Should Women Preach?

Will We Ever Stop Arguing About Women Preachers?
Published
2 days ago Author J. Lee Grady
Posted in Fire in My Bones
https://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/41689-will-we-ever-stop-arguing-about-women-preachers?utm_source=Fire%20in%20my%20Bones&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:5214771&utm_campaign=FIMB%20-%202019-06-12
beth-moore-preaching
Beth Moore (Facebook/Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore)
Two months after violent storms tore through Alabama, another huge tempest is raging there this week—and this one threatens to blow apart the nation's largest Protestant denomination. Representatives of the 14.8-million-member Southern Baptist Convention have been meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, and this time, the issue of women's ordination is the tornado.

Prior to this week's two-day meeting, controversy began to swirl when popular Bible teacher Beth Moore, a Southern Baptist, mentioned in a tweet that she would be preaching at a Mother's Day church service. A group of male SBC leaders who are "complementarians"—those who oppose women in the pulpit—began expressing concerns that Moore was scheduled to speak on a panel during the conference on June 12.

Owen Strachan, a professor at the SBC's Midwestern Baptist Seminary, warned that Moore has no business preaching in front of a mixed congregation. "For a woman to teach and preach to adult men is to defy God's Word," Strachan said. "Elders must not allow such a sinful practice."

Strachan wasn't subtle. He is implying that Beth Moore is engaged in a "sinful practice" because she dares to preach in a church on a Sunday.

Not all Southern Baptists march in lockstep over this issue. Some insist that women can never teach men. Others say it's OK for women to teach as long as they don't function as pastors. And others think it's okay for women to speak as long as they aren't preaching on a Sunday morning in a church. Meanwhile, others are hoping the SBC will relax its rules on female ordination.

Catherine Booth found herself in the middle of this controversy more than 150 years ago. A powerful preacher in her own right, she founded the Salvation Army with her husband, William, in 1865. At that time many staunch critics of women preachers were telling her that it was "unfeminine" for her to preach the gospel. So in 1859 she wrote a pamphlet, "Female Teaching: Women's Right to Preach the Gospel."

Booth's writing is still one of the clearest defenses of a woman's right to preach ever penned. Yet her critics continued to throw tomatoes and apples at her when she spoke on street corners in London while wearing her signature bonnet. Not only did she eloquently dissect the words of the apostle Paul to prove that he had women preachers on his team (Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche and others), but Booth asked a powerful question: If God were against women preachers, why does it seem the Holy Spirit is blessing the ministry of women who speak publicly?

Catherine Booth's critics dismissed her. But her legacy is legendary. She introduced more alcoholics, homeless people and marginalized maids and seamstresses to Jesus Christ than any of her forgotten critics. And the denomination she and her husband founded has 1.7 million members today, and an international outreach to the poor.

Booth often quoted Acts 2:17a, which says: "'In the last days it shall be,' says God, 'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.'" For Mrs. Booth, this was the Emancipation Proclamation for women in the church. It clearly states that women will speak for God after the coming of the Holy Spirit's power.

What does "your daughters will prophesy" mean if it doesn't mean they will preach? Does it mean they can preach only outside the church? Does it mean they are only sanctioned to conduct Bible studies for women? Does it mean they can preach as long as they don't stand behind a Plexiglas pulpit? Does it mean they can preach as long as there are no "adult men" in the audience?

I don't believe Peter's sermon in Acts 2 was about limitation. I don't think Acts 2:17 contains an asterisk with a footnote that says, "*Only in certain situations." Acts 2:17 is about freedom. Pentecost removed the gender barrier.

Our manmade restrictions sound silly. If God has said, "Your daughters will prophesy," why are we so afraid of giving anointed women a platform? How does allowing a gifted Bible teacher like Beth Moore to preach or teach in a church on a Sunday morning harm the cause of Jesus? I love to hear her teaching any day of the week.

I've been defending women's right to preach for 25 years, and I'm convinced it is the devil who is working overtime to keep Spirit-filled women out of the pulpit. Satan is terrified of what will happen when women who are called by God are released to fully obey that calling.

We will reach more people for Jesus if we empower both men and women to carry this gospel. Let's quit arguing about this. We will take more ground together.

Why shouldn't they? We all need to hear, live and spread the word, regardless of "who"
does it. Just do it. I had a book but can't recall the name of it. It was in regards to Mary who talked of the Holy Spirit and Jesus and all our problems today. She supposedly came through visions through a mother who'd lost her son. This woman who got these visions isn't special except that Mary picked her. I didn't get a chance to read it all, but found so much common sense in what Mary's messages were to us. It basically said, that we're to always love God, pay Him the respect He deserves no matter what name or religion we go by. Wars were needless in that we're all fighting for the same reason and not listening to each other. I understood this book better than I did the Bible. I'm not ditching the bible, but I honestly couldn't understand a lot of what I'd read. This book made the same sense without the parables I suppose. If anyone finds this book please let me know what it's called. I definately want to find it and read it all this time. Blessings

Over at another Forum where I am member a Post was on: Should Women Preach.

I was up early this morning and decided to reply and bring what my reply is and my findings here also.

This is my bible study this morning. What is on my heart I will bring scripture.
I have always strongly opposed those who say women should not preach that the bible tell them so? they bring scriptures without studying, going into why! and the history.
It is an undeniable fact,
when we see what is contained in the scriptures that God have called and anointed both.
There is no greater than our Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua.
The pharsees and sadducees tested and despised him ....because he received ALL SINNERS OPENLY

At the very begining of time God created he them, Male and Female; and joined them together as ONE.

John 17:20 Jesus prayer
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Women were the first that Preached the Tidings of the Resurrection of Jesus, and were sent by Christ's own Command, before he Ascended to the Father, John 20. 17.

Note: The first message of the Resurrection of Christ was spoken by women to a group of men.
The Great Commission:
Mark 16:15, "Preach the Gospel," is to ALL believers, and to all the church of Jesus Christ. The command to "preach the Gospel" is to both male and female.
If you read verse 14 you will note: "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen."

Who was the FIRST AT THE TOMB when Yeshua VICTORIOUSLY arose - WOMEN!

The Bible teaches that God is not a respecter of persons, and He will use any and all who will yield to Him, regardless of race, age, or sex.
John 4:4 "And he must needs go through Samaria."
NEEDS GO: He knew there would be this women at the well.

As Jesus made His way from Judea to Galilee, he “had to” pass through Samaria. Politically, Samaria was not a distinct region, but its culture and religion were definitely distinct from that of Israel. We would do well to recall the historical relationship between Israel and Samaria.
There are no accidents, God always has a plan. This women was a social outcast -
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:25-26 KJV)
And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. (John 4:27-30 KJV)

Now her progression and revelation is complete. She knows the man standing in front of her is the Christ. Her first instinct is to tell other people, as we see in verse 39.
When someone says, "God does not call women to preach," it is like saying that God does not baptize with the Holy Spirit today. We know better, because we have witnessed and experienced it with our own ears and eyes.

Old Testament
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
The word "Prophet" means a public expounder to prophesy and to preach- Both the Hebrew (Nebrah), and Greek (Proph) used for prophetess means (female preacher). (See Young's Concordance, Pg. 780.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young's_Analytical_Concordance_to_the_Bible

The Old and New Testament prophets and prophetesses were preachers of God's Word.
Would God inspire and anoint someone to do something that was wrong and sinful???
(There is a difference between a prophet, and the gift of prophecy.)
OLD TESTAMENT
God called and used women preachers in the Old Testament.
DEBORAH - Judges 4:4-5. Deborah was a Judge for both civil and criminal cases. The children of Israel came to her for judgment. She was the chief ruler of Israel for 40 years did the work of an evangelist, prophetess, Judge, and a preacher. God gave her authority over the mighty (Judges 5:13).
MIRIAM - Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:1; Micah 6:4. She was a Prophetess and a Song Leader in Israel.
HULDAH - 2 Kings 22:14. Five men went to Sister Huldah and communed with her. She spoke to a congregation of men concerning the book of the Law. A female preached to a man's congregation, and her message was taken to the nation and produced a revival.
MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ'S MOTHER - Isaiah 8:3. She was a prophetess.
Let us also take on board Moses: who said in Numbers 11:29, "Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His spirit upon them!"

NEW TESTAMENT
God called and used women preachers in the New Testament.
1 Cor. 14: 34-35 does not say anything about women preachers. If Paul intended this verse as a general rule to bar all women from speaking in church, then they cannot teach Sunday School, testify, pray, prophesy, sing, or even get saved, and this would contradict the rest of the Bible (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:16-18).

The first message of the Resurrection of Christ was spoken by women to a group of men.

Anna - Luke 2:36-38. She must have prophesied in church, because she did not depart from the temple.

Phillip had 4 daughters who prophesied. Acts 21:9.

Priscilla assisted Paul in his revival meeting and even taught Apollos in the way of the Lord more perfectly.

Phebe - Romans 16:1-2. Paul commended Phebe to the Church at Rome and requested that they assist her in her business. She was one of Paul's assistants in the work of the Lord and delivered the Book of Romans to the people from the hand of Paul.

Read Romans 16
Apostle Paul sends Personal Greetings his letter opens Women first.
1 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cen'chre-ae: 2that ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.

3Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

6Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us.

13Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
15Salute Philol'ogus, and Julia, Ne'reus, and his sister, and Olym'pas, and all the saints which are with them.
16Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
20And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Galatians 3:28 - "...neither male nor female...for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Acts 10:34 - "...God is no respecter of persons...."

It is a ploy of the enemy (satan) to try to down rate our faithful labourers just because they were born females.

Let this Word of the Lord, which was from the beginning, stop the Mouths of all that oppose Women's Speaking in the Power of the Lord.
for he hath put Enmity between the Woman and the Serpent; and if the Seed of the Woman speak not, the Seed of the Serpent speaks; for God hath put Enmity between the two Seeds; and it is manifest, that those that speak against the Woman and her Seed's Speaking, speak out of the Envy of the old Serpent's Seed.
And God hath fulfilled his Word and his Promise, When the fulness of time was come, he sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption. Galatians 4
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

TO ALL: Our job is to be the voice of God
Blessings Elaine.