IS THE ‘PASUMA’ INCIDENT A TIP OF THE ICEBERG…?

As the adage goes, a wise man does not ignore a rash of

leprosy to ferociously ‘attack’ a mild infection of ring-worm. The

lesson? Keep your focus on the bigger picture. In this reflection,

I will be advancing the position that the ongoing Pasuma matter

in the RCCG is an unfolding metaphor – what I call the

‘PASUMA’ metaphor.

Perhaps you have read or heard the story. A Parish of the

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos is

organising a three-day crusade. And billed as the ‘star

performer’ at the crusade is a widely-known, local musician

popularly known as Pasuma. The common knowledge about

Pasuma is that he is a Muslim. And he is a devout Muslim, he

has visited Mecca on pilgrimage. There are faint, unconfirmed

rumours in the air that Pasuma may have recently become born

again. But like most elements of this story, nobody seems to

know anything for sure.

Reportedly, in reaction to the indiscretion of inviting a devout

Muslim to ‘pull crowd’ to a Christian crusade, the RCCG High

Command has suspended the pastor that organised the

programme. Prior to the report of his suspension in some online

media channels, Christians in Nigeria had been debating the

rightness/wrongness of the pastor’s ‘PASUMA’ initiative. To our

credit, majority of Christians were alarmed at the pastor’s

desperation to ‘pull a crowd’ to the crusade. For apart from

enjoying the Pasuma ‘anointing’, the attendees also stood a

chance of winning a lot of exciting prizes at the crusade,

including motorcycle, generator sets, television sets, etc.

The announcement of the suspension of the pastor seems to

have calmed nerves, and business will soon return to normal.

But can we really afford this? If the ‘PASUMA’ crusade is an

isolated, random event, then we should be glad that the problem

has been nipped in the bud, and that should settle the matter.

Repentance from error is what God requires, not the crucifixion

of a sinner. But the reality here is that the issues involved are

deeper. Much more deeper.

In my opinion, the suspension of the pastor is simply wrong, and

it’s a smoke-screen that covers a much deeper malaise in the

entire RCCG structure. For the ‘PASUMA’ initiative at the crusade

is a reflection of a deeper culture that permeates the RCCG

denomination. Yes! The RCCG has a ‘PASUMA’ culture that oils

the mammoth wheels of the establishment. A culture that

employs all sorts of strategies to swell the crowd in the

denomination. A culture that openly side-tracks both Scriptures

and morality to increase the crowd in its fold. This was

PRECISELY what the erring pastor did, and he has been

suspended! He has been made a scapegoat of a corporate

philosophy.

That corporate philosophy was on open display some time last

year or so, and mostly, we all kept mute. We kept mute because

Nigeria seems to be a society that thrives on corruption, and

from a very low level of expectation from our leaders – both in

the spiritual and secular spheres. This particular example played

out at a National Ministers’ Conference of the denomination.

Some of the pastors that had performed well in their regions

were rewarded with a cash gift of N2m (then worth about

£8,000). In addition, they were given suits that had belonged to

the General Overseer (the suits were particularly sought after

because it is believed that those who won and wore the suits

may be able to perform miracles like the General Overseer!)

In our characteristic carelessness, this is something that we

may have even shrugged off, until one hears the key criteria for

appointing the winners of the prizes. Reportedly, the winners

were primarily the pastors that had been able to raise the most

amount of money in their respective regions! The ‘diligence’ of

such pastors was swelling the coffers of the denomination, and

they were getting the due reward and recognition – in the midst

of their peers at a national event. Now, let us reason together.

What message was this meant to pass to the other pastors that

were not bringing in huge revenues to the denomination’s

coffers? “Intensify your efforts so that you can also win N2m

and Daddy GO’s worn suits!”

This is the target-driven culture that may, wittingly or

unwittingly, drive the ‘enthusiasm’ of a lot of RCCG pastors to

‘PRODUCE RESULTS’ at all costs. It is a culture that is being

stimulated and sustained at the highest levels of the RCCG

hierarchy. It is a house culture. A ‘PASUMA’ culture – results AT

ALL COSTS.

Immediately after that conference, a provincial pastor in the

Abuja branch of the denomination got back to his base and

zealously went to work to be a ‘winner’ too. He instantly

increased the registration fees and tuition fees for the region’s

Bible course for church members. He severely reprimanded

members for persistently dropping low denominations of Naira

into the offering basket for God! That was not the height of his

desperation. He sunk even lower. He announced that members

in the province (a province may have up to 50 - 80 parishes)

should give a ‘sacrificial offering’ of 90% of their February salary

to God (AFTER the compulsory 10% tithes)! This is in a church

that encourages members to donate ALL their January salary to

God as ‘firstfruits offering’ every year. So, that is the entire

January and February salary ‘sacrificed to God’, in a church that

has loads of struggling, poor people! Some members of the

church were unhappy about the unholy exploitation, and

considered leaving the church. That was how the story blew into

the open. A ‘PASUMA’ culture – results AT ALL COSTS.

There is a yet more insidious way in which the ‘PASUMA’

phenomenon manifests itself in RCCG. It is in the appointment

of pastors for the denomination’s parishes. Whereas the Bible

IMPOSES very stringent considerations for those that would be

appointed into leadership positions in God’s churches, RCCG

has been very, very very flagrant in DISOBEYING God in this

regard. For instance, God EXPRESSLY commands that believers

who have not matured in the faith SHOULD NOT be appointed as

Church leaders (1 Timothy 3:6). Doing so, the Bible warns, will

expose such people to conceit, condemnation, and eventually

judgment. Does RCCG really consider this warning in appointing

pastors? Or is it okay to obey Scriptures when convenient, and

break Scriptures when they do not fit into our corporate plans?

If the denomination is FAITHFUL to God’s commandment on

appointing leaders, how will it get leaders for the parishes that

are popping up all over the world? Obviously, the spread of the

denomination is MORE IMPORTANT than obeying the injunction

given by the Owner of the work on HOW He wants His work

done. This is another facet of the ‘PASUMA’ culture – results at

all costs. When we convert yet-to-mature believers into pastors,

and put them under tremendous PRESSURE TO PERFORM, what

do we expect? For instance, all parishes have specified and

defined time-frames to establish new parishes to ensure the

rapid growth of the denomination. Pastors that comply move up

faster in the denomination’s hierarchy. Is this model of church

growth biblical? Is this strategy centred on growing God’s

Kingdom, or on mushrooming a denomination? Are churches

like business franchises that can be set up randomly at every

corner without DUE REGARD given to biblical considerations and

antecedents?

This is the ‘PASUMA’ mentality that gave rise to the ‘PASUMA’

manifestation that informed the thinking of the crusade

organisers. It is all about the CROWD. It is all about the

NUMBERS. And in the final analysis, it is all about what comes

into the denomination’s coffers. Some of the ways that

‘offerings’ are being raised in RCCG today are ridiculous, and

shameful to write about openly. When we begin to embark on

mammoth projects that God did not commission, it is inevitable

that CARNAL STRATEGIES would have to be devised to raise the

funds for such projects. And most often, it is the poor sheep that

bears the brunt. They MUST foot the bill!!!

On the outside, the RCCG denomination is getting bigger and

juicier. Even the auditorium is getting longer and wider. But

deep within the system, at its very heart, some ‘PASUMA’

chickens have been hatched. One day, THESE CHICKENS WILL

COME HOME TO ROOST. Unless the Lord, in His mercy, sends

waves and waves of repentance into the RCCG fold, starting

from the very top, the Body of Christ will wake up to discover

that the now cancelled ‘PASUMA’ crusade is a child’s play

compared to the ‘PASUMA’ germs that are germinating beneath

the radar of this behemoth denomination.

Because the name of Jesus Christ is involved, because many

genuine children of God are in the RCCG fold, please let us NOT

bury our heads in the sands on the warning shot that has been

fired by this ‘PASUMA’ incident. Even if the whole ‘PASUMA’

saga proves to have been a huge hoax, at least it would have

served the cathartic purpose of forcing the Body of Christ to

look at ourselves in the mirror. To re-evaluate our spiritual

values in relation to our corporate goals. And to confront our

failings before God in repentance. Repentance will lead us back

Home.

In addition to praying, there is also a HUGE, VITAL lesson for us

all here – God’s work can ONLY be done in God’s way - using

His approved methods, and following His instructions very

closely. We CANNOT help God to do His work. He is not a

weakling. And He certainly does not require a ‘PASUMA’

strategy to build His Kingdom.

Meanwhile, may I humbly appeal that the suspension of the

‘PASUMA’ pastor should be kindly re-considered, as all

Christians everywhere, myself inclusive, consider the ‘PASUMA’

phenomenon in our private lives. And repent where necessary.

This is all that God requires. And this is a lesson we can all

learn.

Thanks for reading, God bless.

10 REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT PASTOR OR TEACH A CHURCH…. (PART 4 of 4)

(This article is a series of four parts. Pls click here for Part 1 -
http://csplalumni.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/10-reasons-why-women-should-not-pastor.html?m=1

here for Part 2 - http://csplalumni.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/10-reasons-why-women-should-not-pastor_58.html?m=1

And here for Part 3- http://csplalumni.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/10-reasons-why-women-should-not-pastor_11.html?m=1


REASON 8 – FEMINISM IS A WORLD AGENDA, NOT A DIVINE
AGENDA
Feminism is a concept that Christian women ought to be very
careful about. It is a double edged sword that can help or maim.
On one hand, it offers the desirable benefit of the pursuit of civil
rights and liberties for women. This is a great ideal that all godly
people should be highly committed to. It is wrong, in every
sense of the word, to curtail the civil rights and liberties of
women. Societies that do this are harming themselves greatly
by failing to acknowledge and tap into the vast creative
resources that the Lord has kindly deposited in womanhood.
Imagine tying up one of your legs and hoping to run swiftly. It is
in this respect that the concept of feminism is helpful.
But feminism becomes apparent as a poisoned chalice when we
look at the other side of the coin. The model of ‘feminism’
pursued by the world is premised on the concept of equality for
men and women – both IN ESSENCE, and IN ROLE. This
concept is RADICALLY DIFFERENT from God’s precept on this
issue. As explained in point Number 3 in this series, the sacrifice
of Christ on Calvary has made both men and women EQUAL IN
ESSENCE. But God’s eternal order for gender roles remains
unchanged. Thus, with God, there is EQUALITY IN ESSENCE, but
DIFFERENCE IN ROLES. Simple.
God’s order for gender roles is inextricably woven into the very
fabric of the Church. This is why the relationship between Christ
and the Church is likened to the relationship between a husband
and wife as we read in Ephesians 5:22-33. In one, Christ, the
bridegroom, is the head of the Church. And the Church, the
bride, submits to Christ. In the other, the husband is the head,
and the wife submits. As it is in the Church, so it is in the
Christian home. The concept of submission in the Christian
home can be likened to the concept of submission in the
Church. This is GOD’S ETERNAL ORDER. And this is the order
that the world system (including avowed feminists) will NEVER,
EVER bow to. This is the order that Satan will fight tooth and nail
to disrupt. For in disrupting it, Satan attempts to disrupt God’s
purpose. Every Christian has the obligation to choose who to
follow.
Civil rights and liberties are very important, but beyond that,
spiritual freedom is the GREATEST NEED of every man and
woman. Once we secure our spiritual freedom (in Christ Jesus),
our lives take its bearing from that privileged position in Christ in
heavenly places. We are citizens of another Kingdom, (we are
not citizens of the world (Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 11:14-16,
Hebrews 13:14, Colossians 3:1, etc ). And it is from our
Kingdom that we MUST take our value system. Our Kingdom
has made our women free (thank God), but in their assignment
for the Kingdom here, God has stipulated certain roles they
should not play. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed.” (John 8:36). A female Christian DOES NOT NEED the
feminist movement to make her free. God has made her free.
The ‘female pastor’ culture that the church is blindly following
today is being fuelled by the unseen hands of the global,
powerful feminist movement. Satan is not sparing any expense
in this agenda. He has planted people that will write books,
articles, commentaries, etc, on the subject. People that will
campaign vigorously for the concept of equality in gender roles
in the Church. He has planted some pastors to make this
concept look normal and acceptable within the Christian
community. Some Bible translations have even been written to
muddle the issue further. The church is under tremendous
pressure from Satan to remain confused and divided over this
simple, clear godly principle. (Please let me be clear that I am
not insinuating that everybody that is campaigning for female
leadership in the church is satanic. There are untold numbers of
sincere Christians that are propagating or following the agenda
more out of ignorance than anything else.)
AToday, if the church dares to repent and go back to God’s
order for gender roles, the world is standing ready to persecute
us and call us bigots, old-fashioned, religious nuts, backward,
fundamentalists, etc. But isn’t this what Christ promised us? Did
He not warn us that the world will hate us because the world
does not know Him, and the ways of God? Are we running away
from our destiny - just to fit into the world’s mould, and gain
their applause? These are challenging questions that the end-
time soldiers of the Lord, male and female, cannot ignore.
REASON 9 – ON THIS ISSUE, LISTEN NOT ONLY TO PASTORS,
ALSO LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Let’s face it, the issue of female pastors and teachers in the
church is a very delicate and emotive issue. There is the godly
need to be sensitive to the feelings of those that are involved in
this. But this legitimate need has to be balanced against the
more important need to be faithful to God, and faithful to the
Scriptures. This is where the dilemma of many pastors lies. And
it is quite understandable; because pastors are the ones that
ordained the women into leadership positions in the first place!
Will it be easy for these same pastors to turn around, admit they
were in error, and remove the women they ordained? Will it be
easy for female pastors to leave the front row seats, and sit
quietly in the congregation? It will be challenging for some, no
doubt. (Unless if the fear of God is the ONLY consideration for
all that are involved).
In addition, many pastors have their wives as the Number 2
authority figure in the church. For such a pastor, will it be easy
to relieve his wife from this exalted position? Will it be easy to
stop her from teaching the whole church as she has been doing
for years? This will definitely be a tough choice for some
pastors! And this is why most pastors are uncomfortable about
this topic. It will cost a lot of them dearly! How many of them
will be willing to upset the 'religious system' by taking a stance
for the godly concept of male leadership in the church? The
changes that this will involve will be huge. Significantly, some
pastors will be scared that they will have to admit that THEY
HAVE BEEN WRONG ON THIS. How many pastors are willing to
go this far? This is why it is almost ‘understandable’ that most
pastors will rather continue with the status quo, than upset the
system. They will rather look for flimsy arguments and extra-
biblical sources to justify the continuation of the status quo.
Yet, this is NOT ABOUT PASTORS, IT IS ABOUT JESUS
CHRIST!!! It is about the moral need to be faithful to the sacred
trust committed to ALL genuine servants of God. This is not a
blame game on pastors. Pastors are not the only guilty party
here. WE HAVE ALL BEEN WRONG! Even if the pastors are
responsible for the error of leading us down this route, we share
in the responsibility for following blindly! For not being like the
Berean Christians that searched the Scriptures to confirm that
they were being taught the real truth of God’s word (Acts 17:11).
This is God’s expectation from followers; we are not called to be
gullible. We all ought to combine forces to make it difficult for
the devil to deceive the church, and plant seeds of error in God’s
church. We have all failed in this regard!
This is the time for us all to go back to God DIRECTLY and ask
Him to reveal the truth to us. Men may mislead us because of
personal agenda and interest, but God will never mislead us.
God’s agenda is plain – the salvation of our souls. So, let’s go
back to Him. If our hearts are genuinely set to LEARN AND
OBEY the truth, He will show us the truth. But if we are not
single-minded in the desire to repent and obey, He will leave us
to continue to wallow in our error. It is our choice, really.
REASON 10 – IT IS AN ANCIENT REBELLION
Right from the Garden of Eden, Satan has always attempted to
disrupt God’s plan for mankind by tampering with God’s pattern
for gender roles. He tricked Eve into taking the lead in the
decision to eat the apple, and reject God’s clear commandment
not to do so. And since then, mankind has never been the same
again! Switch gender roles and you will upturn the apple cart of
God’s purpose.
Satan has not abandoned this simple strategy that worked for
him effectively in the Garden of Eden. It is quite interesting that
in the passage that forbids women leadership in the church in 1
Timothy 2:11-15, Apostle Paul directly links the issue of women
leadership, in some sense, to the error that occurred in the
Garden of Eden! Very instructive.
So, all this is not new! It is an ancient rebellion in modern
packaging.
Satan attempted to foist this abnormality on the early church
too – even in the days of the Apostles. We can deduce this from
Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians (a church reputed for her
carnality before Paul’s two epistles). After giving sundry
instructions on how the church should be governed, he ended
with the issue of women’s submissive role in the church (1
Corinthians 14: 34-35). In verse 37, he made it clear that the
directives he gave are a clear commandment from God. And in
verse 38, he pointedly challenged those that chose to remain
ignorant on the issues, to remain so! So even at that time, these
words were not popular!
In other words, some believers have been in the conspiracy,
ignorantly or otherwise, to resist God’s order in the Church since
the days of the Apostles. That evil conspiracy continues till
today. It is championed by the devil, and promoted by his agents
in the church. And sadly, some of God’s GENUINE children are
ignorantly following this path – not discerning the mind of the
Lord on the matter.
In the end-time church, this is not a matter that we can sweep
under the carpet. Each of us, men and women, must undertake
to engage actively with the Lord to understand his mind on this
matter. Leadership in the church is crucial to the well-being of
the church. If we get the leadership composition wrong, evil will
not be far from the church. God will not follow the opinion or
preference of man on this issue – we are the ones to seek Him
and follow His ways.
In this end-time, those that have an ear will hear what the Spirit
is saying to the churches.
CONCLUSION
There is a reason why this subject is important now.
SPIRITUALLY, TIMES HAVE CHANGED! The signs are all around
us. Satan is unfolding his agenda for the world. He is playing
out his script to capture the hearts of men, and lead them to
hell. The world needs Jesus Christ today more than ever, for
only Christ can save the world. But is Christ manifest in our
churches today? Doubtful! Our disobedience to His word is
restricting the manifestation of His presence in our midst. Before
our very eyes, men have changed the Church almost beyond
recognition. With guile, they have lured us away from the
precepts that the Apostles of Christ set down for the Church.
Brothers and sisters, we need to repent and return urgently to
the word of God. Unless we REPENT, the glory of God will not
return to the Church. In Revelation 2 & 3, the word ‘REPENT’
occurs seven times – this was directly from Jesus to the
churches. That is the same word that is ringing out to the
church of today. REPENT! REPENT!! REPENT!!!
To repent means to be sorry for our disobedience to the word of
God, AND THEN TO TURN BACK from the error. If we do not
turn from the error, repentance is insincere and incomplete!
Leadership is quite crucial in the church. If the leadership is
wrong, the church will be weakened considerably. That is why
Satan is bent on distorting gender roles in the church. Giving us
women as church leaders is a strategic ploy to weaken our
leadership structure in the Church, and render the church
ineffective in standing against Satan’s antics in these last days.
(We are not impugning on the leadership capacity of our sisters.
They are great. But we are just following the order that the Lord
set down for governing His own Church.)
We have slept far too long! The Day is at hand, please let us
return to the word of God – this is where our power lies. This is
where our unity lies. This is where our victory lies. We are in the
days that EVERY Christian has to take a stand – for Christ. Or
against Christ. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed
him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John
8:31-32). Abiding in God’s word through obedience is the true
test of discipleship, and the key to freedom from error.
PRACTICAL STEPS
(1) PRAYER is the first and best reaction to all this. If you are
not too clear on this issue, no problem, please just pray for
understanding. If the Lord helps you to see the issue clearly,
please pray for the Church. Pray for the grace to repent. Pray for
our leaders to have the courage to be faithful stewards of the
mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:2). Please pray that Christians
will be bold to stand up, and be committed in affirming God’s
order for gender roles in the Church, and in Christian homes.
(2) Take an active stand on this issue. The Bible says we MUST
NOT be partakers in the sins of other people (1 Timothy 5:22).
Sisters, please think carefully before putting yourself forward for
leadership positions in the church of Christ; and before
accepting such positions when offered. If you are already in
such a position, please pray for the grace to do the right thing.
God values our repentance. Brothers, be wary of putting yourself
under the spiritual authority of women that the Lord expressly
told to be in submission. Be wary of seating under the teaching
of women that dishonour God’s word by teaching a mixed
congregation. We must be very polite, but firm in our conviction.
As Christians, we are called to peace and decorum. So we are
DEFINITELY NOT allowed to walk out on preachers, or resort to
the use of physical means to achieve God’s purpose. The truth
will always prevail. If you strongly disagree with the stance of a
church, it is more godly to seek the face of the Lord to direct you
about staying there, or leaving.
“Be wise as a serpent, but be as gentle as a dove” (Matthew
10:16). These are the words of Jesus Christ to His own people.
Believers will need these words more than ever in these perilous
Last Days.
Thanks for reading, God bless.
NOTE: This Part 4 concludes the series. Thanks for following,
may the Lord grant us all understanding in the ways and
mysteries of God. And may He grant us the heart of obedience,
in Jesus’ name. Amen and Amen!

10 REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT PASTOR OR TEACH A CHURCH…. (PART 3 of 4)

(This article is a series of four parts. Pls click here for Part 1 -
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REASON 5 – IN THE KINGDOM, THERE IS NO REWARD FOR
‘ILLEGAL SERVICE’
“But female pastors/teachers are achieving fantastic results for
the Kingdom of God – souls are being saved, people are being
delivered, people are being blessed, new churches are being
planted, etc. If it is true that God does not want women in such
positions, why is He anointing them and giving them so much
success in ministry?” This is a common question asked by many
believers. In this line of reasoning, ‘The end justifies the means’.
But with God, is this really true?
Let’s start by looking at the wider view, and then we’ll narrow
down to the core issues in view here. God is a benevolent God.
In His unfathomable benevolence, He releases His blessings
upon ALL the works of His creation, both the deserving and the
undeserving. Jesus puts it this way, “He … sends His rain upon
the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45).
The kindness of the Lord in sending rain (blessings) upon the
unjust DOES NOT mean God is happy with the unjust. Nor does
it indicate that judgment is not waiting for the unjust.
"God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every
day." (Psalm 7:11). So, God is angry with sin every day - yet He
sends His blessings on the unjust. The blessing that the unjust
receives from God does not mean judgment is not waiting for
him - unless there is repentance.
Second, there are times that the Lord, in His unfathomable
mercy, still releases His blessings upon us in our disobedience
with the view that the blessings that we receive in His goodness,
will cause us to repent. This is the sense that we get from
Romans 2:4, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness
and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance?” Apostle Peter also echoes
the same view in 2 Peter 3:9. But unfortunately, man, in our
hard-heartedness, are quick to mis-interpret such blessings for
a sign of approval from God, or a sign that He is not too
bothered with our disobedience. Both views are clearly wrong.
In due course, all disobedience will be duly rewarded – unless
there is repentance. So, in essence, the blessings we receive are
NOT always an indication of God’s approval of our state or
action – it is just in God’s nature to bless.
Now to the narrower consideration of our subject today. As we
continue to work for the Lord as believers, there is a very
important fact that we must always be mindful of: there are
many apparently SUCCESSFUL spiritual projects/results that
God is not quite happy about. Yet, many of us see such
‘successes’, and we applaud them heartily. If we reflect deeply,
that is what we will see in the misfortune of the servants of the
Lord in Matthew 7:21-23. IN HIS NAME, they achieved
SPECTACULAR results! They prophesied. They cast out devils.
They did many WONDERFUL works. Yet, on the Day of
Reckoning, He told them, “‘I never knew you; depart from me,
you workers of lawlessness.”
The reason these servants had the guts to expect a reward from
Jesus was because they GENUINELY thought they were serving
Him faithfully. (Ministers that are using the fake power of the
devil will dare not stand before Jesus on the Last Day and ask
for a reward; they know the source of their evil powers.) But
these ones genuinely expected a reward from Jesus – they had
the evidence of service IN HIS NAME – many wonderful works.
Yet, he dismissed them with ignominy – I NEVER KNEW YOU.
Let’s break that down slightly. God is omniscient, so HE KNOWS
EVERYBODY and EVERYTHING. So, He definitely knew these
servants, at least as the works of His hands. So what did He
mean by ‘I never knew you’? He was using the word KNOW in
the deeper context of the word (like Abraham knew his wife, and
she became pregnant). That is, Jesus was telling the servants,
paraphrased in my own words, “We were not intimate while you
were serving me. You did not truly know, understand and follow
my heart, even though you were serving me fervently. It is not
just about the service, or the results – it is ALL ABOUT
KNOWING MY HEART, UNDERSTANDING IT, AND FOLLOWING
IT. That is the mark of true service to me”.
To buttress this grave point, we only need to read the story of
the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-7. They had all the
evidence and testimony of a great church. Jesus even
acknowledged the evident result of their piety in verses 2-3, “I
know your works, your toil and your patient endurance … and
bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown
weary.” (Pls notice the phrase ‘FOR MY NAME’S SAKE’ - like the
servants in Matthew 7:21-23). Yet, in spite of all the ‘greatness’
of the Ephesian Church, Jesus threatened to punish them very
severely unless they repented. Their sin? They had lost their
INTIMACY with Jesus (verse 4). His heart was no longer
paramount in their midst, yet they were still producing fantastic
and commendable results! What awaited them, unless they
repented? The severe punishment of removing their lamps! That
is how serious their error was.
So how can we know those who are truly serving God
acceptably, and who will get their full reward in heaven? Jesus
Himself supplied the answer in the passage we considered
earlier in Matthew 7. It is in verse 21, "... the one who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven." This is the answer that
guarantees that we will not run in vain, and lose our rewards.
This is the yardstick for every genuine spiritual work – DOING
THE WILL OF GOD. Is it the will of God for women to lead and/or
teach a church?
The Bible also makes it very clear that not all Christian
endeavours will be rewarded on the Last Day. Listen to Apostle
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all
the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you
may obtain it.” There is a way that a believer may RUN, and yet
NOT obtain the prize! Paul gave another perspective in 2
Timothy 2:5, “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes
according to the rules.” Relating to gender roles, the rule that
God has laid down in His sphere of dominion is that men should
be the leaders in the church. So, where does this rule leave
women that are LEADING God’s people today?
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master
builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it.
Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay
a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will
become manifest, for THE DAY WILL DISCLOSE IT, because it
will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work
each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the
foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work
is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved,
but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
THE DAY will disclose our work. Our work will be tried. The
results we ‘achieve’ for God does NOT guarantee a reward! Our
work will be tried. Some people will be rewarded. Some will
suffer loss of reward. THE DAY will be a serious day! Instead of
receiving, ‘Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL
servant” (Matthew 25:21), some of our ‘highly successful
ministers’ may be barely saved – through fire, and with nothing
to show for their service.
Please permit me to say this again, SPIRITUAL WORK IS VERY
DELICATE. We do not work for God on the basis of expediency,
or according to our understanding. We MUST carefully listen to
His heart (intimacy), and then do His will according to what is
revealed in His infallible Word – THE BIBLE. That is the safest
path to serving God acceptably. ONLY God knows those who
will be rewarded for the service they have rendered, and those
that will not. It is not our place to speculate or pre-judge
anybody. And we must NEVER make ANY man/woman our
standard, or use their example to run our race.
REASON 6 – GOD USES WOMEN IN HUNDREDS OF ROLES, IN
AND OUT OF THE CHURCH
There are times that simple issues are made unnecessarily
complicated. There is nowhere it is written in the Bible that
women cannot serve God. The ONLY two areas that there is a
clear restriction are in (1) LEADING A CHURCH and (2)
TEACHING A CHURCH. Very, very simple to understand.
But at times, to confuse the issue and complicate the simplicity
of this godly commandment, some people will rise up in arms
saying things like this: “If God wants women to be useless, why
did He anoint them?” “So women must not be involved in The
Great Commission of reaching the lost?” “If God can use a
donkey, why can He not use a woman?” “What about Joel 2:28,
are women exempted from the outpouring of God’s spirit?”
Whereas some ask these questions in a genuine desire to
understand the issue, a lot of times, it is just a ‘defence
mechanism’ to whip up emotions, confuse the issue, and bat
away the clear imperatives of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1
Corinthians 14:34-38. There are a million and one things that
women can achieve for God without necessarily LEADING a
church or teaching a mixed congregation!
Apart from the two areas mentioned earlier, the Bible
documents uncountable examples of how godly women served
God acceptably. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the Bible
that gives the impression that women’s service is inferior or
second-rate. In the well-known greeting that Apostle Paul sent to
the Church in Rome (Romans 16), the very FIRST name on that
list of commendation is A WOMAN, Phoebe! This is against the
backdrop that Rome was a male-dominated society, yet it was a
woman that topped the list of commendation. Apart from
anything else, this shows that if we stay within ANY sphere that
God places us, His honour can still locate us and stand us out –
even in the place of submission! More than one-third of the
people on Paul’s list were WOMEN that “worked hard in the
Lord” (verse 12) with initiative, competence, and sincerity. It is
all about FAITHFULNESS in service.
To give just a few practical examples (by no means exhaustive),
women that have the anointing to teach are encouraged, in Titus
2:3-5, to teach young women. There is even a list of eight areas
that are important to teach. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul commended
Timothy’s faith – evidently passed on to him by his mother,
Eunice; as well as his grandmother, Lois. In the same way, the
elect lady in 2 John was deeply appreciated for bringing up her
children to walk in the true way of the Lord (verse 4). Acts 21:9
tells us that the four daughters of Philip the evangelist did
prophesy. Philippians 4:3 and Romans 16:2 highlight the
extremely important support roles played in the church by some
women. Luke 8:3 tells us about the women that supported the
ministry of Jesus with their substance. And we have countless
instances of the charity and hospitability of godly women
adorning the pages of both the Old and the New Testaments.
In conclusion, the issue involved is NOT about women serving
the Lord to the best of their abilities/gifting, it is about THE
SPHERE OF SERVICE. In whichever sphere the Lord APPROVES
and APPOINTS a woman to serve, let her be sure that she is
serving, faithfully adorned with the ornament of a ‘MEEK and
QUIET spirit’. These are the attributes that the Lord values the
most in the life/service of a woman (1 Peter 3:4).
REASON 7 – IT IS A CARNAL PERCEPTION TO EQUATE
SUBMISSION WITH INFERIORITY
Christianity is a way of life that contrasts very, very sharply with
the general world view and perception. God has already made it
clear that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). And
for this reason, He told us in Romans 12:1-2, that we must
renew our minds from the ways of the world, and BE
TRANSFORMED into thinking in His own PECULIAR way. That’s
the ONLY way, according to that passage, that we can truly
understand the WILL OF GOD, and hence, fulfil it.
In worldly terms, the concept of submission connotes a level of
inferiority, just as serving connotes a tinge of inferiority. In
God’s view, it is not so. From God’s perspective, the submission
He prescribes is simply A PATHWAY TO GREATNESS. Jesus
exemplified this most clearly in Philippians 2:5-11. His ‘descent’
into the position of submission earned Him a name that is above
every other name, both in this world and in the world to come.
So, submission was His pathway to this particular greatness.
Please take a special note that this passage starts with these
words: “Have this mind among yourselves….” This means it is a
prescribed MINDSET for followers of Christ. We must learn to
think in this way.
Jesus further underscored this divine principle with His teaching
that SERVING is the surest path to greatness. “And he sat down
and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be
first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). So,
the divine viewpoint is that SUBMISSION and SERVICE,
particularly when these are voluntary, will DEFINITELY lead to
greatness. Therefore, we are not to resent these concepts, but
to JOYFULLY and EAGERLY embrace them.
But this is not the viewpoint of the world. The world looks down,
generally speaking, on those that serve. (Think of how we deal
with our house-helps, drivers, gatemen, and those that SERVE us
in other domestic and similar capacities.) It is with this same
foolishness in reasoning that the world equates the godly
imperative of women’s submission with a mark of inferiority.
And so, they are always up in arms against the concept of this
submission, and anything it entails. The word ‘submission’
triggers a red flag in their minds, and whenever ‘feminists’ hear
the word, they come charging out like bulls that see red colour.
Christians have the unique option of CHOOSING to view life as
God sees it, or to see it as the world defines it. It is entirely a
matter of CHOICE. But in choosing, we ought to remember that
satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4 ). And he is the
mind behind the world viewpoint. When Christians ignorantly
follow the world viewpoint, they are actually following satan!
This is why the Bible is very vehement in warning us that
embracing the world viewpoint is a mark of ENMITY against God
(James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-17).
In the Church, when God told women to be in submission/
subjection, and follow the lead of men, all He is doing is to
define the PATHWAY TO GREATNESS for all human beings that
He created in the female sex. That’s all. Any woman that resists
or abandons this path by following the world viewpoint, does
herself a great spiritual damage – both in this life, and in the
world to come.
Thanks for reading, God bless.

10 REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT PASTOR OR TEACH A CHURCH…. (PART 2 of 4)

(This article is a series of four parts. Pls click here for Part 1 -
http://csplalumni.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/10-reasons-why-women-should-not-pastor.html?m=1 )

REASON 2 – JESUS AND THE APOSTLES FOLLOWED GOD’S
PATTERN
In His earthly ministry, Jesus chose 12 disciples that worked
closely with Him. It was an ALL-MALE leadership team. This
stands in sharp contrast to the crucial and significant roles that
women played in His ministry. They assisted Him with their
substance (Luke 8:3), and supported Him in every critical phase
of His life, including during his birth, itinerant ministry, trial,
crucifixion, and resurrection. Some of the deepest spiritual
encounters that Jesus had with His followers, related directly to
women. All these show the VERY HIGH value that Christ placed
on women (against the common culture of His days) – yet He
DID NOT give us any precedence in choosing female apostles
among His 12 disciples. Not even a single one….
Neither did His apostles give us the precept of appointing
females into leadership positions in the early church. In ALL the
epistles in the New Testament, you will struggle to find ANY
precept for female leadership in the early church. If anything,
the New Testament clearly prohibits women from leadership
positions as outlined earlier.
(The SEEMING exception to the above paragraph is Romans
16:7, a verse that has become highly debated. “Greet
Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners.
They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ
before me.”
There is a huge debate if the name ‘Junia’ is male or female.
Certain translations render the name as ‘Junias’. There is also a
debate on the meaning of the words, ‘of note among the
apostles’ (as KJV and most versions translate the phrase). Does
this phrase mean the named persons are well known to the
apostles? Or does it mean the persons are notable apostles?
The Bible contains no record that they were appointed as
apostles. Please have a look at the verse yourself and draw your
own conclusions. I do not want to get involved in the debate
over this verse, so as not to detract from the main essence of
this article. But it is worth pointing out that we should be
extremely wary of pinning the teaching of ‘female leadership in
the church’ on a SINGLE verse that is steeped in so much
controversy.)
Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 14:34, Apostle Paul firmly ties the
New Testament precept of male leadership to its precedence in
the Old Testament. In the OT, it is crystal clear that ONLY MEN
FUNCTIONED AS PRIESTS in God’s temple. There is no account
of a single female priest in the temple. (In the NT, the Bible
makes it clear that ALL believers, male and female, are kings
and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6) – but this priesthood
relates entirely to our essence, NOT our functions. More on this
later.)
In effect, the word of God is clear in establishing the male-
leadership pattern as we read in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1
Corinthians 14:34-38. And the biblical precepts set by God’s
people in BOTH the Old Testament and the New Testament
conform to this divine pattern. And this is the same pattern that
is fleshed out for us in 1 Corinthians 11:3 - in whichever sphere
that God reigns, He operates on a clear-cut basis of hierarchical
order where God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the
man, and the man is the head of the woman. God’s sphere of
direct influence includes the Christian home, AND the larger
family of God, the Church family. It is a grievous issue to
tamper with God’s order in both spheres.
REASON 3 – ‘EQUALITY IN CHRIST’ DOES NOT MEAN
‘EQUALITY IN ROLES’
The Bible passage that is most wrongly quoted by those that
argue in favour of female leadership in the church is Galatians
3:27-28. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, THERE IS NO MALE AND FEMALE, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.”
Their reasoning is this: if there is ‘NO MALE, NO FEMALE’ in
Christ Jesus, then that automatically means we are all equal,
and so female believers can also hold leadership positions in the
church as their male counterparts. There are two grave errors in
this line of reasoning, one is context-based, and the other is
application-based.
The context of the passage relates to WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST,
not WHAT WE DO IN CHRIST. It is talking about our ESSENCE in
Christ – our collective sonship in Christ (verse 26), the equality
of our status before God.
In applying this equality, if we ERRONEOUSLY stretch it to also
mean ‘equality in roles’, then there will be no hierarchy of
functions in the Christian society. There will be no leaders in the
church – ALL will be leaders because ALL are equal in Christ
(contrary to Hebrews 13:17 ). In the home, equality in Christ will
mean husband and wife are equal in function, so the wife does
not need to submit to the husband (contrary to Ephesians 5:22,
1 Peter 3:1, etc). Also at the homefront, this equality will mean
born-again children do not need to submit to their parents
(contrary to Ephesians 6:1). Most absurdly, it will also mean that
Christian servants no longer have to submit to their Christian
masters since “…there is neither slave nor free… in Christ
(contrary to Ephesians 6:5). Hopefully, these examples will show
the error in stretching the concept of equality further than what
the Bible intends. Perhaps it also underscores the fact that we
are indeed equal in Christ, but we are called to different roles in
Christ. And that some have been ASSIGNED to subordinate roles
by God. It is for this reason that women’s equality in essence to
men, does not translate to equality in function in the leadership
position in Church.
There is a great example in the Bible that illustrates this
principle very vividly – the relationship between God the Father,
and God the Son. Both are clearly EQUAL IN ESSENCE as we
read in Philippians 2:6 and similar passages. But in
accomplishing our salvation, the Bible records that this
EQUALITY WAS CAST ASIDE as Jesus made Himself
SUBORDINATE to the will of God (Philippians 2:8). So EQUALITY
IN ESSENCE does not mean EQUALITY IN ROLES. The two are
entirely different concepts, and believers must be conscious of
this important difference as we serve in the Lord’s sanctuary.
Summary: Galatians 3:27-28 relate explicitly to equality in
salvation, not equality in roles. Male and female believers are
EQUAL IN CHRIST – we were saved by the same Christ, abide in
the same Christ, serve the same Christ, and are blessed in the
same way by the same Christ. But in all these elements of
equality, we are called to DIFFERENT ROLES in the body of
Christ. Men are called into leadership roles, both AT HOME and
IN CHURCH, and women are not. This is not in any way a minus
to women (if we have spiritual understanding). Rather, it is
God’s eternal design for orderliness. We have no right to tamper
with it.
REASON 4 – IT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE THAT GOD’S LEADERS
MUST BE FAITHFUL
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found
faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)
Faithfulness to God is the bedrock of all our service to Him.
When faithfulness is compromised, service becomes fake and
vain. All ministers of the Gospel, at whatever level, are
CUSTODIANS and TRUSTEES of the mysteries of God.
A dictionary definition of the word ‘faithful’ is ‘to adhere
steadfastly to an original concept’. This implies that God’s
genuine ministers must NEVER twist, distort, or misrepresent
His precepts in any shape or form. They must adhere to God’s
ORIGINAL CONCEPT.
It is against this backdrop that we must all be extremely careful
about the stance we take on the eternal mysteries of God in His
sanctuary – particularly on the fundamental issue of gender
roles. If God’s word says women should not lead churches, and
we have thousands and thousands of female pastors on our
pulpits, where is our faithfulness to God? If God’s word
EXPLICITLY prohibits women from teaching a mixed
congregation of men and women, why do untold numbers of
female preachers/teachers flout this command day-in-day-out,
as we worship the Lord?
If Christ is TRULY and INDEED our Lord and Master, does He
not have an absolute right to define the job description in His
own sanctuary? For a people that He died in agony, to save
from eternal wrath? Are we saved and called to follow our
views/opinions, or His instructions? Where is our
FAITHFULNESS in all these? Why do we all act surprised that
Jesus is becoming less and less manifest in our churches? Are
we not forsaking Him through our unfaithfulness to the
ETERNAL MYSTERIES that He has ENTRUSTED to our care?
In all honesty, when a female teacher mounts the pulpit on
Sunday (or any other day) and teaches God’s people to obey
God, does she not put herself in the awkward position of being
accused of disobeying the same God in 1 Timothy 2: 12, where
the Bible EXPRESSLY commands that A WOMAN SHOULD NOT
TEACH? Faithfulness to God’s words must of essence start from
the pulpit - if leaders will have both the spiritual and moral
authority to lead God’s people in obedience. Leaders must be
examples to believers as we read in 1 Timothy 4:12, “…but set
the believers an example in speech, IN CONDUCT, in love, in
faith, in purity.”
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell
you?” (Luke 6:46). These words of Christ are as applicable to
our disobedience in this regard, as to the wayward hearers that
he directed this agonising verse when he trod the dusty streets
of Palestine over 2,000 years ago. This should cause us to
reflect deeply.
God is not mocked; the Day of Accountability is coming for us
all. We will indeed give account of our stewardship of the
mysteries of God – including how these mysteries relate to
GENDER ROLES in God’s sanctuary.
Thanks for reading, God bless.
(Please look out for Part 3 of this series. It features:
REASON 5 – IN THE KINGDOM, THERE IS NO REWARD FOR
‘ILLEGAL SERVICE’
REASON 6 – GOD USES WOMEN IN HUNDREDS OF ROLES, IN
AND OUT OF THE CHURCH
REASON 7 – IT IS A CARNAL PERCEPTION TO EQUATE
SUBMISSION WITH INFERIORITY
Thanks. And please pray along for understanding for us all.)

10 REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT PASTOR OR TEACH A CHURCH…. (PART 1 of 4)

As darkness begins to engulf the world, and the return of our
Lord Jesus Christ becomes more imminent, it is time for the
Church to repent and return quickly back to the pattern that the
Lord instituted for running the Church of Jesus Christ.
This is true for many aspects of church life where we have today
deviated from biblical patterns. Particularly is it true for the
phenomenon of female leadership in the Church. This practice, I
respectfully submit, is a complete aberration - if we genuinely
believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God. And, unless
we want to deceive ourselves, there is nothing confusing,
unclear, or ambiguous in the two plain verses of Scriptures
below:
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over
a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12 ESV)
“As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep
silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but
should be in submission, as the Law also says.” (1 Corinthians
14:34)
To circumvent these CLEAR divine commandments, a lot of
analysis, interpretation, and rationalization have been proffered
by Bible ‘scholars’ to confuse and convince us on why those
Bible verses do not mean what they say very, very CLEARLY.
At the time of darkness and ignorance in the Church, the
practice of female pastors/preachers may have been inevitable.
But in these end-time that the Lord is graciously giving the
Church enlightenment in His word, and is calling us back to
repentance, as well as a return to the ancient landmarks that we
have abandoned, it will be wrong, immoral, and sinful for any
TRUE CHILD OF GOD to continue to persist in the wave of
disobedience/ignorance that has weakened the Church
considerably, particularly in the last three decades or so.
In end-time Christianity, not only must we LEARN the truth of
God’s word, and PREACH the truth of God’s word, we must
ALSO be DOERS of the truth of God’s word.
Please, let us be clear on this – the Kingdom of God on earth
can NEVER be built on the principle of man’s expediency. Nor
yet on man’s attempt to demystify the mysterious ways of God.
If we are genuinely serious about building the Kingdom of God,
we MUST pay careful attention to the divine patterns that the
Lord prescribes for His Church.
In this four-part series, please permit me to outline 10 reasons
why women, from biblical precepts, should NOT pastor or teach
a church. As you read the series, please do not become fixated
on our common practice in the church today. Rather, please
open your mind completely to God’s Holy Spirit to illuminate
your heart according to the will of God on this subject – and
WHATEVER He says to you, please do. And do quickly.
For some women that are currently in leadership position in
churches, it may mean they’ll have to prayerfully seek other
roles/ministries in the church. For some women, it may mean
having to politely turn down preaching engagements if the
audience will be a mixture of men and women in the church
setting. For some women, it may mean politely turning down an
opportunity to be ordained as a pastor (as RCCG will soon do to
hundreds of Christian sisters during their convention in August).
For some people, it may mean re-considering their membership
of a church that is headed by a female pastor. I also realise that
for some men and women, the outcome will be nothing – they
will simply continue in their old ways. But we must be mindful
that for whatever we do, or we do not do, the day of
accountability is coming.
Here is the first of the 10 reasons:
REASON 1 – IT IS GOD’S COMMANDMENT, NOT PAUL’S IDEA
In undermining the importance of 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1
Corinthians 14:34, one of the cardinal strategies of the
proponents of female headship is to attack the human author of
the passages (if you can’t kill the message, discredit the
messenger). And so they came up with various blows on
Apostle Paul. He wrote these passages, they say, because he
had an innate bias against women, that’s probably why he never
married. Or this, he wrote those passages to conform to the
male-dominated culture of the Middle East in his days. Another
one, he wrote those passages because, in his days, women were
not learned/sophisticated enough to hold the lofty position of a
leader/teacher of God’s people. ALL THESE ARE LIES.
Among the writers of the New Testament, Paul was one of the
most radical. A lot of his writings were counter-cultural to the
values and norms of his days. In the Church, and against the
backdrop of women oppression in the society, Paul exalted the
values of womanhood to an extent that was uncommon in that
period. In Galatians 3:8, he wrote about the equality of women
(in essence) with men. In Ephesians 5:25, he called on husbands
to love their wives in a self-sacrificing way. (In an era when
wives were treated as their husband’s property). Women had a
voice in praying and prophesying in 1 Corinthians 11:5. In 1
Corinthians 7:3-4, women had equal conjugal rights with their
husbands. Specifically, he admonished churches to rise up to
the assistance of women that were helping him and his
companions in the ministry (Philippians 4:3, Romans 16:2, etc.)
All these concepts, in those days, were massively counter-
cultural. So in writing 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34,
Paul DID NOT subject the word of God to the cultural dictates of
his days.
So what was the springboard of those verses that he wrote?
First, let us take the witness of an independent person, then the
testimony of Paul Himself, and then look at the unassailable
justification for his proposition in those passages. Here is
Apostle Peter’s clarification on the source of Paul’s epistles, “…
our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you ACCORDING TO THE
WISDOM GIVEN HIM…. There are some things in them that are
hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to
their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter
3:15-16). Here, apart from drawing our attention to the divine
input in Paul’s writing, Peter makes it clear that those that twist
Paul’s words, do so at the peril of their souls! So, it is clear that
these are not the words or opinions of a man; these are the
words of God!
Paul boldly makes this direct assertion in the 1 Corinthians 14
passage quoted above. Please have a look at verse 37, “If
anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should
acknowledge that THE THINGS I AM WRITING TO YOU ARE A
COMMAND OF THE LORD.” In verse 34 of this chapter, he gives
the instruction; and in verse 37, he affirms that it is a
COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD. So what is unclear or
confusing about this? And if God COMMANDS that women
should NOT lead or teach a church, why do we have so many
women doing exactly that today? Why is the church, generally
speaking, very comfortable with this fundamental error?
The answer is simple - ‘scholars’ have rationalized away the
essence of God’s law. They tell us that what Paul wrote in those
passages was applicable to only the early Church, because
women were largely uneducated during that period. Thus, they
claim that it is a time-specific commandment, and not
applicable in our days of women sophistication. Again, THIS IS
A HUGE LIE! In 1 Timothy 2:13-14, Apostle Paul CLEARLY
alludes to the timelessness of the commandment by rooting it
firmly in God’s order of creation in the Garden of Eden. (This is
similar to the route that Jesus Himself took while teaching on
the subject of divorce in Matthew 19:8 – “… from the beginning
it was not so….”). Teachings that are linked to the Garden of
Eden like these two, seek to re-establish God’s original order of
creation before sin came in. They are a reflection of deep, divine
patterns that relate to God’s eternal purpose in creation – in this
case, God’s hierarchical order for male and female roles.
If we buy into the lie that the commandment was only applicable
for the 1st century women, we should ask ourselves this
question: how does a commandment that relate to God’s order
of creation affect the 1st century women, but is inapplicable to
the 21st century woman? Has God changed the hierarchical
order? Does the coming of Jesus Christ nullify the hierarchical
order of male leadership in God’s sphere? Of course, the answer
is a resounding NO!
The truth is that satan misled mankind in the Garden of Eden,
starting with the woman, and led us away from God’s original
intention in prescribing DIFFERENT hierarchy and roles for men
and women in His Kingdom. JESUS CHRIST CAME TO TAKE US
BACK TO GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MANKIND. And that is
the battle that is still raging till today as Satan tries his best to
blur the gender roles and lines that God established
(homosexuality is a part of that wider satanic agenda in
manipulating gender issues).
In the divine agenda, God has a CLEAR role for women in His
Kingdom. This role is embedded in a larger divine pattern. Every
female child of God has the responsibility to understand her
God-ordained role in that divine pattern and to STICK TO WHAT
GOD SAID IN THE BIBLE through His holy Apostles. Not what
the devil says. Not what the ‘scholars’ say.
(For a further reading on this divine pattern, please click this link
to read an article on ‘WHY GOD WANTS WOMEN TO SUBMIT’ -
http://on.fb.me/1FK6HHw )
Indeed, God forbids women from pastoring and teaching a
church. This is number 1 reason (out of 10 reasons) on this
subject. Please look out for the remaining nine reasons as the
series continues. Whereas the Lord forbids women from leading
and teaching in the church, there are hundreds of roles in the
Church on which He did not place any restrictions. And down
through the ages, godly women have found joy and fulfilment in
faithfully serving God in those roles. The Church of today ought
to find our way back to this noble path of obedience, and
submission to God’s will.
Thanks for reading, God bless.