Women play an equal role to men in our church, preaching, teaching, singing and praising God and his son the Lord Jesus Christ.
The vexed subject of women’s role in church can lead to all kinds of unchristian actions & disputes and this because some folk have failed to see God in the bigger picture. Be careful not to be blindly dogmatic because it is easy to select scriptures and build up false arguments.
Does God really want to pour cold water on the spiritual enthusiasm of half his people and gag them? Does that make sense, really? Surely a believing woman, excited to pass the word of God on to others is going to be a very unhappy bunny if made to keep silent.
1 Corinthians 14:33. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”
Does that sound like God wants to create disorder by quenching a woman’s enthusiasm for the Lord or does He want us all to be equally yoked together, pulling in the same direction in harmony and uplifting each other along the way? Surely the latter sounds more likely?
Here, indeed is the simple answer in 1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”
I cannot remember reading anywhere that women must not join with the men when singing hymns to the Lord, they must be silent?
We all need one another: 1 Corinthians 11:11 17 "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God."
Was it man or woman who God chose to relay arguably the most important message to mankind? It was a woman, it was Mary Magdalen in John 20:18 “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.” Just imagine someone telling her to be silent that day!
Here again…1 Corinthians 11:5 "But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head."
Here is the most popular bone of contention tossed into the arena to cause friction and division, something God plainly does not want (all are equal).
1 Timothy 2:12 "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." Look again at that quote. The key is the word ‘over’.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.
We are a small church and if we chose to believe that women should ‘keep quiet’ we would have had to close long ago.
All are equal…. Small congregations could not survive without women’s participation, would God want to propagate a command that not only silenced half the church but also closed them down. It makes no sense whatsoever does it.
Here is the simple truth writ large; Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
