Women preachers

does it really say in the bible there cannnot be women preachers? Is Joyce Meyers a preacher or just a teacher? I like her, and was talking to some relatives about her and they said it was wrong for a woman to be a preacher. i dunno, but they were pretty arrogant about it and it ticked me off. i told them to point it out to me in the bible cause i don't believe what a person says cause people will say it to make it come out to how THEY won't it to be and not the truth.

 

1 Corinthians

14:34 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.
14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Timothy

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

 

Paul was full of shit in that regard, but then again, so were most Jewish men.

 

See, that just doesn't make any sense to me. Joyce Meyer is extremely gifted as an inspirational leader. I can enjoy listening to her & be inspired by some of what she says . . . & I'm not even a Christian. Why should she "hide her light under a bushel?" Why should gender roles be so narrowly defined? Why not go with common sense, each building on their strengths & talents as individuals?

There's been a lot of debate over the years about Paul & his attitude toward women, but I've never read anything that went into that in much detail. Can anyone recommend a book on this that's pretty even-handed?

 

I contacted Joyce Meyer Ministries several years ago and asked about this and they referred me to a book by Kenneth Hagin called The Woman Question . You can get it at most Christian book stores or you may have to order it from KH Ministries. It's been awhile but as I remember it, the scriptures are referring to a wife not taking by force the role of the husband and not women in general. It is not intended as "men are superior to women" but that they are not to take the place of the husband.

It should also be pointed out that Paul spoke of women praying and prophecying in church (1 cor. 11:5) and that Pricilla instructed Apollos (Acts 18:26) and that older women were to teach younger (titus 2:3) and finally Paul states that if you're in Christ then there is neither male nor female and that all are one (Gal. 3:28).

 

thanks curly. when you hear people speak of women and men and what the bible says, they always come across as if men are superior but when i listen to a real man of God, such as David Jeremiah, Adrian Rogers, Micheal Youseff and some others who i have heard talk about roles of women and men and they speak it directly from the bible, well, it sounds waaay different. it's not one superior than the other more of like a team working together.

I really like Joyce Meyers and think she's helped a lot of people. Her husband does a lot of good too but he's more in the background cause he's really not one to be out front. he seems shy but she seems far from it.

You know, she does conferences in different cities and they are all free? i know some charge way up there to attend one of their conferences. i think that says alot where her heart is.

 

Thanks for the info & the reference, curly!

And JB, that makes a lot of sense to me--a husband & wife working together, each using their individual strengths in the way that makes the most of them.

I do have a lot more trust & respect for ministries that don't "charge" or that don't constantly solicit contributions. I think if the ministry is doing its job, the contributions will come without being begged for. Gentle suggestion should be plenty.

 

Off subject a little but related to this argument: I have a problem with people attacking Paul. The books he wrote are just as much a part of the bible and just as authoritative as any other books. I do not have much respect for anyone who takes the bible in parts instead of as a whole. That basically says to me that you are taking the parts you like and leaving out the parts you dont. That is no different than creating your own religion IMHO.

 

What do you think they did when they had conventions to determine which writings to include and which to exclude?

I feel the danger comes from trying to look at it as one instead of having an understanding of the unique situation in which each piece was written.