Women in Ministry

I found the explanation pasted below very informative. I found it at:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:bpH1_b_iassJ:www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Jon-Straumfjord-1820/http:--www.7-spirits.com-29197.php+Sisera+barak+deborah&hl=cs&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=cz

Notice first of all that Deborah was a prophetess, a female prophet. The Lord is no respecter of persons, and considers males and females equally (1 Samuel 16:7). As a prophet, Deborah's ministry was to proclaim the messages of wisdom and instruction she received from the Lord. People would come from miles around to hear the wisdom of the Lord, and have Deborah act is a judge in interpersonal disputes. In the course of her ministry, she received a message for Barak to lead a small Israelite army against Sisera, the commander of Jabin's troops.

It was the Lord's intention to not only defeat the armies of Sisera, but also to exalt Barak to the position of military commander over the armies of Israel. However, Barak was only willing to fulfill the Lord's command as long as Deborah came with him. Barak knew that the Lord was with Deborah, but he wasn't totally convinced that the Lord was going to be with him and provide him success in his battle with the armies of Sisera. He had faith, but he also had unbelief, and unbelief lead to fear. Unfortunately, his unbelief, caused him to miss the entire blessing the Lord had planed. Yes, the Lord enabled him to defeat the armies of Sisera, but he was not allowed to personally kill Sisera himself. Instead of Barak getting the full credit for the defeat of Sisera, an obscure woman named Jael was honored as the one who actually killed Sisera. In fact, in the celebratory song of victory after the conflict, Barak had to share accolades with both Deborah and Jael, all because of his limited faith mingled with unbelief.

So what can we learn about faith from Deborah and Barak? First, unbelief, severely limits faith. It causes us miss the full benefits the Lord intends for us. Second, unbelief leads to both fear and doubt. Unbelief causes us to distrust the Lord, His intentions, and His ability to deliver us through our trials. Third, the Lord has a specific ministry chosen for each of us, which He expects us to fulfill. The Lord expects us to fully commit to the ministry He has given us, and invest our entire being and all our efforts, even as Deborah fulfilled her ministry as a prophets. The Lord expects us to limit ourselves to the confines our specific ministry; Deborah had no intention of going beyond the limits of her ministry as a prophet, but acquiesced for the sake of overcoming Barak's unbelief, doubts and fears in the conflict with Sisera.
Copyright © 2008 Jon Straumfjord

 

I do not have an ego problem, so quit with that garbage. As I have already shown, it is YOU that is context lifting and proof texting the Scriptures to say what YOU want it to say. I have never denied that women serve many roles in God's plan. Elder and leadership is not one of them. That's Scripture. Deny it if you wish, but that is between you and God.

 

It is not I that is denying the gospel. You pull one verse to prove a whole doctrine, while there are many verses of scripture that show you are incorrect in your interpretation. If multiple verses show a different truth then the variance must be reconciled and this often leads to a new truth, a deeper truth. I used to believe as you. Then I did a comprehensive study and found that I could not be intellectually honest by ignoring many other scriptures. The more I have studied this issue the more I see that I was wrong back then, and you are wrong now. With most men it often comes down to ego.

Also often men, pastors, have accepted what they were taught and have never questioned it, never read and studied with an open mind that will allow God to correct them. And, of course, there are those who have taken stances and are afraid to change them because they will be met with hostility from friends, teachers and the laity whom they have taught, they now find, wrongly. It costs to follow Christ!

I am not accusing you of the above, just sharing my experience.

 

In the qualifications of one who is to lead the Church, Paul gives the young Timothy specific instructions:

Several qualifications are given that must be followed to a T in order for one to be considered for such a authoritative position. Being the husband of one wife is one of those requirements.

If we were to take CrabbTownBoy's logic that women could fill that position, then Paul must have meant the requirements are:

1. The Bishop must be guilty of something.
2. She must be the wife of one husband.
3. Not aware of situations
4. Drunkard
5. Of ill repute.
6. Mean spirited
7. Unwilling to instruct others.

etc.

I can see why God chose Holy Men to write the Word of God for all to read. If one is not discerning, the Church of the Living God turns into a mess.

God's Word says the leader is to be the husband of one wife, not the wife of one husband.

Even the deacons are to be men according to verse 11:

1 Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Their wives must be grave... not their husband's must be grave. Which shows that Phoebe, while being a diakonos, was only a servant and not an actual deacon. She could not be a deacon, as she did not meet the requirement set forth in 1 Timothy 3:11.

*edited to add:
God used women in all forms of ministry. But as leader of the Church, He has given specific instructions that the male is to be in that position.

 

Define leadership for me. The term can be used in many ways.

 

Leadership = Those in authority.

 

Of course, a woman being a leader of a church Cell group does not "count" as leadership.:laugh:

 

Women were used in certain ministerial positions throughout the Word of God, I certainly believe He still uses them today... just not in the role as pastor/elder/bishop or deacon.

 

OK. You lead a cell group of women, that makes sense.

 

QUOTE=annsni]Leadership = having authority over someone.[/QUOTE]

No man nor woman has spiritual authority over another person. No man nor woman stands between an individual and God. That is a heresy!

What do you mean by the word authority?

 

I posted this before. Maybe it can helpyou understand authority.

 

[/QUOTE]

No man nor woman has spiritual authority over another person. No man nor woman stands between an individual and God. That is a heresy!

What do you mean by the word authority?[/QUOTE]

You definitely have strong feeling over this authority issue no doubt. I might agree with you depending on what you mean.

What do you make the following?

"(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)"I Tim. 3:5

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. I TIm 5:17

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." Heb. 13:17

"Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you." Heb. 13:24

 

Go to the following link and look over the different ways Acts 20:28 is translated. I think it might give you a good idea of what authority is.

http://biblecc.com/acts/20-28.htm