Women Preaching?
“Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city, she utters her sayings” (Proverbs 1:20-21 NASB).
Here we have Wisdom personified as a woman. And she is in places like ‘the square’, ‘the noisy streets’, and ‘the entrance of the gates in the city’. These are places that are places of business. It is where the elders gathered in 4:1-2 to decide on the fate of Ruth and Naomi. And it had become a regular place where there elders of the city would gather and men would do business, legal business. And to be known as a man by the elders or to be an elder of the city was indeed a particular privilege (See Prov. 31:22-23).
But here is a woman, being pictured in a most counter-cultural way. She is shouting in these places, preaching per se. Now, I am not espousing women in pastoral ministry. The very fact that it is counter cultural for a woman to preach gives weight to the argument that men are to fill such leadership roles. Even so, I am not sure we are completely biblical in many circles concerning the way God views women in ministry. And considering this subject, there is much to learn. So, what does the Bible say concerning women preaching?
Psalm 68:11 NASB says
“The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host”
In addition, Mark 16 the following account is given:
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. And when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. And after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them, while they were walking along on their way to the country. And they went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. And afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:9-15)
The above account shows the women sharing the good news that Jesus is alive, but it is not recieved, but disbelieved because of women bringing the news. It says “they had not believed those…” ‘those’ being the women who were telling them that Jesus had risen. And it says that Jesus ‘reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.’ This tells me that if I am not willing to hear the good news of Jesus Christ from a woman that Jesus is saying I have a hard heart and I am unbelieving. I should not be unwilling to hear the good news from anyone. When I came to know Jesus Christ, I just remembered, a woman counseled my wife and I concerning the Gospel.
In addition, John gives us an account of women at the tomb of Jesus:
But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she *beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around, and *beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She *turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
(John 20:11-18)
Mary came announcing to the disciples! There is other debate by those who espouse woman in the pastorate with use of Romans 16:7 around a person named Junia called ‘outstanding among the Apostles.” Those wishing to espouse no women in ministry translate it Junias as a male, those wishing to espouse women in ministry translate it Junia; at least this is what I see taking place. We are not sure. However, I favor that indeed there is a woman here that served in an extraordinary way, but it in no way means that women should serve as pastors. In fact that is not the issue here, nor in Proverbs, nor in the Gospel accounts, the issue is one of spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Clearly the Bible teaches us how to live in subordinate and leadership roles in society, in the home, and in work. The Bible does not do away with that. But, to humble us perhaps, a woman is seen in Proverbs 1 as preaching; why? You answer. It has to at least be to make us see that we need to learn from everyone, and if a woman is preaching in the streets the very truth of God it would do us wise to listen to her and put aside both our cultural and religious norms.
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