In the beginning God made man in his image: male and female created He them (Gen 1:27).After the transgression of the woman which was taken out of man and named by man in Genesis 2:23, the woman’s punishment was that man would rule over her (Gen 3:16). Many will teach that it was a temporary punishment, but as we look around in the year of 2006, we see the serpent is still on the ground, the earth is still bringing forth thorns and thistles, women are still having sorrow bringing forth children, and we all still have an appointment with death (Heb 9:27). The punishment still stands that the man should rule over the woman.

 

There have been great women in the bible. Deborah was a prophetess who judged Israel (Judges 4:4). She arose not as prophet, preacher, nor pastor, but as a mother. There are still mothers in the church today. They are to teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed, or spoken against (Titus 2:3-5). There were women in the scriptures that ministered to Jesus Christ. These women had been healed by Jesus Christ of evil spirits and infirmities. According to St. Luke 8:1, they ministered to Jesus Christ of their substance.  Some would have you believe these women preached to Jesus Christ, when in fact He came not to be ministered to, but to minister (Matt 20:28). Neither men nor women were fit to preach to Jesus Christ. To minister is to serve, and there are many ways a woman can serve the church. These women served with what they had—their substance. Phebe was a servant and sister of the church, not a deacon or deaconess. She was a succourer, that is to say a helper of many and of Paul the Apostle (Romans 16:1-2). There are many tasks to be performed by all members of the body of Christ.

 

Many have been taught that there is neither male nor female in Christ and that males and females are able to perform the same tasks and hold the same offices in the body of Christ. Please be enlightened concerning this matter. Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (Heb 11:6). Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:26). The scripture goes on to say in the 28th verse that there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. The truth of the scripture is that our faith has no gender or nationality, however our bodies do. The Lord still recognizes us as male and female, for the Lord said,  I will receive you and will be a father unto you , and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (II Corinthians 6:17-18).

 

The Lord had men and women who were disciples, while in the earth, but He chose twelve men to be Apostles (St Luke 6:13). When the Lord ascended up on high He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men (Eph 4:8). He gave some apostles, and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11). Before the Lord ascended, He commissioned the eleven apostles to go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature, for one of the twelve had fallen by transgression (Mark 16:14). As the apostles stayed in Jerusalem waiting on the promise of the Holy Ghost, they ordained Matthias in the place of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26). After Peter preached on the day of Pentecost the people addressed the apostles as men and brethren (Acts 2:37). Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle that he suffered not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (I Timothy 2:12). He began to take our attention back to the punishment of the women in Gen 3:16: Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shall bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Apostle Peter bears witness to the things Paul wrote saying, as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction (II Peter 3:15-16). For this cause, the True Church of God in Christ, Inc. does not allow women to hold the office of a preacher, evangelist, missionary, nor pastor. We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20).

 

If you would like to see how a woman can work in the church, you are welcome to come to our 61st Sisters of Unity Convention on Wednesday May 12, 2010 thru Sunday May 6, 2010.   Come expecting to see love and receive the blessing of the word! Everyone is invited!

 

Click here to read "The role of women in the church as told by some of our Mothers."