Can Women Pastor ?

[rdp]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, [1] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Home Bible study by a husband & wife team, not a woman "preaching/teaching" a congregation of believers, in violation of I Tim. 2:11-15.

[rdp]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

If 1 Timothy 2:12 was intended to totally forbid women from teaching men, then Apollos was sinning by accepting spiritual guidance from Priscilla. However, if this was the case, the Bible certainly doesn't indicate it. Priscilla provides a beautiful picture of a woman who, in right relationship with her husband, uses her God given gifts to further the Kingdom of God in a powerful way. In fact, notice that when Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned, her name is usually mentioned first! (See Acts 18:1-4; 18-28; Romans 16: 3-4; 1 Corinthians 16: 19; 2 Timothy 2: 14).

How many times have I quoted that Paul was explicitly dealing w/ church order in I Tim., not a husband & wife giving a home Bible study?

"These things I write to you so that you may know how to behave yourself in the household of God, which IS THE CHURCH...." You just plod along like it's not even there?????????????

[rdp]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

2 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6, both of which teach that elders, deacons and other church leaders are to be "the husband of one wife". As we discussed earlier, all Scripture must be interpreted in light of Scripture as a whole. With this in mind, if these verses were intended to be an absolute command that only married men are permitted to be church leaders, then Paul himself would be disqualified, as he was unmarried (2 Corinthians 9:5). If the title of "deacon" was solely reserved for men, how do we explain a lady named Phoebe, who is called a "servant of God" since the Greek word translated "servant" is diakonos, which is where we get the word "deacon?"
(RAWIA)

Give the other meanings of the word Sis. Alvear:_________? Paul said she was a "helper"......not a "preacher".

[rdp]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

I think you do not quite understand my position...I have said over and over NO godly women will want to rule over her husband...

I have been a missionary for 41 years many of our pastors I won to the Lord from the depths of sin and many from devil worship....never, never do I run sit on their platforms and most know I hate to sit on a platform...my bench is the first row bench where together with the people I worship the Lord. HOWEVER if I am needed I am a soldier...ready for duty...today I am not really needed for much...other than a pat on the shoulder, a kind word ....and of course typing for them as many do not have computes and I help them get Bible studies typed out...

But...41 years ago in a little pagan village I stood under a tree with old flannelgraph and told the life changing story of Jesus alone...I was the only christian...in that area.

The BIBLE says a wise woman builds her house...when I was single I did what I had to do...when I got married 37 years ago I turned the leadership of the work over to my husband. He did not mention or ask me to do it...I did it for to me that is a Bible principle. However we have worked side by side ...I respect my husband and I am intelligent enough to know the body cannot have 2 heads...I know my place even in ministry...

I salute you for your sacrifices. My point is that I Tim. is dealing w/ the congregation of believers, not witnessing to pagans about the Saviour.

Again, I honor you highly for your sacrifices [though we strongly disagree about I Tim. 2 & I Cor. 14] & believe that you have a great reward awaiting you.

Blessings.....................

[rdp]

See you all Monday..........signing off for the rest of the weekend, unless I can find a few more minutes later.

Blessings................RDP.

[Sister Alvear]

actually I was answering Elder Burk.

[Sister Alvear]

Originally Posted by rdp

Give the other meanings of the word Sis. Alvear:_________? Paul said she was a "helper"......not a "preacher".

were the men only helpers too? It is the same word in the original.

[Sister Alvear]

Originally Posted by rdp

How many times have I quoted that Paul was explicitly dealing w/ church order in I Tim., not a husband & wife giving a home Bible study?

"These things I write to you so that you may know how to behave yourself in the household of God, which IS THE CHURCH...." You just plod along like it's not even there?????????????

LET me ask you this when does a home bible study cease to be a home bible study when according to you she can teach a home bible study...
Many places inour world do not have buildings churches are their homes. I have given home bible studies and watched home bible studies grow into big numbers.
Remember church buildings were only built some 200 years after Acts...everyone met in homes, on river banks or where ever...

Dear Brother I ask you if women never worked and by workedI mean helping spread the gospl why oh why were they (church fathers) Not my church fathers but you know what I mean...so concerned with removing women from ministry...they had to be doing it to be removed from it.

You do not seem to like (?) history however if you would take the time to read you will find history is full of writings about women who carried the gospel...such as Holy Prisca who preached....

I AM IN NO WAY talking about women trying to remove men and horrible things we may see I am talking about holy women of God such as mother Holmes that has been a solid rock in the gospel for as long as I can remember.

I grew up around her and never on time did I ever see her disrespect Elder AO Holmes or any man...she knew her place and worked faithfully all these years.

I understand when men speak of women that do not know their place however women that are holy know how to behave.

I have spoke in conferences and even preached in confernces here in America I really don't like to but if a pastor asks me to do it and Bro, Alvear feels ok about it I never refuse for I lift up the cause of missions and the needs of the world. I think a woman can express herself and her burden in the presence of men. That does not mean she is trying to hit them over the head with the Bible...I know a few women in the past that were quite outspoke and out of their place but that can be a man too...I have seen a lot of men that were out of their place.

I remember being in a certain place when dear Sister Rita Dawson got up to speak and some of the men went outside to play ball...my husband thought it rude and disrespectful. My husband looked at me and said, she knows more about the Bible than all those men combined...

I think the first church all listened to each other...some had a song, some a gift to use...however all were subject to God, the pastor and one another...

[simplyme]

Originally Posted by rdp

Home Bible study by a husband & wife team, not a woman "preaching/teaching" a congregation of believers, in violation of I Tim. 2:11-15.

Important clarification, bravo brother! So simple to understand if one
really wants to.

[Sister Alvear]

While the New Testament does not tell us specifically what pastors did, we do know that both men and women provided spiritual leadership for churches which met in their homes. In the early church, almost all Christian meetings were held in private homes. Among these house-church pastors was Mary, the mother of John Mark, who later became a missionary with the apostles Paul and Barnabas. It was to her house church that Peter came in Acts 12:12 after an angelic visitor set him free from prison. The Bible says that many had assembled there and were praying, no doubt petitioning God for Peter's release. Their prayers were answered!

Another house church leader was Chloe, according to I. Corinthians 1:11. In that passage, Paul relates that "some of Chloe's household " had reported that there was strife among the Corinthian Christians. Those Chloe sent with this message to Paul were probably Christians who were members of her house church. They may have been relatives or household servants, or they may have been Christians who lives in the area and gathered at her home for worship. These believers would have come under Chloe's spiritual guidance, care and protection. But Chloe's influence extended beyond her own flock. Evidently, she had sent a deputation from her house church to Paul, who knew her or knew of her, to inform him of the need for correction in the Corinthian church. She was a trusted leader and source of reliable information for the apostle Paul.

Acts 16:14-15, 40 tells us about Lydia, Paul's first European convert to Jesus, who offered Paul hospitality in her home. Scripture relates that when Lydia was converted, her entire household was baptized and that her home became the first meeting place for European Christians. Lydia was a business woman who traded in valuable, dyed garments. The fact that Scripture mentions no husband or father indicates the high prominence of this woman. Since first-century Greek and Roman women were almost always under the legal guardianship of a husband or father, Lydia may well have been a wealthy widow or only daughter who inherited her parents' estate. Thus, she became the head of her own household. She either managed the family business or developed a business of her own after her husband's or father's death.

The Book of Acts says that Lydia's entire household was baptized upon her conversion to Christ. This follows the custom of ancient Roman families. Under paganism, household gods were believed to protect and help the family and its enterprises. Thus, it was the duty of members of these households, relatives, slaves, and their families to worship the gods adopted by the head of the household.

Roman households were often large since almost all businesses were home-based before the industrial age. Those who worked for Lydia in her business, and possibly others engaging in the trade who belonged to the dye-makers guild, would have been among her converts. By virtue of her position as head of household, Lydia had the opportunity and responsibility to lead all of its members to Christ and then to establish and lead them in the faith. This put her in a similar position to the modern-day pastor. To fulfill part of this responsibility, Lydia invited Paul to come and preach in her home.

Paul and Silas established their gospel mission headquarters in Lydia's house and no doubt preached there regularly. After their release from prison, Scripture tells us that they returned to Lydia's and, having met with the brethren, exhorted them. This may have been the first church planted on European soil, and its pastor was a woman.

Another New Testament woman who led a house church was Nympha (Col. 4:15). Paul sent greetings to her and to the church at her house. Some modern scholars try to get around this by saying that Nympha was "just" the hostess, not the pastor. If that were so, who did pastor her house church, and why would Paul so rudely fail to greet the pastor as well as the hostess?



Another woman house-pastor was Prisca, or Priscilla, as Paul often affectionately calls her. Romans 16:3-5 expresses his gratitude to her and her husband, Aquilla. This couple had a team ministry and worked with Paul in planting the gospel in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus. In his Roman letter, Paul sends greetings to the church that met in their house, which they pastored together.