Bible Studies

What Does The Bible Really Say About Women Preachers?

by Ramona Cook 
08/23/23
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There is much disagreement on the subject of women in the pulpit.  Since the Bible is one Book and the message is one message, how can it be that there are differing opinions?

Let me suggest, MISINTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURES!

It befuddles me that those who are Theologians and Bible Scholars don’t perform the word searches that open this discussion to one of understanding for everyone.  What is the underlying purpose?  Hopefully, not Control.  Could be blindness, but then professionals are supposed to know how to correlate Hebrew and Greek words to the subsequent King James Version by way of James Strong’s Concordance, if by no other way.

Let us look at Peter’s Message on the Day of Pentecost, Acts, Chapter 2: verses 14 through 18.

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, be this known unto you, and harken (listen) to my words; for these (that you see rejoicing and speaking in other languages) are NOT drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.” (9:00a)

“But THIS is THAT which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel,” (Joel 2: 28 -32):

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on ALL flesh: AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men will dream dreams;

And on My on My servants and on My hand-maidens I will pour out of My Spirit; and THEY shall prophesy.”

Lest any think to say, “all this stopped on Pentecost,”

Please read on to see that the LAST DAYS END when the Sun is darkened and the Moon is turned to blood; THAT is the very end of time.  We are IN the Last days since Pentecost.

Before going on with this writing, let us look into the Strong’s Concordance via blueletterbible.com

“PROPHECY:” Interestingly, for those who are familiar with the Italian singer Arron Caruso, the Greek word for PROPHECY IS pronounced Kay roo’ so.

There are five meanings for the word “prophecy” as it translates to English from Strong’s:

1. 1.     To prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict


2. 2.     To prophesy


3. 3.     To utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation


4. 4.     To break forth under sudden impulse in lofty disclosure or praise of divine counsels under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others


5. 5.     To act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office.

THESE are the correct translations to English and the KJV. 

What possibly restricts a female from filling this Office according to Scripture?  Especially when God Himself said it is what He would DO in the Last Days. Now you have to admit, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION!

Then HOW have we come to all the problems that have arisen that say “women cannot even SPEAK in the Church?”

I suggest they have not bothered to look up the meaning because it keeps the women subjugated, maybe, or maybe this is what was taught to them and they believed it, so did not question the “doctrine.”

It is a serious error, according to what GOD said both in Old and New Covenants.

About the word “silence” in the Church, as Paul is said to have spoken to the Church.  “Let your women keep silence” the word used for “silence” is one applied to women being keepers at home, doing their own work, not meddling in the affairs of others.” 

It also applies to men and women “holding their peace” not being interruptive when others are speaking.

Paul famously told the women at Corinth to “ask their husbands at home,” because they were talking during service to their husbands on the other side of the assembly, since men and women did not sit together.

“Keep silence in the Church does not apply to those females who are called by God to prophesy, and by permission of the assembly charge person, are given authority to prophecy.

“God called Prophets” are to be in “order” when they speak, not speaking when someone else is speaking.

The word “Preach,” maybe you have guessed it; the word “preach” is also the word for “Prophet,”

 Kay roo’ so. Which God says He has called BOTH His sons and His daughters to DO.

Now, regarding the emphatic statement made by Paul to Timothy: “I do not allow a woman to USURP authority over a man.”  I Timothy 1:12:

Strong’s Greek translation of the English, “usurp;” what Paul really said:

It does denote a type of authority, but listen to what it means:

1. 1.     one who with his own hands kills another or himself.


2. 2.     one who acts on his own authority, autocratic, one who does a thing by his own decision.


3. 3.     an absolute master.


4. 4.     “a man”


5. 5.     male husband


6. 6.     betrothed


7. 7.     reference to age, a mature man, not a boy


8. 8.     used generically of BOTH sexes, men and women. 

No MAN should USURP authority over others in those ways, as should NO Woman.  So, why was this word used?

We do know that in the Letter to the Ephesians, oh how well we women know it, some Pastors preach it at least twice a year.  “Women obey your husbands in the Lord.”  AND THAT IS NOT WRONG! 

A MARRIAGE IS A contract, LIKE FOR A BUSINESS, but hopefully not as cold as a business contract.  God is a God of order and someone has to be in charge, but NOT a Dictator, a business partner on this path of marriage together.

Paul uses “marriage” as a sort of parable to really tell the Church what the Churches relationship is to Jesus.

He applies the MARRIAGE, between one man and one woman to the line of authority that Jesus has with the Church. 

I don’t know a woman on Earth that would object to being under the loving, nurturing, respectful protection of a husband who is like Jesus.  Sadly, many are NOT, in which case the husband cannot then hold his wife to be subject to him in all things.  A CONTRACT has binders in both directions.  You do your part and I will do my part.  Even God/Jesus makes that statement both in Old and New Testaments.

If I am not married to you, then to me you are not a man, nor is your wife to me a woman, IN THE CHURCH.  Paul makes it very clear that there is neither bond nor free, Gentile or Jew, male or female, IN THE CHURCH.

There are other references to be looked at in the discussion about women preaching and none of them refute what is said in Acts Chapter 2 by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, and by Joel, Chapter 2, hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Ramona:   08/21/2023