JBaldwin
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
The discussion on the recent thread on the PCUSA made me think of this.
From the discussions I've read on the topic, there seems to be two sides (with varying views) to the topic of women and the gifts of preaching, teaching and exhortation. This is with the understanding that both sides believe that women are to be under the authority of exclusively male leadership in the church as is clearly taught in Scripture.
One side:
In other words, the activity of preaching is reserved to men alone.
Some who hold this viewpoint also believe that woman are not allowed to teach or exhort in any form and that the Holy Spirit does not even give these gifts to women.
Other side: The Holy Spirit does gift women to preach, teach and exhort, but they are not to teach to, preach to or exhort men. In the past (before the women's lib movement of the 1960s and 1970s, it was not uncommon in some churches for women to travel around and preach to women's groups. )
Some carry this a bit further and say that women may teach to, preach to and exhort men in any congregational setting, IF they are under the clear authority of the elders in the church AND that the elders are present to correct any error immediately.
What does Scripture teach on the subject?
From the discussions I've read on the topic, there seems to be two sides (with varying views) to the topic of women and the gifts of preaching, teaching and exhortation. This is with the understanding that both sides believe that women are to be under the authority of exclusively male leadership in the church as is clearly taught in Scripture.
One side:
if there is an office authorized to preach then there must be some activity called preaching forbidden to those who do not hold the office.
In other words, the activity of preaching is reserved to men alone.
Some who hold this viewpoint also believe that woman are not allowed to teach or exhort in any form and that the Holy Spirit does not even give these gifts to women.
Other side: The Holy Spirit does gift women to preach, teach and exhort, but they are not to teach to, preach to or exhort men. In the past (before the women's lib movement of the 1960s and 1970s, it was not uncommon in some churches for women to travel around and preach to women's groups. )
Some carry this a bit further and say that women may teach to, preach to and exhort men in any congregational setting, IF they are under the clear authority of the elders in the church AND that the elders are present to correct any error immediately.
What does Scripture teach on the subject?