The same verse that convinced me that a woman could be a Pastor is the one that I now use to confirm my belief that a woman should not be a Pastor.
JUDGES 4:4-5 NKJV
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Deborah was clearly anointed to speak the word of YHWH she was a prophetess; she was also a wife. YHWH commands women to honor their husbands and to submit to their husbands in every way; it would be accurate to believe that Deborah the wife of Lapidoth submitted to her husband.
EPHESIANS 5:22 NKJV
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
I BELIEVE, I am emphasizing this is my personal belief, that Deborah was 100% submitted to her husband as a woman of YHWH should be and because of this YHWH trusted her with His word. Her husband, I BELIEVE, understood her gifting and did not stop her from serving YHWH.
But, Deborah did not go around ministering to the people the people came to her. This is important because there are many women who minister to others and then interpret that as "I need to start a church".
Let me digress for a moment. Women know that they are "called" to be mothers and they have babies before they have a husband. YHWH knows what He has called us to do He has a specific order in which all things are done: we must wait until the husband finds us not get a boyfriend to sleep with us. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22) Women must learn how to be a wife and wait for a man who knows how to be a husband before becoming a mother- this is the way of Elohim.
The people came to the Prophetess with their problems. Deborah did not go to them to teach or preach the word of Elohim. Deborah sat under a tree not in a building, holding regular services. I BELIEVE, in serving the people she did not neglect her wifely responsibilities.
EPHESIANS 5:22 -23 THE VOICE
Wives, it should be no different with your husbands. Submit to them as you do to the Lord, for God has given husbands a sacred duty to lead as the Anointed leads the church and serves as the head. (The church is His body; He is her Savior.)
It is written in Ephesians 5:23 "the husband is the head of the wife," (King James Version) and what I see in many ministries is women taking the lead of a household because of her ministry. I see women making their outside ministry a priority and their household, wifely, responsibilities secondary. No where in the Bible does it tell a man to submit to his wife in regard to headship. The husband is to lead his household as the Anointed, Christ, leads the church. (Notice: I haven't even mentioned the children.)
Can women preach? Yes. Can women teach the word? Yes. Can women prophesy? Yes. Can a woman who has gifts from YHWH be the Senior Pastor of a Church? NO.
There were quite a few women who followed Jesus and who shared the Word with others. The woman of Samaria in John 4 evangelized and a community was saved. Dorcas was a housewife, a homemaker, yet the impact she had on others was so great that when she died the people asked the Apostle Peter to do something and so he raised her from the dead. These women served without titles.
ACTS 9:36-40 NKJV
At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
Women do not need a title to serve. Women do need to submit to the authority El Shaddai established in the beginning: YHWH- MAN-WOMAN- CHILDREN. We are so out of order today if you look around you will see how the children are suffering because of it. No family is perfect, which is why we need the Word to teach and a father and mother working together.
Women have assumed the role of head of the house and in the church. Men are yielding their responsibility not as Lapidoth did when he allowed Deborah to lead men into battle. If you read the passage Barak, a man, also gave her permission to lead the men. There are somethings men allow women to do because of the anointing on her, it is specific to an activity. Deborah lead the way but she did not complete the task, another woman did- Jael, Habers wife. Scripture reminds us: no matter what the gifting we are wives first, the husband is our head.
I BELIEVE women can fulfill their GOD given purpose without a man made title.
written by Marsha L F Randolph
NETTIE-OLOGY /NETTIE-ISM reflects the opinions of and is the soul property of the author MARSHA L F RANDOLPH. All rights reserved- do not use without permission. Disagreeing with what is written is not offensive to the author a disagreeable comment will be deleted.
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