The Critical Roles Of Men & Women In Ministry | Messy Church, Part 23

The Critical Roles Of Men and Women In Ministry | Mess Church, Part 23

What do you do when you don’t agree with the Bible?

Correctly Interpret

Conform the Bible to your beliefs

Conform your beliefs to the Bible

Traditional

Liberal

Biblical

What do we think is best?

What does the Bible say?

1 Corinthians 14:33-40

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

Women are to keep silent in the church…

does not mean no speaking but a particular type of speaking

1 Corinthians 11:5

but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

Explaining Paul Away:

Paul’s opinion; not binding on us

1 Corinthians 14:37

…the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

Paul’s opinion; not binding on us

Paul didn’t write this passage

Paul was addressing a local problem in Corinth

1 Corinthians 14:33

“As in all the churches of the saints,”

Who was Paul talking to? 

Women/Wives publicly disagreeing with their husbands

1 Corinthians 14:33b-35

As in all the churches of the saints, the women/wives should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman/wife to speak in church.

What are they to be silent about? 

1 Corinthians 14:29-34

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches.

Judging prophecies

Male headship in the home

Male eldership in the church

“Scripture clearly teaches that God created male and female as equal image bearers of God (Gen. 1:27-28; Matt. 19:4), for the purpose of glorifying their creator in distinct yet complementary roles. These roles are played out both in the home and in the church….”

“We graciously yet fervently push back on any cultural attempt to blur the lines between gender distinctions. We simply can not accept that men and women are the same in role and function. While we do celebrate that men and women are made equal, we do not believe they are interchangeable. We believe our distinctiveness in how God created man and woman is a good thing, because after He had created Adam and Eve, He said his creation was very good.” (The Critical Role of Women in Ministry at Crosstown Alliance)

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Genesis 3:16

the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Contributions of women in the OT:

Miriam – Worship Leader (Exodus 15)

Rahab – Rescued the Spies (Joshua 2)

Debra – Judge (Judges 4)

Ruth – Lineage of the Messiah (Matt. 1)

Huldah – Prophetess (2 Kings 22)

Esther – Saved the Jews (Esther 8)

Distinctions of men and women in the OT:

Debra – “mother in/to Israel”

Priests – men from the tribe of Levi

Luke 8:1-3

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

Acts 2:17

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Women in the Early Church:

Tabitha/Dorcus (Acts 9)

Rhoda (Acts 12)

Lydia (Acts 16)

Damaris (Acts 17)

Priscilla (Acts 18, Rom. 16)

Church Leadership:

Deacons – men and women (Romans 16:1-2)

Elders – qualified men (1 Tim. 3, Titus 1)

1 Timothy 2:12

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

Male eldership does NOT mean…

Men run the church, women do nothing

Women should submit to all men

Elders have unchecked authority

Women can’t teach in certain contexts

Scripture is inconsistent

Common Pushbacks:

“There are lots of great women in the Bible”

“Women can be more competent than men”

“But what about equality?”