Meat in Due Season June 1916
It is a well known fact that there is an abnormal condition coming forth in what is known as the Woman Suffrage Movement, i.e., women coming into authority. While this spirit is abroad in the world the pressure is coming against the saints and becomes a snare for women to unwisely get out of their place in the ministry as well as in the home. The Bible should be our rule for all things, so let us consider carefully what God says, and be obedient to it.
In
Psa. 68:18, we read in the American Revised Version, “The Lord giveth the Word, the women that publish the tidings are a great host.” This chapter is a prophetic chapter of Pentecost and of the new covenant days.
Joel 2:2, also
Acts 2:16-17, shows also that women are in a special way conspicuous with the outpouring of the Spirit in publishing the tidings and prophesying.
Philip the evangelist had four daughters who were preachers, who no doubt went out with him and helped him pray the power down and tell out the resurrection message, the good tidings, etc.
Some think Paul was against a woman ministry. They can pray and prophesy (
1 Cor. 11:5); I also believe they can teach. We find Precilla and Acquilla together instructing the Apollos (
Acts 18:24-28). I also believe that what Paul is doing in
1 Tim. 2:12, when he says, “I suffer not a woman to teach,” that it is in connection with usurping authority over the man. There are many lines of teaching that she can work on, only don’t try to advise and rule the man of God. How common it is now-a-days to see the women in the ministry trying to rule the man; right here is where she gets out of place, and the trouble comes on these lines. Inasmuch as she keeps her place I believe man will keep his. The same Bible which gives this beautiful field of usefulness to our sisters also tells her where her liberties end. When it comes to authority and rule in the assembly this office belongs to the man.
Now as to eldership: The terms bishop, over-seer and elder mean the same. If any man desire the office of bishop, etc, he must be the husband of one wife.
1 Tim. 3:8-13, when they chose the original seven for the church at Jerusalem the command was to look ye out seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business (
Acts 6:3).
I believe if the brethren will open the way for a liberal ministry to the sisters, and they turn the ruling part over to the brethren, we will get together and be a wonderful help to each other. But when we try to hold one down and the other get in the other’s place, we violate God’s plan, and disorder results. We notice, too, that travail in a special way belongs to the sisters. The dear sisters were especially in the lead on bringing forth, through travail, as they went down under the burden God did come forth in mighty power so as the Spirit could have his way at the latter part of the camp meeting.
The Bible is just as clear as to the relation between man and wife: “But I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of every woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.” (
1 Cor. 11:13). We hear it so commonly quoted, “In Christ there is neither male nor female.” (
Gal. 3:28). To save space we get this instruction from are written to those “in Christ”- “males and females in Christ.” Let us read
Eph. 5:2-24, “Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For he is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ so let the wives be to their husbands in everything.” See
Col. 3:18;
1 Pet. 3:1. Notice the other side: The man whom they are to yield to in everything is a man of God, who would not require anything unrighteous, etc. Notice the following in
Eph. 5:25-29 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, etc...so ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies, etc.”
The command is just as strong for the man to really love the wife as it is for her( her it is missing about 10 words)..and quiet spirit makes them beautiful and attractive. In this same chapter read verse 7, “Husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto a weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of live; that your prayers be not hindered.” This will bring temperance into your lives, which will free the weaker vessel from many an unnecessary sickness, and produce offspring that you will not be ashamed of.
See the Good Report, June 1913 for the original article
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