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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | God can use woman in the ministry? | Gal 3:28 | OldTimer | 37041 | ||
I have a very pragmatic approach to interpreting scripture. Simply put, what did they do in the New Testament? If women are NEVER to be in ministry or leadership positions, then we should expect NEVER to have a woman mentioned as having a leadership position in the NT. If women CAN be called of God to fulfill positions of minstry, then we would EXPECT to have at least one example of a woman doing so. Consider the following verses: Apostle: Romans 16:7 Prophet: Luke 2:36-38; Acts 21:8-9; 1 Corinthians chapters 11-14; Acts 2:16-18 Evangelist: John 20:15-18; Acts 1:8,14 Pastor/Teacher: Acts 18:1-3, 18-19; Acts 18:26; Romans 16:3-5a; 1 Corinthians 16:19 Deacon: Romans 16:1-2 Can women hold positions of ministry in the Church? According to the New Testament, if God has called them and gifted them, the answer is a resounding "YES!" For a fuller treatment of this topic, see my article at http://members.tripod.com/KarleenP/askoldtimer/womenminstry.htm |
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2 | God can use woman in the ministry? | Gal 3:28 | Reformer Joe | 37057 | ||
"The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house." --1 Corinthians 16:19 "And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them" --Acts 18:2 "Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow." --Acts 18:18 "and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." --Acts 18:26 I see nothing here that indicates that Priscilla was an elder/overseer/pastor. The only thing that these verses show is that Priscilla was the wife of Aquila, that there was a church in their home, and that both were committed to proclaiming Christ. They are undoubtedly partners in ministry, but there is absolutely nothing that would indicate that Priscilla played a role as an overseer in the church in their home You are absolutely correct that women can and should minister within the church, but the role of overseer is clearly not one of those ways if we honestly examine the qualifications of overseers in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. --Joe! |
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3 | God can use woman in the ministry? | Gal 3:28 | OldTimer | 37135 | ||
The office of an overseer-bishop-episkopos is different from that of a pastor-poimen or a teacher-didaskalos, and I did not state that Priscilla was an overseer. According to my research, to pastor (Greek poimen, usually translated shepherd) means to tend a flock. Pastors are responsible for the day-to-day care of a group of believers, their spiritual guidance, feeding and protection with tender care and vigilant superintendence. Teachers, Greek didaskalos, are responsible to training believers in the Word and bringing understanding to them. Many Bible scholars believe that the office of pastor-teacher is one office, because in leading a group of people, teaching and guidance are both needed. Acts 18:26 clearly states that "... But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him [Apollos], THEY took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately", indicating that Priscilla was involved in the teaching of Apollos, an early church leader (one of the big three - Peter, Paul and Apollos mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:12). As for sharing a shepherding role, in 1 Corinthians 16:19 Paul refers to "Aquila and Priscilla ... with the church that is in THEIR house." The early church did not meet in a church building as we have today, but met in the synagogue, or the temple (if they lived in Jerusalem), or from "house to house" (Acts 2:46, Acts 5:42). Now Paul, who did not waste words, but used them very precisely, could have said "Aquila … with the church in HIS house", but he made a point to include "AND Priscilla … with the church in THEIR house". I could be wrong, but I don't recall another church house mentioned as belonging to a couple. Peter's house is mentioned as a meeting place... but not as Peter and his wife's house (cf Acts 10). Philip the evangelist's house is mentioned in Acts as a meeting place, but his wife is not referenced (although his daughters were mentioned as prophets Acts 21:8-9). Paul also refers to another woman "Nympha and the church in her house" in Colossians 4:15 after mentioning the church brothers at Laodicea. Romans 16:3-5a Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house… In Romans 16:3, Paul calls both Priscilla and Aquila "my fellow workers in Christ Jesus". The Greek word for "fellow workers" or helpers is sunergos (soon-er-gos') and means a companion in work, a fellow worker, implying an equality of position. Paul also used this term to refer to: Urbanus (church leader) Romans 16:9; Timothy (a pastor) Romans 16:21 and 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Titus (a pastor) 2 Corinthians 8:23; Epaphroditus (an apostle) Philippians 2:25; Euodia, Syntyche, Clement (church leaders) Philippians 4:3; Justus (a Jewish church leader) Colossians 4:11; Timothy; Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke (3 pastors and a physician, Demas later became an apostate 2 Timothy 4:10) Philemon 1:24. So Paul used the term "fellow workers" in referring to the early church leadership. In Romans 16:3, Paul again references "the church that meets at THEIR house". The word for "church" here is ekklesia (ek-klay-see'-ah), according to Strong's Concordance "an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting, a company of Christians, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake, and those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body". If you look at all the verses that reference this couple, Priscilla, the wife, is usually mentioned first, which is very unusual - and some scholars believe that this is either because she was the most beloved and memorable, or perhaps held the primary position in this church. Because of the language Paul uses in referring to Priscilla, I think it is indeed proper to accord her the title of co-pastor along with Aquila in their teaching and guidance of the church that met in THEIR home. |
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4 | God can use woman in the ministry? | Gal 3:28 | Reformer Joe | 37178 | ||
With all due respect, you are expending a great deal of energy to try and make a case on very circumstantial biblical evidence. You wrote: "Many Bible scholars believe that the office of pastor-teacher is one office, because in leading a group of people, teaching and guidance are both needed." Of course teaching and guidance are both needed, but that does not mean that all teachers are pastors. God has granted me the gift of teaching, but I do not exercise it in the role of pastor/elder in a congregation. You imply that Paul used the term "fellow worker" to mean exclusively church leaders. Them you cite Luke as being a physician. Where do you find the office of "physician" in the church? Listen, my wife is my fellow worker as well, but it would be silly to call her a church leader. "Fellow worker" means just that: FELLOW WORKER. The church met at their house. Other people refer to where my wife and I live as "their home." That does not mean that she is has equal biblical authority in the scheme of things. Priscilla is mentioned first sometimes. And? You seem very desperately to want to grant something to women that God does not Himself grant. You are looking at what amounts to minor references to individuals and give them a debatable meaning which goes against clearly detailed, elaborated passages which make the opposite claim. Not the best Bible exegesis, in my opinion. --Joe! |
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