Can Woman teach Sunday School

No it is not "authority" as in a political sense, but it was "teaching."

Matthew 28
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

My contention is that the Scriptures show women in teaching positions. This was to counter the position that has been presented that a woman teaching Sunday School is "a clear example of the lengths to which some will go to get around the text". I have provided texts that the counter position must now "get around."

The lessons that are taught by either gender in a Sunday School environment (or from a pulpit as far as that goes) are only as authoritative as the Scriptures on which they are based. An elder has political authority in a church (i.e. shepherding) and an elder in the New Testament context teaches, but Sunday School teaching in and of itself is not a politically authoritative position.

To say that the pastor has "authority" in the sense that only he (or other men) can expound from the Scriptures is to directly attack the concept of the priesthood of all believers and the concept of soul competency. If one takes the position that "teacher" is synonymous with "[duty of an] elder," then NNE except the pastor can teach.

 

Disagree with it if you like, but those are the hard facts of scripture, not just opinion. It's not up to us to take scripture differently.

 

Honestly, I don't know how one can get around the fact that Priscilla taught Apollos in Acts 18:26 and that a true rendering of the verse places her name before Aquila's.

 

1 Timothy CLEARLY does not forbid a woman teching men. In FACT, the verse you mentioned in 1 Timothy referrs to husbands and wives only, not men and women in general.

This is scriptural fact, not my own opinion. To extend the verse to all women in the church is tantamount to adding to scripture in this verse.

 

Whoops! My computer did not show me the most recent posts and this comment was meant to apply to the post by Pastor Larry that was followed by the post by Rufus.

 

Bob, you are more than free (of course) to attend a church that forbids women to have men in their Sunday School class. That is a matter that a church must work out for itself.

However, to say that women Sunday School teachers forbidden to have men in their class is not as soundly Scriptural as it has been presented. Priscilla taught Apollos, Eunice and Lois taught Timothy. The woman in Proverbs 31 (a Book written to instruct male students) is a wisdom teacher. Wisdom itself, a quality of God, in Proverbs is a woman.

Paul did not even know what Sunday School WAS just as many here do not know that "teaching" was the duty of an office as described by James and Paul! You may find some on this board that do not support the notion of such an organization within a church at all as it is not in the New Testament. They will tell you that Sunday School, no matter who is teaching it, is not Scriptural.

Sorry to throw a monkey wrench in what you seem to feel so strongly about, but the Scriptural evidence of women teachers is there. One should balance a dogmatic interpretation of a single verse against other Scriptural evidence before condemning others with such a broad brush.

 

Clint Kritzer,

Those who take Scriptures out of context and put them together to form a non-Biblical doctrine are in essence re-writing the Bible to suit their particular beliefs. The role of women in relationship to men is expressly taught in the Scriptures to be one of submission, and we find this in both the Old and New Testaments. Even Queen Esther recognized her obligation to be in submission to her adoptive father Mordecai and through her submission God did His work.

In the Bible, God is always masculine and the Church is always feminine, and the Church is to be in submission to God. Women are taught in the Bible to OBEY their husbands, and this is a figure of the relationship between Christ and His Church. In the local assembly, the women were to keep quiet. In prayer meetings they were allowed to pray out loud only if their head was covered showing their submission to the men. Women were allowed to prophesy during these prayer meetings, but they were not allowed to speak at all during formal church services.

Priscilla did NOT teach a Sunday school class, and she ministered to Apollos at the side of her husband as his help mate.

 

Where in the Bible do we find that Eunice and Lois taught Timothy after he became an adult?

 

The woman is Proverbs 31 is the mother of a child who grew up to be King Lemuel!

1. The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
2. What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?
(NASB, 1995)

 

I completely agree. Those who base their dogmatic views with which they condemn others on a single verse are guilty of the same.

Once again, I agree. However, consider that had it not been for Abagail, David would have killed Nabal. Had it not been for the Shunammite woman, the couple would not have built a room for Elijah and later been blessed with a child. Had it not been for Lydia, her household may not have converted.

Not in the personification of Wisdom in Proverbs 1-9 nor in Matthew 23:37.

Pray OR prophesy. 1Corinthians 11:5. Is your argument with me or Paul? Why would you remove the word "prophesy from the text?

Where do you get the distinction between "prayer meeting" and "church service" in the Scriptures? Chapter and verse, please.

NOBODY in the New Testament taught a Sunday School class, Craig! It's an 18th century institution!

 

One should NOT balance a Biblical doctrine that is expressly taught in one verse that is in harmony with the whole of Scripture against a few irrelevant verses taken out of context!

 

We are all aware of this bit of irrelevant trivia.

 

Matt. 23:37. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. (NASB, 1995)

I totally disagree with you. Matthew is NOT saying that God is a female chicken. As for Proverbs 1-9, God is NOT spoken of as being feminine.

 

The woman is Proverbs 31 is the mother of a child who grew up to be King Lemuel!

1. The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
2. What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?
(NASB, 1995) </font>[/QUOTE]I see. Is he also the only one from whom she bought and sold property (verse 16)?

Talk about ripping a verse out of context! Look at verse 10 to see what the oracle is about.

Wow! So the verses I cited are out of harmony with the rest of Scripture but 1Timothy 2:12 is right on the mark out there all by itself?

Matt. 23:37. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. (NASB, 1995)

I totally disagree with you. Matthew is NOT saying that God is a female chicken. As for Proverbs 1-9, God is NOT spoken of as being feminine. </font>[/QUOTE]Perhaps you should read up a bit more before disregarding the arguments. Christ likens Himself to a hen. You posted the evidence right there. In Proverbs 1-9, Wisdom is personified as a woman:

Proverbs 3

19The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
20by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.

Proverbs 4

6Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

I'm sorry that you dislike it, but these qualities can only be bestowed by or attributed to God. Comapre Colossians 1:16-20.

We are all aware of this bit of irrelevant trivia. </font>[/QUOTE]One would never know it by your posts.

 

You may also want to consider Genesis 1:27.

 

Since when did bestowing wisdom make God a little girl with freckles and pigtails?

 

Are you having to resort to putting words in my mouth and exageration now? Perhaps we should leave this alone if that is the case.