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Are The Offices Of The New Testament Church Gender Specific - For Males Only?
●Is There Any Scriptural Indication That A Female Could Be Called To An Office Gift?
You Decide
CHAPTER 8
Is There Any Scriptural Indication That A Female Could Be Called To An Office Gift?
I don’t really have a particular strategy in writing this study other than taking a look at scriptures that will help us look at this idea of gender specifics relating to the office gifts by looking at opposing views.
As I mentioned earlier, I was in a church that dogmatically taught that women were not allowed to occupy any of the leadership positions in the church. I believed what was taught, because not only was this the church that I enjoyed attending but I had no reason to believe this was not the case. Years later, due to circumstances, I am no longer attending this church and as such I have found myself co-laboring with a pastor from New York, who has encouraged me to teach on various biblical topics on a small island off the coast of Rhode Island. So this happens to be one of my many studies.
We will now look at many scripture sections that depending on who you talk to might conclude that the office gifts are gender specific while others might conclude that the office gifts are not gender specific.
In the following three sections we will look at the office of prophetess. Will this cause us to conclude that the office gifts of the New Testament Church are not gender specific?
In the initial section the following verses talks about a female, who was a prophetess.
Anna, a Prophetess
Luke 2:36-38
The background is that Mary has just delivered the baby Jesus. During this time a man named Simeon was waiting for the consolation (the fulfillment of the Messianic hope). It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had seen for himself the Lord’s Christ.
At a certain time he was directed by the Spirit to go into the temple. By divine appointment Mary and Joseph arrive at the temple at the same time with the baby Jesus. Simeon takes the baby up in his arms and proceeds to bless (praise) God. Another person also arrives in the temple whose name is Anna, a prophetess. She, being about 106 years old, and a widow frequently attended the temple expressing her worship in fasting and prayers. She gave thanks to the Lord for the birth of the Messiah, and spoke to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem that the Messiah had come.
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, 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 coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Is the calling to an office gift in the New Testament church gender specific – for males only?
YES
● It is clear that Anna was a prophetess. However, her calling to this office occurred prior to and continued on during the time that Christ lived on the earth, before the institution of the New Testament church with its newly ordained office gifts. All this does is confirm that during the Age of Israel and the Age of Christ’s Incarnation there were female prophets.
● However, this does not confirm that the office of prophet in the New Testament church can be occupied by both males and females.
NO
● Anna was a prophetess. There were other female prophets in the Old Testament besides her such as Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Hulduh (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), and the wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3).
● This doesn’t prove that women are called to the office of prophet in the New Testament church.
● What it does do though is give us evidence that women were called to this office during the Age of Israel and during the Age of the Incarnation of Christ. Another word the occupation of a female to this office was not considered an anomaly.
This next section is about Philip, one of the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, who has four daughters who prophecy.
Are all of them prophetesses?
Four Daughters, Virgins, Which Did Prophesy
Acts 21:8-15
Paul is continuing on in his journey to Jerusalem. While on his way he and his company arrive in Caesarea and abide at the house of Philip, one of the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem. Philip has four daughters, unmarried, which did prophesy.
Is the fact that they prophesied mean they are prophetesses?
In the New Testament there is such a thing as the office of prophet and the gift of prophecy. What is the significance of the gift of prophecy? If a believer has this gift does it mean they are a prophet?
The gift of prophecy is one of the many gifts of the Spirit.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 1 Corinthians 12:1, 10
If someone has this gift, they will call forth words from the Spirit, which is another way of saying they will speak under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit in the common language of the people. This gift speaks unto men for: edification (to build doctrine in the soul for the spiritual growth and development of character of believers17); exhortation (encouragement, which can include reproof); comfort (to remove sadness).
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3)
The office gift of prophet is one of the five office gifts relating to the leadership in the church. Prophets are preachers and expounders under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit. There are two divine skills that will help to recognize if a person is called to this office gift.
The first is that they are able to discern as to whether another prophet is speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (1 Corinthians 14:29)
The second is that they are able to predict future events. An example of this is a prophet named Agabus, who predicted there would be a great famine throughout the whole world.
And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. (Acts 11:27-28)
This same prophet came to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, in Caesarea. When he entered Philip’s house he took Paul’s belt (a long piece of cloth which was to be wrapped around his waist. This type of belt was used not only as a part of one's clothing, but also to serve the practical purpose of being a place where one could carry money and other items18) and bound his own hands and feet, proclaiming by means of the Holy Spirit that whoever owns this belt will be bound by the Jews at Jerusalem and be delivered to the Gentiles. This prophecy also came to pass.
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. (Acts 21:10-11)
What can we conclude about the gift of prophecy and the office gift of a prophet?
We can conclude that someone who has the gift of prophesy does not necessarily have the gift of prophet. However, a believer who is called to the office gift of prophet will prophesy.
Is the calling to an office gift in the New Testament church gender specific – for males only?
YES
● These verses clearly indicate that Philip’s four daughters each had the gift of prophesy.
● However, can we say that they are prophetesses? Based on the scriptural evidence we would say no. Why? Because there was no evidence that they exercised discernment concerning whether what another prophet said was under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and neither was there any proof that they predicted future events, which came to pass.
● Therefore, this example supports the supposition that the calling of a Christian to an office gift is gender specific – for males only.
NO
● It is clear that the four daughters of Philip did prophecy.
● Whether there was any indication that they were able to discern as to what another prophet said was under the influence of the Holy Spirit or whether there was any evidence to indicate that they predicted future events is not known.
● However, a man named Caius, a church father, presbyter of Rome, otherwise known as Gaius, who lived during the beginning of the 3rd century, in a fragment of his writings recorded these words, “by speaking of" the four daughters of Philip, prophetesses”. He believed they were prophetesses.
Let’s take a look at next a woman in the book of Revelation, who called herself a prophetess.
Jezebel, Which Calleth Herself A Prophetess
Revelation 2:18-29
At the church of Thyatira, which was located in Asia Minor, there was a woman in the church named Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess.
God was very upset with this church, because they allowed her wickedness to be left unchecked. She: taught believers how to compromise with the Roman religion and the practices of the guilds, so that they would not lose their jobs or their lives);
seduced (fundamental departure from the truth)the assembly to commit fornication (sexual immorality); encouraged fellow believers to eat things sacrificed to idols (the custom of attending on the festivals of idols led commonly to licentiousness, and they who were gross and sensual in their lives were fit subjects to be persuaded to attend idol feasts).
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Is the calling to an office gift in the New Testament church gender specific – for males only?
YES
● The Lord indicated that this woman was not a prophetess.
● She was not a prophetess not only because her teachings indicated they would not be that which would be prophesied if she was but also because there is no other female rendering of this office in the New Testament.
Therefore, the calling to the office of prophet is gender specific-for males only.
NO
● The indication that she was not a prophetess is clear indication that there are women prophets. In order to say that someone isn’t called to a position in the church, because that which is evidenced by them is not in agreement with the divine skills of the office is an indication that this office does exist.
● The word prophet which is translated from the Greek word profetees in the masculine gender along with the word prophets occurs over 100 times in the book of Acts, the Epistles, and the book of Revelation. The word prophetess which is translated from the Greek word profeetis in the female gender occurs only once in the New Testament, that being in this passage. The point being is that just like the position of deaconess, the office of prophetess is found to occur so infrequently that one could assume it doesn’t exist. But if it does occur as in this case, then this indicates that the calling to an office gift is not gender specific.
We have looked at three different sections involving the office of prophetess.
The next section we will look at is interesting in that it says there is neither male nor female in Christ. What does this mean?
There Is Neither Male Nor Female
Galatians 3:26-28
Paul is addressing the Jewish believes in the Galatian Church, who after having received the Holy Spirit by means of faith in Christ, are now proceeding on to spiritual maturity by means of self-effort in an attempt to obey an outward legalistic system of works according to the Mosaic Law. He further states that when they were under the Law they were in the minority and under a guardian. But by their believing in Christ they have become an adult son and are no longer under surveillance by the old guardian.
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:2-3, 24-26)
For they had been baptized (with the Holy Spirit) into Christ (admitted to the full rights of the family) having put on His robe of righteousness which grants full acceptance before God).
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
As a result there is no longer any: national distinctions between Jew or Greek; class distinctions between a slave or freeman; gender distinctions between male or female, for they are all one in Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
The question is when the scripture says there are no longer any gender distinctions between male and female in Christ does this apply to the calling to an office gift?
Is the calling to an office gift in the New Testament church gender specific – for males only?
YES
● These verses are talking about the fact that human distinctions do not play a part in a person’s acceptance in Christ. However once a person believes in Christ distinctions are no longer relevant and each one has the opportunity to have oneness in Christ (the idea that one mind, the mind of Christ guides all).
● Whether a woman can be called to an office-gift in the church is not being addressed here.
NO
● It is true that human distinctions do not play a part in a person’s acceptance in Christ. Those who believe in Christ by faith have not only become children of God, but they have become one in Christ. This oneness means that all are on the same level, and entitled to the same privileges in their Christian profession.
● These privileges not only refer to the blessings bestowed on a believer at salvation such as eternal security, the gifts of the Spirit, having become an adopted son, etc., but also refer to the idea that a calling to an office-gift can be for both a male or female.
I hope you have enjoyed this so far. In order for any of us to have an opinion on any topic it needs to be taught by someone in this case me and received by someone else, in this case you. By reading the responses by opposing views you get an idea as to how churches that differ in their theology support their belief system. Some churches advocate that we shouldn’t learn about what another church teaches on the same topic, because their doctrine is considered false.
Shouldn’t we be encouraged to study a biblical topic for ourselves? What if we change our view on a doctrinal perspective, then what?
I believe that in the course of us growing in Christ we will change in our thinking concerning some of the views we have been initially taught. Why is this the case? This is so because hopefully you will desire to want to know more about why you believe what you believe. This should cause you to read more books or listen to more tapes from different teachers on the same topic. I would recommend as you do pray to God for a discerning spirit concerning what it is you are listening to or reading.
Should the teachings on any topic you are receiving be based on only one verse? If a viewpoint on a topic is taken from one verse, then it is imperative for you to beware of the view that is being proposed. When doing a study and subsequent teaching on any topic verses that come before and after a particular verse should be considered so that the full idea of what is being said can be attained. There should also be further study which looks at verses that relate to the same topic and are found in different books of the bible. This should help to enhance (give a fuller perspective of) the topical view that is being looked at.
Have the scripture sections we just looked at cause you to rethink your position on this topic?
Well there are few more scriptural sections to look at.
So keep on reading and learning so that you will have a fuller understanding about this topic.
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