Women
in the Church of the Living God
Part
4
Preface
Who have bewitched the so-called professing Christian ‘mainstream’ community? That they have turned to other gospels, departing "from the simplicity that is in Christ". Falling prey to that which are not gospels at all, but gospels of feminism, prosperity, and this so-called equality in ‘authority’ of men and women in the churches of this world, and teaching other such gospels (Rev. 2:20 NIV where the Lord Jesus says, “You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants…”; Galatians 1:6-12; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
·
10 Do you think I
am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please.
Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not
be a servant of Christ.
In Acts 2:14-21 (v.
17-18 used by teachers of the gospel of feminism to support their doctrine of
the evil one) below in context is the NIV of the Scripture
that most would site as proving women can teach in the churches because it is
in the Old and New Testament (as if this gives it more weight - meaning if God
allowed it in the Old Testament why would He stop it in the New Testament).
Footnotes
a. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
·
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even
on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
·
30 I will show wonders
in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The
sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
·
32 And everyone
who calls
on the name of the Lord will be
saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.[a]
a. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts
2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.
The Holy Scriptures listed above Acts 2:14-21
and Joel 2:28-32
pointed to “last
days” beginning with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as
prophesy by the holy prophets and the law; these Scriptures also points toward
the “coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20), also
referred as the “coming of the great and dreadful day of
the Lord” (Joel 2:32 NIV) which is the beginning of the Lord Jesus return in the power of God
as spoken of by the Son of God in the Book of Prophecy, Revelation. These
verses do not say women or daughters will prophesy in the congregations as
women have prophesy in the Old Testament as God gave them utterance; nor were these
men and women gathered in Jerusalem during the Day of Pentecost as a
congregation or holding churches worship service (Acts 2:1-13).
Furthermore, these
men and women spoke in tongues as the context of the Scripture reveals and
speaking in tongues are not for believers but unbelievers (Acts 2:4 NIV “…began
to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”).
For teachers of the
gospel of feminism to say, these verses declare women are allowed to teach in
the churches is not sound doctrine and logic (nor do the fact that something was
allowed in the Old make it right in the New).
I could ask this
same question of many things allowed under the Old and not allowed under the
New (Compare these verses Lev. 23:10-23 and Matt. 5:21-48; Deut. 24:1-4 and
Matt. 19:1-12):
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 New
International Version (NIV) – Old Testament
Marriage
and Divorce
Matthew 19:1-12 New International
Version (NIV) – New Testament
·
1 When Jesus had
finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea
to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large
crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 Some Pharisees
came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his
wife for any and every reason?” 4 “Haven’t
you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a]
·
5 and said, ‘For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So
they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore
what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
·
7 “Why then,” they
asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and
send her away?”
·
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted
you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this
way from the beginning.
·
9 I tell you that
anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another
woman commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said
to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better
not to marry.”
·
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone
can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs
who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs
by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the
sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
a. Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27
b. Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24
Here
in the above Holy Scriptures our Great High Priest
(Hebrews 4:14) Christ Jesus explains why Moses made a spiritual
judgment and allowed our ancestors, the Israelites to divorce their wives even
though in the beginning this was not the Way.
As
the man Moses who was led by the Holy Spirit allowed divorce because of the “hardness
of your hearts,” (Matthew 19:8 NKJV).
The
apostle Paul being led by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 7
gives his spiritual judgments (1 Corinthians 7:10, 12 and 25 NKJV).
·
10 Now to the
married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her
husband…
·
12 But to the rest
I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she
is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her…
·
25 Now concerning
virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom
the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.
Compare
apostle Paul spiritual judgments above with our Lord Jesus Christ Word in
Matthew 19:11-12 NIV “12…The one who can
accept this should accept it”.
Again, as it is written, “The person
with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not
subject to merely human judgments” (1 Corinthians 2:15 NIV).
Wordings
of Acts 2:17-18
Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
..."And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour
out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My
menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My
Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy."
Some would pick these
verses out as if these verses are proof that women can teach in the churches.
However, we need only closely examine these verses to find that these verses
do not even use the Greek words for teach, speak, preach, apostle, bishop, or
churches (this would clearly clarify these verses if women were to teach
men in the New Testament Church).
As it is written, 2
Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Please let us
remain sober minded in teaching sound doctrine, and not distorting the word of
God (2 Cor. 4:1-2 and 2 Tim. 4:1-4).
2 Timothy 4:1-4 New International
Version (NIV)
·
1 In the presence
of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view
of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
·
2 Preach the
word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
·
3 For the time
will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit
their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to
say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Let us remember,
our explaining of Scriptures must not contradict other Scriptures.
Any guidance we give in helping others understand the Holy Scriptures must
allow other Scripture to interpret and support our explanation and conclusions,
meaning other Scripture must support our doctrine (Isaiah 28:9-13 “For
percept must be upon precept… Line upon line… Here a little”; Acts 8:30-31
and Titus 1:7-9).
Titus 1:7-9 New King James Version (NKJV)
·
7 For a [a]bishop must be blameless, as a steward of
God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to
wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable,
a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
·
9 holding fast the faithful word as he
has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
convict those who contradict.
a. Titus 1:7 Lit. overseer
I, as one given by
the Holy Spirit spiritual judgment will not teach what you want to hear; on
contrary, I teach what the Word of God teaches rightly
dividing the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV).
Again, remember
this Scripture is quoted from Joel 2:28-32 it is said to have been fulfilled in
Acts 2:14-21. Here we are trying to determine if women can
be teachers of men in the churches of the living God base on these verses.
So, we must ask
certain questions here such as: Do this Scripture state women can now teach
men? No. Were the saints coming together as a congregation (assembled
for Church worship service) in these verses? No.
However, some might
argue that since it was Pentecost they may have been in service;
this would not agree with other sound doctrine listed above and that this is
the beginning of the Church era – the churches were not established prior to
the
Day of Pentecost.
After Christ death,
resurrection and Him returning to the Holy and Righteous Father in heaven, the
Holy Spirit was given to all disciples waiting in Jerusalem as instructed by
Christ Jesus, the Son of the Living God. These questions
are women teaching men in these verses? Answer no.
What actually
happen here? Peter explains what happen and gives its meaning in Acts 2:16 beginning
of the fulfillment of “what was spoken by the prophet Joel”.
Here
below is NKJV of the Scripture
in context:
Acts
2:1-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
·
1 When the Day of
Pentecost had fully come, they were all [a]with one accord in one place. 2 And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there
appeared to them [b]divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat
upon each of them.
·
4 And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance.
·
5 And there were
dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And
when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused,
because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then
they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another,
·
“Look, are not all these who speak
Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own [c]language in which we were born?
·
9 Parthians and Medes
and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and
Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya
adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans
and [d]Arabs—
·
we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful
works of God.” 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying
to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
·
13 Others mocking
said, “They are full of new wine.”
·
14 But Peter,
standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and
all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For
these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only [e]the third hour of the day.
·
16 But this is
what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
·
17 ‘And it shall
come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will
pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall
see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants
and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in
those days; And they shall prophesy.
·
19 I will show
wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth
beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun
shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of
the great and awesome day of the Lord.
·
21 And it shall
come to pass That whoever
calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
a.
Acts 2:1 NU together
b.
Acts 2:3 Or tongues as
of fire, distributed and resting on each
c.
Acts 2:8 dialect
d.
Acts 2:11 Arabians
e.
Acts 2:15 9 a.m.
The above Scripture
is quoted in context from the NKJV for understanding sound doctrine. In
Acts 2:1, we find the disciples in Jerusalem waiting for the Holy
Spirit.
In Acts chapter
one, we see the disciples were told to remain in Jerusalem waiting for the
Holy Spirit to be given which would give them power to be witnesses of
Christ Jesus, the Son of God life, death, and resurrection. They were in an
upper room praying, both men and women together (numbering about 120).
Please note both men
and women were gathered together (it does not say
women were leading men here either) praying at a private gathering not as a
church gathering together for edification of the saints.
Notice, Peter stood
up and spoke to the group of “Unbelievers” present
during this “sign” from God, and no woman spoke during this time other
than speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit enabled them.
“Peter and the
eleven” stood up during
the Festival of Pentecost and the apostle Peter spoke to the gathering
of believers and unbelievers (those who did not receive the Holy Spirit at
the gathering but mocked them Acts 2:13) were present.
Note here in Acts 1,
a replacement apostle was selected from among the 'men
only' to replace Judas the betrayer (Acts 1:15-26 “…of the men
who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among
us”).
The word used here for
'men' is 'Aner' meaning any male, translated as husband
or man (gender specific - not a woman).
If women were given
authority over men in the congregations of the Living God – this were the
perfect time for Peter to enlighten these disciples. Note, they also prayed to
the Lord Jesus and cast lots and the Spirit chose the man Matthew (Acts
1:23-26).
·
15 And in those
days Peter stood up in the midst of the [a]disciples (altogether the number of names
was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and
brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke
before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to
those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us
and obtained a part in this ministry.”
·
18 (Now this man
purchased a field with the [b]wages of iniquity; and falling
headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his [c]entrails gushed out. 19 And
it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in
their own language, Akel Dama,
that is, Field of Blood.)
·
20 “For it is written
in the Book of Psalms:
·
‘Let his dwelling place be [d]desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another
take his [e]office.’
·
21 “Therefore, of
these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and
out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when
He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His
resurrection.”
·
23 And they
proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed
Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed
and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You
have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship
from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”
·
26 And they cast
their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven
apostles.
a. Acts 1:15 NU brethren
b. Acts 1:18 reward of unrighteousness
c. Acts 1:18 intestines
d. Acts 1:20 deserted
e. Acts 1:20 Gr. episkopen, position of overseer
Peter did not ask
for 'anyone' (translated from the Greek word 'eékastov'; transliterated word 'Hekastos,
hek'-as-tos'); the
person had to have been with the disciples “beginning
from the baptism of John” to
the Lord Jesus Christ death and resurrection, and a male
(not a female as the women gathered there with the men were not chosen by the Lord
Jesus as one of the twelve but had been with Christ from the beginning to His
death also).
If women could be apostles
or hold office in the churches of God then this was a perfect chance to choose
a woman to replace Judas, “a guide to those who
arrested Jesus”. If Acts 2:17-18 declared
women could preach then this was a perfect time for the Spirit to pick one of
the women as an apostle.
In Acts 2:2-4,
the word of God says on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared as
divided tongues of fire; and the disciples all 120 (Acts 1:15) were
filled with the Holy Spirit and ‘spoke in tongues’ (in the
language of those at the feast).
The disciples both
men and women performed a sign for the unbelievers
(1 Cor. 14:20-25) by prophesying in the language of those present at the
feast of Pentecost.
Note, the women
were not prophesying in the churches worship service, and each spoke
"as the Spirit gave them utterance" (v. 4). They were
not teaching anyone, rather they were proclaiming something divinely inspired
outside of the churches worship service, and in the tongue or language of those
present.
This is totally in
line with all other Scriptures concerning prophets or prophetess proclaiming
what God is doing and will do (Judges 4:6-10 and Luke 2:36-38).
After the disciples finished speaking in tongues, Peter standing up with the
eleven (notice no women step forward to teach or explain what was said) and
explained that what happen was the fulfilling of Joel 2:28, as quoted in Acts
2:17-18.
As the disciples
spoke in tongues in Acts 2:4, the Holy Spirit in
1 Corinthians 14:20-25 explains the meaning of speaking in tongues is
for the “unbeliever” (those without belief in the Scriptures or belief without
works James 1:19-27; James 2:14-26). Speaking in tongues is not for the “Believer”
(those with the Spirit of Christ who accept “all” His teachings and
Word) in the churches of the Living God.
Therefore, this
speaking in tongues by these women in this group of disciples on the
Day of Pentecost were not teaching and edifying in the
Churches of the Saints of the Living God; it was a “sign” for the “Unbelievers”
present at the time; yet, the churches of this world members and preachers regularly
claim to be speaking in tongues during their worship services – think about
what I’m saying here. As it is written,
1 Corinthians
14:20-25 New International Version (NIV)
·
20 Brothers and
sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your
thinking be adults.
21 In the Law it is
written: “With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to
this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”[a]
·
22 Tongues, then,
are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not
for unbelievers but for believers.
·
23 So if the whole
church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers
come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
·
24 But if an unbeliever
or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of
sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as
the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they
will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
a. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11,12
Also, note in Joel 2:28
the word used to translate 'prophesy' is the Hebrew word 'Naba'
meaning under divine influence of a spirit (Holy or evil).
The word is not translated as teach which is translated from the Hebrew words 'Zahar', 'Yarah' or 'Lamad', and the Greek word 'Didasko'
used in 1 Timothy 2:12 NIV “I do not permit a woman to
teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet”.
In Isaiah 28:11-12,
the Old Testament “speaking in tongues” is used not to imply
teaching or giving words of instructions but as a “sign” for
unbelievers; nor is the context of Acts 2 the gathering of the congregations
for instructions.
In Acts 2,
this was a gathering of unbelievers and believers; the church is a gathering of
(or should be) those who profess a belief in the doctrine of Christ Jesus, and
for the edification of those who profess to be followers of Christ Jesus as
Lord and Son of the Living God.
Therefore, I exhort you to stop twisting the
Holy Scriptures to suit your own beliefs and private interpretations by
accepting the viewpoint of this present evil age rather than the plain Word of
God on this subject. Repent therefore of your wrongful
thinking, and submit your life to following the things of God rather than the
things of this world.
However, the Holy Scriptures tells us that
there are “many” in this present age; just as the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
the Living God says, “many” who will not repent of their unbelief and endless
myths.
Matthew
7:21-23 NKJV - I Never Knew You
As it is written concerning the woman Jezebel,
Christ Jesus our Great High Priest and Master (Hebrews 4:14 and John 15:14-16)
says:
Revelation
2:20-21 King
James Version (KJV)
Christ Jesus, the Son
of God is our example:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV
·
“All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God…”
John 1:1-14 KJV
·
“1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The
same was in the beginning with God…14 And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Philippians
2:5-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Humbled and
Exalted Christ
·
5 Let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of
God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but
[b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
·
8 And being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross.
·
9 Therefore God also
has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Footnotes
a.
Philippians 2:6 Or something to be held
onto to be equal
b. Philippians 2:7 emptied Himself of His privileges
Evangelist
(Minister) Ron Davis, a servant of Christ Jesus, of the Kush Edifying Ministries proclaims
the whole counsel of God. This ministry believes in the command of Jesus to His
disciples in Matthew 10:7-8 “As you go, preach this message: 'The
kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who
have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (NIV). Jesus
commands us to “freely” preach the
word without demanding those preached to give us ten (10%) of their income or
earnings.
Please
send your comments to Evangelist Ron Davis,
of the Kush Edifying Ministries.
OR
if you want to debate my conclusion of in this matter; if you want to argue
your own “private interpretation”, then
please send it to the below listed email address with your Scripture backing up
what you wish to debate. Thanks, and may God bless you in understanding His
Holy and righteous word.
Now, let us move to Women
in the churches of the saints of God, Part 5, where we will examine and
discuss the Word of God spoken by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul and
other parts of the Holy Scriptures. Amen. Praise God.