message to women is that we should show respect to our husbands by covering our heads during public worship. Now, honestly girls -- how many of us do this? At the last church service I went to, I can tell you I saw none. How can we graze over this part of the Bible, yet zone in on the areas that speak of submission to males? Or is it because you believe that Paul was speaking metaphorically? And if this is the case, why is that section metaphorical, and not the part about submission? Where do you draw the line?



So how did some get the present misconception about women teaching in church? The apostle Paul has been greatly misunderstood on the subject of women. Thousands think that he decreed that all women must not teach or "usurp authority over a man. Instead, Paul was dealing with Ephesian women who were teaching false doctrines and myths common in Ephesus. If one studies all of what Paul wrote, it is obvious he has been misunderstood. Paul writes to Titus that women elders are to be "teachers of the good" or "teachers of the right way of life in Titus 2:3. He suggests that they start with teaching the younger women, but places no limits on this teaching "of the right".



In the book of Genesis, the author (presumed to be Moses) writes, When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them, male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them man, (Genesis 5:1&2). This passage does not encourage distinction between male and female. In fact, it calls out our equality just like Galatians 3:26-29 and Jesus Christ did.



Some people argue that if God wanted women as leaders in the church, Jesus would have chosen females as apostles. Its interesting -- the Klu Klux Klan uses this very same argument against African Americans. I was curious about that though, so I decided to do some more in-depth research. In Matthew 8, one of the apostles wants to burry his father, but Jesus says, Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead (8:22). In the study notes, it explains that the time of Jesus ministry was short and demanded full attention and commitment. This statement stresses the radical demands of Jesus discipleship, because Jews placed a great importance on the duty of children to bury their parents. Why didn't Jesus select a female among the twelve apostles? I found the best answer to this question answered by Rev. Dianne McDonnell.



Jesus ministry was brief, and he could not spend the time to protect and watch over a woman, says McDonnell. The society He lived in would have harmed a woman disciple!" Notice in John 4:27 that the disciples were surprised that Jesus was even talking to a woman. They didn't even believe in talking to women!Because of the prejudices of that society, it would have been an impossible situation to put a woman into. She would have been killed. Jesus reprimanded the disciples that they had not been as productive as the woman at the well depicted in John 4, and told them, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." The woman had done the labor of spreading the news about Jesus and the disciples and was harvesting believers. "And from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things that I have done,'" (John 4:38-39 NAS). So many men and women believed in Jesus because of the teaching/preaching of a woman! Did Jesus reprimand her for spreading the news to men? No, he praised her and held her up as an example to the disciples! Many believed in Him because of her words and her preaching.



Jesus never made any rulings preventing the full participation of women in the church or in church services. He taught women such as Mary along with the men, refusing Martha's request to send her back to the kitchen with, "...but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42).



In the gospels, we read of several woman ministers who proclaimed good news (Mat. 28:1-10; Luke. 24:9-11) when Jesus reveled himself to the women before anyone else after the resurrection.



Yet today, many men and women are still trying to take away a woman's right to participate in the worship and service of Jesus Christ. Jesus said few things in life were "necessary" and serving God was the most necessary!



Jesus did not restrict women to teaching in private as some believe, instead he said, "...whosoever shall do and teach them (the Ten Commandments), the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." According to Jesus, all believers, both male and female who would teach the commandments, publicly or privately, would be called "great" in the kingdom to come.



All the Gospels portray Jesus as the one who fully accepted women. Regardless of their social or marital status, He was unfailingly courteous, and compassionate towards them. When a woman, ritually unclean with a hemorrhage, touched Him on the way to the house of a synagogue leader, He stopped to heal her and commended her faith, addressing her affectionately as "Daughter" (Mk. 5:34). He affirmed the dignity of a crippled woman, calling her a "daughter of Abraham"( Lk. 13:16). Jesus healed Peters mother-in-law (Mk.1:29-31), Jairuss daughter (5:35-43), Mary Magdalene and the Syro-Phoenician womans daughter (even though she was a Gentile). And restored the life of the son of the widow at Nain (Lk.7:11-15).



In a cultural society where women were not counted as full members of a Jewish congregation and were discouraged from studying the law, Jesus taught women along side men! (Matt.14:21; 15:38; etc.). One cannot doubt that these episodes represent Jesus attitudes, which contrasted dramatically with contemporary Jewish teaching (and with some of the teachers of today).



In Acts 21:8-9 it is clear that Phillips four daughters were prophetesses (woman ministers), that is, they were evangelists like their father. This is in perfect accord with Joel 2:28-29 which was fulfilled in the early church. We also see this mentioned in Acts 2:16 and Acts 2:17-18 which will be fulfilled in the last days.



In the book of Romans, in chapter 16 there are a number of women ministers of the Lord in various churches. Phoebe (verses 1-2), Priscilla (verses 3-5), Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis and Julia (verses 6-15). These women ministers are mentioned as laborers in the Lord. In Philippians 4:2, Euodias and Syntyche are mentioned as being leaders of the church at Philippi. So why is it so unbelievable that we might hear the word of God through a woman today? Can we really limit God to only males? Can we really limit God to anything? No. We can, and must not. He is holy and sovereign, and He chooses the most unlikely messengers to deliver his message to the people.



Both men and women believers are told to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age," Matthew 28:19-20. Can women of this generation ignore these commands and promises that extend to the very end of the age?



If it is Gods will that women will minister, women will minister. As anyone can see, this is a trend that is growing at an amazing rate. If God wants me to become a minister, I have no choice but to do as He asks. The same goes for any career He might choose for me to pursue. I am not sure of the Lords will for me, but as it says in Jeremiah 29:11, He knows the plans he has for me: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.



After showing this article to Jeremiah, he tells me he needs to do more research. When he returned, he tells me that he is proud of me for being so bold in my faith, and IF God is willing, I will make an excellent minister. What Jeremiah and I have taught each other is that we can not plan on God doing anything. Hes full of surprises with plans for us beyond our wildest imagination.



I am not an expert of the Bible. I am not an expert on God. I highly doubt there is anyone who can call him or herself that. Our relationship with God must be always growing, always progressing. We will never know all of God until the day we are with Him in Heaven. I acknowledge and embrace this fact. Im interested in hearing what you have to say. Maybe I misunderstood something. Let me know. Maybe you have a different viewpoint. Id love to hear it. You know how to reach me. Until then, God bless and keep the faith.

hello there & you too