Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 6/2/2011

Question
I don't agree with you about a woman not being a pastor. Look how many people Joyce Meyer has helped. God can use anyone and  at the time the Bible was written by men of that age woman were thought of differently.  God does not make mistakes and can and will use some in any capacity he choses. I believe the man should be head of the home but explain to me what Mary Magdelon did when she went to look for Jesus and was met by an angel? What did he say? Go tell Jesus has risen. Isn't this preaching pastor?

Answer
Coco, you have a right to disagree, but I have to tell you candidly that you are wrong.  Mary was obeying a command to communicate a fact to the disciples.  That is not exactly preaching.  At best, it is witnessing or testifying.  

The Bible was written by GOD through men and God establishes the rules, not the times or culture. Jesus had every opportunity to break the mold by having a woman apostle.  Indeed, the best one to preach to most of the Gentiles would have been a Paulina rather than a Paul for many worshiped goddesses as much as they worshiped gods. Remember Diana of the Ephesians? Jesus broke many, many cultural and religious traditions and said, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you."  He could have picked several women as apostles if He wanted to break the pattern of a patriarchy with men as the teachers/preachers.  He did not do so.

There is really no difference between preaching and teaching. That is something we came up with years later.  If you are preaching or proclaiming the Word then you are teaching it and if you are teaching without proclaiming the Word then just what are you teaching.  We were told to go into all the world and teach.  That being said, it is clear in 1st Timothy chapters two and three that a woman is not allowed to teach and a pastor is not only to be the husband of one wife but he is also to to apt or able to teach thus ruling out women pastors and even teachers.  Many have said no women pastors/preachers, but they allow women to teach the Word and that privilege and indeed right belongs to the man and for a woman to so does usurp authority she is not given.

People try to discount Paul, but to do so puts the entire Church on shaky ground for if God allowed Paul to go half-cocked and preach his opinions that were contrary to what God wanted than maybe most of the NT is completely his opinion and not inspired by God. Maybe all the other doctrines we pull from those writings are wrong and we are not saved.  Yet, Peter affirmed that even though some of what Paul preached was hard to be understood it was still from God.  

1 Cor 14:37-38

37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.  KJV

Thus, if he says that the pastor has to be a husband of one wife then that is it forever not until the culture changes.  If he says that he does not allow a woman to teach than that is that. God is not willy nilly and changes His mind to suit the culture or opinion of men or women.

Yes, indeed, He can use whom He wills when He wills, but that will never contradict what He has already said therefore it cannot be God that is calling them.  If God would have said any man or woman who wants to be a bishop desires a good thing I would be gung ho for it, but Scripture is the standard by which all things are to be judged and it says no.  If a woman has a question she is to ask her husband at home for that is part of his role as the head to teach his wife and children.  That would also solve a problem that most women complain about; communication.  If he is taking the role of head and teaching then he is communicating and that would open him up to other avenues of communication so it is a good thing.

In 1 Corinthians 11 we see the roles of or relationship between God and angels, God and man and man and women.  None of those roles/relationships have changed.  God ordained a patriarchy from the beginning when He made Adam first and then Eve.  It has been that way down through the ages except when God's people backslid and then you have Isa 3:12 written when God was judging Israel for their sin thus you have women ruling and children as oppressors.  Neither are roles ordained by God.  

Just because something is ordained for men does not mean women are inferior.  They just have a different calling and different responsibilities.  When we walk in what we were called to do all is well, but when we jump out of our roles there is chaos and chaos is not of God.

As to Joyce, she has helped heal wounds slightly like a motivational speaker. Did you know that she, as well as other Word of Faith preachers, teach that Jesus was born again in Hell?  That is not true. If Jesus needed to be born again He could not have been the perfect sacrifice for us.  He was the spotless Lamb of God that had no sin and thus no need to be born again. You can hear her teaching that in the link below.  This is not hearsay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKsa_74w7k&feature=related

I would strongly suggest that you read Christianity In Crisis.

http://www.amazon.com/Christianity-Crisis-Study-Guide-Hanegraaff/dp/1565076966

You may be shocked at what she and maybe many of your other favorite TV stars teach that is not at all sound doctrine.

Anyway, keep studying the Word and I would advise staying away from TBN period. There are very few TV or radio preachers, male or female, that I can endorse in good conscience.