Where Should I Go to Church That Will Benefit Me Spiritually?

2

Where Should I Go to Church That Will Benefit Me Spiritually?

I can’t stress this enough. This is of paramount importance to any believer. The idea of where you should go to church needs to be determined by what you should look for scripturally in whatever church you decide to visit.

Wherever you have chosen to visit, someone will greet you as you proceed to enter the facility. In some cases, literature will be available to inform you about said church. You’ll fill it out, submit it to someone, and/or take it home. Most churches will have a service format of music, a financial offering, a message, announcements, a closing in prayer, and some cases, will be followed by a place to gather for coffee, tea, and snacks. This is all well and fine.

However, there are some things to which you should pay close attention. Failure to recognize what these things are will severely hamper your Christian walk. Your purpose in going to church shouldn’t be just to have a place where you can socialize with your friends or neighbors while consuming the available food and drinks. It should be a place where you also learn how to become a mature adult in Christ.

Over the years, I’ve attended many churches. I was initially brought up in my parents’ faith. As I grew up and passed through my teenage years, I became less interested in attending church. Maybe in part, this was because I wanted to sow oats, like many young men. Perhaps it was also in part because something was missing in this church. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I desired to find God. My life at that time was spiraling out of control. I needed help. So, I began my journey by attending many churches in my hometown. I didn’t know what to look for in the God I sought.

What was it that would convince me that I had found Him, or rather that He had found me? The only thing I was aware of as a possible answer to this question occurred to me a few years earlier when I was attending a four-year liberal arts college in my hometown. One of the electives I took intended to prove that the Bible contained errors. The professor focused on the life of King Saul, who was Israel’s first king. Apparently, a few books in the Old Testament talked about his life and, in some cases, gave what appeared to be contradictory information concerning it.

The one thing that stood out to me was how God personally interacted with him through various means (e.g., by prophets, the on-resting Spirit, the Ark of God, the casting of lots, etc.). So, as I was visiting different churches, my thought process was this: If God was personal with King Saul, why couldn’t He be intimate with me?

As time passed, I found an assembly of believers where I was given an opportunity to meet this one true , personal God for myself. What was it that caused Him to come into my life? Whatever it was, this is one of the many things you should look for when visiting a church assembly. While we’ve already introduced this in the previous chapter, we’ll reintroduce it again in a limited or shortened version.



What is this called?

A. The preaching of the gospel

Without the preaching of the gospel (good news), there will be no opportunity for unbelievers to receive the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, the assembly will be left trying to serve God with their energy. This is called religion, trying to please God through what we do in our power.

What we’ve learned is that this message to the unbeliever invites them to receive one of the members of the Trinity, i.e., the Holy Spirit, to come into their physical body, providing them with many spiritual blessings, such as a new nature, at least one spiritual gift, eternal life, etc. This takes place if they confess their sins to God the Father and believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He accomplished in His life on the earth, culminating with His death on the cross.

Whether the church assembly is small or large in number, if you don’t hear the gospel preached, I’d attend a couple of more times. If the gospel still isn’t mentioned, this should serve as a red flag. If someone from leadership does, however, state that they’re going to share the gospel, then listen carefully to what’s being said and make sure an accurate declaration is being stated of who Christ is.

Before we continue, consider these thoughts regarding what the gospel is not.

1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The gospel message shouldn’t only declare that Jesus is only a teacher, a prophet, and the Son of God. While it’s true that He’s a teacher, a prophet, and the Son of God, He’s also God come in the flesh, deity (having a divine nature), as one of the members of the Trinity; the other two being God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. I’m not suggesting that there are three Gods, but I’m declaring that there’s one God in essence, who reveals Himself in three persons.

Scripture says that anyone who says that Jesus isn’t God come in the flesh is an antichrist (an opponent of Christ’s incarnation; a denier of His existence). God won’t honor this declaration. The leadership and assembly in this environment will nothave received the indwelling Spirit, even though they have repented to God the Father and believed in Jesus as a prophet, teacher, and Son of God. Therefore, they’ll be void of God’s power, presence, and guidance. And if some are born again that have decided to attend this church, they’ll likely not grow spiritually because the teachings are man-centered and not Spirit-initiated.

Before we move on, if you’re reading this book and believe that Jesus isn’t God, deity, one of the members of the Trinity, I understand. Many don’t believe that He is. But if your life was like mine where God wasn’t personal in my life, then like me, wouldn’t something or someone be missing? I’m not asking you to leave your church. I’m asking you to receive God the Holy Spirit into your life. Go back to the previous chapter and proclaim the gospel and see for yourself how God can turn your life around.

The next thing to look for when attending church is a direct result of responding to the preaching of the gospel.



What do you think this is?

B. The gifts of the Holy Spirit

For many churches, this subject is considered no longer viable today, meaning that they believe God no longer operates in this way. If you bring this subject up, they’ll say, oh, you must belong to such and such church. Some churches might even contend that some of these gifts are fabricated, such as healing people of their illnesses, and are used to extract money from the participants. Whether you believe they are or aren’t operative today, we can agree that they were exercised in the early church. Let’s at least become familiar with their names and functions.

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

If the gospel has been preached and responded to, then the Holy Spirit will have come to indwell and give each newly converted to the Christian faith at least one gift (spiritual endowment). What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? They’re divine empowerments, extraordinary powers, or favors that one receives without any merit of their own.

Don’t confuse the gifts of the Holy Spirit with natural talents. Talents are received at birth. They’re natural endowments. Gifts aren’t talents. They’re given to each member for the edification of the church. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, these gifts cannot be received.

What’s the name for each of these gifts, and in what manner do they provide spiritual nourishment for the church assembly? The skills of the Holy Spirit are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7-10, 28.Sometimes a gift is mentioned in both sections of Scripture under a different name.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

There’s also another type of gift known as an office (leadership) gift. Every believer is given at least one non-office gift by the Holy Spirit. However, not every believer is given an office leadership gift. These include apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor - teachers.

Before we look at a few of these gifts, I remember becoming aware of two at a particular worship service I attended many years ago. I admit, when the gifts were expressed, I was startled. I didn’t know what to make of them. Here was the Holy Spirit evidencing God’s working in particular members of the body of Christ supernaturally.

The following are the names of some of the non- office leadership gifts of the Holy Spirit, along with their functions. Please read each one and enjoy the divine blessings that each provides for the edification of the body of Christ.

●Divers kinds of tongues means speaking in a foreign language that one hasn’t learned, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The gift of tongues speaks to God and to the sinner, while the gift of prophecy speaks only to the people.

Acts 2:4-6 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

●Healing is the power to heal various kinds of illnesses or diseases.

Healing can come through a prayer of faith accompanied by the laying on of hands by the elders over someone who is sick that has asked them for help (James 5:14-15) or by speaking words of healing in the name of the Lord for specific healing (Acts 3:6).

Acts 3:1-7 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

●The word of knowledge is the revealing of a fact in existence (of the present or past) that can only be supernaturally revealed.

This isn’t something that could be known naturally, but something one’s eyes have not seen and ears have not heard.9 The Holy Spirit transmits His specific knowledge to a believer on something they’d have no ability or means to know about with their own limited intelligence and knowledge levels. This can come in the form of a thought or an impression on your mind, a vision or a picture in your mind’s eye, a Scripture or a direct word from the Lord to give to someone else (2 Kings 20:1)]10 This specific knowledge can also be referred to as a divinely given power to appropriate spiritual intuition in problem-solving.11

Acts 10:19-20 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

God gives each member of the body of Christ at least one non-office gift as shall manifest the work and nature of the Spirit’s operation on the mind.12 This gives each person some proof of the Spirit’s presence to promote harmony in the church.

1 Corinthians 12:14-20 For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.

The diversity of gifts is given to the members to bring about reliance upon each member. There are more gifts of the Spirit other than the three that were just mentioned, such as:

• Prophecy

• Interpretation of tongues

• Faith

• The working of miracles

• The word of wisdom

• Discerning of spirits

• Teaching

• Exhorting

• Giving with simplicity

• Ruling with diligence/governments

• Showing mercy with cheerfulness

• Helps/ministry

What I wanted you to notice about the initial three gifts presented is that they’re not man-centered. In other words, the Holy Spirit uniquely participates in exercising these gifts. He can provide a supernatural utterance (a peculiar impulse that assures that His power will assist in the performing of some matter), divine energy, and the unveiling of truth for the past, present, or future.

With that said, what else should you, as a newly converted saint or someone who has been born again for some time, look for when determining which church assembly will assist you in understanding how God can become more operative in your life on a day-to-day basis?

The following section, simply put, indicates that if the leadership offices of the church are misunderstood, then in all likelihood, the teachings disseminated by those who occupy them will express confusion regarding a believer’s walk with God.



C. The offices of leadership

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

The names of the offices of church leadership are scripturally delineated as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. Some churches believe that the offices of apostle and prophet are no more. In these churches, there’s usually one pastor who’s considered as the head pastor. On another note, there are a number of churches that believe in a plurality of elders. This means that there’s no distinct person in charge.

The functions of these leadership offices are as follows.

●Apostles: They obtained a special commission from Christ: being a witness of his resurrection; having received special inspiration (by means of the agency of the Holy Spirit, they were taught how and what they should speak or write); being accredited by signs, miracles, and wonders; and are those who founded churches.

●Prophets: They foretold certain events, discerned as to whether what a man of God said was of the Holy Spirit, were preachers and expounders under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit.

●Evangelists: They traveled from place to place preaching the gospel and, at times, brought about the need to establish a church in the vicinity that was visited.

●Pastors and Teachers: They are to feed and lead the church, utilizing the teaching and expository preaching of the Word of God with special assistance from the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, churches use different names for their leaders other than the ones just presented. Rather than being caught up in these alternative designations, what you should look for is whether those in leadership exhibit the qualifications set forth in Scripture. Even though the ones I’m going to present characterize the office of the pastor, these should be evident either in those who are aspiring to any leadership office or who have already been placed in any specific leadership office.

Suggested Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7

1-2 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

One who is aspiring to the office of a bishop (pastor) since being born again must be:

●Blameless

Of whom no charge of [immorality or of holding false doctrine] is alleged.13

Immoral behavior would include incest, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, prostitution, lesbianism, polygamy, and adultery. 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-31; 1 Timothy 3:2

●The husband of one wife

Validly divorced people who remarried were considered married to one spouse.14

The biblical approval for divorce is as follows:

If the believing Christian is married to an unbeliever, and the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage, then the believer is allowed to divorce and remarry. 1 Corinthians 7:15

If the believing Christian is married to either a believer or unbeliever, who decides to engage in an extramarital affair, then the Christian is allowed to divorce and remarry. Matthew 19:9

If the husband or wife dies, then the believer is allowed to remarry. Romans 7:2

The marital condition for divorce that’s not allowed is when the believing spouse chooses to leave the marriage while remaining unmarried without engaging in an extramarital affair.

●Vigilant

Exercises wise caution in moral or spiritual matters.

●Sober

[Knows] how to control one’s actions and feelings.15

They follow sound reason [and, as such, have] the ability to say no to [their] own desires.16

●Of good behavior

Organized in his thinking and his living, as well as in his teaching and preaching.17

Puts emphasis on being well-ordered and free from confusion.18

●Given to hospitality

Encourages works of charity toward fellow believers and strangers.

●Apt to teach

[Understands and communicates] the truth to others, as well as to refute those who mishandle it.19

Has the capacity to impart Christian knowledge, the ability to interpret Scripture, to explain its doctrines, to enforce its precepts, and to defend it against errorists of every class.20

Imparts instruction on the doctrines of the Christian faith.

1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

●Not given to wine

Doesn’t drink wine to excess, thus becoming drunk.

Mustn’t drink it so freely that he becomes intoxicated and hence quarrelsome.21

●No striker

Not someone who wounds with the [tongue that is, who’s] guilty of slander (a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report22) or of outrageous reproaches (to blame or discredit in disapproval).23

●Not greedy of filthy lucre

Not in the original manuscripts.

●Patient

Able to take criticism without reacting.

Of anticipating and providing for all cases that will emerge and present themselves for [a] decision.24

●Not a brawler

[Uses]a peaceful and inoffensive approach.25

One who avoids disputes and quarrels.

●Not covetous

Not desiring the office of a pastor for the sake of its financial gain.

One who [doesn’t apply their mind] to dishonest and unlawful gains.26

1 Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

●One that ruleth well his own house

[Manages (cares for; concerned about) his own marriage and home indicates the] ability to oversee a local church.27

The pastor cannot be one thing at home and something else in church.28

●Having his children in subjection with all gravity

He should maintain proper [“dignity;”] he should maintain self-respect, and his deportment should be such as to inspire others with respect for him.29

His children obey and respect him, along with being respectful of others.

1 Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

●Must have a good report

Has a good reputation or testimony from the brethren and unbelievers outside the church by being upright in his business dealings, paying his bills, and evidencing good morals.

Even unbelievers themselves shall be constrained to acknowledge him to be a good man.30

Well, that was interesting. What do you think? It’s pretty obvious for anyone desiring or being considered for ordination, character is of utmost importance. Their conduct should be well spoken of, not only by their immediate family, if married, but also by those who don’t know the Lord, which could be relatives, friends, neighbors, associates at work, etc.

What this says to me is that if someone in leadership thinks that so and so should be commissioned to be in church authority, they need to become closely acquainted with the person or persons considered, i.e., with their family, friends, etc., beforehand.

This brings us to the next consideration of which a believer should be aware.



D. The content of the teachings

If you’ve found that the gospel is being preached and the qualifications of those in leadership are evidenced, then God is truly in that place. The next thing to consider is this. What’s being taught to the assembly from those in leadership?

In my early years in the ministry, I was involved with a church that preached the gospel and evidenced the gifts of the Spirit, even though there were some teachings that indicated that the gifts of the Spirit were no more. The idea that was being conveyed was that God could work through whosoever by manifesting an expression of the gifts of the Spirit according to His sovereignty. However, the receiving of at least one gift by each member was considered to have ceased.

This church had a worldwide ministry. Affiliate branch ministries would co-labor with one another. Unbelievers were being saved. Classes were made available for those who wanted to obtain a degree in Christian education, leadership, or pastoral studies. There was a radio ministry, a softball league, musical venues, week-long retreats, etc.

However, there was one issue that seemed to continually create problems in the lives of those Christians who were involved with this ministry, and that had to do with the doctrinal teachings of the church. Some of the messages that were presented suggested the selling of one’s property (e.g., lands and houses) for the furtherance of the Kingdom. Old Testament verses were used to provide a distinct perspective on particular New Testament doctrinal teachings. Certain sins that were committed by those in leadership were presented as being only accountable to God and God alone. They were deemed acceptable as long as, in the end, they promoted God’s work.

This isn’t to say that all of the messages were like this. Believers were encouraged to think about themselves from a divine perspective. Solid teachings on eternal security, redemption, sanctification, the blood, justification, predestination, election, the rapture of the church, the seven-year tribulation period, etc., were delivered. However, a little teaching leaven contaminates the whole lump.

Not surprisingly, a court case involving a large sum of money came to the forefront. The church lost the case due to the charge of undue influence and subsequently filed bankruptcy, losing ownership of the entire complex. Many of those in leadership who had been with the ministry almost from its inception had resigned.

As for myself, at the same time, I was co-laboring in an affiliate branch ministry that was located in a different state. I had graduated from the affiliated Bible college a few years earlier, summa cum laude. Around this time, the head pastor of this branch ministry resigned. And the person who took over eventually decided that the branch ministry would operate on its own and be unaffiliated with the church headquarters. Besides all of this, the facility that the branch ministry owned was placed on the real estate market for sale due to unfulfilled financial obligations.

On my end, I’d already made up my mind to leave for these and other personal reasons. Soon, the housing which the ministry provided for my family would be unavailable due to the eventual sale of the property. The home base of the main office, where I’d gone to Bible school, was in the process of liquidating all of its assets and starting over in a different state.

I called some of the head pastors that I had become acquainted with over the years to see if there was employment available along with housing provision. Nothing was available that met both criteria. I started to apply for jobs in my area of educational certification (Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics) that were listed in the local newspaper, along with sending out resumes to just about every public high school in the state. Eventually, I secured a job in a public high school teaching mathematics.

I cried when we packed up and left. None of it made sense. I thought I’d never leave, and here I was leaving. No church is perfect. Wherever you decide to attend, ask yourself, does God the Holy Spirit show up? Are the teachings sound? Is sin being condoned under certain circumstances?

You’re not always going to agree with every message that you hear from the pulpit. Sometimes a few of the protocols that the Jews followed when they were under the Mosaic Law will be the same ones that you’re asked to observe. There might be teachings on certain doctrinal topics where you’ll find much contention in Christian circles, such as (e.g., Can believers lose their salvation? Is tithing for today? Should the seventh day Sabbath still be observed? Are there apostles in the church today? Is a believer obligated to obey the Ten Commandments? Are the offices of the New Testament church gender specific? Are we commanded to abstain from drinking alcohol?). So, how are we able to determine whether to stay or leave the church we are in? Pray to God the Father in the name of the Son and follow the advisement set forth in this study.



You might be thinking, are there any guidelines concerning the content of the teachings that will help me find a church where I could grow spiritually?

Yes. Here’s some of them that Scripture discloses.

Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

The teachings of those in authority shouldn’t corrupt or vitiate (to impair the quality of31) the morals of others.

Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The leaders should provide instruction that will be useful in correcting all [that’s] deficient32 in the lives of each and every member of the church. They not only make sure that the assembly of the saints have the correct and precise knowledge of Christ but also [experience] His power so that each believer becomes a perfect man [or woman], i.e., a spiritually mature man [or woman], where everyone becomes fully mature with the sum of the qualities which make Christ what He is.33 And they also [train] the believers, given in their care, in the art of winning souls and of teaching and preaching the Word.34

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Those in the hierarchy provide an explanation of the [Scripture] passages that are read, making their meaning and relevance clear to the gathered congregation.3

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

The rulers bring forth a message with special assistance [from the Holy Spirit and, in some instances,] in the form of [categorical (topical) instruction and explanatory (verse by verse) teaching36]).

If I was in your shoes, I’d also be asking myself the following questions regarding the content of the teachings.

Do the teachings by the leadership of the church not approve of overt sins (e.g., adultery, fornication, slander, lesbianism, jealousy, gossip, homosexuality, lying, cheating, stealing, drug addiction, drunkenness, etc.)?

However, they do provide teachings that will help them learn how to address these areas of weakness so that the spiritual qualities (e.g., love, joy, peace, etc.) of the Holy Spirit can be realized in their lives and be evidenced to others.

Are the egregious sins committed by leadership or by those in the assembly being addressed by the members of the assembly who’ve been placed in charge of dealing with such matters?

Well, what I’ve left for you is one more thing to keep your eyes on. If the gospel is being preached, the qualifications of those in leadership line up with Scripture, and the content of the teachings are sound, I don’t think what we’re going to take a look at next will become an issue.



E. Traditions

Teachings on church traditions are important, but they should be teachings that are based on inspired traditions.



What’s the difference between a tradition and one that’s inspired?

A tradition is defined as the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice; a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.37

However, inspired traditions are divine instructions delivered orally or in writing that are contained in the written word.

Some of these are:

The Agape Feast: a weekly gathering of the saints when a common meal was partaken, followed by the observance of the Lord’s Supper. (Jude 12)

The anointing with oil: the anointing with virgin oil in the sign of the cross on the forehead of a believer who was physically sick. This was done by the elders (pastors) of the church while having their hands extended over the believer and accompanied by prayer for restoration to bodily health. (James 5:14-15)

The laying on of hands (on the head of a believer which signified commissioning and granting of authority). (Acts 11:29-30)

The faith that once and for all was delivered to the saints. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Teachings delivered by inspired men, and teachings that come from God to guide our lives. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

There are others that are simply not supported by Scripture. Here are two of them, each of which is identified by means of a question.



Are those who are called to a leadership office in the church allowed to marry?

Both the inspirational and non-inspirational aspects of this tradition are presented.



Celibacy

Uninspired

Anyone who’s in leadership positions in the church isn’t allowed to marry. It appears there might be many reasons why those in leadership couldn’t marry, but a couple of reasons, in particular, stand out. In the 4th century A.D., there was a tendency to choose an ascetic way of life (of denying oneself) as a means to express one’s devotion to God. This could involve injuring one’s physical body, wearing worn-out clothes, abstaining from sex, removing oneself from living in society, etc. It could be that this mindset permeated the thoughts of those who were in the position of determining what was considered acceptable decrees for the church.

Another possibility for the approval of this tradition is some of the decisions emanating from the church councils.

At the Council of Elvira in 309 A.D., it was decided that a priest couldn’t have sex the night before he conducted Mass. If somehow it was found out that he did, he’d be removed from his position. It was at the next council, the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., which concluded that a priest couldn’t marry.

*Reference: Council of Elvira and the Council of Nicea.

Another interesting conjecture came from the 13th century. Here’s the quote. The practice of priestly celibacy began to spread in the Western Church in the early Middle Ages. In the early 11th century, Pope Benedict VIII responded to the decline in priestly morality by issuing a rule prohibiting the children of priests from inheriting property.38 This had to do with who gets to keep the real estate after the priest dies.



Inspired

1 Timothy 3:1-2 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Both in the Old and New Testaments, those who were called by God to leadership positions were allowed to marry. One example of this is found in the Book of Timothy regarding the qualifications of those who desired the office of bishop (pastor). One condition was that, if married, they were required to be the husband of one wife. There’s more to say as to the meaning of these words, but we’ll just say that Scripture clearly indicates that church leaders could marry.

Another reference is found in the Book of Matthew.

Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

The Apostle Peter’s mother-in-law is mentioned, which indicates that he was married.

Here’s another tradition that’s not inspired. Again, we’ll look at inspirational teaching and non-inspirational teaching concerning this.

Why aren’t women allowed to be ordained to leadership positions in the church?



Women in Leadership

You might think that what I have to say about this is uninspired. Ha-ha. Believe me, if you’ve been taught that only men are called, as I was instructed in this manner, I understand why you’d think that this designation should be classified as inspired. Please follow along with me, and just maybe, you might question this assertion.



Uninspired

Reasons abound by many churches as to why women are not allowed to be ordained.

Matthew 10:2a Now the names of the twelve apostles are these;…

Jesus called 12 apostles and all of them were men.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Each of the names of the leadership offices is in the masculine gender.

1 Timothy 3:1, 8 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

The qualifications listed for the names of the titles of those who aspire to the leadership office of bishop and the position of deacon are in the masculine gender.

1 Timothy 2:10-12 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

The Apostle Paul was emphatic in saying that women weren’t allowed to teach.

There are many other Scriptures that appear to support this view. Case closed? However, you haven’t seen anything yet. We’re going to take a look at the same Scriptures and interpret them differently. Let me know what you think.



Inspired

1 Timothy 3:1, 8 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

It’s no argument that Jesus called 12 apostles, and each of them were male. It’s also agreed that the leadership offices are each in the masculine gender. Likewise, you’d agree that the titles of bishop and deacons are also in the masculine gender. Therefore, we could surmise that no females were called to either position. Right? Please turn to the Book of Romans.

Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

We’re told that a woman named Phebe was described as a servant of the church. Guess what? The word servant is in the feminine gender and is derived from the same Greek word as the male designation for deacon or deacons. Even though the position of responsibility of a deaconess was only found once in the New Testament, this should make it clear by analogy that just because the names of the leadership offices in Ephesians 4:11 are masculine in gender, this doesn’t mean that there are no other words found elsewhere for these positions of leadership which are in the female gender.

1 Timothy 2:10-12 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Ever wonder why the Apostle Paul said that women weren’t allowed to teach? Was it simply because they were women?

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

The Apostle Paul was instructing Timothy. He told him that the women in the congregation should learn about what is being taught in silence (by holding their peace) with all subjection (being under authority in this matter).

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Furthermore, they were not to teach, nor to usurp authority (not to domineer; not to have control) over the man, but to be in silence. This appears to be something new that was being taught. This begs the following question.

What does it mean when it says that the woman was not … to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence?

The traditional view is that a woman isn’t allowed to teach in the local assembly, as this is believed to be the exclusive function of men. If they do attempt such, they will be considered as having usurped authority (assuming authority in the church and trying to take the place of a man). With this perspective in view, some churches will allow certain conditions where a woman can teach, such as to other [women] or in a school setting that could be composed of a mixed class of adults.39

Have you ever heard the statement there are two sides to every story? Well, there’s another way to explain this verse. Women weren’t allowed to teach at this time because many of them were new converts in the church that had come directly out of paganism. And what they were attempting to do was incorporate their pagan customs and rituals into the Christian church.There was one pagan group called the Gnostics, which claimed to have hidden or secret knowledge that hadn’t been revealed to others.

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

This verse, in particular, gives us insight as to what some of these women were proclaiming. They were professing godliness with good works. The word professing is from the Greek word epangellomenais, and it means promising godliness. The words with good works could also mean in exchange for good works. What these women were doing was promising [godliness] if the hearer would follow their teaching40 and do what they said.

If this is why women at this time weren’t allowed to teach, then how does one explain the words nor to usurp authority over the man? As we stated earlier, this was traditionally translated to mean a woman taking the place of a man in teaching. Could there be an alternative translation? The words to usurp authority over are from the Greek word authentien. Clement of Alexandria, a Greek theologian, stated that these words concern sexual license. In context, it could refer to a group of women who accepted sexual license as Christian behavior.

1 Timothy 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

A post-Nicene church father, John Chrysostom (347-407), in his commentary on 1 Timothy 5:6 used authentien to express pleasure or “sexual license.” The idea is that these women were using sexual overtures to entice their male students. The Apostle Paul said in response to such to not permit those women to teach a man using feminine wiles.41

This translation changes the entire narrative of these verses. Instead of mandating that a woman could never be called to a leadership position in the church, the Apostle Paul was saying to Timothy at this time not to allow any of these women to teach as there appears to be a group of them who’ve been telling others in the church that they could become godly not only in exchange for good works but also by accepting sexual license as Christian behavior.

There are many more traditions that you should be aware of. As you grow in the Lord, these should become evident to you and you’ll have to decide whether you should continue to observe them or not. So, there you have it. Quite interesting! With this in mind, now that you are born again, you’ve become aware of what you should be looking for when attending a church assembly and making the decision to remain in it.

As you become aware of the kinds of teachings that will promote your spiritual growth, there will also be some roadblocks along the way that you’ll encounter. These might cause you to advance or regress in your walk with God. What these roadblocks are and how to address them will be the focus over the course of the next few chapters.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.



Endnotes

9Lester Sumrall, The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit, Lester Sumrall Evangelical Association, 1982.

10The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 24 March 2015

˂http://www.bible-knowledge.com/gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/>.

11The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

12Barnes.

13Barnes.

14IVP Bible Background Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005, 25 December 2017

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

15UBS.

16UBS.

17The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament, 1989. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 30 January 2022

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

18UBS.

19Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, 2000, 02 February 2016 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

20The Pulpit Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 14 February 2022

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

21Weust.

22Dictionary.com.

23Calvin’s CommentariesPc Study Bible version 5, 2006. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 4 February 2022

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

24Weust.

25UBS.

26Calvin.

27The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.

28The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.

29Barnes.

30Calvin’s.

31Dictionary.com.

32Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown.

33Weust.

34Weust.

35UBS.

36The Pulpit.

37Dictionary.com.

38“When Did the Catholic Church Decide Priests Should Be Celibate?” History News Network

4 April 2023

.

39Weust.

40Barbara Smitherman. “Suffer not a woman to teach,” 2009. 05 May 2014 ˂http://suffernotawomantoteach.blogspot.com/>.

41Barbara Smitherman.



Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ITJ1wj

Website: https://bit.ly/3mWKJ2r