Woman In Ministry

   1Tim 2:11-12  Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.  But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.                                                                                             

   This verse can be easily misinterpreted.  Timothy was a young minister, and Paul was giving him a code of conduct for the female believers during church service. It may have been that some were freely speaking out turn or acting unruly undermining Timothy’s youth (1Tim 4:12 ).  Usually positions like a minister were giving to the elders.

   It was understood by Paul that all the woman’s could not to be silent, because in the Book of Acts, Luke wrote about this in his journeys with Paul where they stayed with Philip the evangelist, who had four daughters that prophesied (Acts 21:8-9).  As we dig deeper into this topic, we’ll go back in time and start at Genesis.

The Garden

   God gave men the job of taking care of the garden (Gen 2:15).  He also gave him Eve to be with him for companionship,  and also to be his help mate (Gen 2:18).  You will see this relationship throughout history between man and woman.  Keeping in mind that God did not place Eve under Adam but as a partner to take care of the Garden and walk hand in hand.  The order of authority in creation is always the same pattern from beginning to end, God, Jesus, man, woman, children, man being the head of the human family of God (Eph 5:23,24).

   God desire is for men to be a leader and in control (Deut 28:13).  God in his wisdom has put specific time for all things, and he doesn’t wait for anyone to finish his works.  There are times he can’t find a man to do his work (Eze 22:30), There was a time Israel did not have a strong leader and someone they can trust. Deborah a prophetess and a judge rose up to lead the army of Israel against the army of the Canaan king and overcome them (Judges 4).  So, we can see that a woman can do great things outside the kitchen.

   Though the woman for the most part is created to bare children and cook a meal, some of them God has given them gifts and talents for other works (Rom 12:6-8); and this work can be anything including, preaching behind a pulpit, prophesying, or mission fields, or leading a group   We are going back to the Old Testament and see some great woman do great works of faith, in that time period.