When Jesus was on earth, He was like a shepherd to the disciples and His other followers. He took care of all their needs, spiritual and sometimes physical.
A shepherd takes really good care of his sheep. He leads them to safe places, but sometimes he has to go through dangerous places to get there. With patience and skill, a shepherd can get his sheep to safety. He makes sure they have plenty of food and water. At night, when they need rest, he finds the perfect place for them to sleep. He watches over them and protects them from harm.
Jesus knew the church would need someone to watch over them when he went back to heaven. God instructed Paul to appoint leaders over the church. We read about the first elders in Acts 14:23.
Paul called for the elders of the church from Ephesus while he was in Miletus. He told them that they had been made overseers in Acts 20:28-29. He said they were to shepherd the church because wolves would come in and cause trouble, even try to destroy the church.
Later, there began to be denominations. These were churches that didn’t believe what the apostles had taught, and they stared their own churches. One of these groups had elders, but they made one elder more important than the others. They called him the “bishop”. Over the years, this “bishop” became the authority over everyone in this church. This was not according to God’s pattern.
Paul gave Timothy and Titus the plan for church leaders. The qualifications for elders and deacons can be found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. When you read through these qualifications, you will notice something very interesting. These qualifications show that an elder or a deacon must be a man. A woman just does not fit the qualifications laid out in either of these texts. A woman cannot be the husband of one wife.
The church that Jesus built will have elders. They will be men that have been selected because they fit all the qualifications given in the Bible.
The church that Jesus built will have deacons. They will also be men that have been selected because they fit all the qualifications given in the Bible.
When we look at all the religious groups, we need to look carefully at their leadership. God needs to be the supreme focus of worship. The Bible needs to be only book to guide the church that Jesus built. Jesus Christ must be the focus of worship.
The church that Jesus built will pray to no man or woman but to God only through Jesus Christ.
The church that Jesus built should give as they have been prospered and be cheerful in their giving.
In the church that Jesus built, there should be a celebration of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week by taking the bread and the fruit of the vine. This should not be reserved for special secular holidays or special events.
The church that Jesus built will have vocal music in the worship service. Instruments of music will not be allowed since God did not authorize them.
In the church that Jesus built, there will be no elevation of any man because he is a preacher. He should be called a minister, preacher, or an evangelist, and the preacher will be a man and not a woman.
The church that Jesus built will be governed by the Bible, being led by Godly men called elders and deacons. Elders and deacons will be men. The Bible does not authorize women to be elders, deacons, or preachers.
When you eliminate the groups that do not meet the criteria we have studied, you will find the true body of Christ. May God bless each of us as we strive to serve the only true and living God.
–Sandra Oliver
I am very shocked that you would say women can not preach being this is a women’s devotional app. My childhood church bases everything off the bible. Both my pastor and his wife preach. I’m sure if God did not allow this, the Holy Spirit would not be a regular visitor. Please keep in mind the bible was a long time ago. God has opened doors for women through the years that are fitting to today’s society. I will delete the app and let others know your feeling towards women if I see another negative remark. There a tons of wonderful, full of the bible, God’s one and only word women who preach on a regular basis, whether in private or in front of a congregation.
REPLY: Thank you very much for offering feed back on this article. This work is an effort based on the Bible, and the Bible tells people to speak the “truth” and speak it “in love” (Eph. 4:15). When we look for Bible verses about ladies and their teaching in a mixed assembly (i.e. males and females), do we find any information in the Scriptures?
In 1 Cor 14:34-35 Paul said: “let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. 35 And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.”
In conjunction with what Paul said in 1 Cor. 14:34-35, he went on to say this in 1 Cor 4:17: “For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church” (emphasis added).
Paul said instructions such as those in 1 Cor. 14:34-35 were not due to things like culture; they were part of the “ways in Christ.” Since it is essential to “abide in the doctrine of Christ” (2 Jn. 9 and compare Rev. 22:18-19), we seek to follow these “ways in Christ” today.
In the letter we refer to as First Timothy Paul said: “Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. 12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.” Then in the very next verse Paul gave a reason for this instruction: (“For Adam was first formed, then Eve”). A woman having “dominion over a man is not wrong because of culture; it is wrong because “Adam was first formed, then Eve” (1 Tim. 2:13). Paul went all the way back to creation to explain the prohibition in 1 Tim. 2:12-13.
We love all our subscribers and hope their love for God and the Bible would cause them to be like the believers described in Acts 17:11: “Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.”
Dear readers, please study the Bible for yourselves. If you choose to read our articles, check them carefully against what the Scriptures say. If you find things contrary to the Word of God, the Bible will always be right. If you find things contrary to what you have been taught or what you currently believe, the Bible will always be right.
We are not and do not claim perfect, so if you find something with our material that does not harmonize with the Scriptures, please let us know.
We are committed to what Paul said in 1 Thess. 5:21 (“prove all things; hold fast that which is good”) and trust you are as well.
Thank you.
Men and women with a genuine desire to serve the Lord seek ways to do it. One of the beauties of serving the Heavenly Father is serving Him the way He has designated.
Everyone knows that if someone is sick and we want to serve that person in their sickness by our own invention, we might not be accepted or in any way useful. If we ask the one who needs our service what he/she wants, they might say, “Just sit by me in silence.”
We serve the ones we really love they way they want to be served. How is it that we tend to want to serve the Lord our own way? How can we find the best way to serve Him? Where would we look? Would we look to our own traditions, to other men or to God Himself for our answer?
I know that you know the Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to direct us how to serve Him. Would you like to seek ways to serve Him in His Word? There are ladies who write for this site who would be willing to study privately (preach if you want to call it that), and help you to be more and more useful to the Savior.
If you say instruments of music will not be allowed in the church because it was not authorized by God, then what do you say about psalm 150 and what happened to King David when he danced and praises God. Can you please throw more light on this?
REPLY:
Dear Christy,
Thank you very much for asking this question as others are also likely interested in it.
Under the Old Testament system of worship, as you correctly noted, people used instrumental music because it was authorized by God (Psalm 150; 2 Chronicles 29:25). Under the New Testament system of worship, which was instituted by Jesus (Lk. 22:20), people are specifically told to “sing” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). If the New Testament told us to “make music,” we would be authorized to make music any way we choose. Since God has specifically said those who live under the New Testament are to make music by singing (compare Heb. 13:15), we seek to follow this heavenly instruction. If we sing AND PLAY man-made instruments in worship, we add to God’s instruction to simply “sing.” Adding instrumental music to worship is an example of what is called “will-worship” (Col. 2:23) and going “beyond what is written” (1 Cor. 4:6, American Standard Version, and compare 2 Jn. 9; Rev. 22:18-19).
It may come as a surprise to many readers, but man-made instruments for most religious groups is a relatively recent thing. Some research should confirm for you that our first record of a Baptist church using an organ comes from about 1820 (less than 200 years ago) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
We appreciate your desire to be among those who are “proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord” (Eph 5:10)!
You might do a bit of research on the split between the Roman Catholic church and the Greek Orthodox church. Their split came because of a disagreement over whether the church might use an instrument given to them by some wealthy donor. Why had the RCC not used the instrument up to that point?
Had you ever considered why the early Christians chose not to have the instrument? They gathered on Solomon’s Porch (Temple steps) for services and could have used any of the instruments there. They met from house to house at other times and might easily have had an instrument in one or more of the homes.
What teaching might they have understood to cause them to refrain from using what they have always used before?