I am an elder at a Presbyterian Church. We have a femal Pastor that is very good. The spirit is in her. I have witnessed her struggle with a sermon only to find out on Sunday that it fit in to an event that was unknown at the time.
Michael
I haven't posted on CF for awhile now, so bear with me, I'm a little rusty!!
I have done an indepth study on this issue of women Pastors (that is- the Shepherd of an entire congregation which namely includes her own husband,
if she has one), and I do not see how anyone can find a female Shepherd biblical as per
1 Tim 2:11-14) along with other biblical principles taught.
I see females teaching and prophesying scripturally, but not leading and overseeing an entire congregation - namely one that includes her own husband.
*Note - I'm not going into salvational assessments on the issue, just giving perspectives as to why I find it unbiblical.
Aspects: if you look back at the original curses God put upon humanity/creation (
Gen. 3:16), you'll find that God has given MAN spiritual authority & headship over the woman,
never the other way around. She is under subjection to him.
This is the key factor in proving that a woman is NOT to hold this seat of authority; namely if her husband is of the same congregation; she is then usurping his headship over her by RULING OVER HIM spiritually as HIS elder!
1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Additionally, we have ZERO examples of female Shepherds in the NT as a guide. It's not enough to simply deny verses mean something, we should also seek direct SUPPORTS and EXAMPLES of these things being carried out or practiced. (
you'll see the same lack of biblical support for GAY Clergy! - not only is it directly condemned, there is no SUPPORT for it anywhere else).
In fact, Paul clearly tells a woman in church to be 'silent and let her husband teach her at home'... a FAR cry from PASTORING it with him sitting under her teaching!
My question is this (and asked as a woman):
WHY ARE WOMEN SO BENT TO FILL THE SEAT OF THE only OFFICE GOD DOES NOT ALLOW US?
Why are they not
complacent to serve as general teachers over a women's bible study? Kids in Sunday School, etc.?
Acts 18:26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto [them], and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Priscilla engaged in teaching Apollos (allbeit w/ her husband). As I see it, she was allowed to teach but was not Shepherding a congregation (holding a place of authority over him).
Women are heavily and mightily used by the Lord and can hold any position they'de like EXCEPT Shepherd of a flock (that is, to hold spiritual authority/headship over men/her own husband).
Does this not sound like Eve's original temptation? "
You can eat of ANY fruit in the garden, but you may not eat of this one: the Tree of Life".
What fruit did she have to have? THE TREE OF LIFE - the ONLY ONE that was forbidden. SAME TEMPTATION, eons later.
Conclusion: Just because it looks as if something 'supernaturally' fell into place with this female pastor, and people even convert to Christ thru her,
it does NOT mean she's 'annointed' by God to Pastor, or that God condones it.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Phl/Phl001.html#15
Paul mentions in Phil 1 the different and wrong motives people can have in preaching Christ.
People CAN wrongly preach (even in sin), and get positive results.
Many people come to the Lord thru TV evangelists that we KNOW are false - charlatans...
it merely means that God can use anyone or anything in darkness OR light.
It doesn't necessarily put God's seal of genuine authenticity on them as to alter the Bible's teaching.
Even Satan's army has powers that are mistaken for God's power. WE KNOW THE FALSE FROM TRUE BY GOD'S WRITTEN WORD which is the final authority of what God ultimately accepts or not.
By seeing some "positive" and even Godly things coming about from an unappointed or false teacher, we can't just assert that the person is of God or appointed by God to do His service! This is sadly why so many FALSE teachers are accepted today.