Whose context?
"Be perfect like God is".
The context is "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you and do not love, or greet, only those who love, or greet, you.
I'm saying that Jesus did not say this verse in isolation; he did not wake up one day, look at the 12 and say "be perfect as God is perfect".
And actually, he knows jolly well that we can't be perfect - that is why he went to the cross. If we could achieve perfection on our own, by our own efforts; we wouldn't need him.
BTW, your scripture siting is not the one you mean.
Thank you; I meant 1 Thessalonians 4:3.
She wasn't a queen in Israel or Judah.
Doesn't matter. She was Jewish and loved and worshipped God.
IF it was the will of God that women should never lead, why did he put her in that position?
You didn't find that in the bible.
Romans 16:1
True, some translations have the word "servant" instead of deacon.
According to my interlinear Greek NT, the word is Diakonos, and this same word is used about Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:5, 2 Corinthians 6:4, Ephesians 3:7, Colossians 1:23; Tychicus, Ephesians 6:21; Epaphrus, Colossians 1:7 (translated here as Minister); Jesus himself, Romans 15:8 - and all believers, Matthew 20:26, John 12:26.
In fact the qualifications for being a deacon include..."Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife..." (1 Tim 3:12)
Yes, the word Diakonos is used there too; that doesn't alter the fact that it is used in other places of men, and women.
As for woman apostles...never once.
Romans 16:1.
The word Diakonos is translated as "servant", "deacon" or "Minister" - same word. It is also used to describe Phoebe.
Where are you getting this misinformation?
INformation - from the Greek words used in Scripture.
Where has a woman ever led a church...which is the body of Christ?
Lydia and her friends were probably founder members of the church at Philippi - Paul met them at a place of prayer, led them to Christ, stayed with Lydia and them moved on, Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15. The church had deaconesses, Philippians 4:2.
Women teaching men is not God's will
If it weren't, God would not have used, or allowed, women to teach men.
Or is God not allowed to call who he likes and give them whatever gift he chooses?
Well in that case, you have a contradiction.
1 Timothy 2:12 says women should be SILENT. Silent means not making a sound; not singing, reading Scripture or praying.
Yet in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul teaches how women are to pray and prophesy. In 1 Corinthians 12 he lists gifts of the Spirit, including teaching, and does not say that some are only for men. In 1 Corinthians 14 he talks about order in worship - WHEN people prophesy or pray in tongues, it should be done in an orderly way. He does not say "but of course, this does not include women." In Colossians he tells people to let Christ's word dwell in them as they teach, and to sing using Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, Colossians 3:16 - again, no word about women being exempt.
Jesus told his disciples to go and teach people everything he had taught them, Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus did not teach his disciples that women were not allowed to teach or lead, and women are not exempt from his Great Commission.
If a woman is given a prophesy, she can tell her husband or the bishop before or after service.
Scripture doesn't say that.
There were prophetesses in the OT, Philip's daughters prophesied and Paul teaches that when women prophesied, they should cover their heads, 1 Corinthians 11:5.
1 Tim 2:12 says it.
You deny it.
I don't deny Paul SAID it; I'm challenging the fact that it should be taken literally - because this contradicts other Scriptures.
Women taught, and have taught, men.
Priscilla taught Apollos; yes, her husband was there, but she probably did at least some of the teaching. Otherwise, Luke would have written that Aquila taught Apollos; Priscilla, of course, was not allowed to, being a woman.
Mary Magdalene told the Good News of the resurrection to men who did not know it. No doubt you will deny that this was teaching - but the fact remains.
I'm also saying it is a fact that God calls women today to teach, preach and Pastor local congregations. In fact, he has done for many years - in the 1300's, in the Catholic church, Catherine of Siena was asked, by the Pope, to teach Cardinals. She also advised the Pope on occasion. Gladys Aylward founded a church - and many people have come to Christ, been taught and discipled though the ministry of women; was all that invalid? Was anyone who heard the Gospel from a woman not really a Christian? Was any man who was taught theology by a woman and then went on to become ordained, not really a Minister?
This is what God IS doing today.
In Jesus' time the Pharisees missed what was happening in front of them - i.e their Messiah on earth, teaching and healing - because of their interpretation of the Scriptures.
I commend you for your consistency.
If we didn't, we would not be the body of Christ, walking in the Spirit instead of in the flesh, in Christ, obedient to scripture, holy, sanctified, and justified.
No.
Taken literally, this says a deacon MUST be a husband and have children. Single, or childless, men can be deacons/Ministers just as much as married ones.
Jesus is our supreme example, leader, Lord and Great High Priest - he wasn't married. Neither, it appears, was Paul.