I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. -- 1Timothy 2: 12-14 (NIV)
In the spirit of full disclosure this is a devotional I have avoided writing for some time now. That is because I know many godly women serving the Lord in completely appropriate capacities and then others who while well intended, seem to be perpetually offended whenever a man reads the Scriptures that God has written regarding the role of women in ministry. I understand the frustration because so many men have simply abdicated their correct role as leader and priest in their own families let alone the church. That does not mean however that we throw the Bible away. The truth is that everyone loves the Bible until they get to the part they do not like. Or the part they disagree with. But insisting on our way is the same sin that Lucifer was cast down for. Usurping the throne of God.
Please keep in mind that this does not mean that women are less than men. This does not mean that they do not or cannot serve in vitally important roles within the church. Women can prophesy. Women can do great works. Women can exhibit any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, just like men. What the key verses teach us however, and do so unambiguously, is that women should not be in teaching/preaching positions within the church where they might exercise authority over men. I have heard all of the twists and contortions Christo-feminists try to change what Paul says very clearly here. In the end all they are left with is to try and read into the culture at Ephesus and specifically within the early Ephesian church, then crawl into the mind of Paul and change the meaning of what he clearly states.
Into this spiritual abyss steps Jory Micah. Jory Micah is an Internet Facebook sensation for women who feel marginalized by the male dominated church culture that God ordained. In her own biography, Micah states that she was born again at 13 and immediately felt called to be a minister. As she grew up and went to college for various Christian degrees she was confronted with the Biblical reality of the correct role of women in the church. Instead of being submissive to the will of God she rebelled against it. She began to see everything God had ordained regarding proper gender roles as oppressive, patriarchal, and perhaps misogynistic. This void she has stepped into is a growing chasm in the church and people like Jory Micah are extremely dangerous to women. Not because she advocates for women but because she advocates against the Bible. Once you compromise on one point of the Bible it becomes so much easier to have a salad bar theology and only take what you want. I perused Jory Micah's Facebook page and excerpted some of her beliefs, just from this year. Let us reason together and ask ourselves if any of this lines up with Scripture:
"I believe that the Holy Scriptures are truth, inspired by the Spirit of God, but I don't believe that God is confined to the Bible. God is much bigger than what is revealed to us in the Bible." -- Jory Micah
This is the same babble you hear from Bill Johnson, Bethel Church, IHOP and all of the NAR. When confronted with the fact that they are teaching wildly unbiblical things, they scream that we are placing God in a box and that He is so much bigger than Scripture. Except He is not. The Gospel of John assures us that Jesus is His Word. The Bible is not a suggestion guide for life. It is the embodiment of God Himself. When you teach things like glory clouds, the bridal paradigm or feminist Christianity however, you need to do something about the Bible that keeps exposing you. Let me break it down real simple for us. The Bible is the inerrant Word of Almighty God. It does not change. It transcends all time and culture. It is infallible. It is entirely trustworthy and honest. When we start talking about stepping outside of the Word of God, even for such pious sounding reasons such as God being "bigger" what we then have to rely upon is our own deceitful hearts. No thanks Jory. I will stick to what the Bible says; even the parts I may not understand fully or agree with. It is ironic that she believes God is bigger but she refuses to accept what He has to say regarding her role in His church.
"God is described as Father by Jesus." Yes, true, but this may be because Jesus was living in an extreme patriarchal culture in which "Father" was the best metaphor available to describe God (and probably still is in much of the world), so humans can understand. The father, in Jesus' day, was the protector, provider, and really the source of all livelihood in the home and outside of the home." -- Jory Micah
Christianity has rejected the theories of Gnosticism from their inception. The truths of God are not hidden. When Jesus calls God Father it is because that is what He, as God chose to do. He did not stop and think, "Gee I wonder what cultural norm I should relate to." Within the culture He was ministering, the Samaritans were utterly reviled yet He spoke to the Samaritan woman and used a Samaritan as the hero in one of His parables. God does not concern Himself with culture -- only man does. Note what Micah is forced to do here. Speculate. That is the hallmark of any feminist Christian teaching. Paul probably meant this. He used Father so people could understand. The Ephesian Church must have had a problem with gossipy women, which is why Paul said they should be silent! I do not need to read into, understand his psyche, or bow to cultural arguments. I just need to read the Scriptures.
