Welcome to the conclusion of our two-part series on women leading the corporate worship of Christ’s church where Christian men are present. The simple and easily understood teaching of our Lord is women are not allowed to preach or teach when individual Christians are, “gathered together to break bread”-Acts 20:7.
This leaves two glaring questions for churches standing for the truth of God’s word.
- How do we defend the practice of allowing, even encouraging, Christian women to answer questions, speak publicly, and read from the word of God during our Bible study periods?
We simply point to instances in Scripture where women did that very thing. In the book of Acts, women taught men privately (Acts 18:26), prophesied the word of God, apparently even during worship1 (Acts 21:8-9), and expressed their opinions about the capability of men to serve as elders and deacons (Acts 6:5-6; Acts 14:23).
The restrictions on women preaching, teaching, and leading men are limited to the times when Christians, “come together as a church.”-I Corinthians 11:18. In the Bible, there is a distinction between the Sunday morning gatherings of all Christians to take the Lord’s supper, and other individual or partial assemblies. Peter reveals the spiritual truth behind what Paul refers to as being, “in church”-I Corinthians 14:19, 28). “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”-I Peter 2:5.
When a church is assembled to sing, pray, give, teach, and commune with each other and Jesus; women are not allowed, by the word of God, to lead or direct what we refer to as our “worship service.” Which leads us to question number two.
- What does this have to do with Creation?
Basically, Christians are never to put Eve ahead of Adam. Listen to what the Spirit says through Paul when explaining the policy of submission in the worship assembly of women to men: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”-I Timothy 2:12-14.
Just as surely as God the Father created the world and breathed into man the breath of life. We are told to honor that great miracle when we come together in the name of God by demonstrating the created order of man first, then woman. Men are to lead and be the head in marriage and the same applies when demonstrating the new creation of Christianity.
In a way, those who reject the biblical teaching of male leadership in the home and church, are declaring they do not believe God created the world. Worse yet, they are declaring God did create the world and everything in it, but they will decide what is right or wrong for that creation!
Only men and women who have faith in Jesus the Christ and resurrected Son of God and have submitted to him in baptism can join together with the saints, “into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”-Ephesians 2:22. When we do, we declare the life of Jesus, the power of the Spirit, and our Father God as the one who created mankind. Male and female created he them, and in that order do we worship the Lord God.
1 Prophecy in New Testament times was the result of the Holy Spirit speaking a message from God. Inspired men and women spoke the words, but it was the Spirit of God doing the talking. (I Cor. 12:7-8)
https://www.north2ndcofc.org/where-we-stand-women-leading-in-worship-part-i/
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