There has been much conversation recently about women and ministry. I can not help but marvel at the fact that there is an actual discussion about this. The word of God is so clear as relates to women and ministry. And it only takes one verse to settle the matter; "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
God said in Christ, we are all one. So why is there an issue with women in the pulpit? I do not write this because I am a preacher and pastor. In my case, it was a male that had to acknowledge that the Lord had called me into the ministry. It was a male that told me God does not have any closet preachers. I have pondered the reaction men have concerning women in ministry. Most recently it was said that very few, very few men will sit under a woman pastor. When I heard that, I was confused. Why does man make it a gender issue? When salvation came my way, all I wanted to do was sit UNDER the WORD. A giraffe could have preached it and I would listen and will still listen. I never did see gender as being revenant to preaching the gospel. The main focus is getting the word out so souls can be saved. So where did the gender issue come from? A man and it has been passed down to every generation. As I studied the issues I find that most men do not like women. They see them as beneath them, less than they are, weak minded, etc. They use the scripture that says, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the WIFE, AS UNTO the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." I Peter 3:7 This scripture is not license to mistreat women or put them in a box. First of all, it is talking to husbands and it it telling them how to treat their wife. If you study the word weak, it in no wise means less than, easily mislead, etc. The wife is to be treated as a precious vessel by the husband. This verse has nothing to do with women in ministry. The other scripture that is used to say women can not preach, pastor or teach is found in I Timothy 2:12 that says, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." The key word is usurp. What does usurp mean? It means to to force, to commit forcible or illegal seizure of an office, power, etc. A woman called in the ministry by the Holy Ghost is not going to force anything. She is going to be led by the Spirit. Not only that, if all women kept silent in church, what would go on? Nothing, I tell you; absolutely nothing. Scripture has to be interpreted in context with the leading of the Holy Ghost. In Philippians 4:3, Apostle Paul tells them to help those women which labored with me in the gospel... I could go on and on with this, but i will not. For the word of God is already established. The Lord can use whomever he wants to get done what He wants. If the Lord anoints a person to do the work of the ministry, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about it. But, I will say this in closing, when you hear of stealing, embezzlement, lying in pulpits, cheating people out of their money, ponzi schemes in the church, who is doing it? Males. If they say women are easily mislead, then it is even worse if man on purpose commits sin in the church (stealing money, adultery, chasing the sisters, lying in the pulpit, etc.). Just give me the word. II Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine."
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