The Correct Approach to Understanding the Bible:
God means what He says and says what He means
The Bible is an integrated whole: Every detail is there by design (Matthew 5:17-18). The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed. The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.
The Holy Spirit as an artist guided every detail of scripture and hovers over every detail.
Nothing is trivial: All things are for our learning (Romans 15:4)
God is His own interpreter
“If the literal sense makes common sense, seek no other sense (or you’ll end up with nonsense).”
Your job as good Bible students:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
The Holy Spirit in Acts 17:11 is telling you not to just take my word for it but to study it out for yourselves.
From the beginning:
“...and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
Genesis 3:16
The term translated: “desire” here is the same term that is used in Genesis 4:7 when God is talking to Cain:
“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”
Genesis 4:7
The cursed and rebellious woman will want to rule over man as sin wanted to rule over Cain but the blessed and godly woman will be subject to the man. Which is consistent with the rest of scripture as we will see.
Deborah Arguments - Judges 4
Let's look at Deborah and see if modern women "pastor's" have the same characteristics.
Deborah means: “honeybee”
Deborah had the characteristics of a honeybee:
Industrious: It goes without saying how industrious honeybees are.
Discerning: bees have 2,000 to 3,000 plates through which they identify the proper flower from which to draw their nectar.
Sweetness: honeybees are known for the sweetness they produce.
Deborah had all the characteristics of her name (honeybee):
Industrious: Defined in Proverbs 31.
Discerning: she was obedient to God's will that she was subject to her husband as Proverbs 31 discusses (or God wouldn't have used her).
Sweet: as her name indicates and being a Proverbs 31 woman she is naturally sweet.
Willing to be in subjection to male authority. Judges 4:6-9
Modern women "Pastors" in general are:
Anti-Proverbs 31 unwilling to be the godly woman of Proverbs 31.
Easily swayed by whatever teachings are on TBN and unwilling to be subject to a man.
Domineering sometimes even militant
Unwilling to be in subjection to male authority. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16
To compare Deborah with modern women pastors is a stark contrast.
Besides all this Deborah is said to be a prophetess and a wife in Judges 4:4. Therefore Deborah was subject to her husband and had his covering over her.
It is a shameful thing for women and children to rule over men in the Bible:
“As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” - Isaiah 3:12
Deborah was a judge during a very dark time in Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” - Judges 17:6 and 21:25. Obviously the time of the judges was a very dark time as men were unfaithful to the True and Living God and therefore God gave them over to shamefulness and it was a shame that God had to use Deborah to correct Israel as we can even see by her own words:
“ she sent and called for Barak ...and said to him, 'Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, “Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand”?' And Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!' So she said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.' Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. - Judges 4:6-9
Deborah is clearly trying to get the spineless men to do their job which if they had been doing it she would not have to rule over them and Barak would have had the glory which GOD WANTED TO GIVE TO HIM.
Also the Bible gives a five-fold ministry in Ephesians 4:11 apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers.
Apostles are better known as the missionaries of our day and there is nothing wrong with a woman doing this work according to the Bible as long as she is submitted to a Biblically sound male authority. Ultimately she will raise up a man to be a Pastoral head over her mission field.
Prophets: these are the people in our day who exhort people to conform their will to the will of God according to the scriptures. Occasionally these give future prophecies but when they do they are ALWAYS 100% accurate bringing glory to God alone. There is nothing wrong with a woman doing this work according to the Bible as long as she is submitted to a Biblically sound male authority. We see Deborah in this type of capacity but also a stark contrast with the self-proclaimed prophetess named Jezebel in Revelation 2:20. This Jezebel is not doing things according to scripture (as Deborah did) she is doing things as she wants them done and therefore is a false prophet. Anyone who demands they are a prophet or an apostle so as to hold a title of authority over someone else is dangerous and should be rejected as such.
Evangelists: we are ALL called to go out and preach the gospel but sometimes God lays a burden on someone who will go out and do this in a special way that changes many lives. There is nothing wrong with a woman doing this work according to the Bible as long as she is submitted to a Biblically sound male authority.
Pastor: no where in the Bible is it taught that women are permitted to be Pastors. In fact the opposite is true.
Teachers: women are called to be teachers of other women and children but never teachers of men.
The Holy Spirit through Isaiah - Isaiah 3:12
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee [children and women] cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Women leadership is considered a cause of error and a destruction of thy paths.
The Divine Order According to the Holy Spirit through Paul - 1 Corinthians 11:3-16
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.
The divine order: God the Father is the head of Christ who is the head of man who is head of the woman.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
“head” all throughout scripture is a symbol of authority. A man is NOT to have his authority covered or he dishonors his head (Christ).
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
A woman who is uncovered by the authority of a man (who in turn is under the authority of Christ who is under the authority of God) dishonors man and therefore dishonors God's divine order and is considered rebellious (1 Samuel 15:23). She is as if she were shaven having no covering which means no authority from the God of the Bible.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
If the woman wants to do things God's way then let her be covered under the authority of a man (who in turn is under the authority of Christ, who is under the authority of the Father). Remember from Genesis 3 it is only the cursed natural woman (Jezebel) who undermines the divine order of authority not the godly Deborah of Judges 4.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
A man is not to be under the authority of any covering but Christ. That includes a woman "pastor" as 1 Timothy 2:11-12 speaks of.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
Originally woman came from man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
Woman was created for man something that drives modern rebel feminists crazy.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
WOW if you miss what is being said here you could be playing with fire. Why are the angels concerned about the divine order as the Holy Spirit set forth in these verses? Think about it Satan who is a fallen angel usurped the divine order when he said he wanted to exalt his throne to be worshiped like God (Isaiah 14:13).
I suspect women pastors and teachers are a more serious issue than once thought. They are rebellious and God's powerful angels are sensitive to their rebelliousness.
It is interesting how the pagans of old elevated the female to the state of goddess-hood like Diana (Artemis).
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
Man needs woman as a help meet and so too woman must be under the authority and totally subjected to the man who is subjected to Christ who is subjected to the Father.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
Even though woman came from man man now comes from woman but all things are of God and His divine order needs to be respected by those claiming to be His.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
The Holy Spirit through Paul is driving the point home that only the obedient women of God obey His divine order. Therefore those who don't obey this order are not of God.
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
The plain text sense is men look more masculine with short hair. In context of all that the Holy Spirit is saying there is a divine order that should never be undermined by those who are serious about their love for God.
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
The truly godly woman obeys the order God has set forth. So too in the plain text sense women with longer hair are gorgeous in their gender. There is an attempt in our modern pagan culture to create feminine men and masculine women. This is even a shame in the natural order.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
WOW another big statement! If someone is contentious about these things they are not part of the Church of God!
Due to the rebellious nature of breaking from the divine order as set forth in these passages I would suspect the rebellious who demand things their way, instead of God's way, are not even worshiping the True and living God. God says those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul - 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.
Men Bishops and Deacons- 1 Timothy 3:1-13
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
I can't even imagine how one could Biblically say that a woman is to rule her own house. The practice of ordaining women is anti-biblical (anti in Greek means against and in place of the Bible).
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
“His” is used twice and “he” is used 5 times altogether 7 times concerning a Bishop within 7 verses. Seems pretty clear that God's design for a Bishop is complete (7) in these verses.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
The Bishop and the Deacon are husbands who have wives. Never mentioned as wives who have husbands.
Again it undermines God's Word from cover to cover to say a woman is to rule her house.
Men Bishops - Titus 1:6-9
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayer.
There is no PRACTICE in the Bible of women being in authority over the saints of God. There are cases where evil women rule over the wicked but never over the saints of God.
Junia - Romans 16:7
“Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.”
Like poor Deborah Junia is abused as being an apostle which modern feminists abuse as a license to undermine the divine order (The Father is the head of Christ, Christ the head of man, man the head of woman) as seen throughout the entirety of scripture. Apostle is simply an untranslated word meaning: “one who is sent out”. The term here in context is referring to the sent out ones (like Barnabas, Silas, etc. not the original 12). Apostle speaks of a missionary.
As with all verses they need to be interpreted consistently with the rest of scripture. As the same Holy Spirit wrote the entire Bible.
I believe Junia is probably a woman (although the Greek could make Junia a man). Let's examine the text to see what is really going on here.
“Andronicus and Junia” previously in verse 3 of this chapter Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned as a couple the same way Andronicus and Junia are mentioned here. We know the situation of Priscilla and Aquila from the book of Acts. Therefore it is very likely Andronicus and Junia were a married couple. Therefore Junia is properly submitted to her husband's authority as ordained in 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 just as Deborah was properly submitted to her husband.
Later on in verse 12 two women are mentioned with the connective word: “and”: “Tryphena and Tryphosa”. Bible scholars believe these two were sisters probably twins as their names being translated are: “Dainty” and “Delicate”.
Besides all this as was previously discussed concerning Deborah there is nothing wrong with a female missionary or a female prophetess as long as they are submitted to a Biblically sound male authority. This does not mean they can be pastors or even elders and deacons for that matter.
I believe women who refuse to subject themselves to the authority of Scripture through the whole counsel of God's Word are following the effects of the curse as was pointed out in Genesis 3. But it is the truly godly woman who is free from the curse and follows the divine order and accepts her place of freedom. We need to conform our minds to God's Word instead of rebelling against it.
All this said I believe God can use whatever means necessary to get His word into people's hearts. I believe God has a permissive will and a perfect will. The permissive will of God allows the rebellious to take His Holy name upon their unholy lips and He uses them for His purposes as He used the arrogant Pharaoh in the Exodus. So too God used an ass to portray His truth to Balaam (Numbers 22). However God's perfect will is obedience to His revealed Word (both Jesus and the Bible are His revealed Word). The person who is obedient to God's Word is like humble Moses.
God will be glorified in either case but to the great peril of those who live in His permissive will and great glory to those who live in His perfect will.
God has a wonderful plan for those who are rebellious. If only they would repent (forsake their ways and conform to God's ways). I know because I used to be a rebel who carried the name of Christ but now I will never return to His permissive will on purpose.
For more information on how to be a godly woman read Ephesians chapter 5.
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