| Biblical Evidence for Women Teachers |
Hi. I'm a 21 year old university student in Virginia and being on a secular liberal arts university provides for some good scripture challenges. I was wondering what biblical evidence there was for women being teachers in the church and women in positions of leadership. There are several scriptures that people use against this but what does scripture say in favor of such things (assuming that it is scriptural for women to be in these positions).
Sarah Dear Sarah; Thank you for taking the time from your heavy academic case load to seek my advice concerning the aforementioned subject about women's role in the church and leadership positions. I would first exhaust the resources from web sites and search engines pertaining to women's roles in the church and the great women of the bible. Just from being able to surf the web you will make some pretty startling discovery that there a maze of points of view concerning this hotly debated theological issue. You seem to me to be a very resourceful young lady so let my advice spur you on seeking whatever road leads you to your accepted truth of women's roles in the aforementioned statement contained within your parentheses of (assuming that it is scriptural for women to be in these positions). This statement aroused my curiosity enough to tackle this complex and almost unscriptural or the lack of evidence thereof issue that faces us relating to a woman's service in God's Kingdom. Let me extend to you some comfort in the scripture dealing with your challenge as follows; (assuming that it is scriptural for women to be in these positions).
When the scripture says, "there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" What could this verse mean? It means that Jesus is not so much interested in the gender of a person as much as the availability of one to be born again thus the "In Him" as this verse implies. Let me caution you as to the approach used in these seemingly endless and sometimes pointless debates in which much spiritual momentum and energy is lost by the believer that could be better channeled in a more positive and productive manner and direction.
The focus in the initial encounter should be mentally not externally
focused on the salvation of the lost. But not at the expense of raising
in penetrable religious wall. Take note to Paul's writings;
The foolish who are perishing are the unbelievers. They cannot understand the spiritual as evidenced by the following:
You cannot penetrate the humanistic mind of the unbeliever with spiritual truth because they do not posses the mental capability to comprehend or convert spiritual into reality. The debate on whatever issue is between two different mind sets. The natural mind and the spiritually oriented mind. The natural and the spiritual are like oil and water they will never mix on the physical plane of understanding. It is an uphill battle that cannot be won because it violates God's spiritual law. Forget the homogenizing process! You are giving the Holy to the unholy when you try to debate with the unbeliever a debate in which each person has not had a successful exchange of ideas but each did have his or her point of view.
Notice what Jesus had to say on a similar issue:
Even in some of the Paulien Epistles there is fuel for the fire of this
never-ending over the gender dominance debate e.g. as follows;
In most instances they have so often been lifted out of context of scripture setting for the male or female Chauvinist or whomever to prove their point. Do I believe that women can be mightily used of God? Absolutely! Can you win the debate with an unbeliever? Probably not. Present your case and let the Holy Spirit be the judge. I do hope that this may stimulate your thinking on the subject presentation responded to. Dick Reuben |