Do You Believe In Women Preachers?

[Sam]

I can find one woman who is a deacon. That would be Phoebe in Romans 16:1. Paul called her a deacon (diakonon) even though he later said a deacon should be the husband of one wife (1 Tim 3:12). Perhaps he meant only one spouse (husband or wife) at a time.

I can find one woman who is an apostle, that would be Junia in Romans 16:7.

Anna in Luke 2:36 was a prophet.

Priscilla and her husband taught Apollos in Acts 18:26.

The first person Jesus revealed Himself to as the Messiah or Christ was the woman at the well in John 4. She went into the village and spoke words that caused some to believe in Jesus. That would seem to be an evangelist (one who announces or declares good news). The first ones told to tell others about the resurrection were women (Matthew 28:7). Since they were women, some of the men considered their joyful announcement to be "idle tales" (Luke 24:11), which would be about the way some men treat women preachers today.

The elect lady of 2 John 1 may have been a pastor and those referred to as her children may have been members of her congregation.

That's a good point! Maybe the woman should have just ignored Jesus until a man showed up to think for her?

[Sacerdotal]

Do I believe in women preachers? Only the kind that doesn't walk, talk, act or react like a man inside or outside of the pulpit. Nothing is more repulsive than a woman strutting around trying to prove what a preacher she is by wearing men looking suit jackets, doing her best to act like a bowed up rooster.

One of the dumbest things I've seen in any Church was while visiting a church that promoted women preachers. A woman preacher was asked to take up an offering during their annual services and swaggered up to the pulpit with her man looking jacket on and the first thing out of her mouth was "Bless God, I'm a woman and I'm a preacher and if you don't like it you can just live with it!" as she slammed her fist down on the pulpit.

The service died immediately and the pastor later told me it was the lowest offering they had ever gotten.

I have enjoyed the ministry of women preachers that act like ladies. The ones that turn my stomach are the ones that act like they are trapped in the middle of a sex change gone terribly wrong.

How pathetic to say your called to preach but act like a masculine lesbian.

God bless every woman preacher that remembers that she was created a woman first and then a preacher.

[Trouvere]

Amen God called women to be ladies.

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Lost and Found

Interesting observation.

The Bible amply shows that all women hold an important role in the body of Christ. Paul said that ALL saints are ministers (See Eph 4:12). But there is a difference between a ‘minister’ and one who is in the five-fold ministry. Paul shows this when he commissions the men in these roles to perfect the remaining body for their calling (See Eph 4:11). I do not see where the Bible says that woman then had or that they ever would have any role in the five-fold ministry of the Church. If someone has such scriptural evidence, I would love to read it.

I think that Sam just did. the word says your sons AND daughters shall Prophesy.
I don't think too many would argue that God made man the Head. There are many good reasons for this that if mentioned would make some here mad but nonetheless, it all plays out in real life lol! but to say that a woman has NO place in the word?

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Sacerdotal

Do I believe in women preachers? Only the kind that doesn't walk, talk, act or react like a man inside or outside of the pulpit. Nothing is more repulsive than a woman strutting around trying to prove what a preacher she is by wearing men looking suit jackets, doing her best to act like a bowed up rooster.

One of the dumbest things I've seen in any Church was while visiting a church that promoted women preachers. A woman preacher was asked to take up an offering during their annual services and swaggered up to the pulpit with her man looking jacket on and the first thing out of her mouth was "Bless God, I'm a woman and I'm a preacher and if you don't like it you can just live with it!" as she slammed her fist down on the pulpit.

The service died immediately and the pastor later told me it was the lowest offering they had ever gotten.

I have enjoyed the ministry of women preachers that act like ladies. The ones that turn my stomach are the ones that act like they are trapped in the middle of a sex change gone terribly wrong.

How pathetic to say your called to preach but act like a masculine lesbian.

God bless every woman preacher that remembers that she was created a woman first and then a preacher.

I think this is the exception more than the rule. NO BODY Likes what you've described but are you sure yours is not just a little broad sweeping ?
I also think the Brotherhood sometimes feels a little threatend by women who are powerful in the spirit. again, an aggressive woman behind a pulpit is a turn off, but even when that is NOT the case, women are sometimes treated second class.

[TK Burk]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

I think we are just lucky that there were not separate pronouns based on ethnicity in the bible... or we would be in even worse trouble.

Amen!

[Trouvere]

Originally Posted by Thad

I think this is the exception more than the rule. NO BODY Likes what you've described but are you sure yours is not just a little broad sweeping ?
I also think the Brotherhood sometimes feels a little threatend by women who are powerful in the spirit. again, an aggressive woman behind a pulpit is a turn off, but even when that is NOT the case, women are sometimes treated second class.

[TK Burk]

Originally Posted by Sam

I can find one woman who is a deacon. That would be Phoebe in Romans 16:1. Paul called her a deacon (diakonon) even though he later said a deacon should be the husband of one wife (1 Tim 3:12). Perhaps he meant only one spouse (husband or wife) at a time.

Phoebe was a minister, a servant/minister to others. But nowhere does it say she was a leader in the Church.

1 Timothy is speaking of those who lead in the Church. When that is the subject, Paul says they must be married to a wife. Seems to limit it down to me.

Originally Posted by Sam

I can find one woman who is an apostle, that would be Junia in Romans 16:7.

Sam, Junia is NOT said to be a woman. Look:

(Rom 16:7 KJV) Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

(Rom 16:7 AMP) Remember me to Andronicus and Junias, my tribal kinsmen and once my fellow prisoners. They are men held in high esteem among the apostles, who also were in Christ before I was.

(Rom 16:7 ALT) Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives [or, close companions] and my fellow-prisoners, who are well-known by [or, among] the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.

(Rom 16:7 CEV) Greet my relatives Andronicus and Junias, who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the apostles and were followers of Christ before I was.

There is a controversy over the identity of Junia. Look at Matthew Henry’s notes on this:

4. Concerning Andronicus and Junia, Rom_16:7. Some take them for a man and his wife, and the original will well enough bear it; and, considering the name of the latter, this is more probable than that they should be two men, as others think, and brethren.

As you can see from the various translations I listed, nowhere does it say that Junia is a woman or an Apostle.

Originally Posted by Sam

Anna in Luke 2:36 was a prophet.

Sam, where does it say this? Look:

(Luk 2:36) And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

She was a prophetess. There is a distinction there. Look at Thayer’s definition:

G4398 προφῆτις prophētis
Thayer Definition:
1) a prophetess
2) a woman to whom future events or things hidden from others are at times revealed, either by inspiration or by dreams and visions
3) a female who declares or interprets oracles
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4396
Citing in TDNT: 6:781, 952

This is feminine not masculine.

A prophetess was a wife or daughter of a prophet. Notice Anna’s father and husband are mentioned. Again, nothing stating she was a leader in the Church.

Originally Posted by Sam

Priscilla and her husband taught Apollos in Acts 18:26.

They did. She was there WITH HER HUSBAND. Where would this lead us to see she was an elder in the Church?

Originally Posted by Sam

The first person Jesus revealed Himself to as the Messiah or Christ was the woman at the well in John 4. She went into the village and spoke words that caused some to believe in Jesus. That would seem to be an evangelist (one who announces or declares good news). The first ones told to tell others about the resurrection were women (Matthew 28:7). Since they were women, some of the men considered their joyful announcement to be "idle tales" (Luke 24:11), which would be about the way some men treat women preachers today.

“Seem to be”?

An evangelist does a whole lot more than report the current news of the day, or even witness to a group about their experience with Jesus. Nowhere does the Bible say that these ladies went on to become elders in the Church. Nowhere!

The reason they felt this way was due to the diminished status of a woman’s legal witness. This is not so much prejudice as it was the way of their Jewish upbringing. Doesn’t make it right, but it can’t be said to be 100% wrong then either.

Originally Posted by Sam

The elect lady of 2 John 1 may have been a pastor and those referred to as her children may have been members of her congregation.

“May have been”? The Church is ALWAYS referred in the feminine. SHE is the BRIDE of Christ; the Eve (mother of all living) to Adam.

Sam, I do not see anyone here saying a woman has NO PLACE in the body of Christ. What I see being discussed is whether or not a woman can biblically be an elder/leader in the Church. If God does not make this allowance, then it is not the way “some men treat women preachers today,” but rather the way some men allow women to minister outside the biblically permissible boundaries. “Seem to be” and “may have been” just can’t cut it when one is determining sound doctrine.

Thanks for your post!

[Sacerdotal]

Originally Posted by Thad

I think this is the exception more than the rule. NO BODY Likes what you've described but are you sure yours is not just a little broad sweeping ?
I also think the Brotherhood sometimes feels a little threatend by women who are powerful in the spirit. again, an aggressive woman behind a pulpit is a turn off, but even when that is NOT the case, women are sometimes treated second class.

How is what I said broad sweeping? I only spoke about my dislike for women preachers who try to act like men. The rest are fine in my opinion.

That narrowed the field to a few perverted acting ones.

How in the world is that 'broad sweeping'?