This message of restoration because of
Christ’s death on the Cross is a major theme throughout the New Testament. It
is the message the Apostle Paul preached. He taught what the Lord before Him
had taught in word and action, that both men and women are equally sinful and
equally in need of a Saviour and that Christ’s death on the Cross provides
total redemption for both men and women. He taught that this redemption
had been made possible because, at the cross, Christ had reversed the effects
of the Fall by becoming a curse for both men and women, as we can read in Galatians 3:13Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it
is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
As a result of Christ’s death on the Cross both men and
women can now become the righteousness of God in Christ, according to II
Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
This means that every believer, be they male or female, has now become a new creation, as the Apostle Paul taught in II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
Furthermore, there is now no condemnation for the man or the woman who is in
Christ, as we can read in Romans 8:1-2 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from
the Law of Sin and Death.
Such a person is to forget the past according to Philippians 3:13
This I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.
Such a person is to live unto God as Paul wrote in Romans 6:11 In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God.
Paul wrote in Romans 8:17 that men and women who belong to Christ are co-heirs with Christ “Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."
He also wrote in Galatians 3:28 that men and women are one in Christ Jesus.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Moreover, any man or woman, who is in Christ, has been raised with Him and is seated with Him, as we can read in Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and has seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Both men and women, who are in Christ, have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, as we can read in Ephesians 1:3 Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
The Gifted Woman
Paul taught in I Corinthians Chapters 12, 13 and
14 and in Romans 12:4-8 as well, that every believer, be they male or female,
was a part of the Body of Christ and was to function as part of that Body with
the gift or gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others. These
gifts were given as the Holy Spirit determined without race, class or gender
distinction.
Let’s look at I Corinthians 12:4-11
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different
kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but
the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To
one is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message
of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit,
to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers,
to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another
speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation
of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,
and He gives them to each one just as He determines.
I would like for us to read Romans 12:4-8* as well:
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not
all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one Body, and
each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the
grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying let him use it in proportion to
his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching let him teach; if
it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of
others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern
diligently; if it is showing mercy let him do it cheerfully.
[*In the original text of Romans 12:4-8 no specific gender is mentioned.]
Therefore a better translation would be:
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do
not all have the same function, so, in Christ, we, though many, form one Body,
and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according
to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in
accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching,
then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving,
then give generously; if it is to lead, then do it diligently; if it is to show
mercy, do it cheerfully
.
One example of the gifts of the Spirit working through both men and women can
be seen in I Corinthians 11:4-5
Every man, who prays or prophesies with his head covered, dishonours his
head. And every woman, who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered,
dishonours her head.
This verse is part of a larger segment of Scripture beginning with
I Corinthians 11:3
and ending with I Corinthians 11:16. This is quite a complicated passage of
Scripture and because of it we may not realise that in this passage Paul
allowed both men and women to pray and prophesy in public.
And he explained in I Corinthians 14:29-31 that the function of prophecy, which
was a gift given to both men and women, included teaching:
Two or three Prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully
what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the
first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone
may be instructed and encouraged.”
From this we can see that one of the main functions of prophecy is in fact
instruction, or teaching, so Paul obviously expected women to instruct, to teach
both men and women.
Furthermore, in I Timothy 2:8-10, Paul encouraged both men and women to pray in public.
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or
disputing.
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with
braided hair, or gold, or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate
for women who profess to worship God.
In this chapter, Paul wrote about the issue of prayer, as we can read in I Timothy 2:1-2
I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness.
In I Timothy 2:8-10, the verses we have just read, Paul was still talking
about prayer. He first dealt with men in relation to prayer and he then
addressed women in relation to prayer. We may not understand this because he
did not specifically mention the words “in prayer” when writing about women.
However, the word “also”, or “likewise”, indicates that he was still talking about
prayer, for Paul desired that women, when praying as part of their worship of
God, displayed proper behaviour. Therefore, according to Greek grammar, the
words “in prayer” did not need to be repeated in verses 9-10 because they were
to be understood from the context of verse 8.
There
is at least one other example in Scripture of this particular type of
sentence structure in the Greek language and we’ll look at that example
later on. We can see then that Paul encouraged both men and women to
pray and prophesy in public.
Questions & Answers
1. What was the message that the Apostle Paul preached?
Answer: The Apostle Paul preached that both
women and men are equally sinful and in equally in need of a Saviour and that
Christ’s death on the Cross provides total redemption for both women and men.
2. According to
Galatians 3:13 what has Christ done for women and men? Answer: In Galatians 3:13 we read:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
This means that Christ reversed the effects of the Fall for women and men by becoming a curse for them.
3. According to II Corinthians 5:21 what has Christ’s death on the Cross achieved for women and men?
Answer: In II Corinthians 5:21 we read: God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. This means that women and men who are in Christ can now receive Christ’s righteousness by faith in Him which will make them acceptable to the Father.
4. What did Paul teach in II Corinthians 5:17?
Answer: In II Corinthians 5:17 we read:
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. This means that every woman or man who is in Christ is a new creation whose past sins have been forgiven.
5. According to Romans 8:1-2 are women and men who are in Christ still under condemnation?
Answer: In Romans 8:1-2 we read: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the Law of Sin and Death.
This means that any woman or man who is in Christ is no longer under condemnation for they have been set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life.
6. What are women and men who are in Christ to do according to Philippians 3:13?
Answer: In Philippians 3:13 we read: This I do, forgetting the past and straining towards what is ahead. Women and men who are in Christ are to follow Paul’s example and let go of their past as well so they can walk in obedience to what God has planned for them.
7. According to
Romans 6:11 how are women and men who are in Christ to see themselves?
Answer: In Romans 6:11 we read: In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God. This means that women and men who are in Christ are to live unto God by trying to please Him at all times through being obedient to Him.8. According to
Romans 8:17 who are women and men co-heirs with?
Answer: In Romans 8:17 we read: Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. This means that God wants women and men who are in Christ to understand He has an inheritance waiting for them in heaven because they are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. 9. According to
Galatians 3:28 how do women and men who are in Christ function?
Answer: In Galatians 3:28 we read: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This means that in the Church, women and men who are in Christ do not function based on their particular nationality, status in life or gender but function based on their spiritual giftings.
10. According to
Ephesians 2:6 where are women and men who are in Christ seated spiritually?
Answer: In Ephesians 2:6 we read: And God raised us up with Christ and has seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. This means that women and men who are in Christ are, spiritually speaking, already positioned with Christ in the heavenly realms.
11. According to
Ephesians 1:3 have women and men who are in Christ received any spiritual blessing?
Answer: In Ephesians 1:3 we read: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. This means that every woman and man who is in Christ has already received every spiritual blessing in Him such as Christ’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All they are to do is to walk in it. 12. How do women
and men function in the Body of Christ?
Answer: Women and men who are believers are
to function in accordance with their spiritual gifts.
13. Are these spiritual gifts given to personally benefit believers?
Answer: No, these gifts are given for the
benefit of others.
14. Who is the
Giver of these gifts?
Answer: The Holy Spirit is the Giver of
these gifts
15. According to I
Corinthians 12:4-11, can only certain people receive these gifts?
Answer: No, all believers will have received one or more gifts because the Holy Spirit gives gifts without race, class or gender distinction, as we can read in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one just as He determines.16. Can you give
an example of both women and men who received spiritual gifts from the Holy
Spirit in the Book of Romans? Answer: We have an example of both women and men who received spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit in Romans 12:4-8 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If a man’s gift is prophesying let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.17. Is a specific
gender mentioned in the original text of Romans 12:4-8? Answer: In the original text of Romans 12:4-8 no specific gender is mentioned. Therefore, a better translation would be:
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so, in Christ, we, though many, form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, then do it diligently; if it is to show mercy do it cheerfully. This means
that women as well as men can function in the gifts mentioned in this passage.
18. Can you give
an example in Scripture of both women and men functioning in their giftings?
Answer: We have an example in I Corinthians 11:4-5, where we read: Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered, dishonours his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered, dishonours her head. From this example we can see that both men and women prayed and prophesied in a public setting.
19. Do women today
have to have their heads covered in order to be able to pray or prophesy?
Answer: Paul was writing these words to the
Church in Corinth. The issue of covering their heads was, therefore, a cultural
issue related to that particular church at that period of time and does not
apply to us today.
20. Does prophesying include teaching?
Answer: In I Corinthians 14:29-31, we read: Two or three prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
From this we can see that one of the main functions of prophecy is instruction, or teaching, so Paul obviously expected women and men to instruct, teach male as well as female believers.
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