(This is the conclusion of 3 part blog series that we started in November, 2010.  If you need to recap, please see previous issues or blogs.)

The Chosen Lady of 2 John 1 is an honored woman, not a pastor/elder. [Who said she was? However, she probably had a church in her home and, if so, the possibilities are there. She was a married woman, because her children are also saluted, although no husband is mentioned, so perhaps she was a widow who entertained many ministers and traveling evangelists in her home. In any event, she was obviously involved in service ministry, as all Christians should be, male or female.] 

Basically, the standard verses cited by people to support women being pastors and elders do no such thing. [Oh, on the contrary, aside from what we have already pointed out, at least seven women are named in the 16 chapter of Romans: Phebe (Romans 16:1), Priscilla (Romans 16:3), Mary (Romans 16:6), Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis (Romans 16:12), Julia (Romans 16:15); and mention is made of an unnamed sister of Nereus (Romans 16:15). All of them were Christian workers, deaconesses and prophetesses who "labor in the Lord" (Romans 16:12). This indicates that they labored in the ministry of the Word. There were a number of prophetesses in the early church (Acts 21:9).]

What about a woman who is called by God to minister as pastors and elders?  Essentially, this is making doctrine based on a woman's experience.  Just because a woman "says" she is called by God or feels she is doesn't mean she is, because it isn't biblical.  God's word is the standard, not our feelings and experiences. [So, what do present day males, who say they have been called to preach, base their calling on? Do they not have some kind of feeling or experience? If not, how do they know they are called? As Paul so skillfully posed the question in 1 Cor. 12:29-30, "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? [30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" Now, if you are a cessationist, you don't have to worry about this verse any longer, since the day for all these things are over with where you are concerned, and receiving a call from God to preach could also be considered a miracle of sorts. So, in that context, no one is being called to preach anymore either. I mean, why do you need preachers, male or female, if the miracle of salvation no longer exists? ;-) (A little facetious sarcasm there)

Now, since Paul points out that not everyone is called (and noticed he did not specify as to male or female believers here, unless you think his reference to "all the members of the body" is speaking to men only), then what is the determining factor, since there is no verse of scripture that specifically has any individual's name written out calling him or her into ministry? So, if a man "says" he is called by God or feels he is does that mean he is, as well? And, I don't think a doctrine is being based on a woman's experience as the email states, she is just answering a call from God, just as her male counter-part is not making a doctrine, simply answering a call.]

Why is this important?  This is important because compromise in one area often leads to compromise in other areas.  Even if the biblical position is not popular or politically correct, it is biblically correct.  As Christians, we must never let compromise seep into the Christian church and weaken it.  If Christians refuse to submit to the teaching of God's word in this matter, can they be trusted to rightly deliver God's word to us in other matters?  [For starters, let's not make mountains out of molehills. I could say that those who teach and preach the doctrine of unconditional eternal security are preaching a compromising doctrine. I personally feel it is very compromising. However, I have many friends in the ministry who believe and preach this, but I don't let my disagreement with them on this issue affect my love for or fellowship with them. We have great relationships, even though on that particular doctrine I believe they are wrong, just as they believe I am wrong on my Armenian stance.  I am Pentecostal, and even though many of them don't agree with me concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for example, tongues or healing, we agree to lay aside those differences.  I, along with multitudes of others, do not believe that their position on E.S. is biblically correct. I agree that, "As Christians, we must never let compromise seep into the Christian church and weaken it." So, I could just as easily propose, regarding the E.S. doctrine, to quote from the email again, "If Christians refuse to submit to the teaching of God's word in this matter, can they be trusted to rightly deliver God's word to us in other matters?" The bottom line is that as long as we agree on the fundamentals of the faith, i.e. the virgin birth of Christ, His vicarious suffering and death on the cross, salvation through the blood of Jesus, His bodily resurrection and His bodily return, why do we allow these other things to cripple our working together to advance the Kingdom of God? The answer: Because the enemy is at work trying to divide us over non-essential differences of opinion. However, on the fundamentals just mentioned, there can be no difference of opinion. On these things Christianity stands or falls. However, it doesn't stand or fall on these other differences of opinion, be it women preachers or unconditional eternal security.]

We hope for a response and kindly urge you to seriously consider this brief article.  If you are interested in more in-depth material on this topic, please go to http://www.carm.org/women-in-ministry. 

Do you disagree? [I think I have established this.] If so, then please answer two questions.  1) How can an elder/pastor who is a woman be "the husband of one wife," lit. "a man of one woman," (Titus 1:6)?  2) How can a woman be in a place of authority as a pastor/elder and not violate 1 Tim. 2:12-13 where Paul clearly says he does "not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man?"  This is what it says, and there aren't any qualifications to it.  What do you do with it? [All of this has been dealt with in the foregoing article, however see closing remarks.]

Please understand that we believe women are under-appreciated and under-utilized in the Church.  But we also believe that God's word is supreme, that it is above our desires, above culture, and that we need to adhere to what God tells us and not substitute it with a feeling or even an experience.  The health of God's church is linked to its dependence on God's word, and pastors and elders will be held responsible before God for what they teach. [My point as well.]

Finally, research shows that the majority of churches and denominations that affirm women pastors and elders often then adopt pro-homosexual and pro-abortion positions.  [Now, I don't know what research they are referring to, but I have been in ministry for over 30 years, and most of those years in ministry have been under the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, established for over 100 years. The IPHC is a full-gospel teaching and preaching denomination, and in those 100 years, although we accept and honor women preachers (who also adhere to the fundamentals of our faith mentioned earlier), we have never compromised our position concerning homosexuality. We have and still believe that the lifestyle is a sin before God. We believe that God loves and wants to save and deliver the homosexual from his/her sinful lifestyle, but he abhors the sin itself and will judge accordingly, those who persist in that sin, as well as any other sin that is continually practiced by any individual. Have we ever had on occasion, some ministers who have fallen to that sin? We certainly have, just as other denominations and segments of Christianity have. However, I will go on record and say that should the day ever come that our leadership changes our position on homosexuality and start accepting it as an alternate lifestyle and begin to license and ordain practicing homosexuals into ministry, I will most assuredly remove myself from the IPHC. I simply do not see that happening. I am almost as offended by this statement as the minister who recently came out and announced to his congregation that he was "gay" and made the statement that all worship leaders are, also. I have led worship and held worship seminars and worked with many in the field, again, for well over 30 years, and my experience, if it counts for anything, says differently.

I hardly think that because a woman preaches the Gospel it is going to cause something like this. That is preposterous.]

We are not suggesting you are doing this, but it is important to note that when compromise occurs in one area of scripture, it is easier to compromise in another. [I will grant a certain validity to this statement, however I cannot ascribe to it in a broad sense and certainly do not concur with this in view of women in ministry.]  See  http://www.carm.org/denominations-women-ordination-and-other-errors for documentation on what tends to happen.  

So, where do you stand? [I believe I have established this.] Do you care? [I think I can safely say, yes, I do care.] Are you seriously dedicated to God's word? [Dedicated, committed, devoted, loyal, staunch, steadfast, faithful to God's Word above and beyond any human reasoning.]

[Now for some closing recaps, thoughts and remarks:

· If a man responds to the preaching of a woman and believes and trust in Christ for salvation, is he not saved because a woman was the one delivering the message? 

· Is he any less saved than someone who responded to the message delivered by a man?

Some other things to ponder:

1. In the Gospels we read of several women messengers who proclaimed "good news" (Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:9-11; John 4:28-30; John 20:16-18). (Did these women messengers cause the Church to compromise and start accepting homosexuality?)

2. In Acts 2:14-21; Joel 2:28-31 God predicted and promised that He Himself would pour out His Spirit upon "all flesh" and, since women are considered part of that "all flesh", they would prophesy. To prophesy means to "speak to men to edification, exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3). "He that prophesieth edifieth the church" (1 Cor. 14:4). Prophesying is for the church and general public (1 Cor. 12:1-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-6,12,24-26,29-33).

3. In Acts 21:8-9 it is clear that Philip's four daughters were prophetesses, that is, they were evangelists like their father. This is in perfect accord with Joel 2:28-29 which was fulfilled in the early church (Acts 2:16), and with Acts 2:17-18 which will be fulfilled in the last days. Obviously, Philip's daughters did not believe that God had universally commanded all women to keep silent in the church assembly. Of course, again if you are a cessationist, these verses will cause you some real problems.

4. As mentioned, in Romans 16 we have record of a number of women servants of the Lord in various churches. Phebe (Romans 16:1-2), Priscilla (Romans 16:3-5), Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, and Julia (Romans 16:6-15) are mentioned as laborers in the Lord.

5. In Phil. 4:2 Euodias and Syntyche are mentioned as being leaders of the church at Philippi.

6. Corinthian women prophesied and prayed in church (1 Cor. 11:4-5), so the scripture in 1 Cor. 14:34-35 that is used to condemn women preachers does not refer to preaching but to disturbance in church services—asking or talking out to their husbands in church, as stated in 1 Cor. 14:35. Both men and women at Corinth were permitted to pray and prophesy, but were regulated by fixed laws in doing so (1 Cor. 14:24-32).

7. In 1 Cor. 12 Paul compares the church to a human body and mentions nine gifts of the Spirit, including the gift of prophecy, for all the members of the body of Christ, men and women.

8. Women were used of God in Old Testament days as prophetesses (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chron. 34:22; Neh. 6:14; Isaiah 8:3; Luke 1:39-56; Luke 2:36). The law made provision for women to make sacrifices, attend feasts, and make vows (Deut. 12:11-18; Leviticus 27).

Religious traditions have kept women in bondage, refusing to acknowledge their giftedness, or to allow any opportunity for that giftedness to be utilized in effective service.

As Dr. Jefferson Thomson so adequately says it, "Let's take off our religious glasses and see what the Bible really has to say about whether women can be qual­ified for ministry."

 

Psalm 68:11 (AMP) tells us: "The Lord gives the Word of Power; the WOMEN who bear and publish the news are a great host." Psalms 68:11 (GW) says it like so: "The Lord gives instructions. The WOMEN who announce the good news are a large army." 

 

Other translations say it thusly:  "The Lord giveth the word: The WOMEN that publish the tidings are a great host." Psalms 68:11 (ASV)

"The Lord gives the word; great is the number of the WOMEN who make it public." Psalms 68:11 (BBE)

"The Lord gives the word; the WOMEN who announce the news are a great host:" Psalms 68:11 (ESV)

"The Lord gave the command; a great company of WOMEN brought the good news:" Psalms 68:11 (HCSB)

"The Lord doth give the saying, The FEMALE proclaimers are a numerous host." Psalms 68:11 (YLT)

I know, I know; Old Testament, right? Well, Acts 2:14-21 isn't. The group of Jesus' disciples, gathered on the Day of Pentecost to receive the Power of the Holy Spirit, includ­ed women.

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women…" (Acts 1:14)

Regardless, Old or New Testament, it's still the Word of God.  And in that same Word, God has used a rod (Exodus 4:2,17); ass (Numbers 22:28); ram's horn (Josh 6:5); ox goad, nail, barley cake, pitchers, jawbone, millstone (Judges 3:31; Judges 4:21; Judges 7:13,20; Judges 9:53; Judges 15:15-19); mantle (2 Kings 2:8); ditches (2 Kings 3:16); empty vessels (2 Kings 4:3); cruise of oil, ravens (1 Kings 17:4,16); worm, wind, fish, gourd (Jonah 1:4,17; Jonah 4:6-7); cock (Mark 14:72); and many other weak things to confound the mighty (1 Cor. 1:18-21). Is it not possible then that he can use a woman?

Though this has been somewhat lengthy, it has not been exhaustive. Besides everything else that we have addressed on this subject, the bottom line is, again as Dr. Thompson so eloquently puts it: "Only immature people are overly, concerned with titles and positions. God is interested in function and whether those whom He has called fulfill their appointed destiny." And I would only add, that means male or female. God bless!]

Pastor Michael Parnell, A.Th.