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Hear Apostle Jim Davis give concise Biblical
answers to questions on
this controversial but important subject. (A
big thanks to Kay Price for sharing her
notes on this broadcast.) A lot of us have
asked these questions and not had biblical
answers. What really was God’s design for
women? What is a helpmeet? Are women
inferior because they were created second?
Are women under a curse? Does culture make a
difference? Are there women leaders in the
Bible? Are women more easily deceived? Are
women to be silent in church and not teach?
Can women have authority over men? Are there
women apostles in the Bible? Is the headship
of husband a dominating position? If you
have ever asked these age-old questions as
most of us have, get ready to hear Apostle
Jim Davis answer from scripture and release
God’s heart for women and men. Discover
erroneous translations and interpretations
of scripture.
God’s original intent for women is found in
Gen. 1:26, 27. God made man (mankind) in
His image. Male and female He made mankind.
They were to have dominion over creation,
not each other. So, right at the start,
God’s design was not to subjugate (to subdue
and bring under the yoke of power or
dominion; to conquer by force and compel to
submit to the government or absolute control
of another) women. It is not God’s idea to
give men dominion over women.
Dr.
Davis states that this is a hard saying for
insecure men who
fear their position may be supplanted or
surpassed. There is a second witness found
to support this in Gen.
2:18, 24. This
speaks of God making a help meet for man. A
help meet is a helper that is appropriate
for, or adequately and accurately reflects
who I am and all I am; the other side of me.
Jesus refers to Holy
Spirit as our helper but
we do not receive Him as inferior in any
way. Why would we think women inferior when
they are called a helper?
“Help and meet,” in Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, means
to surround, protect, aid, and succor.
Exploring the meanings of these words inNoah
Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the
English Language we
find:
· 1.
Surround-to enclose on all sides
· 2.
Protect-to cover or shield from danger
or injury, to defend, to guard, to preserve
in safety. (like walls protect a city).
· 3.
Aid-support, assist, either by
furnishing strength or means to effect a
purpose, or to prevent or remove evil (the
person who gives succor).
· 4.
Succor-literally, to run to, or run to
support; to help or relieve when in
difficulty, want, or distress; to assist and
deliver from suffering (the person that
brings relief).
Women were not created inferior. Women
were made in God’s image; equal with man,
who, jointly reflect the image of God. God
is Spirit which transcends male/female
differentiation. Num.
23:19 God
is not a man, but has been explained in
human terms so we can understand. He is
described in both genders, not male only or
female only. The
Bible uses male analogies for God such as,
King, husband, and shepherd, but He is also
referred to as a protective mother eagle, a
she bear with cubs and a many breasted one.
The
“female” references speak of mothering, maternal
attitudes, and relationship with us. “Image”
conveys personhood not gender. Women (and
men) are relationally, spiritually, morally,
and creatively like God. We have the ability
to love and communicate like Him. In Nu.27:1-8 God
tells Moses that women possess the same
right to the family inheritance as men.
Special distinctions of women in scriptures that
definitely are not in support of women being
inferior are: 1. Woman was last at the
cross—Mk. 15:47. 2.
Woman was first at the tomb—Jn. 20:1. 3.
Woman was first to proclaim the
resurrection—Mt. 28:8. 3. First
preacher to the Jew—Lu. 2:37, 38. 4.
Attended the first prayer meeting—Ac.
1:14. 5. First to greet Christian
missionaries—Ac. 16:13. 6.
First European convert—Ac. 16:14, 15.
Women are no more under a curse than men are.
After sin, God said that women would bring
forth children in sorrow (doesn’t really say
cursed but sorrow and pain is not a
blessing). He also said that men would bring
forth from the ground in sorrow; that the
ground was cursed and in hard labor (from
the sweat of his brow) he would eat bread. Gen.
3:16-18 God
predicts the effect (consequences) of sin
for both, in that, woman would turn in her
focus to her
husband. Her
husband’s response would be to begin to
“rule” over her, Lord over her, misusing his
headship.
What used to be "one" was now two. They
saw themselves as two different individuals,
not as an extension of each other. Unity
would then be a matter of choice, not out of
complimenting the other. Regardless of curse
or no curse for women or men, Gal.
3:13 makes
it clear that we are redeemed from the curse
of the law. Gen.
2:23 laid
the foundation for regarding women as
created equal, to rule or take dominion as a
team, in unity and as one flesh.
Culture does make a difference in
the regard that each culture will walk out
the Bible truth little differently. The
application of the truth will be as
different as the number of different ways
people would interpret the words
“conservative or modest dress.” If you say
that we should not adjust at all with
culture, then men should still be wearing
skirts as they did in New Testament times.
Men and women leaders were instructed to
have one spouse, one at a time, because
polygamy was a legal part of their culture.
Three strong examples of women leaders in
the Old Testament are:Deborah,
prophetess and Judge of Israel Judges
4:4, Athaliah, Queen of Judah for 6
years 2
Kings 11:3, and Miriam, Prophetess and
worship leader Mi.
6:4. Jesus Christ did more to liberate
women from demonic spirits of sexism than
any other person in history but the idea of
women in spiritual or secular leadership was
not new in the New Testament.
Women are not any more easily deceived than
men. In 2
Cor. 11:3 Paul
states that as the serpent deceived Eve, so
the minds of the people (men and women)
could be corrupted. Paul allowed the women
to speak, them tells them to keep quiet. It
cannot be both ways: pray and prophesy and
keep quiet. 1
Cor. 11:5, 1 Cor.
14:34 So,
what gives?
Paul was speaking to a specific group of
people for a specific purpose. He
is not commanding all women for all time, as
it is NOT found in other scriptures that
women shouldn’t teach. 2
Cor. 13:1 Women
are told to teach their children and to
teach younger women. Deut.
6:7, Tit. 2:3, 4 In
the church at Ephesus, gentiles were being
converted and coming into the Jewish
congregation with which they were not
familiar. He was telling them to keep quiet
and not teach until they had learned
themselves. [It could be that a woman was to
ask her questions at home because men and
women sat on opposite sides of the
synagogue!] 1
Tim. 2;
11, 12 If
women were more easily deceived, why not
tell the men only to teach the children and
younger women?
Women can be in authority over men as it is
God who
delegates authority. Eph.
1:22 Those
in authority are to support, encourage, and
strengthen others. It is never OK to usurp
authority, be it man or woman. Usurping
authority means to act as oneself
independently, acting to elevate oneself
above another and not assuming ones proper
place. Taking authority, in an area not
given by God, is usurping authority. True
spiritual authority is about servant hood,
not lording over someone (self-serving).
Authority is delegated from Jesus but is not
absolute. We do not have absolute authority
over another even if we have been given
authority.
Were women ever ministers to men in the New
Testament?
-
Lu. 2:36-38 Anna
prophesied to baby Jesus as he entered
the Temple
-
Jn. 4:28 Samaritan
woman was the first evangelist and won
her city.
-
Mt. 28:7, Lu. 24:9, Jn. 20:16 Sent
by Jesus to preach the good news.
-
Acts 2:17 Men
and women will prophesy in the last
days.
-
Acts 18, 1 Cor. 16-19 Priscilla
travelled with, instructed and discipled
Apollos with her husband Aquila. Her
name is mentioned first, indicating her
prominent role. They were also leaders
of a home church in Asia.
-
Acts 21:8-9 Philip's
4 daughters were prophetesses.
-
Romans 16:1 Phoebe
was a minister in the church in
Cenchrea.
-
Rom.
16:7 Andronicus
and Junia were named among "noted"
apostles.
-
Rom. 16 Paul
recognized at least 7 women: Phebe,
Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa,
Persis and Julia as notable laborers of
the Lord.
-
1 Cor. 11:4-5 Women
normally prayed and prophesied in
church.
-
1 Cor. 12, 14 Spiritual
gifts were ministered by women in the
church.
-
Phil. 2 Euodias
and Syntyche were leaders of the church
at Philippi.
Many "gender" references in some
translations have
been changed to indicate maleness vs. the
original neutral or feminine. Col.
4:15 Nymphas
was a female home church leader (although
the KJV translators erroneously translate
this verse as "his church." The elder/leader
of the church described in John 2 was a
woman.) It is best to consult the original
Greek for accuracy.
Due
to their bias against women, some
translators removed
the feminine gender or leadership terms
associated with women leaders. Greek scholar
Alfred Marshall translates Rom.
16:1-2, "Now
I commend to you Phoebe the sister of us,
being also a
minister of
the church in Cenchrea, in order that herye
may receive in (the) Lord worthily of the
saints, and may stand by her in
whatever of you she may
have need thing; for indeed she
a protectress of
many became and of
myself." The Interlinear NASB-NIV
parallel New Testament in Greek and English,
pg. 477. Prostatis, 4368, is defined by
Thayer's Greek Definitions as "A woman
set over others, a female guardian, a protectress,
a patroness,
caring for the affairs of others and aiding
them with her resources."
Is
the headship of a husband a dominant
position? The
position is to be as the position of Christ
to the church. He is a support, a nourisher,
and a builder. His consuming passion is our
well being. He put the needs of the church
before His very life. He said He came to
serve and care for the church. It had
nothing to do with ruling. He is a source of
spiritual strength. The result of His
headship is unity, not a hierarchy with this
one on top and this one on bottom. As Father
and Son are equal, so is the relationship of
husband and wife. Jesus will not be
exploited by God and neither should women be
by their husbands. As husband and wife are
compared with the relationship of Father and
Son, it is one to be embraced, not feared.
While some natural roles may vary, in the
spiritual, men and women are created equal.
Hear MORE revelation about women in ministry
in this broadcast. Click www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Cross-Walk-Talk
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