Is it biblical for a woman to be a preacher?

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Marc
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Is it biblical for a woman to be a preacher?

Post by Marc » Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:10 am

I have believed that women are not allowed to preach based on 1 Timothy 2:12. How can a women preach in light of this passage?

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m273p15c
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Re: Is it biblical for a woman to be a preacher?

Post by m273p15c » Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:59 pm

Marc wrote:I have believed that women are not allowed to preach based on 1 Timothy 2:12. How can a women preach in light of this passage?
Depends on who you ask...

Like you, I look to the Scriptures to answer this question:
Paul, an inspired apostle of the Lord, wrote:Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:11-14)
Most liberal thinkers consider this to be representative of Paul's personal and cultural baggage, denying the inspiration of the text. However, please note that the basis for this precedence is not Paul's cultural influence. Rather, the command is rooted in the order established by creation and the consequences of Eve's choice (Genesis 3:11-19). The underlying transcends cultural and all ages, because it is grounded in the events surrounding the beginning of all things. This is very similar to the argument which Jesus made in Matthew 19:1-5 - "in the beginning it was not so...".

The above passage is not the only place where Scripture records such instruction:
Paul, again by the Holy Spirit, wrote:Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. (I Corinthians 14:34-35)
More on the general topic of women serving as public leaders can be found here:

The Leadership of Women in the Church?

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