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The most important role of woman is to be the light of the home; and the keeper of the household. Her role as wife and mother biblically preempts any other roles in her life. It is such a huge shame that women have opted to relinquish those roles in pursuit of other gains. I have even heard some very prominent women who look with disdain upon childbearing and marriage. How sad. The feminist movement absconded with femininity because it is perceived as weakness. This view is hugely unbiblical. One needs only to study Proverbs 31 to realize just how feminine a woman should be all the while practicing the business acumen of a Donald Trump.

Until a little more than one hundred years ago, women here in the United States could not vote, hold an office, couldn’t buy, sell, inherit or own property, or to make their own contracts. Jewish women had these rights millennium ago. First century Jewish women had a definite say in their own marriage; and marital sex was the woman’s right, not the husband’s. Jewish women were assumed innocent in the case of rape, unlike Muslim women who are raped. Their men assume the woman caused the rape and brought shame upon their family name, therefore the woman is executed while the offender walks free. Also, unlike our own Western civilization where the victim must overcome to some degree the thought process that she “asked for it” or “wanted it”.

From Eve to today’s Jewish woman, scripture and the Talmud has made clear the importance of the woman’s role as wife, mother, and keeper of the home. The exemptions of women from some ceremonial commandments and some synagogue duties have led to a false thinking that these are prohibitions. The exemptions are because God views child care, household duties as described in Proverbs 31 take precedence over the ceremonial laws. It’s a bombshell, I know.

Scripture never invalidates Scripture. Scripture interprets Scripture. You are certainly free to interpret as you please. I do not intend any offense at all. I truly believe that we Christians are at different stages in our walk with God and some interpretations are good at some levels and some broader interpretations are better at other levels.

Last week we studied the literal translation of 1 Timothy 2:12 which says a wife should not teach or have authority over her husband. This makes much more sense than a woman shall not have authority over a man meaning any or every man. Even Jesus obeyed His mother at the wedding in Cana. This shows this verse cannot be literally translated "woman" in general and "man" in general. To carry this verse "teach" and "authority" would mean that men in general could order women in general to obey them in everything including sinful things. That is a most dangerous conclusion. Since this verse actually does have exceptions, those being, 1. mothers teaching male children, 2. women teachers in schools and colleges teaching male children and adult men, 3. Mary telling Jesus to fix the wine problem, 4. Anna teaching the Messiah had come in the Temple of Jerusalem, 5. AND Paul's point in verse 14 that Eve was deceived. How is deception propitiated? Ignorance. How is deception obliterated? Education and Knowledge. What did Paul adjure those women to do? Learn!

Acts 2:17 -- daughters shall prophesy
Acts 2:18 -- both men and women shall pour forth My Spirit
1 Corinthians 14:5-- greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues
1 Corinthians 14:31 -- for you all can prophesy and you all may learn and be exhorted. (Learning and being exhorted are results of teaching). These are just a few.

God's commands to spead the gospel were given in a gender neutral intent. All Christians are to make disciples, and that involves teaching. One of the most important verses is the one where we are admonished to never quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:1 For how do we know the heart of a man? We do not. Only Jesus searches the hearts of men and knows the inmost thoughts and attitudes. How do we know when the Spirit is working in a person? When they confess that Jesus is Lord and when they speak the exact same Gospel that Paul, James, John, Peter and the rest of the writers of God's Holy Breathed Word say. Test the message and you will know the heart of the messenger. That is what the Bereans did and they found the Truth.

If you will only test what I've said here, I have not contradicted Scripture. I have only broadened a view of Scripture, specifically a certain verse, to incorporate the certain command that women are to learn and ALL Christians are commanded to preach the Gospel. Who is any man to nay say a command of Jesus? We are to preach the Gospel and that is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

I would like for you to take a serious look at some ancient history, especially Roman history. The "church" basically rose out of Roman roots after 70 AD when Jerusalem was razed and when the Jews were scattered hither and yon.

When Constantine became a Christian and decreed that the official religion of the Roman Empire was Christianity, then this was the foothold that Christianity had in world politics.

This decree did not make Christians... any citizen of Rome that was born was "officially" named a Christian regardless of what his/her real inclinations were or where allegiance belonged.
Now take a look at the history of women. Women were chattel in ancient days. They could not own property or vote or hold office. They did not have the right to go to school, they could not write beyond doing basic addition and subtraction for household purposes and were not schooled in any philosophy or in critical thinking. Their names were mostly numbers such as Secondia and Onencia meaning 2nd daughter, 1st daughter. Roman women did have a bit more freedom that Grecian women who were locked indoors behind closed doors never to come out even in company because the husbands were fearful of their friends’ flirtations with their wives.

You only need read Ptolmy and Piny and a few others to recognize the sheer facelessness of women during this period. Since Rome ruled several centuries past Jesus' day, the Roman opinion and treatment of women became the norm not an exception.

Therefore, in the face of this history and the roots of this culture, how does one know God's opinion of women except from Scripture?

Since long before Rome was even a twinkle in Romulus' and Reamus' eyes, God had ordained a Hebrew woman a Judge over all of Israel. How can any man say for certain that God does not want women in leadership roles within the church? God chose a woman from all the men available in Israel. She was obviously the best and most attuned to God's voice at that time. God does not change. God chose Deborah.

It isn't God Who has changed. It is humankind that has changed. God chooses the best and most attuned to His voice for His work and since God is no respecter of persons, how can any man say for sure one way or another what God's purpose is in what He does? God says He will have compassion upon whom He will have compassion and that means it is not for us to say yea or nay to God's will, correct?

I have to disagree with a lot of people (mostly women) on when the women's liberation actually started. God started it with choosing Deborah as a judge; then He continued it when He gave property rights to women (last chapter of Numbers, I think). Then the Rabbi's discussing points of Law with Huldah who was a woman rabbi. Then Jesus continued with women's liberation all through His ministry here on earth. And Paul continued it with his active involvement of women in his church planting work.

The fact that so many miss is the rights of Jewish women were far beyond today’s most feminist militant desires.

Finally, world thought is catching up to God's plan. Unfortunately, women are leaving behind their femininity, and to some extent their role of mother and homemaker, because they perceive it makes them look weak. God never thought so.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

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