The Gospel Day Part 25

Woman's Freedom.

The Scriptural right for women to labor in the gospel as exhorters, teachers, preachers, etc., is questioned by many. To deny women such a privilege is contrary to the Christian spirit of equality, and a serious obstruction to pure gospel light. We (male and female) are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28. In the kingdom of grace man and woman are on an equal footing so far as concerns the work of G.o.d. To explain some texts that seem to prohibit women from laboring in the gospel and to prove positively to you that women did so labor in the morning light of the church, we will transcribe an article written by Bro. Geo. Cole, and which appeared in the Gospel Trumpet.

"I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." The church at Cenchrea was a local congregation or a.s.sembly. Phebe our sister-that this personage was a woman, no one disputes, and she was a servant of the church. Servant-_diakonos_, translated servant in the following texts: Mat. 23:11; Mark 9:35; John 12:26; Rom. 16:1. Translated deacon in Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12.

Translated minister: Mat. 20:26, 28; Mark 10:43, 45; Rom. 15:8; 1 Cor.

3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6; 6:4; 11:15, 23; Eph. 3:7; 6:21; Col. 1:7, 23, 25; 4:7; 1 Thes. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:6; Rom. 12:7; 2 Cor. 8:4; Mat. 25:44; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb.

6:10; 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:12; 4:10, 11.

The extensive use of this word _diakonos_ in the New Testament readily determines its meaning. That Paul conferred upon Phebe the church t.i.tle "_diakonos_" is unquestionable, and as such it means minister or deacon.

Liddell and Scott's lexicon comments on _diakonos_ as used in the New Testament as follows: A servant, waiting man or woman, minister, a messenger, a minister of the church. Any one can see the above definition covers all the ground of elder. I will offer a few proof texts. "He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant [_diakonos_]." Mat. 23:11.

"Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [_diakonos_]." Mat. 20:26. "Ministers [_diakonos]_ by whom ye believed." 1 Cor. 3:5. "Who also hath made us able ministers [_diakonos_] of the New Testament." 2 Cor. 3:6. "Thou shalt be a good minister [_diakonos_] of Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. 4:6. "In all things approving ourselves as the ministers [_diakonos_] of G.o.d." 2 Cor. 6:4. "Whereof I was made a minister [_diakonos_]." Eph. 3:7.

Thus we might swell the testimony that _diakonos_ was the common term used in the New Testament signifying the ministerial office of minister, elder, preacher, etc. Therefore the evidences are in Phebe's favor that she was a minister or elder rather than a deaconess. If we consider Paul's commendation of her standing and the sending of his Roman epistle by her, as having some weight, this certainly favors the above conclusion.

Prophecy.

_Propheteuo_-to prophesy publicly, to expound, to preach, etc. There were certain prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, as Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul or Paul. Acts 13:1. They were public expounders of the Scriptures. Prophesy-to speak, to edify, exhort, and comfort. 1 Cor. 14:3. A few examples: Zacharias filled with the Holy Ghost prophesied. Luke 1:67-79. Compare this prophecy with Mary's words in Luke 1:46-55. "They spake with tongues and prophesied." Acts 19:6. "And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them." Acts 15:32. "Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Eph. 3:4, 5. Prophets were set in the church. "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets." Eph.

4:11. "And G.o.d set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets." 1 Cor. 12:28. And there were certain prophets and teachers in the church which was at Antioch. Acts 13:1.

Thus we see the prophets were identical with or a const.i.tuent part of the New Testament ministry; and it only remains for us to prove there were women prophets in the church and we have women identified with the ministry. Example: Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven. "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." Acts 21:8, 9. "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven." 1 Cor. 11: 5. If there were no women prophets it were foolish to give directions for them while praying or prophesying.

Joel prophesied, "And it shall come to pa.s.s in the last days, saith G.o.d, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." Acts 2:17, 18. We observe first, men and women were placed on equality as prophets: second, this was to be a characteristic feature or mark of the last days, or last dispensation; third, this was being fulfilled at that time, at Pentecost, as women were present. Acts 1:14. All were filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4.

Paul speaks of the whole church coming together into one place. 1 Cor.

14:23. This includes both men and women. He says, "But if all [men and women] prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all," ver. 24. In verse 31 he says, "For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." This was an extended privilege to all, though not expected of all, as we see in 1 Cor. 12:29: "Are all prophets?" Paul expressly mentions those women which labored with him in the gospel. Phil.

4:3. See Rom. 16:1, 3, 7, 12. "Labored in the gospel." "Elders ... labor in the word and doctrine." 1 Tim. 5:17. This was exactly the kind of work that Paul was doing, and those women labored with him in the gospel. "In the gospel" signifies here, evangelizing, spreading or preaching the gospel, etc. Let us not confound ordinary testimony with prophesying. A person must have the gift of prophecy in order to prophesy: and it is this gift that const.i.tutes a person a prophet. Proof texts, Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor.

12:10, 28; 14:1, 3, 6, 12, 29, 39; Eph. 4:8-11. And we have before proved that women did possess this gift, hence were prophetesses or public expounders of the gospel, and hence they have a const.i.tuent part in the ministry, and as such are just as much elders in the church of G.o.d as men.

Silence In The Church.

"Let your women keep silence in the churches." 1 Cor. 14:39. "Let him keep silence in the church." Ver. 28. If these scriptures had no contexts to explain them we would all be silenced in the church. The context to the last quotation reads thus. "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence." This makes it clear. Context to the first reads, "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 anything, let them ask their husbands at home." What kind of speech is forbidden?

Ans.-Asking questions in the church to learn, interrogative speech in the public congregation. The law did not prohibit women being prophets or prophesying. See Deborah, in Judges 4:4-14. Miriam, Ex. 15:20. Anna, Luke 2:36. If the law did not prohibit women prophesying, Paul did not call in question the obedience of the law to prove that point. Thus the context explains itself without further comment. Does not the character of Jezebel "which calleth herself a prophetess" disapprove of women prophets? Rev.

2:20. No! no more than Satan's ministers transforming themselves into the ministers of Christ would disapprove of the entire Christian ministry. The counterfeit proves there is a genuine. This is conclusive proof in itself that there were true prophetesses in the church in those days.

"Teach nor to usurp authority over the man" (1 Tim. 2:12), is offered in argument against women prophets. Such argument betrays ignorance in the nature and spirit of prophecy. A woman filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesying, speaking unto men to edification, exhorting, and comforting, is not usurping authority over any one.

The Resurrection Of The Body.

_This chapter appears in Gospel Trumpet, written by H. F. Jackson._

1. Abraham. "Accounting that G.o.d was able to raise Him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." Heb. 11:19.

2. Moses. "Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob. For he is not a G.o.d of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him." Luke 20:37.

3. Job. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see G.o.d: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job 19:25-27.

4. Isaiah. "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Isa. 26:19.

5. Daniel. "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall s.h.i.+ne as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." Dan. 12:2, 3, 13.

6. Hosea. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." Hos. 13:14.

The Doctrine Derided Among The Greeks.

"Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange G.o.ds: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." Acts 17:18, 32.

Paul's Defense Of The Doctrine.

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" 1 Cor. 15:12. "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of G.o.d; because we have testified of G.o.d that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?... and why stand ye in jeopardy every hour?" 1 Cor. 15:13-18, 29, 30.

Death To Reign Until The Resurrection.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. 15:26.

The Resurrection Of Christ Ensures That Of His Followers.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits: afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Cor.

15:19-23.

Christ's Promise To Raise His Followers.

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:39, 40.

The Order Of The Resurrection.