There are three things to learn from every Bible Study:
1. Read the words by finding out their meaning.
2. Read the thought by grasping the author's meaning (Exegesis)
3. How does the passage teach you today? (Hermeneutics)
Per the role of women in the church, three things are known from Scripture:
1. Women are as important to God as men and He uses them to play major roles.
2. In the church, there are female teachers according to God's plan.
3. God also put certain limitations within which each person is to use their gift and discharge their duties, whether male or female.
Women in Prominent Roles
1. Eve was the first wife and mother (1Timothy 2.13-15; Romans 5.12-21; Genesis 3.16; 1Corinthians 11.3,8-9)
2. Deborah was a judge and prophetess in early Israel (Judges 4.4)
3. Huldah was a prophetess (2Kings 22.14-20; 2Chronicles 34.22-28).
4. Isaiah's wife was a prophetess (Isaiah 8.3)
5. Anna was a prophetess at the time of Jesus' birth (Luke 2.36-38)
6. Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Acts 21.9).
7. Mary, the mother of Jesus spoke by inspiration (Luke 1.46-55).
8. Priscilla was involved in teaching Apollos (Acts 18.26)
9. Mary, Tryphaena and Tryphosa (Romans 16.6,12), Euodia and Snytyche (Philippians 4.2-3). These women were colabourers with Paul
10. Phoebe (Romans 16.1-2) was a helper to Paul and a servant of the church.
11. Lois and Eunice (2Timothy 1.4; 3.14-15) trained young Timothy who went on to become an evangelist.
QUESTIONS
1. How did these women discharge their duties without stepping over the limitations God put in place?
2. Do these examples show that women are to be seen not heard?
3. Can you identify some roles women can play today based on the examples of the roles played by these women in the Old and New Testaments?
4. Would you say women are truly playing prominent roles in today's church as they could and should?
Women who were teachers in Congregations
1. In Crete, certain older women were instructed to teach younger women (Titus 2.3-5)
2. In Caesarea, four women were prophetesses (Acts 21.9).
Note the following about the work of a prophet(ess):
👉🏼 It was a separate work from that of an apostle. All apostles were prophets but not all prophets were apostles.
👉🏼 Prophets were divinely inspired.
👉🏼 Prophets were superior to other uninspired teachers
👉🏼 Prophets served under the authority of the apostles.
👉🏼 Prophets were to work within the limits set by God in the assemblies. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet.
👉🏼 Their inspired work was temporary (Ephesians 4.11-12; Romans 12.3-8; 1Corinthians 12.10; 14.1-5,24-25).
3. In Rome, certain women could have labored as teachers (Romans 16.6, 22) but this is not expressly stated.
4. In Corinth, women prayed and prophesied in the church (1 Corinthians 11.5,13). The instruction concerning head covering concerns the general assembly. In other words, if these Corinthian women were to pray or prophesy in the assembly, they must be veiled.
5. In Ephesus, Priscilla was a teacher. It is also likely that some widows indeed were teachers too (1 Timothy 5.5,9-10).
6. In Asia, there was a hospitable woman called Cyria who supported teachers from John. The second epistle of John was addressed to her.
QUESTIONS
1. It is without doubt that women certainly served as teachers in the church. How did they carry out this assignment?
2. Can a woman be involved in preaching on air to the lost today?
3. Are there avenues by which a woman could teach the church today without violating the limitations God put in place?
▪ What are the limitations God has set for female teachers and women in general in the church?
Two passages contain these limitations: Corinthians 14.34-35 and 1 Timothy 2.8-14
These will be analysed in the next article.
Stay tuned.
Please leave your comments and responses to the questions in this article here in the comments section.
Thank you
Daniel Jimi
October, 2018.
1. Read the words by finding out their meaning.
2. Read the thought by grasping the author's meaning (Exegesis)
3. How does the passage teach you today? (Hermeneutics)
Per the role of women in the church, three things are known from Scripture:
1. Women are as important to God as men and He uses them to play major roles.
2. In the church, there are female teachers according to God's plan.
3. God also put certain limitations within which each person is to use their gift and discharge their duties, whether male or female.
Women in Prominent Roles
1. Eve was the first wife and mother (1Timothy 2.13-15; Romans 5.12-21; Genesis 3.16; 1Corinthians 11.3,8-9)
2. Deborah was a judge and prophetess in early Israel (Judges 4.4)
3. Huldah was a prophetess (2Kings 22.14-20; 2Chronicles 34.22-28).
4. Isaiah's wife was a prophetess (Isaiah 8.3)
5. Anna was a prophetess at the time of Jesus' birth (Luke 2.36-38)
6. Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Acts 21.9).
7. Mary, the mother of Jesus spoke by inspiration (Luke 1.46-55).
8. Priscilla was involved in teaching Apollos (Acts 18.26)
9. Mary, Tryphaena and Tryphosa (Romans 16.6,12), Euodia and Snytyche (Philippians 4.2-3). These women were colabourers with Paul
10. Phoebe (Romans 16.1-2) was a helper to Paul and a servant of the church.
11. Lois and Eunice (2Timothy 1.4; 3.14-15) trained young Timothy who went on to become an evangelist.
QUESTIONS
1. How did these women discharge their duties without stepping over the limitations God put in place?
2. Do these examples show that women are to be seen not heard?
3. Can you identify some roles women can play today based on the examples of the roles played by these women in the Old and New Testaments?
4. Would you say women are truly playing prominent roles in today's church as they could and should?
Women who were teachers in Congregations
1. In Crete, certain older women were instructed to teach younger women (Titus 2.3-5)
2. In Caesarea, four women were prophetesses (Acts 21.9).
Note the following about the work of a prophet(ess):
👉🏼 It was a separate work from that of an apostle. All apostles were prophets but not all prophets were apostles.
👉🏼 Prophets were divinely inspired.
👉🏼 Prophets were superior to other uninspired teachers
👉🏼 Prophets served under the authority of the apostles.
👉🏼 Prophets were to work within the limits set by God in the assemblies. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet.
👉🏼 Their inspired work was temporary (Ephesians 4.11-12; Romans 12.3-8; 1Corinthians 12.10; 14.1-5,24-25).
3. In Rome, certain women could have labored as teachers (Romans 16.6, 22) but this is not expressly stated.
4. In Corinth, women prayed and prophesied in the church (1 Corinthians 11.5,13). The instruction concerning head covering concerns the general assembly. In other words, if these Corinthian women were to pray or prophesy in the assembly, they must be veiled.
5. In Ephesus, Priscilla was a teacher. It is also likely that some widows indeed were teachers too (1 Timothy 5.5,9-10).
6. In Asia, there was a hospitable woman called Cyria who supported teachers from John. The second epistle of John was addressed to her.
QUESTIONS
1. It is without doubt that women certainly served as teachers in the church. How did they carry out this assignment?
2. Can a woman be involved in preaching on air to the lost today?
3. Are there avenues by which a woman could teach the church today without violating the limitations God put in place?
▪ What are the limitations God has set for female teachers and women in general in the church?
Two passages contain these limitations: Corinthians 14.34-35 and 1 Timothy 2.8-14
These will be analysed in the next article.
Stay tuned.
Please leave your comments and responses to the questions in this article here in the comments section.
Thank you
Daniel Jimi
October, 2018.
Good work,kee k it up. God bless you.
ReplyDelete