Women In Ministry

For the life of me I don’t know why this is such a hot potato in Christianity. You hear it all over the place. “Women aren’t allowed to minister.” Or “I don’t submit to a woman’s teaching.” This is totally absurd and ridiculous.

And you can quote to me where Paul wrote about him not allowing women to teach until you’re blue in the face it won’t change my mind. (Actually, when read in context Paul didn’t actually say that. More on that coming soon) Women back in the day, and sadly even today, were severely discriminated against. But today I want to stand up for my sisters who face such unnecessary persecution from within the church.

Encouragement #1:

Women stick it out longer than men when things go pear-shaped. Jesus had 12 male disciples. One betrayed Him, 2 denied Him and all of the 12, save 1, deserted Him. Not the women. They never left Him. They went all the way to the whipping post, the cross and the tomb. Women don’t run when things get tough. They persevere, they hold on, their faith is not easily shaken.

Encouragement #2:

Back in the day a women’s testimony would not even hold up in court. The words of a woman were utterly worthless to men, except for one man, Jesus. When our Lord rose from the dead, he first appeared to a woman. Think about that. The resurrection is the one thing that sets Christianity apart from all other faiths and religions, and Jesus Himself entrusted that gospel message to a woman.

A woman first preached the gospel, and she had to preach it to the disciples who deserted Him.  A woman whose word was worthless before men was deemed worthy by Christ to be the first to proclaim the good news of the risen Saviour! The very person you disqualify is probably the very person God has already qualified.

Don’t let any man tell you not to preach, for Christ Himself first commissioned the gospel to a woman.

Encouragement #3:

Women can think with their hearts and don’t take no for an answer. The Syro-Phoenician women got told ‘No’ by Jesus when seeking deliverance for her daughter. In fact, the men tried to chase her away, she got told no 3 times and was called a dog. That didn’t stop her. She could see beyond the natural and she saw the heart of the Father, something the 12 disciples didn’t even see or understand yet.

She saw that the gospel was not just for Israel, but also for the gentiles. So great was her persuasion, faith and determination that Jesus marveled at her faith. He never said that regarding the faith of His 12 disciples. Ps: She got what she came for too…

Encouragement #4:

Women are fantastic evangelists. Jesus defied the traditions of the men of the day and dared to speak to a Samaritan woman. God gives grace to those who man sees as disgraceful. After revealing the gospel to this woman, she went back to her village and spread the good news of what just happened to her. When the village heard her testimony the majority of them came out to meet with Jesus.

It was because of this crowd that Jesus spoke this famous statement: ‘Look at the fields, they are already white for the harvest’, referring to the people coming towards him. See, Samaritans traditionally dressed in all white, especially during ceremonies. They were the white fields ready for the harvest. All because of a woman’s testimony and that woman preaching to an entire village.

Women, rise up and do not be silent. For the testimony of the Risen King was first entrusted to you. Receive grace where men have been prejudiced, narrow-minded and intolerant and share your Lord with the passion you have living inside you!

Much love!

Cornel