As we are getting close to Pentecost we need to reflect on the Holy Spirit and what it does for us and for God himself. It is a very fascinating subject with many things to explore. It is amazing and wonderful how it works in our lives every day and what is also interesting is the amount of misconceptions there are about it.

One of the areas I struggled with when we started this little group was the roles of women in the church. I knew women had a lot to offer but typically they were barred from speaking and other duties in other churches. Being a new group I had to figure out what is the appropriate and Godly response to women serving in church. Most people will hold to a scripture in particular to decide this matter:

1 Corinthians 14:34

34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.

35 And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Often they who look at this scripture take it as literal and therefore women do not typically have speaking roles in a good number of churches. Some have even told me they would not attend because we do not do what this scripture says to do. So why are we different as a church group in this?

If you read the whole chapter you will see that Paul was describing a protocol for church services. In the preceding scriptures others, regardless of their sex were limited in what they could say and were instructed to keep silent in certain circumstances. This included prophets and those speaking in tongues. As you read it was to prove confusion as God is not the author of confusion but Satan is.

Understand that the use of shame in this passage is not indicative of sin. It is used to show that it should be avoided under the circumstances indicated. Shame is the feeling of conviction for the transgression. The Law is also about being submissive to her husband.

Then there is 1 Timothy 2:12

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

His has to do with hierarchy in the church. Both ‘teach’ and ‘authority’ carry the same weight in this passage. It has to do with respecting authority in both. It has more to do with leadership as pastors and elders than the ability to teach. God has established that males rule the family and the same is in the church. Christ is also the head of those in his church. In Jesus Christ women were becoming educated just as much as men of his ways more and more and were able to teach as they learned.

I found it interesting that there was always a level of hypocrisy from different churches who hold these verses dear to keeping women silent. Some allow their deaconesses to rule over the ley men or regular attendees and order them to do things. Pastors and elders’ wives had authority of a pastor or elder in many cases and were put over men in various capacities. This would violate the spirit of these scriptures in their understanding and portrayal of them.

The reasons I use to allow our women to speak can be seen throughout the bible, not just in one area. Women held powerful roles including as queens and judges. Some were used to deliver their people. In every case they answered to male leadership while being leaders themselves. Some answered to the high priest, some answered to a king, some answered to the apostles, many answered to their husbands, and all answer to Jesus Christ.

Some were also teachers. We see this in the New Testament with Timothy’s mother (ironically). And also the example of Pricilla and Aquila who both taught Apollos who himself became powerful in the church. It is believed by the nature of how it was written that the book of Hebrews was written by Pricilla. She is recorded in history as a teacher and preacher. Women who have the power given by the Holy Spirit to teach by all means should teach. Not every woman desires to teach as are the same with some men.

My conclusion is I have no right to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit and should never do so.

A very prominent pastor and author Aiden Tozer noted that churches who try to subdue spiritual gifts in people often do it to their own demise. In his observation they function like a handicapped person trying to live the life of a normal person. To visualize this, imagine a blind man trying to drive a car, or a person without an arm trying to climb a mountain. They have certain struggles a whole person does not. They may accomplish what is set before them but they would accomplish it better if they were whole. I myself have seen this in past churches I attended.

A church by design should have male leadership. Women’s roles are also very important as part of the body and should never be treated as lesser. As scripture shows us we are all part of a body and that body functions best as a whole.