I Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

WHOA - let's tackle this one first.

Now let me start by saying if you are a man, then when you read this it has no effect on you. You take it at face value and keep humming right along. If you are a woman, however, it just doesn't make sense, especially one whom God has called into the ministry to preach and teach His Word. You think to yourself, now why would God call me into this turmoil? It is obvious that many of our churches today are still opposed to women doing anything in the church except keeping the nursery and teaching little kids. Outside of that, don't ask and definitely don't say God has called you to preach/teach because you will come against great opposition. hmmmm Why would God go against His Word? He doesn't, man does.

Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ and he started many of the first churches. He traveled to them and wrote letters to the ones he could not be at immediately. He kept tabs on them and corrected any doctrinal errors and encouraged them in the Lord. We know that I Corinthians is a letter written by Paul to the church because in 7:1 he says: Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me:... So he begins to address the issues that they had written about. In verse 34 & 35 Paul is quoting from the letter that was written to him because when you look at verse 36 you see where he could not believe they were saying such ridiculousness. He said What? came the Word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? He could not believe they were saying this crazy stuff. Paul was a teacher of GRACE, and not the law. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; Colossians 2:14 Go to I Cor: 14:31 and you will see that Paul says that ALL may prophesy. As a Pastor of mine says, ALL means ALL. No one is excluded by Paul. And just as an additional piece of information, the men were sitting in the synagogue and the women were sitting in the outer courts in the women's court. Someone asked me once, well why do you think the men were inside and the women weren't allowed in? I just said because the Jews were being dumb. Remember the whole time Jesus walked the earth the Pharisees and Sadducees just went around harassing Him and they had made up their own rules, they weren't even following God's law the way they were supposed to. So who do you think made that system of seating up????? Yeah, you already know.

Ok, maybe that makes sense. But there is another place that says a woman should not be teaching and should be quiet. I Timothy 2:11-13 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. Ok, are you sitting down? Here goes...This is not dealing with "church" authority but authority in the "home." The context proves it. Paul uses Adam and Eve as the example of authority. What relationship did Adam and Eve have? They were husband and wife, not pastor and sheep. Since there is no Greek word for husband and wife, the word "man" and "woman" is also translated "husband" and "wife", and based on the context these words should have been translated as such.
The husband is the head of the household and the wife is in total submission to him. If they cannot reach an agreement on an issue, then the husband is the final decider. If the husband teaches something to the kids, the woman is not to discredit his teaching. Of course this is speaking of Godly teaching.

Did you know that God had women prophetesses in His Word? Oh yes sir! Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. WHAT?? She was a prophetess and a judge? That is even old testament. There was a guy named Barak (not Obama - lol) who God had called to go fight and he told her this: And Barak said to her, If you go with me, then I will go: but if you won't go with me, then I will not go. Judges 4:8 Wow, pretty important to notice that he was asking this woman to go or just forget what God had commanded him to do. Luke 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel.... Acts 21:9 And the same man (Philip) had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. Wow, now that is a lot of women preaching right there!!

Stay with me because now I'm going to speak about women pastors and there were many of them. The meaning of the New Testament word "pastor" is "shepherd," and so we think of pastors as leaders who tend a flock. Psalm 23 speaks of the Lord as our Shepherd, teaching, leading, guiding and providing for us. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd, setting a model for all true spiritual leaders who lay down their lives for the sheep. When Jesus called Peter the second time after His resurrection, He asked him to "feed My sheep." Thus, pastors are to nurture people and help them to grow. While the New Testament does not tell us specifically what pastors did, we do know that both men and women provided spiritual leadership for churches which met in their homes. In the early church, almost all Christian meetings were held in private homes.

I Corinthians 1:11 For it has been declared to me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Another is Lydia: Acts 16:14-15 Acts 16:14-15, 40 tells us about Lydia, Paul's first European convert to Jesus, who offered Paul hospitality in her home. Scripture relates that when Lydia was converted, her entire household was baptized and that her home became the first meeting place for European Christians. Lydia was a business woman who traded in valuable, dyed garments. The fact that Scripture mentions no husband or father indicates the high prominence of this woman. Since first-century Greek and Roman women were almost always under the legal guardianship of a husband or father, Lydia may well have been a wealthy widow or only daughter who inherited her parents' estate. Thus, she became the head of her own household. She either managed the family business or developed a business of her own after her husband's or father's death. The Book of Acts says that Lydia's entire household was baptized upon her conversion to Christ. This follows the custom of ancient Roman families. Under paganism, household gods were believed to protect and help the family and its enterprises. Thus, it was the duty of members of these households, relatives, slaves, and their families to worship the gods adopted by the head of the household. Roman households were often large since almost all businesses were home-based before the industrial age. Those who worked for Lydia in her business, and possibly others engaging in the trade who belonged to the dye-makers guild, would have been among her converts. By virtue of her position as head of household, Lydia had the opportunity and responsibility to lead all of its members to Christ and then to establish and lead them in the faith. This put her in a similar position to the modern-day pastor. To fulfill part of this responsibility, Lydia invited Paul to come and preach in her home.Paul and Silas established their gospel mission headquarters in Lydia's house and no doubt preached there regularly. After their release from prison, Scripture tells us that they returned to Lydia's and, having met with the brethren, exhorted them. This may have been the first church planted on European soil, and its pastor was a woman.

Priscilla, A Woman Pastor

In Romans 16 verses 3-5, Paul refers to Priscilla and Aquila and the church that is in their house. Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together in Scripture which indicates that they worked and ministered together as a husband and wife team. This is confirmed by Acts 18:26 where both Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside and both explained to him the way of God more accurately. Since Paul reversed the culturally accepted manner of mentioning the husband first in his letter to them in Romans 16:3, he obviously wanted to make a point about her leadership role. Many commentators conclude that Priscilla is mentioned first because she was the spiritually gifted one and the leader of the church that met in their home.

**PHOEBE, a Woman Pastor**

In Romans 16:1 Paul commends to the church at Rome our sister Phoebe who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea. Paul refers to Phoebe as a servant which is the Greek word diakonos. Diakonos, or its verb form, is translated minister in 23 other places in the New Testament. For example, in Eph. 3:7, Paul says that he became a minister (diakonos) according to the gift of the grace of God. Phoebe, therefore, was a minister, probably a pastor, from the church in Cenchrea. This is borne out by vs. 2 where Paul refers to her as a helper of many and of myself also. The Greek word translated helper in this verse is prostates and, according to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, means to set over, to rule, superintend, preside over, protect, and care for. When this passage is examined apart from our traditions and prejudicial assumptions, the evidence is overwhelming that Phoebe functioned in what today we would call pastoral ministry.

There were a few more but I think you get the point. Now here are some excellent verses that we should always think of first when it comes to everyone being able to serve God equally: Galations 3:25-28 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (the law). For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And Revelation 1:6 And has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen. I'm pretty sure that "us" includes the ladies.

Ok ok, you had me going but remember that in the old testament all the priests and temple workers were men. And even in the new testament Jesus chose men for disciples. Yes, but remember that ALL who have an intimate relationship with Jesus are priests right now. Let us also remember there are key moments in the Bible where Jesus chose a woman to spread the gospel. The woman at the well. Mary after seeing Jesus outside the tomb.

Don't hold anyone back from serving the Lord. He is the One Who calls and ordains. Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations.

I hope this speaks to your heart. We are living in the days that God said this: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters SHALL prophesy (preach), your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. Joel 2:28-29 You can't stop the Spirit of the Lord, when He puts His Word in your heart - IT WILL COME OUT!!

Let the women speak, don't go against God. God Bless you!!