Biblical Female Teachers, Deacons, Elders, Preachers--Part 7

This blog concludes our study of the teaching of the Bible about Female Teachers, Deacons, Elders, Preachers.

The word "preach" means simply "proclaim good tidings [news]." A synonym of "preach" is "prophesy." "Prophesy" does not mean "predict the future," but "proclaim God's message," as passages like Exodus 4:16 + 7:1; Jeremiah 1:4-10; 15:19; 1 Corinthians 14:2-3 make this very clear.

Many passages in the Bible, Old and New Testaments, show that both men and women prophesied or preached.

1. It is well known that in the ancient Near East, different cultures had male and female prophets who declared a message from their gods. See the article on "Prophet, Prophecy," in the New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 4, pages 625-628.
2. Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:1-2 describe Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, as a prophet who spoke to God's people publicly.
3. Judges 4:4 says Deborah was a prophet. She declared God's message to God's people, Judges 4:6-7.
4. 2 Kings 22:14-20 says the prophet Huldah declared a message from God to Hilkiah the priest and his associates, and they forward this message to the king Josiah.
5. Ezekiel 13:17-19 shows that it was common for women as well as men to prophesy or preach.
6. Nehemiah 6:14 relates the account of the female prophet Noadiah and other prophets who wanted to make Nehemiah afraid.
7. Joel 2:28-29 contains Yahweh's announcement:
"I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and YOUR DAUGHTERS shall prophesy."
8. In Peter's sermon on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Peter quotes the announcement in Joel 2:28-29 in Acts 2:17-18.
9. John 4:39 states that the Samaritan woman at the well preached God's message to the people of Sychar and many turned to the Lord.
10. Acts 21:9 says Philip the evangelist had four virgin daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
11. 1 Corinthians 11:4-5 clearly states the both men and women prayed and prophesied in the church assembly. In that culture, the men were to be unveiled, and the women were to be veiled.

According to the Bible, PREACHING or PROPHESYING was NOT a male only function. Preaching or prophesying is a gift of God imparted to both men and women. Some cultures have restricted this God-given gift to males only. This idea is clearly anti-scriptural.

PLEASE consider all these ideas in the past seven blogs about the biblical teaching about Female Teachers, Deacons, Elders, Preachers.

Share YOUR insights and thoughts and ideas with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis