"WOMEN" IN THE CHURCH


By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul, in ICor.14:34, states that "women" are to be silent in the church and then again, referring specifically to "women" in ITim.2:12, Paul states that women are not "suffered" or allowed to teach in the church. It must be recognized however by all except those who are blind or deaf to what the Spirit of the Lord has been doing throughout the history of the Church that the Lord has continually risen up "women to both preach and teach" in apparent contradiction of what the Apostle Paul had spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in what was commanded by the Spirit in the churches.

Many reasonable theories have been offered to explain this apparent contradiction, men have theorized in terms of the historically noted physical separation of men and women in the congregations, giving rise to a variety of suggestions as to what Paul must have meant by what He said.

Since what Paul spoke regarding "women being silent" in the churches and since what He spoke about "women not being allowed to teach" in the Church were both clearly spoken under an unction of the Spirit, it follows that if we are to have right understanding of what the Spirit is saying to the churches in these admonitions, we must look to the Spirit of the Lord Himself and not to the suppositions nor the reasonable even logical conclusions of men.

When all is said and done, it cannot be ignored that the Lord has "moved men and women of God" to speak in His Name; women not only preach by the Spirit of God, but prophecy and in the process do teach under the unction of the Holy Spirit in the Church -not just now but at various times throughout Church history.

No one seems to have a problem with the fact that the Church herself is a woman -she is the Bride of Jesus Christ, --a woman, if you will in it's broadest application, yet "she" is most assuredly anointed of God to preach and to teach under the unction of His Spirit. The key to right understanding is not in focusing upon "her" but in acknowledging that it is not her at all who is to speak, preach or teach -but rather the unction of HIS Spirit by which it is the Spirit and not "she" (the soul or mind of man) who is supposed to teach!




If you have a problem accepting that simple of an explanation, we can go deeper into the written word of God to hear what the Spirit of God is speaking to the churches about not allowing a woman to teach.

We can delve into the written word and learn what the Spirit of God means by not allowing that woman, Jezebel to teach or to seduce My servants to commit adultery and to eat things sacrificed to idols! -But I guarantee that many will take exception to the explanation that will follow, and many (because of what they prefer to believe according to the teachings of men) will be offended by the truth about the teaching of the churches that will be brought to light in the process!



Since we know that God is not schizophrenic and that He never contradicts Himself either by His word or by the Spirit, it remains for us to either assume (1) that the Apostle Paul was in error, (2) accept any one of a number of unscriptural theories postulated in explanation of what we perceive to be a contradiction in scripture (3) or come to grips with the obvious: we lack insight and understanding in the matter because we are ignorant of the ways, counsel and understanding of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul frequently included in his teachings phrases such as: "Let no man deceive you...", "I would not that ye should be ignorant...",
"I would not have you ignorant...", "Be not ignorant...", and "Be not deceived..." Have you ever noticed the relationship between being ignorant and being deceived?

The Apostle Peter (in 2 Peter 3:16) made an often over-looked comment mde under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit regarding the spiritual content of Paul's teachings:

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."

If by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit it was necessary to preface or to include in Paul's teachings these warnings against probable deception through ignorance, it should then be obvious that Paul's teachings must contain messages which because they contained things that the Holy Spirit through Peter has told us are "things hard to be understood" -this should have been a clue that there are things in Paul's epistles that were very likely to be twisted (wrested), misinterpreted and/or misunderstood.

It is also important to note that Peter made his comment regarding somethings hard to be understood in all of Paul's epistles which he (again under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) warned would be twisted in the understanding of men. It is particular importance that Peter said this in reference to false teachers, false apostles (those not sent to teach what they teach) -in reference to deceivers: "they that are unlearned and unstable" who would wrest (twist) the scriptures.

Peter thought this was important enough to warrant a warning by the Apostle to the churches that in Paul's epistles there were things which Paul taught which were "hard to be understood" which Peter warned would be twisted and/or misunderstood in man's own understanding by religious men and believers alike, and that there misleading teachings would lead many to destruction.

In 2 Tim. 3:1-7 Paul was speaking, warning of a time of great apostasy. Paul warned of "perilous times in the last days" in which men will be "lovers of their own selves, boastful, covetous, blasphemers" who will "lead captive silly women" -not referring to women generically, but rather to "foolish souls" to easily beguiled souls) who would be "laden with sins".

The "women" whom Paul said were not to teach but to be silent in the church ARE those immature souls who are "unlearned and the unstable" in the things of the Spirit versus the things of the soul or carnal mind of man. These "women" who ought not to be allowed to teach are the beguiled minds and deceived "souls" of men, regardless of their physiology -no matter what physical plumbing they happen to have!

It was in the process of warning against false teachers, warning against deceivers that Peter warned that there would be those who would twist (wrest) the scriptures to their own destruction. And it was also in this context that Peter makes reference to teachings in Paul's epistles that will be misunderstood.

How is it then -against what, is the Spirit of God warning in the admonition that states a "woman ought not to teach but remain silent in the Church" ? How is it that "silly women" will be led astray -and in their error will be lead captive? These "silly women" are the souls of men. Peter is describing silly or foolish souls as easily decieved undiscerning "women" -as souls which are laden with sins: they are none other than undiscerning souls of men which are described as deceived , foolish, silly women.

And the list of "deceived women" (as a type or shadow that represents the seduction of the mind or soul of man) begins with the first deceived mind or soul of man which is Eve in the Book of Genesis. And there is the example of "Dame Folly" in the Book of Proverbs who also provides us with a portrait of undiscerning souls of men, -contrasted in the Book of Proverbs with "wisdom" which also uses the analogy of a woman -in this case, representing a "wise soul" that seeks understanding and is filled with the counsel of the Spirit of God.

All of these paint a picture for us of the souls or minds of men, contrasting the wisdom of the soul versus the folly of following our own minds, much like the similar type of "wise virgins" versus foolish virgins. All of these analogies are made in reference to the soul of men, to the mind, will and feeling of man, -not the spirit of man.





(written in 1986, edited March 17, 1998, updated April 7, 2000)

M. Weiland

A.K.A. "Noteye" (cf. Gal. 2:20)