Hi Mike,

I read most of your writing on women prophesying and speaking. These Scriptures refer to women who are married. What is the situation of a single woman who is separated/ divorced from the husband on a biblical ground? Does not the Scripture say that The Lord is the Husband to the husbandless? So if such a woman is in total submission to The Lord and called of God to minister to/ teach women, is that permitted?
S___

Hi S____,
Thank you for your questions.
You ask if the scriptures say that ‘Christ is a husband to the husbandless?’ While that is not a scriptural phrase, it is a scriptural concept and here is why?

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you [ married or single] to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

You also ask if women can teach other women. They certainly can, and it does not depend on being married or being single. The words man and woman in Greek mean both man and husband and woman and wife respectively. Whether the subject is married or not is determined by the context. Context certainly does have its place and its function. As I have pointed out in my letters, women are actually commissioned to “teach the young women.”

Tit 2:4 That they [ older women] may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

I have just written an e- mail on “as also saith the law.” Nowhere is it written in the law of Moses ‘let your women keep silence in the church.’ But what is written is “Three times in the year shall all your males appear before me.” Under the law of Moses no woman, married or single, was even to “appear before Me [ God].” Paul was not putting Moses above “the law of the spirit.” He was merely pointing out that if this law “for the lawless” tells us that men are to be leaders, how much truer is it in spirit. If we are not to commit adultery in the “law… for the lawless” then we are not even to ” look on a woman to lust after her” in our hearts under the “law of the spirit.” According to “the doctrine of Christ” the one thing in any woman which is specifically mentioned as being “of great price in the sight of God” is “a meek and quiet spirit.” It is her greatest ‘sermon.’ It is proof that she “does the things that I [ Christ] say.”

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Tit 2:4 and all the other New Testament scriptures on this subject are “the things which I say.”

I know that a woman’s calling is a hard one. But so also is the calling of any man who insists on being faithful to God’s Word. It is a sin worthy of stoning in the “streets of that great city” to stand fast on this subject in this upside down, feminist world in which we live. All of us, men and women, must be faithful to God’s Word. When men do not lead, women are forced to make the decisions. It is all of God. Deborah led Israel into battle. Deborah’s leading Israel into battle typifies “the Israel of God” today. Here is where ‘God’s Israel’ is today:

Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

“They which lead you” are ‘they which rule over’ you. And all too often “they” are women who are there by default, because men have given themselves over to serve their flesh and to take the easy way out, instead of being the leaders they were created to be.

1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

Having children as oppressors is not a positive thing. It is accompanied by having women who do not have time for their children because they are earning livings which men ought to be earning. They are leading our schools, counties, states and our nation. It only follows that they are also teaching and preaching. “They which lead thee cause thee to err.”

But all the while the scriptures are consistent: “I suffer not a woman to teach… Let your women keep quiet in the church… a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price…” etc. The scriptures do not change to fit in with the circumstances of the day. Truth is not, as Babylon wants us to believe, relevant to the age in which we live.

I am personally acquainted with several women who must be their husband’s spiritual leaders. But these women do not dominate their husbands. Instead they take every opportunity, as did Deborah, to encourage the men in their lives to take the lead. This is what Godly women do. When they must decide between Christ and His Word and a husband who is not leading them spiritually, then they follow Christ. But they do not take over the house and church. As Deborah told Barak, ‘Because you refuse to take the position of a leader, a woman will take your honor:’

Jdg 4:6 And she [ Deborah] sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
Jdg 4:7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
Jdg 4:8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Jdg 4:9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Deborah judged Israel, because Israel was so far from God that not one single man was in a position to lead Israel; not even Deborah’s husband. Barak’s reticence to lead without Deborah by his side cost him the honor of winning the battle. Oh yes, Deborah and Barak are mentioned in Hebrew 11 along with Samson. But being mentioned in Hebrew 11 does not change the fact that both Samson and Barak were chastened for their lack of faith. Both of these stories are given to us “for our admonition.”

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Why did this happen to Deborah and Barak? Was it primarily for their own learning? No, not primarily. This fact was actually revealed to the prophets of the Old Testament. These things happened to Israel and all those who are mentioned in the Old Testament for one primary reason: “for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [ aions] have come.”

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Can we learn from all of these Old Testament admonitions? Are they consistent with the teachings of the New Testament? As much as we tend to cringe at this truth, here it is for all those who can accept it:

1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

I have pointed out many times that ‘silence’ is a bad translation and should be quiet. Paul is not saying that women cannot speak to others in a congregation. What he is saying is that it blasphemes God when a woman teaches or preaches to men:

Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

It matters not how much ‘fire’ from God’s Word, a woman preacher “calls down from heaven in the sight of men.” While she is doing so, she is still “blaspheming the name of God” and she is ignoring “these sayings of mine [ Christ].”

I hope this has answered your question about whether women can teach other women. They can. And the very best ‘sermon’ any woman can ‘preach’ is by obeying the words of God and Christ and their apostles and prophets on this subject. God’s Word is “the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Mike