WOMEN AS PROPHETS AND PASTORS:
WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE REALLY SAY AND SHOW?
Time has long been overdue for Hmong women in Christian leadership. Our primitive culture and biblical misinterpretation by our Hmong Christian heritage continue to suppress Hmong women’s role in the church for non-pastoral position exclusively. What does the Scripture really say and show? Can women be leaders—holding teaching and preaching position in the church? In other words, can women be pastors? In fact, pastor and teacher are having the same role—teaching. Can a woman teach and not preach?
Current prevailing thought cannot be taken literally or to apply it to all women (justas not all men are allowed to preach for a reason, which I believe Paul will agree). Paul’s prohibition of women for teaching and preaching position in worship should be understood in the context of a specific congregation and/or individual woman, their time, culture and special situations—in appropriate behaviors, as well as Paul’s view of women in the case of original sin (Read I Corinthians 14:33-36 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15). How about women in the position of original righteousness. What does it mean for being especially created/made for Adam… a partner, helper or far more excellent than Adam? Also consider a view of women in original righteousness with the “in the image of God” and their position with the church in Rome (Roman 16:1-3, 12-15) which Paul was a member. Here is something to think about: Is it the prohibition for women in preaching involved with male egocentrism and claiming of superiority as created being? Are Adam and Eve both created equaled “in the image of God?”
In the last days, both sons and daughters will prophesize (Read Acts 2:17-18). Women were prophets in both Old and New Testament, and servants and fellow workers with Paul in the early church. Why prevent them from doing so today? In the OT, consider Marian (Exodus 15:20, Micah 6:4), Deborah (Judges 4:4), and Esther (Esther 4:16). In the NT, consider Anna (Luke 2:36), Daughters of Phillip (Acts 21:9), Lydia (Acts 17:11-15), Priscilla (Acts 18:1-4, 18-19, 26, and Romans 6:3), Phoebe (Roman 16:1-2) and other women (Philippians. 4:3).
What is Paul’s theological position on the inclusiveness of the church, the role of gift, including preaching, and freedom under the law and grace? Is the gift of prophesy and/or preaching not a gift to women but exclusively for men only?Conversely, can all men preach regardless as oppose to the prohibition for all women? Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-13; Galatians 3:23-28; Colossians 3:11; Galatians 5.
Consider also those women who walked and ministering with Jesus and the disciples, and the women who led others to Christ, including Jesus’ mother, women at the cross, at the resurrection and the Samaritan woman. Christ was born from a woman (first) and He appeared first to a woman or women (last) before men after the resurrection. Scriptures: Luke 1:26-38; Luke 8:1-3; Mark 15:40-41; Matthew 28:-11; John 4:1-42.
The Great Commission and the coming and filling of the Holy Spirit were both for both men and women, not just for the disciples or the Twelve. This included women who were a part of the 120 people on the day that the church was born (the Day of Pentecost): The “they” in both Matthew (during the commissioning of the Great Commission, 28:16-20) and Acts (2:1f) include women. These people, men and women, began to speak in tongue or other languages in preaching. Read Matthew 28:8-10, 16-20 and Acts 1:12-15 and 2:1-4.
Fore comments or questions, contact Rev. Tsuker Yang at .