Some believe and teach that women are authorized to publicly preach to a mixed audience of men and women today because the Bible speaks of women prophetesses. I do not believe there is one example in the Bible of a woman prophetess preaching to a mixed assembly of men and women.
The apostle Paul’s company came to Philip the evangelist’s home who had four daughters that prophesied (Acts 21:8-9). The context suggests a gathering of men and women together. And, not one of Philip’s daughters prophesied to Paul, but they waited for a man/male, the prophet Agabus, to come and do so (21:10-12).
Some of the women in the church/congregation of Corinth had the spiritual gift of prophesy (1 Cor. 11:5; 12:10). However, when the church came together, men and women, the women with the gift of prophesy were commanded to be “in silence,” sigao, “hold their peace,” and were not allowed to speak (1 Cor. 14:23,26,29-37).
Women are not to assume or possess spiritual authority over men but are commanded to take a subordinate role. Paul said, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Tim. 2:11-12), and then gave the reasons why:
* Adam was first formed then Eve (1 Tim. 2:13; Gen. 2).
* The devil deceived Eve, not Adam (1 Tim. 2:14; Gen. 3:13).
* As a result, further subjection was given to the woman/childbearing (1 Tim. 2:15; Gen. 3:16).
Since these reasons originated in the beginning and not in Paul’s day, they are NOT cultural, but forever binding.
Richard Stevens, III
