Discerning if SHE is a False Teacher: Does She Submit to the Authority of Scripture?

What is the first question we can ask in assessing whether the teacher that we

put ourselves under is a false teacher?

Let's talk about women preaching and exercising authority over a man in the church.

Let's talk about women pastors.

I felt like God said, here is a word to declare over Ocean's Church.

We've got Pastor Priscilla Shira.

Now I know.

Pastor Priscilla brings powerful words and messages to the house of God.

40 % of evangelicals are fine with women pastors.

Thank you Derwin.

Transformation Church.

I cannot think of a place I would rather be on this planet.

Now all the guys in the room are like, she's going to talk about emotions, there's a girl teaching and we're going to talk about our emotions.

50 % of, I should say, MDiv students in seminaries are women preparing for pastoral ministry.

25 % of seminary faculties are women.

That means you have women faculty members teaching women students to be pastors.

Come on, let's all stand to our feet and welcome the one and only Christine Cain, everybody.

Come on, would you stand to your feet and give a hometown welcome to a hometown girl.

Miss Sadie Robertson, we love you.

So thankful for you.

I love you darling.

11 % of seminary presidents are women.

27 % of pastors across this country are women.

This is an explosion.

In 1960, 2 % of clergy were women.

We are so excited to have one of our favorite ministers in all the world, Joyce Meyer here today.

We know how much you love her.

We love her so much.

Give her a great big hand clap as she comes.

Joyce Meyer.

Thank you.

Well, you guys are awesome.

Well, if you don't know me, I'm Holly Furtick and I'm so glad to be worshiping with you here this morning.

Welcome, welcome at all of our locations.

Lisa Harper is here.

So grateful to get to be here and then to get to be here on Baptism Sunday.

That just slayed me.

The women's movement has basically just erupted in the church.

And the last frontier for the movement is the evangelical church.

But the biggest treat of today is that we have Lisa TerCurse in the house at Go Church.

I'm so excited.

So Go Church, we love to give honor where honor is due.

So would you stand to your feet and help me welcome Lisa TerCurse.

Thank you.

So the question that we are debating is should women be allowed to preach in our Lord's Day worship services?

I want to make clear what we are not debating, what the debate is not about.

It is not about the value of women.

It's quite obvious that God created both men and women in His image.

Both are therefore worthy of dignity, respect, and honor.

It's also not about primarily the valuable services in God's kingdom that women have.

Performed.

Women have been powerfully used throughout church history to advance the cause of Christ.

They continue to be wonderfully instrumental in advancing the gospel in our own day.

It's not about how the spirit gifts individual believers.

1 Corinthians 12 11 says, All Christians are empowered by one in the same spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Christian women are spiritually gifted like men are.

And like men, some are unusually gifted in wonderful ways.

However, all of God's gifts and the believers who possess them are to be regulated by the word of God.

After all, the spirit who gives the gifts has given us the word.

Therefore, just as Paul does in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, we must reject any

attempt to exercise a gift in ways that are contrary to God's word.

So what is the debate about?

Well, it's about biblical ecclesiology and church polity.

The question is, should women be allowed to preach in our Lord's Day worship services?

We understand the Bible speaks to this issue.

And our desire is to discern what the Bible actually has to say.

Perhaps women pastors and women preachers are the most obvious evidence

of churches rebelling against the Bible.

I can't think of anything that's as far reaching and transcends all

denominations as the woman's rebellion against the word of God with

regard to women preachers.

Welcome to the Thoroughly Equipped Podcast, where we compare the teachings from popular women's ministry

books, conferences, Bible studies, etc. to Scripture.

Our focus is 2 Timothy 3, 16 -17, that all Scripture is God

-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so the man

or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I'm your host, Melba Toast.

May this episode bless you and bring glory to God.

Hey ladies, thank you for tuning in today.

If you are new to this podcast or the YouTube channel, welcome.

Hopefully this episode will edify you and encourage you to dive into Scripture

today because that's what we're going to do.

A lot of Scripture reading today.

But let me just give you the backstory, especially since on YouTube I only have a couple of

these episodes out, but I have been podcasting for a couple years.

And when I started the podcast, the first couple episodes or the first

episode was the last one that I presented.

I revised it for YouTube, added some new

thoughts and points I wanted to make onto it.

So my first episode for the Thoroughly Equipped podcast was looking at women's

ministry and just telling where I thought it was failing and where

I saw it going and why I then decided to do a podcast.

So if you haven't watched that episode, that's the last episode where I look at women's ministry

and I answer the question, is women's ministry failing

Christian women?

And my answer to that is yes, most definitely.

In the episode before that too, I gave you guys how to talk

to your sister in Christ about false teaching, how to present it.

And so I'm kind of looking here in the next coming episodes about just

discerning women's ministry.

And I want to help you and give you resources and questions to answer and

Scripture to go to, to help you become more discerning women and then

help you then help other women become more discerning as well.

So this episode then is going to start kind of what I've done a

litmus test on how to discern if she's a false teacher.

And this is where my brain kind of messes with me and I don't know if

this is a blessing or a curse when it comes to YouTube.

But when I plan episodes out, they always

tend to build on some other foundation, theological foundation that I feel like, oh,

I got to go back and really lay the foundation correctly.

And then sometimes there's always like, wait a minute, we should have talked about that.

And then hold on a second, we should talk about that, you know, like something in the past that or

something that's even deeper.

And that's just the way my brain goes is like thinking, why do people believe what they believe?

What is the foundation of that?

And so I was going to just present to you guys just the questions on how to discern

if she is a false teacher.

And I realized, OK, well, the first one is going to be about whether she submits

herself to the authority of Scripture.

And that's what this episode is going to address.

And then I realized, well, not everybody is on the same page.

This topic is very controversial today.

It's been for the last couple of years.

If you don't know anything about what's going on with the SBC, they're still wrestling it out.

They're still having issues.

But there's been a break of people leaving over this topic of

women or female pastors.

So I realized, OK, the female pastor topic

is going to be a lot more longer than just answering, just asking one

question.

I needed to kind of dive deeper and present to you guys,

first off, what Scripture says about it.

So what I want to do going forward is I want to provide you with a sort of

litmus test in determining if these popular female teachers willingly put

themselves under the authority of Scriptures, which they claim to teach.

And of course, one of these questions for the litmus test is the question of her submission to Scripture's clear

instruction on preaching over men in the gathering in the church to worship and

receive the living word of God.

So today we're going to dive into this.

But before we get into Scripture on female pastors or females preaching to a

mixed gender congregation, we must first wrestle with what we believe

about Scripture.

If Scripture is not inherent and not sufficient, then man will look toward other authoritative

texts and ideas to equip them for what they want to say, what they want to teach, their

worldviews, philosophies and other truths.

So the authority of Scripture, where does Scripture

come from?

How did it come about?

How did the Old Testament and the New Testament come about?

What does Jesus say about Scripture and what does Jesus say about the apostles and

their testimonies?

So Scripture is composed of writings of men directed by the Holy Spirit and

written by the will of God.

So we're going to go into 2 Peter 1, 19 to 21 here.

So starting at verse 16 here, though, the main verses we

want to look at are 19 to 21.

But let's go in context and see what he says from

verse 16.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the

power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And Peter's talking about the apostles here, that

they did not follow cleverly devised myths, but they were the

apostles were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the

majestic glory.

This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.

We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven for we were with him on the holy

mountain.

Now something to take note of.

You will see that this is

referring back to he's referring back to Matthew 17 when they saw

Jesus in his glory.

So this was an experience that Peter experienced

and it was a glorious, beautiful, shocking experience.

And then notice though, despite the experience of seeing Jesus

in his glory on the holy mountain having that experience.

And yet this is what he says.

Take note of this.

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed.

So more fully confirmed than his own experience.

Like a lot of teachers, false teachers, they go up on the stage and

proclaim more and more about their experience talking about their life

and even some miraculous experiences that they believe God has

given them.

Paul had probably the most miraculous experience anyone

on the planet on this side of eternity would have

experienced.

And that is to see Christ not only walk with him, but then to see Christ in his

glory.

And he says, we have the prophetic word,

meaning scripture, more fully confirmed, which you would do well to pay attention

as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises

in your hearts.

So he's making the claim first off more than any experience that he can

relate to you or more experience than even himself witnessed.

That he holds to scripture, the writings, the prophetic word is more

fully confirmed than any experience.

We have to hold on to that because charismatic, N

-A -R, and even some seeker sensitive churches hold to experience

and as proof or being even more fully confirmed by their view,

scripture.

But Peter is saying the opposite here.

So, after claiming that scripture is where we have to go to

root any knowledge and truth and to confirm our beliefs in, he

explains what scripture is.

Knowing this, verse 20, knowing this, first of all, that no prophecy of scripture

comes from someone's own interpretation.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were

carried along by the Holy Spirit.

So when we open up to scriptures, we open up a book that was penned by men who are

carried along by the Holy Spirit.

This means these are the Holy Spirit's very words.

Now, are men still carried around by the Holy Spirit like they were in the Old Testament

period?

How has God chosen to speak to us now that the Messiah has come?

Okay, so we'll look here at Hebrews 1 verses

1 to 2.

And it says here, long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our

fathers by the prophets.

But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom

he's appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

So we are in these last days that God speaks to us now by his son.

Not only has God spoken to us through his son, but his son now sits at the right hand of the father with

full and complete authority.

So what he speaks and his example, they are to be obeyed.

And it is this son of God who chose men in the New Testament period to record

his life and teachings.

I'm going to quote several Bible verses here so you can look them up on your own.

But basically, we find in the books that make up the New Testament, the Gospels,

which were written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that

by believing we may have life in his name.

John 20 31.

Some of these men, the apostles, were chosen by Jesus to be given the Holy Spirit, whom the

father sent in Christ's name.

He taught them all things and brought to their remembrance all that Christ said to them.

John 14 26.

You can see also 1 John 5 13.

These remembrances are found in the New Testament.

Jesus stated that all who listen and accept the apostles will accept him and the father.

Matthew 10 40.

Those who are from the world speak from the world and the world listens to them.

We are from God, meaning the apostles were from God.

Whoever knows God listens to us, the apostles.

Whoever is not from God does not listen to us.

By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 4 5 to 6.

So in that verse, you see a little you see what discernment is and how we discern the spirits of truth

versus the spirit of error.

And John will continue to go on and talk about discerning the spirits.

Right.

And so this is what he means.

You would compare what is being said by the teacher and

compare it to what the apostles taught.

And if it's in line with the apostles and correct with what the apostles have

taught about and preached about, then we can understand the difference between the spirit of

truth and the spirit of error.

Because scripture is God's very word given to us by the Holy Spirit, working through the prophets and

apostles that makes them authoritative, given to us to be studied and

obeyed.

Now, while many of us who call ourselves Christian make the claim that scripture is authoritative

and even infallible, where we go off track really is understanding that scripture

is also sufficient enough to direct, instruct and guide all of the church into

good works.

All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in

righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good

work.

2 Timothy 3 16 to 17.

It is God's word that is truth and by his truth we are to be sanctified.

John 17 17.

Does that include directions and instructions on how the church should be run as a community of

believers who meet together, worship, serve and learn about God and their Lord, the head of the church, Jesus

Christ?

Yes.

We're going to dive into a little ecclesiology here.

Ecclesiology, if you don't know, is the study of the church.

Biblical theology as applied to the nature and structure of the Christian church.

Such topics as what is the church?

How the church is built?

What is the purpose of the church?

How does the church gather when it does gather?

Etc.

And etc.

For this episode, though, on this topic, we need to look specifically at who is the

head of the church.

Most Christians understand that the church is made up of people who call themselves, you know, Christians.

The original Greek word for Christians is Christianos, meaning little

anointed ones or little Christ.

The church are God's chosen people called out by God to trust in Jesus, call him

Lord and be a disciple or a Christiano to receive the teachings of Christ and

become more like their Lord or a little Christ.

The church's Lord is Christ.

For most American churches today, there is a nod to Christ as Lord,

but his authority gets lost underneath the vision or calling of the leader, vision

caster.

Under the guise of receiving a calling from God, said vision caster can neglect clear

instructions from our Lord given to us in Scripture for what he believes God is instructing

him to do in his vision.

Scripture is very clear that God put all things in subjection under Christ's feet and gave

Christ as head over all things to the church.

Ephesians 1 .22.

See also Ephesians 5 .23.

While the church is identified as a body of Christ, Ephesians 4 .12, Christ is its head.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself will come to have a first place in everything.

Colossians 1 .18.

Peter gives ample warning to the early church of men and women who say they speak

for God but deny him as master by following their senses, emotions, feelings,

or even a supposed vision or dream from God instead of following and obeying the clear

instruction given to Christ's shepherds on what to teach and how to teach it.

And this is going back to 2nd Peter here.

Okay, so remember he said that the apostles did not follow

cleverly devised myths when they made the power

and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ known to people.

He didn't just, and I think he's really even explaining here that they were an eyewitness of his

majesty, but that was not the goal or the proclamation that he was giving them.

The proclamation he gave them was a prophetic word that they received the gospel.

And he says that this prophetic word is more fully confirmed and that

not just prophetic word of the gospel, but all of prophecy from scripture didn't come from his

interpretation of it, but it was all written by man who

were carried along by the Holy Spirit to say exactly what the Spirit

intended them to say.

And then explaining just the authority and

sufficiency and the clarity and the infallibility of scripture and

all of that, that's all kind of encompassed in what he's saying.

He then goes on to explain that there are going to be false prophets that come in.

Right?

So chapter 2 verse 1, he says, but false prophets also arose among the

people, just as there will be false teachers among you.

Basically, they're the same.

A false prophet is a false teacher.

A false teacher is a false prophet.

And these false teachers among the Christian church will secretly bring

in destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought them, bring upon themselves

swift destruction and many will follow their sensuality.

And because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed.

And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words.

So let's apply this to female teachers within women's ministry.

Women may speak about loving scripture, reading it all the time and even studying it in depth.

But if they bring in worldly knowledge to run around clear, simple to

understand instructions in scripture to justify their disobedience to it,

this reveals who their authority really is, their own desire here.

Oh, yes.

God's word is beneficial to them.

They want the blessings of God and want to teach those blessings to others.

But they do not want to truly obey out of love for Christ, but love for themselves as they

pursue the blessings of God and the notoriety that comes with teaching these blessings.

So as we now understand that Christ has been given all authority, that he is head of the church

and he appointed certain men, the apostles, to get

to lay the foundation from which the church would be built.

We now can go to the certain clear scripture passages that

tell us about female roles within the church.

Let's talk a little bit about the apostle Paul here, because he's the one who wrote was carried

along by the Holy Spirit to write these passages, to write the epistles.

So Paul was an apostle who was chosen by Jesus to preach to the gentiles, the

gentiles, the gentiles.

He was given the Holy Spirit.

He was proven to be chosen by Christ, by the miracles and power given to him by God to

perform signs and wonders.

Even Peter urges the church to listen and pay attention to his teachings and writings.

That's in 2 Peter 3, 14 to 16 and Ephesians 3, 2.

The same spirit that empowered Paul chose to speak through him, the Holy Spirit, knowing all

things.

This includes Paul's education, the society of Paul's day, the

society of every nation of every decade, century, millennia, et

cetera, would know exactly how to make Paul say exactly what the Holy

Spirit wants to convey.

No society or cultural differences, nor any mis -education or mis

-knowledge or understanding would hinder the Holy Spirit from making Paul or any of the

other prophets, disciples or apostles say exactly what he wanted to say.

These writings are God's very words, not the interpretation of man, nor were they

written by the will of man, but the will of God.

2 Peter 1, 21 again.

So what did Paul write in regards to preaching, teaching, authority and the roles of women in

the work of ministry?

I'm going to go to the two clear passages of Scripture here.

1 Timothy 1, verse 3 to chapter 2, verse 7 and 1

Corinthians 14, 33 to 35.

I've chosen to read a larger section of 1 Timothy because it is in the very

context of instructing Timothy on the role as shepherd to the flock in Ephesus.

In this epistle, Paul focuses on urging Timothy to remain in the good

doctrine, reminding him of Christ, choosing Paul to be an apostle, guide

Timothy into certain instructions for eldership and practice of the church, and encourage him to fight the

good fight of faith.

It's in this context where Paul informs Timothy on who an elder should be.

So let's look at that.

So 1 Timothy 1, verse 3 starts with, As I urged you

when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to

teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless

genealogies which promote speculations, rather than the stewardship from God that

is by faith.

The aim of our charge is love, that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience

and a sincere faith.

Certain persons, by swerving from these, the good doctrines they mean, have wandered away into

vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law.

You're going to see this a lot in Secret Sensitive.

They teach the law and it's a law light, but that's another topic for another episode.

Without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Now we know the law is good if one uses it lawfully, understanding this,

that the law is not laid down for the just, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly

and sinners, for the holy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for

murderers, the sexually immoral men who practice

homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers and whatever else is contrary to

sound doctrine.

In accordance with the gospel, the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

So I just want to make a little side note here.

Again, this would be another episode that I'm going to tackle, is looking at

what happens with the connection of sound doctrine to the way a person lives, right?

In accordance with the gospel, the glory of the blessed God, which Paul was

entrusted to preach this sound doctrine to produce holy living,

the opposite of unholy living.

Sound doctrine has direct connection with the way you live and how

you live righteously.

Okay, so Paul gets right into instructing Timothy to charge

certain persons not to teach any other doctrine than what he was taught.

So let's look at where Paul goes next.

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged

me faithful, appointing me to this service.

Though formerly I was a blasphemer, prosecutor and insolent opponent, but I

received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord overflowed

for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to

save sinners of whom I am the foremost.

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might

display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him

for eternal life.

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever

and ever.

Amen.

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies

previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good

conscience.

By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and

Alexander, whom I had handed over to Satan, that they may not learn to blaspheme.

So Paul, after instructing Timothy to charge other teachers to teach only what

is sound doctrine, Paul explains first that it was Christ that chose Paul for the very task of giving

this doctrine to the Gentiles and then goes into what this good doctrine is, that Christ came into the

world to save sinners from whom Paul was an example to all the world, him being the chief sinner.

Side note here, I absolutely love this part of the passage.

Paul is basically saying that if Christ is so patient and so gracious to such

a sinner as himself, Christ is just as patient and gracious to all who come to

him.

That includes you and me.

Praise the Lord, what a savior.

But I digress.

But along with proclaiming Christ's great patience and mercy, Paul is reminding Timothy of the authority

Christ has given Paul in his selection of Paul.

It is by this authority that Paul then goes on to give instructions to Timothy on what is good for the church to

do when they gather and who are to lead and teach them in these matters.

Chapter two, verse one.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings

be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet

life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God, our savior, who desires all people to be saved and

to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ

Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper

time.

For this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle.

I am telling the truth.

I'm not lying.

A teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

There Paul goes again, reminding Timothy and all who read this epistle that Paul was, quote,

appointed a preacher and an apostle.

I am telling the truth.

A teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

It is with the authority given to him by Christ that he now states the text that we're honing in on.

I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or

quarreling.

Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and

self -control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,

but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works.

Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.

Rather, she is to remain quiet.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

So not only does Paul have authority to instruct Timothy on what is good doctrine, he has the

authority to direct the church in what is done or to be done when they gather to worship

and who is to be leading the church in worship.

But like good old Paul, he gives us a reason why women are to remain quiet.

And that reason is not any culturally significant reason.

Culturally, issues are not even brought up in this text.

The reason that Paul gives is rooted in creation.

Paul's argument against women having authority over men is rooted in creation.

That man was created first.

Notice also that Paul reminds the reader that the woman was deceived and that Adam was

not.

While it was the woman who was deceived and Adam that was not, yet Adam is identified as the one whom

the curse of sin is passed on and to which the whole world was then subject to death, Romans 5,

12.

The responsibility and authority over the earth to work it and keep it was given to Adam,

along with God's first command to not eat of the tree of knowledge and evil.

These were given to Adam before Eve was even created.

He, by being created first and by being given the instructions of God, was given

authority to instruct Eve unto these things.

And Eve was created to be Adam's helper in accomplishing that which God instructed.

When we understand this, we then understand why death comes from Adam's sin and not Eve's.

So Adam not only had authority and was the federal head as he represented

all of humanity, he was a type of Christ who would be the federal head of all who were chosen.

The church, 1 Corinthians 15, 22, 45, and Romans 5, 12 to 17.

We see the headship is at the heart of the way God instituted authority and order and creation.

We see it in Genesis, in Exodus, as he chose Moses as his prophet and chose from the line of Levi

those who would be the priests of his temple.

We see it in all the historical records of Israel as kings were men and we see God continuing his

choosing of men to hold authority in this church as he, Christ, chose 12 disciples who would

go on to become apostles.

These apostles, understanding headship, would then choose men from among their disciples to become elders.

And that's exactly what we see in this epistle.

After pointing out that Adam was created first and that Eve was deceived, Paul goes right into what

Timothy should be looking for in choosing an overseer or an elder of the church.

Note here, Paul writing under the will of God by the Holy Spirit,

uses creation as his argument for headship in the church.

The Holy Spirit not allow any scriptural writer to misunderstand or

misinterpret the Old Testament as he would not allow a lie or misunderstanding because the

Holy Spirit cannot lie or mislead in any way.

If we say that women can be pastors, elders, or hold any position of authority over men within the church

because these passages that Paul's giving prohibiting female authority were

only written to protect cultural norms at Paul's time, then we imply

that the Holy Spirit intended to teach something that would end.

That the cultural norms, like the idea that

in culture, Paul's trying to defend that

culturally, to keep the

cultural peace, so to speak, because it would be shameful to the culture

that a woman preach or teach and exercise authority in the church.

If we say that now we understand scripture better and

we're more advanced or more knowledgeable and

therefore women can become leaders and authority within the church,

you are saying that the Holy Spirit did not

clarify, wasn't clear enough to say, well, this will change in the future

and therefore you do not have to listen to Paul's instructions.

Because the Holy Spirit does not contradict himself.

This would contradict the Holy Spirit's teaching that the instructions given by Paul

were rules given to all the churches.

And this is where we're going to look at the next passage in 1

Corinthians 14, 33 -35 to make this case.

The Corinthian church was apparently very unstructured.

So it's just a very chaotic church and Paul is writing to the Corinthians to correct it.

And here in this context from which this passage is going to come from,

he states that God is not a God of confusion, but peace.

And so because of that, all the churches of all the saints are to be run a specific

way, right?

As in, sorry, this is verse 33, As in all the churches of all the saints,

the woman should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be in

submission, as the law also says.

If there's anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a

woman to speak in church.

Now, there are several things of note in regards to this passage.

One, that this is in the context of a letter written to the Corinthians correcting certain

practices or traditions, as he calls them, that the Corinthians were abusing.

In chapter 11, it was head coverings, where Paul wanted to correct this practice as it was an

outward symbol of an inward truth.

And then he corrects the Lord's Supper as people were partaking of it without first discerning or judging themselves.

For one who partakes in the supper is to do it in remembrance of Christ and in proclamation of the Lord's death.

And we see they were misusing it by getting drunk and just basically stuffing

themselves.

So continuing in this correctional manner, in chapter 12, Paul directs the Corinthians

into correct usage of the spiritual gifts and instructing them that love

is at the heart of all spiritual gifts.

In this love, Paul instructs the people that if they are to speak in tongues, they would have an interpreter and that those who

prophesy do it one by one and are to be judged by the other prophets for the spirit of the

prophets are subject to prophets.

It is in this context that Paul gives a prohibition against women speaking in the church.

Women are not to bring a judgment or weigh what is said upon the prophecies given, but are to learn with

submission.

If the spirit of prophecy came upon a woman in the church, she might speak, but to expound upon the

prophecy, teach or exegete it, she was to remain quiet and submit herself to elders

who would judge or weigh what is said.

And two, this passage states that women should be in submission as the law also says,

referring to the law or Torah, which describes the institution of headship with God's creation

of Adam and Eve.

The fact that Adam was created first and given the authority to name God's creation as well as worth

the land gives clear evidence of headship.

And as Eve was created not only after Adam, from Adam and was named

then by Adam, she was created for Adam to be a willing helper, equal and fit for him.

It is in this nature that the law of headship and submission is displayed.

And number three, notice where in both First Timothy and First Corinthians passage, it is

shameful for a woman to speak the church.

We have several instances of women prophesying outside of the church, as in the case of Anna, even

instances of women helping men and correcting teaching, as in the case of Priscilla.

In the ministry of proclaiming the gospel to unbelievers, women are encouraged to speak.

It is because the church is separate from the world and it's a gathering of believers who devote

themselves to the apostles teachings.

Acts 2, 42, that the authoritative roles of teaching and preaching in these things

are reserved to men.

In Ephesians 4, 11 to 16, reread this.

And he gave the apostles, Christ gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and the teachers

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

Until we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,

to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children

tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by

craftiness and deceitful schemes.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way unto him who is the head

unto Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is

equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds

itself up in love.

The authority given to men who fulfill these roles is for the building up of God's people

to become like Christ and speak the truth in love.

We grow in every way unto Christ.

When the church body is working properly in the roles given to it, it grows, building

itself up in love.

This is why women should learn quietly with all submissiveness, 1 Timothy 2 .11, because

in so doing they are being built up unto maturity and becoming more and more like

Christ.

Since the admonition against women speaking in ways that teach and hold authority in the church is

rooted in creation and law, that in choosing to reject this prohibition, a

woman would not merely be misunderstanding God's word, but would be sinning

against God.

This is something we don't think a lot about.

I think in most discussions in regards to women teaching and holding authority within the church gathering,

we talk as if this is a secondary issue where one comes to

scripture based on how they interpret it.

Yet Paul is specific to mention the law here.

Michelle Leslie from a blog post titled, Women Preaching, It's Not a Secondary Doctrinal

Issue.

On her website, Michelle Leslie states this.

So this is on her blog, MichelleLeslie .com, and she gets into why this is

not what we typically say is a secondary issue.

And this is what she writes.

Quote, women serving as pastors, women preaching, women teaching men scripture in the church,

and women exercising authority over men in the church is not a secondary issue, nor is it a

primary or tertiary issue.

It does not belong in the category of doctrine in the same way baptism and

eschatology do.

It belongs in the category of sin in the same way murder, gossip and adultery do.

And then she says, let's take a look at the reasons for this.

And this is, she goes into First Timothy 2, 12.

Same passages, basically, that we went into.

So then she explains that First Timothy 2, 12 is a clear

command.

Second point here, secondary and tertiary doctrines can be open to varying degrees to biblical

interpretation.

Every stripe of non

-heretical eschatological thought can provide you with chapter and verse passages that

can, depending on the angle from which you approach the subject, be biblically plausible

and scripturally supported.

There is no biblical support for anything God prohibits.

No one can cite a properly handled in context Bible verse in which God says, it's okay

to commit adultery or women are allowed to preach.

There can be multiple views on a secondary or tertiary issue that can all be considered biblical,

but there can be only one view of sin that is biblical.

And then another point she brings into this, differing beliefs on secondary and tertiary

issues are not born of disobedience and rebellion towards God.

Usually it's quite the opposite.

When someone has studied a theological issue enough to hold a particular position on it, it's usually because

she's striving to please God and to be biblical in her beliefs.

Differing behavior on issues of sin is born out of disobedience and rebellion towards God.

Someone who stills has already decided in her heart that her desires are better than God's command.

A woman who knowingly holds improper authority over men in her church is doing so because she's

already decided to defy God's clear command against such.

Okay.

So to read, I'll put the link in the show notes.

I definitely suggest you continue to read or just read the whole entire

article.

It's really good.

So I want to expound upon what she said a little bit more.

Like if we were to faithfully attend a church for years and find out that our

pastor had been consistently looking at porn or using drugs or just basically been living in

some set sin for so many years, what would our reaction be?

Hopefully that would be we would rightly call them to repent and step down from that office.

So why in the world do we let women who call themselves pastors and choose to preach and teach over

men in the church continue to disobey Christ and his rule?

Not only do we not call it out, but in popular American women's ministry,

we platform these women as godly women.

They are the example.

They are held up within the church as faithful to Christ and successful in their mission.

Now, finally, going back to 1

Corinthians 14, 36 to 38.

Paul goes on after stating that all the churches of the saints, that women are to be

quiet, all the churches, all the saints, all the world for all time.

He states this, or was it from you that the word of God came?

Or are you the only ones it has reached?

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.

If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

So we understand that this rule that women are to be silent in the church comes from God's law, not any cultural

issue.

On top of that, Paul's response to those who might question this rule.

He basically says, did God speak through you?

Are you the only ones God has spoken to?

The answer to this rhetorical question is no.

God has spoken through the scriptures written by the prophets and apostles.

And if we think we are spiritual and know better than they, we are to be corrected and take all that is written

here as the commands of the Lord.

Then he ends by stating that if one does not recognize that these things he

writes are God's very commands, then that person is not recognized either by

the apostles or by God.

This is very heavy.

This is very, very important, because this means that if you were under a vision

casting pastor, a pastor that claims he received an independent vision from God for the

institution and running of his idea of the local church, he's not a true shepherd.

God's shepherds are servants or slaves of Christ who do not look for any

specific vision for those he shepherds, but submits himself to the words

already given by Christ through the apostles who lay the foundations for what the church is to

believe and how it is to gather for worship.

There is no additional revelation or vision needed to minister to the sheep and grow the church.

So this is why most secret sensitive purpose driven churches started by vision casting pastors

tend to have women pastors as well, because the vision will ultimately trump scripture.

As scripture states here, if your church is one of these having a vision casting pastor and

has women pastors or elders, then that church is not recognized.

Now, I want to take you down a path that doesn't get thought of about much in regards to women,

either calling themselves pastors or choosing to preach over men in Sunday morning service, even under

the guidance of elders, and that is this.

What is the spiritual role of a pastor and what is the purpose of preaching?

What does it mean to preach?

What is preaching?

Could the nature of preaching have something to do with why God chooses men over

women?

The role of preacher is instituted by God and given to a man to proclaim

or herald the good news.

Romans 10, 14 to 17 states, How then will they call

on him whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him, Christ, of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.

They have not all obeyed the gospel.

For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

The preacher brings the good news of the gospel and the preaching is the word of Christ.

The preacher's goal is to communicate the objective and authoritative revelation given to us by God.

That is the scriptures.

Preaching's effect is the edification of the people of God by the power of the Holy Spirit through

such means as teaching through argument, explanation, motive, exhortation, and

persuasion.

The tool of the preacher in the act of preaching is the word of God, which has all authority

because Christ has all authority.

And I believe it is because of the authority through God's word given to the preacher

and exercise in the act of preaching that God has chosen to give this role to men.

What do we say about the authority of God's word when we set aside the extreme importance and

necessity of preaching in the church?

Preaching is seen today to be a motivational speech as people collect for them teachers

that tickle their ears and boost their egos.

It's because of our sinful desire to hear only what we want to hear that Paul urges Timothy to preach

the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete

patience and teaching, 2 Timothy 4, 2 -3.

Yet, perhaps it is because most evangelical churches do not actually preach the word

that women giving motivational speeches sprinkled with scriptural references is

tolerated.

If we not only held up God's word as authoritative and sufficient

and that it should be preached in our gatherings, we would not give up the pulpit to water down messages

given by women.

The Holy Spirit is quite clear on what he has given us in scripture.

Women are not to teach or hold authority over men within the gathering of God's people.

Would the same Holy Spirit who inspired Paul to write that women are not to teach or hold authority over men in the church gathering,

would he actually inspire or call women to go against this directive?

To be a woman and make the claim that preaching to men is a calling given to them by God

is to contradict his written word.

You know, people ask all the time, how do you know when God is calling you to do something?

And it may sound like a lame answer, but you just know.

I just sensed God speaking in my heart or putting a desire in my heart to teach the word.

And I felt that this dream came to me that I was going to go all over the world and teach the word.

Any woman who claims this should give us pause to consider and judge whether she's

actively, willingly submitting to God's word.

If she refuses, then we have no need to put ourselves under her teaching.

So what does this mean for us ladies?

Well, a couple points here.

One, it means that we guard who we listen to when it comes to teaching God's word.

And two, it means that we can identify the willingness of a female teacher to submit to

God's word by looking at whether she rejects the clear instruction given to women in their roles in the church gathering.

Just as we wouldn't put ourselves under a pastor who continued to live in sin, we should not put ourselves

under female teachers who claim to teach the scriptures, claim to handle them rightly, yet

have chosen to reject or do hermeneutical gymnastics around clear

passages when it comes to their ministry.

If they twist scripture to suit their desires, how can we trust that they don't twist other scripture for

their own gain?

Three, it means we take serious the word of God in our spiritual act of worship in placing ourselves

under men who preach God's word and place ourselves under women who honor the God -given roles and teach

women to obey these instructions as well as all the other good doctrines and teachings found in scripture

that will encourage you to love husbands and children, be self -controlled, pure, working at home,

kind and submissive to husbands so that the word of God is not reviled.

Titus 2, 3 -5.

Four, if you were like me, who at one time was ignorant of this, nor spent much time thinking about

it, or maybe you're one who saw no problem with female pastors, or you're even attending a church that has

a female pastor and a vision caster as pastor, perhaps God has brought you to this episode to

cause you to dive into his word because that is what I pray you do.

Go to God's word and see if I handled the passages correctly and in context.

Wrestle with it yourselves with a willing heart to be corrected should you be unsubmissive

to it in any way.

For God is a good God who will grant wisdom.

For if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all

without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1, 5.

My conclusion.

Scripture is clear on who is to be preaching and exercising the authoritative role of teaching the word of God to the church

congregation at a Sunday service.

It's very clear that the role is to be performed by a man, and that if any of these female speakers reject this

instruction, they are not willingly putting themselves under Christ's authority, and therefore are not

qualified to teach women.

So, ladies, as we move forward on how to discern if she's a false teacher in the next episode, I

will be giving you a litmus test on determining whether these women were called by God to teach and train as women.

It was necessary to tackle this issue before I presented that so that you can have a solid biblical understanding of

why women who take up the office of pastor or who perform the act of preaching to a church congregation on

Sunday is the first on that list and is the easiest way to discern that she's a false teacher.

Her actions speak to her obedience and to what she believes about Scripture.

They are not authoritative to her and that through her rebellious

act, she is training other women to believe in that to the same.

Luke 6, 39 -40,

I pray these women see the log of rebellion in their actions, repent, and call women

back to the authority, clarity, and sufficiency of God's Word.

But until next time, I pray that this episode has helped you trust in the Scripture more as we look at its

authority and sufficiency, Paul's calling to apostleship, and the Holy Spirit guiding Paul into

instruction to all the churches, and God's calling of faithful men to be given authority

by our Good Shepherd to guide the flock into all knowledge and understanding, building up and edifying His

people through the simplicity of preaching.

I pray you are in His Word.

Ladies, thanks for listening or watching this episode of Thoroughly Equipped.

If this episode blessed you, would you give it a rating or a thumbs up?

And if you think Thoroughly Equipped is a much -needed ministry, consider subscribing.

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If you are interested to know more about Thoroughly Equipped, check out the blog or just find some other great

Christian resources, you can go to my website at ttew .org.

You can connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, links in the description below, or email me at

melbetoast at ttew .org.

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Check that out at christianpodcastcommunity .org.

I pray the God of all grace grants you more and more knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ as

the Holy Spirit thoroughly equips you through His written Word for every good work.

I pray you are in His Word.