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Sender's name: Dorothy Parker

What is the role of women in the chruch? Does the Bible forbid women to preach only or only not to be pastor. What is a good way for me to study these thing for my self. How do I go about it.

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The Bible gives this instruction:

"A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve (1 Tim 2:11-13)."

A woman must not exercise authority over a man. That is about the only gender-specific limitation when it comes to ministry. This is not merely a cultural thing as the passage goes back to the design of creation. The Lord created men and women to have certain God-given roles.

This is why the instructions concerning overseers, elders, pastors/shepherds are given exclusively to men. This is why the passages in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 say they are to be the husband of one wife, not the wife of one husband. By God's design, these type of leadership roles are given to men.

Here are the related passages in the New Testament:

1 Cor 14:34

Eph 5:21-24

Col 3:18

1 Tim 2:11

Titus 2:5

1 Pet 3:1-5

This is about role distinctions, not about superiority or inferiority as some have maintained. In fact, the Bible is clear that the humble shall be exalted and the exalted shall be humbled. We are all equally heirs to God's promises according to Gal 3:28.

John Telgren

P.O. Box 452

Leavenworth, KS 66048

Web: epreacher.org/ask

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