Recently there was some noise raised in a church with the Lord’s name in Tennessee as to whether or not it was proper for a female to preach to a mixed assembly. A church in Franklin, TN thought it was acceptable to the Lord and posted a video of a young woman doing as  much. This is a flat contradiction to what Scripture says (1 Timothy 2:8-15)!

In order to justify this approach, they, and many others, have chosen to rely on what Bible “scholars” have had to say more than what the text of Scripture says. It is true that there are some Bible expositors who argue for the acceptance of women in roles of leadership expressly assigned to males. In this egalitarian society, some men (and women) are not willing to accept the Lord’s Word, but insist that women are allowed to be preachers, and leaders in other sorts of ways. Their numbers are few, however. At one time their numbers were next to nothing, but now this is no longer the case.

It seems that many of today’s current Bible students use a hermeneutic (interpretive method) that corresponds with the standard: if the Bible does not say we can’t, then we can! In other words, as long as the people want it, it is okay to do.

A proper way to study the Bible is to look at it in its immediate context, understanding the meaning of the words used by the author, and interpret those words in light of what the Scripture says in the context, and on the same topic elsewhere. In addition to this, it is important to clearly understand that what the Lord said on the topic—it is that which He wants to us to understand. In fact, it is all that He wants us to understand (2 Peter 1:3). Everything else is speculation. This is a brief starting point, but one that is crucial if a proper understanding is desired.

In the matter under discussion, however, not only did the Lord say want He wanted, He also said what He did not allow. For some this does not matter!

It is a tremendous and deadly shame when so many Christians do more thinking than the Lord did in speaking and writing (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Peter 4:11; Romans 15:18).  RT