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What is a Woman's Role During Worship?
What is a woman's role during church? As with each of our studies, we will attempt to find the answer from God's word. The Bible tells us that God's ways are not like our own. We must find what God would have us to do, and not what we think to be right.
In our modern era, women can do just about anything that men can do. Women drive racecars and hunt wild game. Women have gone into space and won many Nobel prizes. They can run for the Presidency of the United States. Women can do so many things. But what can women do during church?
Again, we must establish that God's way is the only way that will lead us to Heaven. We must acquire all of the church's rules from the Bible. The next sections deal with God's authority to make the rules.
(All of the indented, bulletted paragraphs are complete passages from the New King James Version of God's Word. The non-indented paragraphs are from me, and are not Scripture. However, the passages from God's Word cannot be disputed.)
The Bible is All That We Need
Since God is the only Lawgiver, we must abide by His rules to get to Heaven. The Bible is the only instruction that we need. God tells us so:
- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.------II Timothy 3:16-17
- But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.------James 1:25
- As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.------II Peter 1:3
- Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."------John 8:31-32
From the previous passages, we can easily understand that God's Word, the Bible, is perfect. It makes us complete, and it makes us free. If we believe the Bible to be true, than we will believe the previous passages and recognize that the Bible is the best guide that we have for worshiping God.
Even though the Bible is the superior guide for worshiping God, most religious people feel that some of God's Laws are a little outdated. Man is intent to change God's simple, perfect instructions by "spicing them up" to draw a bigger crowd. A disturbing example of this is women leading prayers or songs during worship. Does God approve of this practice? Is it OK to pervert the instructions given by Almighty God? Can we change the rules?
We Cannot Distort God's Word
We must only abide by God's rules when trying to get to Heaven. Man's empty promises will not get us there. To achieve eternal Paradise with our Lord and Creator, God tells us that we cannot change His words given in His book:
- For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.------Revelation 22:18-19
- "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."------Deuteronomy 4:2
- "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."------Deuteronomy 12:32
- Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.------Proverbs 30:5-6
God's Word also tells us that many, many people will fall away from the truth of the Bible and mislead countless others. Of course, God's Word was right again.
- For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.------II Timothy 4:3-4
- And Jesus said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."------Luke 16:15
- There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.------Proverbs 14:12
- That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.------Ephesians 4:14
- Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.------I Timothy 4:1-2
- Jesus said, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men."------Matthew 15:8-9
From the previous passages of Scripture, we can definitely be sure that God is only satisfied with our worship if we follow the Bible only, with none of man's feeble additives.
Instructions for Women in Church
What does God say about women performing leading roles during services?
- Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority oven 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
This passage contains a lot of information. Let us go through it slowly. In the passage, we read that women should not teach or have authority over men in the congregation. It tells us that women should be submissive in church. Likewise, we should all be submissive to God's requests. We must strive to comply with the Bible's instructions for worship. Women should be silent and submissive during services. This may be "old-fashioned," but it is a command of God.
In some denominational gatherings, women preach, lead prayers, and sing songs alone in front of their congregations. Do any of these actions have any scriptural approval? No. It is quite the contrary, for we have read the above passage. Notice that God is very specific. We have no problem with women performing so many roles in society, but we should have a strong problem with women leading in the church. God has instructed it.
The Bible tells us that God's word is truth. It also tells us that we should worship in spirit and in truth. Therefore, we should all worship according to God's word to be acceptable. A woman's worship cannot be acceptable if she leads a part of services over a man. God expects nothing less.
What Can Women Do During Worship?
Women should not preach, lead prayers, or lead singing during worship, but they can study God's word and learn. Women can teach men the Bible outside of worship. Let us look at an example of this in God's Holy Word.
- Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my [Paul] fellow workers in Christ Jesus,------Romans 16:3
- Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.------Acts 18:24-26
Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, were Christians during Paul's time. From the second passage, we can see that Priscilla helped to explain God's ways more accurately to a preacher, Apollos. This was done after Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside. Likewise, women today can correct ignorant preaching and refute false teachers. However, God still expects women to be silent and submissive during the assembly of the church.
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