Shalom Darwin and Laura,

I just read your article (Laura) attempting to justify women doing what only God has ordained men to do: preach. NONE of the examples you give prove your point and prove just the opposite. Sharing dominion over nature, creation, is not the same as who has the right to preach. That is non sequitur (a statement so foolish, or illogical that it can not be responded to) and a dangerous leap in logic!

Before you start saying that the idea of women preaching/speaking/teaching is so foolish that you can hardly respond to it, I would suggest that you get rid of your bias against women and study the words in your Bible more deeply.

The word “prophet”, Strong’s #5030 (Hebrew) which generally refers to men has the meaning of “spokesman, speaker, prophet“. The meaning doesn’t change in the New Testament, Strong’s #4396 (Greek) which means among other things “of men filled with the Spirit of God, who by God's authority and command in words of weight pleads the cause of God and urges salvation of men.” In other words, a prophet is not just a man who foretells the future, but a prophet is one who preaches, speaks or teaches. He is one who expounds (gives a detailed account of) the word of God to those who will listen.

The word “prophetess“, Strong’s #5031 (Hebrew-feminine of #5030) which refers to women has the meaning of “inspired woman”. In the New Testament it is Strong’s #4398 (Greek-feminine of #4396) which means among other things “a female who declares (for example, to announce publicly) or interprets (for example, explains or expounds) oracles (for example, the Bible).” The meaning doesn’t suddenly change because one is a man and one is a woman, according to these words, “prophet” and “prophetess”, both men and women can expound on the word of God either privately or publicly as needed. There can also be false prophets and false prophetesses and the way you tell the difference between false and true is whether they are teaching what the Bible actually says or some off the wall doctrine as the one you are trying to feed us.

God ordained men to be the head of the household and of the household of faith. It does not mean women are stupid or unable to be eloquent or a spiritual leader - it's simply not their place and they're trespassing when they follow deceived Eve and try and teach Adam (who wimply went along, abdicating his God-ordained role).

I totally agree with you that men are the head of the family, however what does that mean? It means that the man, husband is to lead his wife and his family as Christ leads His Church, not to boss them around or lord it over them. A husband or any man for that matter does not come between a wife or any woman and Christ. Women with God’s Holy Spirit in them are responsible to Christ for what they do and teach, just as men are. When it comes to our relationship with God the Father and His son Christ it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman, you are responsible to God and to Christ for what you do and for what you teach. Men are not the head of a woman’s faith in God and women should never follow any man whether it is their husband or not when he tells her to do anything which is against the law of God.

If you are trying to say that women have no right to publicly expound on the word of God because Eve was deceived, that is a lame argument, because men also deceive other men and lead them astray. When a person has God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in them and they use that Spirit, then neither man or woman using that Spirit of God to teach others whether it be privately or publicly should be intentionally leading anyone astray. God’s Spirit dwelling in both men and women gives them all what it takes to understand God’s word, if they use that Spirit.

Look for a moment at Adam’s sin. The Bible is real clear on the fact that Adam knew better, he was not deceived. Adam was far more responsible for that original sin than Eve was, because he knew better and he went along with it anyway. Now what you seem to be proposing is that we continue to charge all women with Eve’s deception, but we make all men into leaders because he (Adam) sinned on purpose. Seems a little bit out of whack to me. If you are going to continue to charge all women with Eve’s sin, then you also need to be consistent and charge all men with Adam’s sin.

According to the law of God, we are each individually responsible for our own sin, so even though we living in this day are suffering from the effects of the original sin of Adam and Eve, we are not responsible for their sin, only for our own sins: 2 Kings 14:6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man (or woman) shall be put to death for his own sin.

It is time that men like yourself quit penalizing women for what Eve did and do as scripture tells us all to do, which is to work together (both men and women). Read Ephesians 5:1-21 to see how the brethren (both men and women) are to work together.

Yeshua doesn't try and usurp the authority of the Father! (1 Corinthians 15:24). Neither should women vainly attempt to usurp the God-given authority of men, any more than children ought to disobey their parents. God does have government structure and family order according to His purpose, even as He has called Israel before other nations - not because we're better, but because He has chosen it to be that way in His infinite wisdom and Father knows best.

I agree that God has order. How does a woman publicly expounding on the word of God usurp authority of men, disobey God or create disorder? Is this what you see when a woman speaks or is this what you were taught while in the “Worldwide Church of God?”

If a woman publicly speaks with the encouragement of her husband, she is certainly not disobeying her husbands commands nor is she taking away her husbands authority from him as he is giving his blessing to her by encouraging her to speak or expound on the word of God. Let’s use an example here: If a wife/woman studies in detail the 6 day creation of God from the Bible and her husband has not even read it at all, who is more qualified to speak publicly in regard to the subject, the wife/woman who studied it in detail or the husband/man who has not even read it? A man who has never even read the material is not qualified to speak on it publicly just because he is a man, which is exactly what you are proposing here.

Do a search of the internet for the word “usurp” (authentein) as used in I Timothy 2:12, which is the only place in the whole Bible that that Greek word is used. You will find that there is much confusion as far as what that particular word meant at the time the book of Timothy was written. Words change meaning over time. For example the word “gay” used to mean “joyous” when I was a kid and now days it means “two men having sex with each other”.

Satan is the one who coveted "equality" - actually supremacy - with and over the Father! He is the wicked one who thought he was being unfairly controlled by a domineering God, restrained, repressed, oppressed, held down and cruelly kept in his place (Isaiah 14:12-15). Sympathy for the devil? Never! Such bitter attitudes and warped way of thinking cost him everything as he will ultimately be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, "and the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6).

So you believe that women who speak publicly are in rebellion to God. If that be your belief and the case, then tell me why you have subscribed to this newsletter for so many years. Not only is the editor of this newsletter a woman, but that woman also speaks publicly within this newsletter. There is really no difference between a woman speaking from a pulpit or in writing which goes out to the public. Both have the end result of publicly expounding on the word of God. A man can fall into the sin of wanting to be equal or superior to God just as much as a woman can and I am sure many people do this, but when a person has God’s Holy Spirit and uses it as God has ordained it to be used, you will find those people submitting to God and each other and not elevating themselves above anyone, man or woman.

Those who believe themselves to be superior or equal to God are in essence following Satan and not God. People can want to be equal or superior to God even with out speaking from a pulpit, it is called absolute power, which is absolutely wrong and has nothing to do with public speaking.

Here in Numbers 11:25-29 a young man went to Moses to squeal on Eldad and Medad who had God’s Holy Spirit and who were teaching in the camp instead of the tabernacle. Pay very close attention to what Moses tells the young man in verse 29.

Korah, Dathan and Abiram tried to force themselves into an office that God hadn't given them under the guise of "we're all equal." They added insult before their injury, accusing Moses and Aaron of being on a power-trip like feminists today falsely accuse men who stand up for the biblical law and order as having big egos and wanting to "lord" it over women: "They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them [chanting the mantra of "we're all equal"], and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Numbers 16:3). An earthquake swallowed their pride and their rebellion went down in history; The Beast will soon trespass on "the holy place" upon the Temple Mount and install some abomination in the Temple, besides being inducted into office there (Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:4). Both examples reflect Satan's discontent and idolatrous mindset, his "covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, Revelations 21:8).

Please take note that in this example by David Ben-Ariel all the players are men and not women, so tell me how this proves that women are not to speak? These are men wanting to take over Moses place, not women. How do you want your doctrine to play out, either all men are allowed to be equal heads or they aren’t. You can’t have this both ways. Find us an example where women are trying to usurp the authority of men and not an example where men are trying to usurp the authority of other men.

In the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, I believe that what they wanted to do was take over Moses place even though they knew full well that God appointed Moses to lead his people to the promised land. Read the entire chapter of Numbers 16. God destroyed wicked men that day, men who were hostile to God. (Numbers 16:26) These three men wanted to take over the camp and run the project. This is about men wanting absolute power and not about women speaking in public. Please take note that all the people that followed Korah, Dathan and Abiram to provoke the Lord, including their wives and children were killed that day. (Numbers 16:32)

Please take note that most of the people during the Exodus did not have God’s Spirit so they were not for the most part doing what God wanted them to do.

This set of scriptures in no way proves that women who have God’s Holy Spirit and who are teaching the word of God are not to speak publicly.

Deborah wasn't a spiritual preacher - she was a political Margaret Thatcher (Judges 4:4-5). Regardless, exceptions are not to be twisted as the rule.

Deborah was no carnal political leader as Margaret Thatcher was. Deborah was a Judge in Israel who would have had the exact same duties as any of the men who were appointed as Judges to Israel.

Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. (verse 5) And she (Deborah) dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children (men and women) of Israel came up to her for judgment (of right or wrong according to the law of God).

Deborah was in a public office set up by God. Judges 2:16 “Nevertheless the Lord raised up Judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.” Deborah was over men. Judges 4:6-7 “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? 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.”

Wow, how dare Deborah that usurper of mans authority go to Barak and tell him what God has commanded.

Barak did not even want to go to battle without Deborah. Judges 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.” Deborah must have been a real important public leader in God’s eyes for Barak to feel this way. In the next verse she even warned Barak of God delivering the battle to a woman and Deborah went with him, as he wanted her too. And obviously she was usurping no man’s authority since God appointed her to the office of Judge where she was allowed to give directives to both men and women.

Huldah was consulted in private, she didn't preach or take the stand (2 Kings 22:13-20).

If men know so much about God, then why would a King have to send a man to listen to what a woman has to say about God. I think for the most part that what you are against in having a woman teach or speak publicly is that she would be telling a man what to do or correcting him in some way, correct? Isn’t this what you mean by women usurping authority over men, which I am using loosely throughout my answers in this letter. This is your whole reason for bringing in wimpy Adam who listened to his wife, correct? Eve was not publicly speaking at the time of the original sin either. There were only two people on earth at the time.

The King sent representatives to speak to Huldah one on one and she (Huldah) spoke for God: 2 Kings 22:15 “And she (Huldah) said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,...” By what authority does any woman even have the right to speak to any man for God, according to your doctrine of Satan?

Huldah’s speaking or teaching situation is no different than that of Eve, except that Huldah had God’s Spirit and was apparently greatly respected for her ability to speak for God or the King would not have sent a representative to speak to her about what God wanted. This is certainly an example of a woman teaching a man about God.

David Ben-Ariel writes:

Phoebe was a deaconess and served as such - not as a minister (Romans 16:1-2).

I love this set of scriptures the best, because it is so clear that Phebe was a minister that a person would have to be blind not to see it.

Romans 16:1 “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant (servant, minister, Strong’s #1249) of the church which is at Cenchrea:” Romans 16:2 “That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist (provide to, Strong’s #3936) her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer (a woman set over others, Strong’s #4368) of many, and of myself also.”

Strong’s #1249 “Diakonos is translated as minister 20 times, servant 8 times and deacon 3 times: Listed here are a few of those scriptures:

John 12:26 “If any man (anyone, any person, man or woman, Strongs #5100) serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant (servant, minister, Strongs #1249) be: if any man (anyone, any person, man or woman, Strongs #5100) serve me, him will my Father honour.” This verse shows that any man or woman who is a servant or minister of God will be honored by God. We are not talking about a rank here. A servant by Bible definition would be any person, man or woman, doing whatever a person is able to do, to serve God and Christ and the rest of the Brethren, whether that is to pray for others, to teach someone, to speak (expound on the word of God or to instruct others) whether publicly or privately or to do whatever is needed to serve the Church of God.

Romans 15:8 “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister (servant, minister, Strongs #1249) of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” In the case of Phebe, Strongs #1249 was translated as “servant” and in the case of Christ it was translated as “minister”, but it is the same exact word. In neither case was it translated as deacon and even if it had been, it is still the exact same word in the Greek.

2 Corinthians 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers (servant, minister, Strongs #1249) of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” This verse shows us that the spirit of God is what makes us ministers and if you read the rest of chapter 3, you will see that the spirit of God is given to men and women alike and makes them all ministers of God. Again, minister is not a rank. A minister is a servant of God who does the work of God according to the fruits, gifts or talents that God has given to them.

David Ben-Ariel writes:

Anna praised God and didn't preach in any official capacity, any ordained office (Luke 2:36-37).

I am not sure what it is about those who teach false doctrines, but they usually skip giving the very scriptures that will prove them wrong every time. Let’s go with Luke 2:36-38 instead of Luke 2:36-37: “And there was one Anna, a prophetess (a female who declares or interprets oracles, Strongs #4398), the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she (Anna) coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him (the Lord) to all (some of all types, meaning both men and women, Strongs #3956) them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

Anyone who is one of God’s and has the Spirit of God dwelling in them, whether man or woman whether speaking publicly or privately is teaching the word of God in an official capacity, because when God called us to be his servants this is the job that he called us to do. Anna was speaking to anyone (man or woman) who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Just as nothing in the above verse says she spoke privately, it is clear that she “spake of Him to all”. Which is more than likely a public setting where men and women are present.

David Ben-Ariel writes:

Same goes for Miriam leading the women (only) in praise - no official capacity, especially over men.

Again, any man or woman who is God’s and has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them is teaching in an official capacity. Exodus 15:20 tells us that Miriam was also a prophetess. If Miriam was not fit to teach men, then she was also not fit to teach or lead women in any capacity but that is not what scripture tells us.

I believe that you are having a disconnect here because you believe that a minister is someone who is over people, in other words you believe it is a rank. I can see that you believe this when you make the statement “especially over men”. All those who have the holy spirit dwelling in them are ministers, whether men or women. None of the brethren are to lord it over each other. If one is a servant of God they are to serve the brethren in whatever capacity they are able to, including to speak or teach the brethren publicly.

David Ben-Ariel writes:

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Again, you missed a scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:5 “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth (to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict, Strongs #4395) with her head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”

David Ben-Ariel writes:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 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. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

The very scripture you use says “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” This clearly looks like equal spiritual footing to me.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 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.

Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

David Ben-Ariel writes:

The Word of God has been clear on this matter for centuries. It is only due to the spirit of rebellion in this degenerate time that this ungodly leaven has begun to rise again among some. Don't be misled like Eve who fell for the serpent's lies (Genesis 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:14). Don't let the plain and simple Scriptures be twisted to your self-destruction (2 Corinthians 11:3). Everybody has their God-ordained place and we should praise God for what He has given us to do within that holy place - not trespass on another's responsibility. A deaconess shouldn't think she's an elder or a deacon think he's an apostle, but all must remain subject to the Word of God and maintain humility and grace and grow in their proper office, their God-given station in life, so help us God (Romans 12:3). Prayerfully, David Ben-Ariel

The doctrine you are teaching that women should not be allowed to speak publicly is a doctrine of Satan, devised to give men the authority to lord it over women, oppress women, rule over women, teach women that men are between them and God, teach hatred of women, teach that only woman is responsible for the original sin, and worst of all to keep women from teaching the word of God to a sinful world. Women as well as men are all responsible for their own sin and they are also responsible for what they teach. If any man tells a woman to do something that is against God she is not to do it, because she will be responsible for the sin she commits.

If women were to submit to their husbands no matter what, then Sapphira should have been praised for having gone along with the lie her husband was telling. Sapphira was given a chance to tell the truth, but instead she continued her husbands lie and God killed her too. A man is only a man and only the head of his house if he rules his family as Christ rules the church. No woman will ever take any man’s authority away from him by teaching the word of God, it just won’t happen since all the brethren are to submit one to the other. This means men submit to women and women submit to men. If women do not want to submit to God given correction given by a man and men don’t want to submit to God given correction given by a women then these people aren’t brethren. There is only one reason why men do not want to be corrected by a woman and it is all about their own ego and an underlying hatred of women. When any man feels he should be elevated to a higher position than a woman even if she might be more qualified than him, he is pulling rank and none of this was ever about rank.