Who Do We Listen To?

You know I recently discovered that I've had an issue for a while now with women publically teaching the Word. I was driving down the road listening to a Christian radio station, and a woman came on with "an inspiring word." I immediately turned the station. Why did I do that, I thought to myself. I began to analyze my background and found that I am probably one of the biggest hypocrites known to man on this subject. Without going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say that culturally I was taught that women speaking on theological issues in a public sphere was wrong. Then I went to a Christian, all-women's college that showed me my value in Christ. Soon a constant conflict raged within my very being as I realized that God has called me to speak and teach women, but yet I didn't see women as having enough valuable things to say.

Back to the other night. I wanted to figure out for myself once and for all what my problem was with women speaking publically about theological issues and how to overcome it. The following is a conclusion to my thoughts. One reason I felt I didn't like listening to some women is because some of them seem so wimpy. (See my earlier post on wimpy women for a full background on why this annoys me.) The second reason is that for whatever reason, as I explained earlier, I sometimes catch myself thinking that they can't possibly be teaching the right things.

WHAT?!! How could I come to that conclusion?! Where did this thought ever come from? The historian in me wanted to find out the origin, but the student in me said "just think about it for a little while and get on with writing your thesis." So here are my thoughts.: )


One thought is that in our teaching, we sometimes harken too much to the verse in which Paul writes about women not being allowed to teach men - not taking the historical context into account. The other thought is that our cultural and societal trends move us towards thinking that a man absolutely has to be the full authority.


Okay, don't spaz out on me. My husband is the head of my household, and he has the final say here. I don't agree with women being ordained as pastors. The fall of man messed up the equality we had in Eden, thus women are under the authority of their husbands, and in the church, under the authority of a male shepherd. However, there is nothing in Scripture that tells us that women are not capable of teaching the Word. So my conclusion to my thoughts - who do we listen to?


We can't listen to someone just because that person is a man or woman. We must always go back to God's Word. He is the ultimate authority in Heaven and earth; no one and nothing surpasses Him. If someone has been gifted to teach His Word, they defy and rebel against God when they do not use that gift in His service, man or woman. Recognize the folks in the photos? Our beloved American preacher Billy Graham and his daughter Anne - both some of the finest teachers of the Word I've ever heard.