The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Women in the Church?

In regards to the recent thread here, and some issues I've been dealing with in real life, some of the specifics of women's roles in the church have been troubling me. Issues like:

- Can a woman lead the singing/worship in a church service?

- At our church after communion each Sunday, we bring forth prayer requests and have people from the congregation pray for them. Is it appropriate for a woman to pray in this context? (A man is still leading the service.)

-Where do we draw the lines between teaching or taking authority in a church service, and simply sharing (i.e. testimony, etc.)? Does such a line exist?

I'm curious what others think about these issues, and how the Scriptures apply.

I have also been thinking about these things a little bit lately. My church allows (but has never had) a woman to be deacon and to lead the main prayer during sunday morning worship. The "main" prayer is not really what I would call it, I don't know what I would call it. It's lengthy in comparison to the other prayers throughout the service, so it definitely stands out. Something about it raises my suspicion, but I'm not sure if I'm justified or not. I originally thought of the comparison between a woman leading prayer during worship and a wife praying with her husband, but there's an obvious fault in the comparison; one's corporate and the other's private. hmm!

Over in the Timothy thread (I didn't know it was still alive) Janean linked to an article, where the author quotes Wayne House as saying:

Would most people here agree with this position?

Just a thought from church history.

I heard that during the persecution of the church back in like the first or second century that at one point, a female Christian priestess was arrested and martyred. If that is the case, than the early church didn't have as big of a problem with it as we do today.

Kalled2Preach

Not saying your history facts are wrong (don't really know), however the real issue is what does the Bible teach?
Do me a favor and read 1st Timothy chapters 2 & 3 and get back to us on your take of what they say.

Tom

A reference would go along way here. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


God bless,

william

First of all, you say that what you "heard" concerned a "priestess" in the "first of second century". This would seem rather spurious on its face due to the fact that even the designation/office of "priest" had to be extremely rare due to the fact that the Roman State Church had not been formed at that time. Those who held office were commonly designated by the biblical terminology, e.g., Bishop, Episcopus, Elder, Pastor.

Secondly, even if such a "priestess" existed, how does this force one to conclude that "the early church didn't have as big of a problem with it as we do today"?? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" /> There are all kinds of heretical doctrines and practices which one can read about in history and even today. But does there existence necessarily mean that the true Church approved of them? This "logic" is rather weak, to day the least. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

I didn't say I agreed, I just heard it somewhere. I don't really remember where. I forgot I even made that post too

The two I know of are Prisca and Maximilla who WERE BOTH priestesses (app. 350 AD). Are these who you are referring to? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" />

I didn't assume that you agreed, but I did assume that it was you who felt that the argument had some kind of merit when I read this:

But regardless whether you agree or disagree, or whether the quote above was said by someone other than yourself, my counter-argument is no less valid. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

Anyone want to answer the original question?

1) I don't think women should lead the congregation in prayer or in worship. That is a role that properly belongs to ordained elders, who are responsible for the content as the governing authorities.

2) If any of the women is praying as the "voice of the church" (where everyone remains silent while she prays out loud), I'm inclined to deem it inappropriate. It implies authority over the church. I don't see anything wrong with women putting in prayer requests, though.

3) I'm not sure where I woul draw the line, though my initial thoughts are that sharing is largely anecdotal and personal, whereas teaching is aimed more at developing and applying doctrine or praxis. An elder may share in the course of his teaching, but sharing alone isn't teaching.

I think #2 and #3 have been touched on already, so I'll answer #1, if that will satisfy your request? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

No, not in my opinion. Worship is to be led by ordained men who have been given the oversight and responsibility to conduct corporate worship. Singing is an integral part of worship and should be therefore governed and conducted by ordained men; or men who are under the direct oversight of ordained men and accountable to them.

In His Grace,