It often makes me wonder what Christians looking down from heaven must think of us right now. Our congregations are slipping off into apostasy in such an open and blatant way. It is quickly becoming a minority view to say a woman should not lead a congregation during worship. So, what would Peter, Chloe, Paul, Nicodemus, or Timothy think about this mad rush to put Eve first and Adam second?
Historically speaking, our round-table of faithful Christians could point to several biblical examples of the exclusion of women from certain roles in the body of Christ. The priests of the Old Testament were all male. All of the apostles were men. While many women were heroically involved in spreading the gospel: Priscilla, Phoebe, Philip’s daughters. and Lydia were mountains of faith. There is no reference to a woman leading Christian men in the worship of Jehovah God. For the first 1900-years of the church’s existence, men were expected to lead public worship. So, what changed?
The world changed and is changing. The need for physical strength and endurance in our day to day lives has all but disappeared. Men had to butcher animals, drive plows, rake hay, hoe corn, tame horses, and a myriad of other responsibilities where his God-given advantage in size and strength made him the inescapable choice for leader of the home, local church, and community. Yes, some women could do many of these chores but God’s vision for his created beings was and still is, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”-Genesis 1:27.
As the workforce had become less reliant on men to be courageous, physically hard-working, strong, and bold, the world has forgotten what a strong male leader looks like. Even our methods of going to war are less dependent on men to get the job done. Much of modern war-fighting is done on computer. Someone can operate a joy-stick 2,000 miles away and make an impact with one drone, that would have taken twenty men, three-months to accomplish. Modern firearms, automated weapons, and the disappearance of hand-to-hand fighting, have leveled the playing field for men and women at work and war.
Our culture reflects these realities by declaring equality between the sexes. We are nearing a century of change ushered in by political movements designed to put an end to marriage, eliminate the authority of the word of God, and create a generation of emasculated, gender-fluid, creatures, that choose their pronouns, but can’t help their same-sex attraction because they are born that way. David, Paul, and our Lord are not amused,
Popular opinion may have changed, but the word of God stands forever:
“As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission,”-I Corinthians 14:33-34. “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 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;”-I Timothy 2:11-13
Let us proclaim the created order of our immortal God as we worship him in Christ and through the Spirit.
[Editor’s note: It this is true, why do women read Scripture, and answer questions during our Bible studies? Stay tuned for part II next week.-JS]
https://www.north2ndcofc.org/where-we-stand-women-leading-in-worship-part-2/
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