Are Women to Teach?

While we are at it, we must remember that sometimes the word woman or women is used to describe a weak and helpless man. (Isaiah 3:12; 19:16)

The word woman can also be used figuratively describing foreign warriors and or heroes as "women," IN OTHER WORDS AS WEAK, UNMANLY, AND COWARDLY: "In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts..." (Isaiah 19:16)

There is simply no escaping it; but when God created mankind (Genesis 1:27), He created both "male and female." BOTH WERE CREATED in God's image AND both WERE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXERCISING AUTHORITY OVER GOD�S CREATION. And that means teaching at some point in time, no matter what some would like to believe.

�And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.� (Judges 4:4-5)

There is no way in the world that Deborah could have been a judge over Israel and not been a teacher of the law.

Within the writings of Paul, however, other statements restrict women from participating in church leadership as freely as men. WOMEN WERE TO KEEP SILENT IN CHURCH; THEY WERE TO BE SUBMISSIVE TO THE MALE LEADERS. (1 Corinthians 14:34‑35; 1 Timothy 2:11‑12)

Now how does one reconcile these two seemingly opposing views? IN GALATIANS PAUL WAS STATING A GENERAL PRINCIPLE THAT MEN AND WOMEN WERE EQUAL, JUST AS THE SLAVE IS EQUAL TO HIS MASTER IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.

However, Paul did not require or teach that the slaveholder had to release his slaves. In the same manner, PAUL REQUESTED THE WOMEN TO BE SUBMISSIVE TO THEIR HUSBANDS; to preserve order within the church. TO BE A WITNESS TO OUTSIDERS. Being a witness for Christ IS TO TEACH NO MATTER WHAT ONE SAYS OR THINKS.

Some of the finest leaders in Israel were women, in spite of the fact that the culture was male‑ dominated. Military victories were sometimes won because of the courage of one woman. (Judges 4‑‑5; 9:54)

How can a woman be a judge and not be a teacher of sorts? It cannot be, for she must render judgment and that means that she must teach those who do not know the laws of God those Laws!

God revealed His Word through PROPHETESSES (Judges 4:4; Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9) One cannot be a prophet without teaching, therefore if a woman was a Prophetess for Yahweh, then she is by definition a teacher. Which again does not matter what one would like to believe or think; she is/was a teacher!

God used Priscilla and her husband Aquila to explain "the way of God more accurately" to Apollos the preacher. (Acts 18:26)

Oh my goodness here we have a woman explaining �the way of God more accurately.� Which means that she was a teacher also. Of course her husband was there, and of course he was also a teacher; but that does not negate the fact that she also helped teach a preacher. How about that?

The heroes of faith mentioned in (Hebrews 11) include Sarah (Hebrews11:11), Moses' mother (Hebrews 11:23), and Rahab the harlot. (Hebrews 11:31) Oh my goodness, here we have a whore that is a hero, isn�t that strange?

In order to understand the Old Testament view of woman, one must turn to the Book of Genesis. When God created mankind, He created both "male and female" (Genesis 1:27; 5:2). Both were created in God's image and both were given the responsibility of exercising authority over God's creation. The man was created before the woman. Because the man needed companionship and a helper, God caused the man to sleep. From him He created a woman, "a helper comparable to him" (Genesis 2:18,20).

Man is incomplete without woman. BECAUSE SHE IS CALLED A �HELPER� DOES NOT IMPLY THAT SHE IS INFERIOR TO MAN. THE SAME HEBREW WORD TRANSLATED AS HELPER IS USED OF GOD IN HIS RELATIONSHIP TO ISREAL (Psalm 33:20; 70:5).

The culture that developed around the Israelites in ancient times did not always have this perspective of woman. Certain Old Testament passages tend to reflect an attitude that woman was little more than a thing and that a woman should be entirely subordinate to man. This tendency became pronounced before the coming of Christ. One of the Jewish prayers that dated from that era declared, "I thank Thee that I am not a woman."

�For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.� (Micah 6:4)

Jesus lived and taught a better way; the way of love. HE ALLOWED WOMEN TO ACCOMPANY HIM and HIS DISCIPLES ON THEIR JOURNEYS. (Luke 8:1‑3) He talked with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well and led her to a conversion experience (John 4:28-29) And so she became a teacher to the men telling them of Jesus.

�The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, COME, SEE A MAN, WHICH TOLD ME ALL THINGS THAT EVER I DID: IS NOT THIS THE CHRIST?� (John 4:28-29)

JESUS DID NOT THINK IT STRANGE THAT MARY SAT AT HIS FEET, ASSUMING THE ROLE OF A DISCIPLE; in fact, He suggested to Martha that she should do likewise. (Luke 10:38‑42)

Although the Jews segregated the women in both Temple and synagogue, the early church did not separate the congregation by sex. (Acts 12:1‑17; 1 Corinthians 11:2‑16)