God expresses a clear and sure mandate when he tells us: "But I suffer not(do not allow) a woman to teach, nor usurp authority over the man,(that includes any man) but to be in silence"(1 Timothy 2:12).
Women teaching men is not a question of being qualified, it is a matter of being authorized. God has established an order for the home, a chain of command that is consistent with the very nature of men and woman. It is an order from the throne of Heaven that is healthiest and best for the rearing of children and for the good of marital relationships. For the woman to become the channel of spiritual blessings is to put her into a position not suited to the natture of her created being. If she is effective as a replacement for her husbands ineffective leadership, that makes it all the more wrong! For then she is, as the Bible says, usurping her authority over the man---usurping glory---usurping honor---usurping control---usurping leadership. That is, she is doing what a man should be doing, and thus is getting the recognition a man should get. It is an inversion of God's design for males and females.
"Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak(to men, as in teaching, preaching); for they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law"(1 Cor. 14:34).
Paul anticipates those who would say that his commands concerning women are unique to a specific culture and not universally applicable. He points out that there is nothing new or unique about this command, for the law of the Jews had made such a distinctiuon for hundreds of years.
God took precious space in his Holy Word to try to help us understand this ectremely important point, about which we have been so sadly misled. Modern Women have steered themselves into a perversion of their natures, allowing, and even encouraging, them to be in spiritual authority over men. The fruit of this false teaching is evident in the unhappy women and dissatisfied men of the last couple of generations. It is a shameful matter of statistics that the fundamentalist Christian home is not as enduring as the general populations.
"And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church"(1 Cor. 14:35).
Shame---shame---Shame---yes, it is a shame. Matthew Henrys Bible Commentary says, "Shame is the minds uneasy reflection on having done an indecent thing." What is more indecent than for a woman to quit her rank, and try to take over the mans?
What about Deborah?
The Bible means just what it says, even though this, and other passages like it, dealing with a womans position in the chain of authority, have been explained away by today's educated Scribes, Pharises and hypocrites.
Many times I have read or heard the rebuttel, "What about Deborah who was a judge in Israel?" If you actually read the story, you would know that the text makes much of the fact that the men were shamed by allowing a woman to take the place of prominence. There is no question that Deborah performed the job well, that she saved Israel, that God used her; that is just the point. When the men allowed a woman to take their role and perform the job successfully, it resulted in shame to the nation of Israel. Deborah knew this to be the case and warned the men as such. To build doctrine on this story, while ignoring the majority of the doctrinal passages in the leadership of women, is as foolish as Deborah leading the armies of Israel instead of a man.
The argument that is often given for ignoring God's Word concernig our role as women is that "we can do the job just as good as a man, maybe even better."
Gods rule that women not take the lead is noty a statement about being inferior or not as capable as men; it is a statement by God about it not being within our sphere of authority and nature to take leadership over men, to teach them, or to gain a place of prominence among them. Yes, we are capable of teaching, and teaching well. I am teaching you, but this book is not written to men. It is written by and "aged" women teaching yonger women to obey God and their husbands---just what God commanded me to do(Titus 2:3-4).
Next week...."What about Priscilla and Aquilla?"
Love to all who read....
Terri
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