[George]

Aloha Connie,

Re: some of your questions of 3/26/08:

“I'm glad. Sometime I'd like to get to the bottom of just what a woman is permitted to do according to the Lord if you'd like to pursue that topic again. What if I started a blog to air my opinions about a lot of things? But that's off topic here.”

A Christian woman can do practically everything a Christian man can do. She can pray, worship, fellowship, sing, witness, write songs & poems, etc. What she can’t do is very clear in Scripture: A Christian woman is not to teach, nor usurp “authority” over a Christian man; and she cannot hold an office in God’s church - (bishop-elder-pastor {all the same office}, or deacon).

A single Christian woman in this age has to be especially careful, since “feminism” (derived from “Humanism”) is so prevalent, and has actually changed the scriptural status of women (in the Western world). The following is an example:

Acts 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Notice: That Priscilla also (“they”) helped expound “the way of God more perfectly” (to a man – “an eloquent man”, who “was mighty in the scriptures”) - but she was with her husband – not alone!

And to be perfectly clear – I believe that there are going to be some women (in glory), who are going to receive more honor and glory from the Lord than many a famous “pastor” or “evangelist”. {Those women who served the Lord during His ministry; and women like Fanny Crosby (who wrote 6,000 songs and poems to her Lord! I repeat - 6,000, NOT 600, or 60, BUT 6,000 songs and poems!) Show me the man who can match that!} Fanny Crosby became blind at a young age and served the Lord all of her life. She married a man (who was also blind) and they had a child who died in infancy. And yet she never complained or became bitter at her lot in life. If you read the words of some of her songs – they are the closest words to scripture that I have ever read. Praise God – some day I am going to meet this extraordinary woman!

And to be even more perfectly clear: I have been blessed beyond measure, in that God provided me with a wife (a companion & helpmate) who is in the “spirit” of Sarah and has the countenance of Ruth. In the 47 years we have been married and in the 50 years I have been a Christian, I have not seen nor have I met a more “selfless” woman devoted to her husband and her children – no not in all of Christendom!

Women can serve the Lord in many capacities – they just can’t “replace” men in God’s church.

“I understood that, but you did remind me of all the men teachers I've admired who haven't helped me get free of these things but kept me confirmed in them, and these are men I STILL learn from and admire for the majority of their teaching.”

Christians must be very careful with their “admiration” and “respect of persons” (especially Christian men in authority) [Jude 1:16; Deuteronomy 1:17, 16:19; Proverbs 24:23; James 2:1, 9]. Those of us men (who are elders-pastors) should not elevate ourselves; nor are we to seek “vain-glory”; nor are we to seek to establish a reputation. We are to follow the example of our Lord [Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:]. We are here to serve the Lord - not reign over the brethren. I am real “leery” of the “modern” pastor or evangelist who names his work after himself; or promotes himself or his work; or seeks to have “dominion” over the brethren and their faith.

You will notice from my posts that I never refer to men (or any man) as an “authority”. My “final authority” (and only authority) is the “scripture of truth”. [Daniel 10:21] I want to know what God has to say because: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

In a past post I wrote:
Pastors/elders/teachers are not called of God to "interpret" the word of God for God's people (although a lot of that goes on today). 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (the word "prophecy" means both "foretelling" and "forthtelling").
Elders/pastors/teachers are given to the church of God for the purpose of "feeding" (Primarily); "warning"; "admonishing"; "reproving"; and "rebuking". We should leave the interpretation of the scriptures up to the Holy Spirit.

To which you commented:

“Doesn't "feeding" mean feeding us the word?”

I thought I was clear about what we are to feed the church with – since I was discussing the issue of pastors-elders-teachers “interpreting” the word of God for God’s people. The main purpose of a elder-pastor is to “feed the church of God” with the word of God. [Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2] NOT “interpret” the word of God for God’s people. The Holy Spirit is the Interpreter - that’s not my job!

“But don't you believe that the Holy Spirit also speaks to us through the pastors and teachers He places in those positions? Their teaching WILL stick if the Holy Spirit applies it to us. I get what you are saying in general, but, for instance, Timothy was called as a preacher and pastor, and Paul exhorted him to "preach the word" besides reproving and rebuking and exhorting (2 Tim 4:2)."

I do not believe for one moment that “the Holy Spirit also speaks to us through the pastors and teachers.” We are not prophets [1 Peter 1:21]. God does not speak directly to Christians today as he did to his people Israel through the mouth of His prophets. We do not possess extraordinary powers. You make too much of us – we are easily replaced! We are as Paul said: [Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:]. The Holy Spirit does not speak to you through pastors and teachers – He speaks to you through His Holy Scriptures – not some man. [1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.]

I can not find a verse that says: “Timothy was called as a preacher and pastor” – “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” [2 Timothy 4:5]. The scriptures indicate that he was an “evangelist”. (The only other “evangelist” recorded in the scriptures was Philip – Acts 21:8).

"When they preach the word they have to explain it, there's no getting around that as part of the job. If they are much in prayer over their preaching they will be guided by the Holy Spirit a lot more than a preacher who prays little and relies on his intellect, and unfortunately there are many of those. And we can only glean the truth for ourselves out of what is preached to us through the Holy Spirit guiding us personally too, of course.”

“But obviously we don't all have the same degree of understanding of the scripture so these passages surely can't be meaning that we don't need any help from others who know more.”

Most of what you say is true, BUT, after reading several of your posts I sense that you may be looking to men or other Christian women for knowledge, discernment, understanding and wisdom. You can gain knowledge from others (the mind – intellect); and you can even get a little bit of discernment from those who have prayerfully studied the scriptures [Ezekiel 44:23], BUT, real spiritual understanding and wisdom comes from God. [1 Corinthians 2:1-6].

In closing, I urge you to look more to the Holy Spirit for your understanding and less to men, especially when it comes to very serious spiritual issues. It is far better not to commit to some things that may be “questionable”, than to “commit” to something that may not be true. After all none of us has a monopoly on the truth.